Serving immigrants since 1868

The Trinity鈥揂ugsburg connection goes back to 1868, when Norwegian and Danish immigrants formed Trinity Lutheran. The congregation soon built a small wooden church at the corner of 12^th聽Avenue and 3^rd聽Street South, where US Bank Stadium now stands. Trinity leaders encouraged Augsburg Seminary to move from Wisconsin to the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood in 1872, and their collaboration led to the creation of Lutheran Deaconess Hospital in 1888. The trio of institutions became indispensible to the immigrant community, and by the 1890s Trinity had over 1,200 members. In 1897, Trinity earned the nickname, 鈥淭he Mother of the Free Church,鈥� when Trinity, Augsburg and a handful of other congregations formed the Lutheran Free Church, a group of independent congregations committed to congregational autonomy and personal Christianity.

鈥淗omeless congregation鈥� finds a place at Augsburg

In 1966, Trinity鈥檚 1000-seat building on 20^th聽Avenue was demolished to make way for I-94 construction. 鈥淩ather than disbanding,聽the congregation accepted offers from Riverside Presbyterian Church and then Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church for worship and office space,鈥� explains Wickens. 鈥淭here was a tremendous commitment to Cedar-Riverside, just as Augsburg has always been committed to its inner-city location and community.鈥� Augsburg began providing Trinity with聽worship space in the 1990s. The two institutions and other partners host community suppers at Trinity鈥檚 common space, and Augsburg students volunteer at Trinity鈥檚 drop-in tutoring program for K-12 students from the neighborhood, many of whom are Muslim immigrants.

Campus Connections

The lives of the Sverdrup and Michaelsen families have been intertwined with Augsburg and Trinity for five generations. 鈥淭he campus was so familiar to me,鈥� remembers聽Kristine, who grew up six blocks from campus. 鈥淓verything we did had some kind of Augsburg or Trinity connection.鈥� She remembers visiting her grandmother, Else Sverdrup Michaelsen (Georg鈥檚 daughter) who, after the death of her husband Michael Michaelsen 鈥檟x continued to live on campus until her own death in 1965. Today,聽Kristine聽and two of her siblings, Jennifer (Michaelsen)聽Windingstad聽鈥�67 and George Michaelsen聽II, remain members of Trinity. Another sister, Mary (Michaelsen) Garmer 鈥�69 and聽her husband Reverend Gregory Garmer 鈥�68 live in Duluth.聽Peter Windingstad studied at Augsburg before transferring to the University of Wisconsin.聽Many members of the family are donors to Augsburg.

Looking back on the two institutions鈥� shared history, Kristine聽sees theirs as a story of immigration; from the Scandinavians of the 19^th聽century to the East African and other immigrants living in the Cedar-Riverside area today, and all those in between.聽鈥淢y family were immigrants,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 essential that we welcome new people, include them in our lives and help them get established.鈥�

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Art and Identity

In her artist鈥檚 statement, Rice explains that she began her process by hand-drawing and hand-cutting stencils of rare Minnesota plants. 鈥淭he plants are 鈥榩ainted鈥� in with a variety of antique and vintage paper: maps and plat books of Minnesota counties (I only used maps from counties where the plants are actually found), Norwegian-language liturgy from the 1870s, sheet music, handwritten letters from early Minnesotans, homework, biology textbooks and early Augsburg ephemera.鈥� She notes that her interest in native plants connects to her Christian faith tradition. 鈥淚t is the sacred trust we have been given to be stewards of our Earth. My Grandpa Ed, a seventh generation Midwestern farmer, knew the names of every plant on his large farm. He didn鈥檛 own them; he was responsible for them.鈥� That, she wrote, was one way he modeled faith in action.

Beauty and Inspiration

Steve notes that the timeliness of the 鈥淎rt and Identity鈥� project captured his own and Sandy鈥檚 imagination. 鈥淲e are living in a deeply troublesome and dangerous Trump era when, especially here in the Arizona southwest, walls are political symbols meant to divide sharply and impose barriers. What a wonderful idea for Hagfors Center to refashion walls as settings for beauty and inspiration!鈥�
Augsburg commissioned Six Minnesota Wildflowers and works by other artists to express its core identity, grounded in durable faith, inclusion, and experiential learning. 鈥淕reat universities manage to nurture creative artistic production alongside scientific discovery,鈥� say the Bataldens, who have spent their careers in higher education. Steve is professor emeritus of Russian history and founding director of the Melikian Center for Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies at Arizona State University. Sandy is a retired university librarian, bibliographer, and scholarly book editor.

