A Closer Look | Cindy Koopman and Carl Oltvedt

Though the two artists employ different media to explore their subjects, they share an inexhaustible curiosity about the ecosystems around them.

Cindy Koopman’s current subject is the collection of plants housed at the Bell Museum’s herbarium. The layered nature of printmaking is a fitting medium for Koopman, who overlaps context and meaning in each one of her pieces. Intricately rendered specimens lay on top of maps, text, and coordinates, as the artist tells a visual story of each plant’s life. Despite Koopman’s systematic approach to her research, the resulting works are vibrant and alive. Unafraid to take artistic risks, the artist writes, “I love how printmaking, while demanding careful planning, invites play and experimentation and defies my attempts to predict the outcome. The results are always surprising to me.”

Contrasting Koopman’s crisp edges and exacting linework, Carl Oltvedt leaves evidence of the hand in his drawings. Starting, like Koopman, from a base of careful observation, he glides seamlessly from gestural marks to fine detail. His birds (a favorite subject for the artist) are alive on the page—some stare watchfully, others are ready to launch into flight. Oltvedt explains of his process, “The individual works are always a distillation of observed information balanced with adjustments for my expressive interpretation.  In the end, I strive to instill a sense of presence and mystery in the works I create.”

The artists will be present at the opening reception Saturday, June 1 from 2-5 pm. The exhibition runs concurrently with Revisit/Release by Dani Roach. Both shows continue through July 13, 2024. Cindy Koopman will give a printmaking demonstration on Saturday, June 15 from 2-4pm. Carl Oltvedt will give a drawing demonstration on Saturday, June 22 from 1-4pm. All events are free and open to the public.

Artist Profiles:

Carl Oltvedt works full-time as an artist in a variety of painting and drawing media. He retired from Minnesota State University Moorhead in May of 2015, where he was a Professor in the School of Visual Arts. He has exhibited his work at Groveland Gallery in Minneapolis since 1978. 

His paintings and drawings are included in numerous public, corporate, and private collections, including the Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Minnesota Museum of American Art.  He has completed commissions for corporations and private collectors including Cargill Corporation, Securian Corporation and the Laske family.  He was a recipient of Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grants in 2014 and 1991, and a Lake Region Arts Council/McKnight Artist Fellowship in 2002.

Cindy Koopman grew up in southern Minnesota. She earned a BA in Art Education and an MFA in Printmaking and has continued her education through various workshops in the arts. After graduate school, Ms. Koopman worked as a printmaking instructor for the Lacoste School of the Arts in Lacoste, France and then as a faculty member at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota until her retirement in 2021. She has exhibited both nationally and internationally and has work in various collections.

Ms. Koopman works primarily in printmaking and drawing, using both traditional and contemporary techniques. Her current work focuses on drawing, etching, and wood engraving. She is a member of the Los Angeles Printmaking Society, Mid America Print Council, and the Wood Engravers Network.

A Closer Look by Cindy Koopman & Carl Oltvedt runs concurrently with Revisit/Release. Both shows continue through July 13, 2024. 

Gallery Hours:  Tuesday – Saturday, 12 to 5 pm