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Kwant鈥檚 art will illustrate the transitional space by etching pairs of words from different disciplines into the glass of the skyway. Think: define divinity, probe force, radiate support, love density. When Lestrud, an English major who did graduate work in linguistics and considers word play a part of her life, first saw the proposal, she thought, 鈥淔antastic! But then I started puzzling over the pairs that didn鈥檛 make sense鈥攁nd thought aha! She got me! She made me ponder,鈥� says Lestrud. 鈥淚 hope students will react the same way, with their curiosity piqued as they stroll through. I wonder if they will write about their experiences, walking through this walkway of words.鈥�

Words on the skyway windows will also make the glass visible to birds, so they don鈥檛 鈥渟mack themselves silly on the glass. I thought this was a brilliant solution to a real concern, and a very thought-provoking piece as well,鈥� she adds.

Lestrud lauds the selection process, too. A resident of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, she volunteers for and supports various art groups, including those charged with choosing art for public spaces. 鈥淚t鈥檚 such an interesting process, because you have people who know nothing about art but 鈥榢now what they like.鈥� It鈥檚 hard to set up guidelines when you hear commentary like that,鈥� she points out. 鈥淢any people want to go for something very representational, very safe, and in many cases, very uninteresting. But that didn鈥檛 happen on this committee.鈥�

She served on Augsburg鈥檚 Art and Identity committee, which began discussing art when the Hagfors Center was 鈥渟till a dream on paper,鈥� working with architects to identify where artwork should go, what size it should be, and how it should be lit. 鈥淣inety-nine percent of the time, people wait until the structure is inhabited before they start embellishing it,鈥� she explains. 鈥淲e seem to have an innate yearning to embellish our surroundings. The earliest people did cave drawings. The Victorians had every surface covered with doodads. So we鈥檙e following a very natural impulse, and I think it鈥檚 wonderful that Augsburg made the commitment to do this in a well-thought-out and big way.鈥�

Once locations were selected and artist proposals solicited, committee members met with artists individually to field questions and fuel the creative mission through a deeper understanding of the building in particular and Augsburg in general. 鈥淭hat was also interesting and not always something that happens in the broader world,鈥� Lestrud says. She was delighted to chat with Kwant, a public artist, director of RSP Dreambox, and frequent lecturer on experience design, environments, and communications for the U. of Minnesota School of Design and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Kwant will also create one-of-a-kind glassed-topped tables that are available for sponsorship.

Lestrud contrasts the Hagfors Center with the boxy, cement block structure of the old science hall. 鈥淲hen you walked in, all you wanted to do was get out again,鈥� she remembers. 鈥淭he art going into this new building will make it the kind of place that will inspire students, give them a mental break, and, I believe, encourage them to linger.鈥�

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As a young man just out of high school, Scott D. Anderson 鈥�96 had already developed a love for drawing and painting. He had artistic talent, but the skills necessary to make a full-time living pursuing art were then beyond his reach. He became a chemical technician at 3M instead, launching a career that has helped him come full circle, back to his first love through philanthropy.

鈥淎rt inspires me,鈥� says Anderson, who is sponsoring 鈥淎 Song of Dust鈥� by collage artist Stephanie Hunder in the Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion through the Art & Identity program. 鈥淓ver since I got my chemistry degree, I鈥檝e wanted to give something back to Augsburg. I鈥檓 very grateful to Augsburg for giving me the opportunity to obtain a degree in science. Now I can return the favor.鈥�

With the support of his employer, Anderson completed his chemistry degree through Augsburg鈥檚 Weekend College. It took him about six years while working full-time. He has been a regular donor to the Augsburg Chemistry Alumni Scholarship ever since, and he has also devoted more than 36 years to 3M, where he is now a senior research chemist in the Infection Prevention Division.

The art he chose for Hagfors Center is a 6鈥� by 12鈥� piece comprised of five panels, one of which had already been sponsored. Anderson will sponsor two panels, and 3M鈥檚 employee matching gift program will cover the remaining two. Stephanie Hunder, gallery director and art professor at Concordia University in St. Paul, uses printmaking and photography to create images of actual objects, such as branches and grasses pressed into paper, that often mimic scientific recording in some ways. Anderson spotted her work while exploring an entire room of art proposed for the Art & Identity campaign.

鈥淲hat she put on the canvas was partly scientific and partly artistic, so it represented the sciences and the arts at the same time. In fact, it represents what I do now at 3M鈥攃hemistry, engineering, biology. It all flows together. It meshes,鈥� says Anderson. 鈥淭o see art on the walls when you walk around campus is pretty inspiring, at least for me.鈥� The piece will appear with a small recognition plaque in a prominent hallway near the physics area in the Hagfors Center.

The Hagfors Center is slated to open next January. Meanwhile, though he is not yet ready to retire, Anderson is beginning to rediscover his talent for art, using pen and ink, watercolor, and acrylics in occasional projects. 鈥淪ometimes I surprise myself,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 believe it is important to mix art with academics, as well as mixing humanity studies with science.鈥�

鈥� Cathy Madison

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If you crossed paths on the Augsburg campus with history professor Phil Adamo, you would quickly learn of his enthusiasm for the history of the place. You may even hear him share one of the many stories that make Augsburg鈥檚 150-year history so intriguing.

Phil Adamo came to Augsburg in 2001, after completing his PhD in medieval history at The Ohio State University. In 2015, he was named 鈥淢innesota Professor of the Year鈥� for 2015 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, the same year he began as Director of Augsburg鈥檚 nationally recognized Honors Program. Since 2013, he鈥檚 been working with students on a history of Augsburg for its sesquicentennial celebration in 2019.

When asked what made him decide to sponsor a work of art for the Hagfors Center Art and Identity initiative, here is what he said:

鈥淢ost people don鈥檛 know I鈥檓 a bit of an art collector. I go to all the student shows and have purchased student self-portraits and other contemporary art. I鈥檓 a fan of art and want to support artists. When I found out about the Art and Identity initiative, I started looking at the portfolio of stories about the artists. In fact, I watched every video story on the various artists.

鈥淚 noticed the collection includes work by former campus photographer Stephen Geffre. Stephen and I have worked on several projects together over the years. In my current work, writing the history of Augsburg, Stephen took many of the images I鈥檓 using. I鈥檝e also bought some of his photography. Then I found out he is a multi-dimensional artist, working as a sculptor. The piece he鈥檚 doing for the Hagfors Center appeals to me because it brings to life something of the College鈥檚 past. .

鈥淚 appreciate the way objects tell stories, which is something I鈥檓 exploring in my history of Augsburg. This object Stephen is creating tells a story, that links to some of the stories I want to tell. For example, when the original Science Hall was built, in the late 1940s, students lamented the removal of an old tree during construction. 鈥極ne thing that really bothers me,鈥� one student said, 鈥榠s that someone had that beautiful, scrubby old tree by Science Hall cut down鈥攊t was the best and the only shade on campus 鈥� a person needs a tree for shade now and then.鈥�

鈥淪tephen鈥檚 piece is large and dramatic. It will hang in the new building not far from where the elm trees in the quad once stood. For almost 75 years, half the life of the College, students, staff and faculty walked past those trees, sat in their shade, watched their leaves turn in the fall. Now, when you come down the main hallway of the first floor, you鈥檒l walk directly towards a cross-section of one of these trees, showing the history of Augsburg in its rings. Stephen鈥檚 piece adds an outline of the tree, suggestive of what once was there, but now is just a memory. That鈥檚 what historians do.鈥�

鈥斅燽y Catherine Reid Day

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The Rev. Dr. Philip Quanbeck, Sr. 鈥�50 is one of the most decorated faculty members in the history of Augsburg, even among the 80 or so Quanbeck extended family members in the Augsburg fold. So it is little wonder that he is also claimed by Bethlehem Lutheran Church, at 4100 Lyndale Ave.聽South聽in Minneapolis, where he became a beloved visitation pastor after retiring from teaching in 1993 and was named Pastor Emeritus in 2010. Bethlehem Lutheran has chosen to honor him by sponsoring two pieces of art in the Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion.

鈥淓veryone just adores him,鈥� says Rianne Leaf, who chairs Bethlehem Foundation鈥檚 grants committee. 鈥淗e is such a warm human being, and he has a wonderful way of drawing people out and involving them in discussions. He is not a lecturer as much as a leader, and his insights are profound.鈥�

Now in his mid-90s, Quanbeck still attends church on many Sunday mornings. He is known for arriving at 8 a.m. to hear the sermon, then adding its points to his Bible study discussion at 9 a.m. Forty to sixty people have often packed the room to participate in the lively conversations he guides.

鈥淲hen Augsburg applied for a grant, we knew we wanted to honor him,鈥� Leaf says. Although the $10,500 grant was approved a year ago, it was last November when Augsburg displayed more than 25 signature art concepts chosen for the Hagfors Center and invited potential sponsors to meet the artists. The Bethlehem Lutheran arts committee wasted little time deciding which to sponsor.

鈥淲e all immediately agreed on the sunburst. Then one of our committee noticed a beautiful woodsy landscape that reminded us of Phil and Dora and the cabin they love. The more we looked at it, the more intrigued we became, and we made a unanimous decision about 15 minutes later to also purchase that one,鈥� Leaf recalls. 鈥淭hat was a fun process.鈥�

The sunburst, titled 鈥淟et There Be Light,鈥� will be a large three-dimensional piece of ceramic, glass, grout, and fiberglass by Kristen Opalinski 鈥�03. The fine and studio arts graduate became a graphic designer and marketing expert and now uses her expertise to explore faith and social justice. Leaf says the piece reminded them of Quanbeck鈥檚 interest in and great respect for the world鈥檚 many religions.

The landscape artist is Tiit Raid, who hails from Estonia, earned his BA and MA degrees from the University of Minnesota, exhibits widely, and has worked from his Fall Creek, Wisconsin, studio for the past 40 years. His piece, 鈥淥bservation,鈥� is a 23鈥� by 68鈥� acrylic on paper piece mounted on a wood panel. It includes phrases along the borders, and he has agreed to incorporate some of Quanbeck鈥檚 words in the finished artwork.

Leaf said that the group was thrilled to learn, after choosing the pieces, that both were already slated for display in the religion wing. 鈥淎s you come down the hallway, you鈥檒l see the sunburst at the end. We loved that impact,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he other will go above a study shelf, where students will be able to study, philosophize and daydream while looking up at it.鈥�

Leaf said the group is looking forward to meeting with Quanbeck to procure his favorite sayings. 鈥淗e is so humble but so pleased that we are honoring him with this award,鈥� says Leaf. 鈥淎nd we all hope to be there for the dedication in September or October.鈥�

鈥� Cathy Madison

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“From the moment I heard that a chapel would be included in the聽Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion,聽I wanted to design a piece of art for it,” said artist Bebe Keith. Her large 3-D glass sculpture will become a featured element of the building鈥檚 roof top chapel thanks to the sponsorship investment by聽Jeff Nodland 鈥�77 and Becky Bjella Nodland 鈥�79.

“One of the things that drew my attention to this opportunity is that Augsburg is recognized as聽the fourth most diverse and inclusive campus in the United States. The idea that people of all faiths and backgrounds will use the chapel space interested me while also presenting a challenge to me as an artist.”

聽has been creating art professionally for about 12 years, mostly in the public art realm. “I usually create stained glass mosaics by hand for public spaces, primarily in health care. “When I got the Art and Identity committee鈥檚 call for artists I wanted to do something distinctive.”

Drawing on聽inspiration聽from scripture, her original design was all about diversity, connections and networks between people.

“When I presented my first 2-D design to the Art and Identity Committee, they really latched on to the idea but wondered if it could actually be produced in three dimensions, so I figured out a way to make that happen.鈥�

She found a computer program that helped her illuminate what was in her mind鈥檚 eye. It worked. The design addresses the networking of the three disciplines of science, business, and religion was at the origin of her idea.

鈥淚 started with the idea of networks鈥攄ots with lines connecting with other dots with lines which connect to others and so on. The negative space is all triangles. So the idea of people as networks becomes forms.鈥�

As Keith puts it, 鈥淎cceptance is the most important value to me. I love to imagine people coming together in harmony and peace. Acceptance is the ideal. I want to promote places and spaces where people come together and listen to one another. This chapel is a place for sharing ideas and taking them along with them into the world. It will be a quiet place and those ideas are all there for the visitor.”

The piece consists of 43 glass panels that will be in聽different聽patterns and colors. Each panel is drawn from a different tapestry of cultures and religions and references聽1 Corinthians 14:26 鈥� 鈥淲hen you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.鈥�

鈥淚 found the patterns in books and drew聽from what people are wearing in聽different countries. Some patterns are from ancient places, while some are from newer countries such as Somalia.”

Six of the panels will be unpatterned to suggest the future of Augsburg yet to unfold. All of panels will also include some smudges, blurring and distress to suggest imperfection of the world past and present. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not all tidy, but it makes us who we are,鈥� she said.

It will hang in the space so that from one particular angle viewers be able to see a cross. From all other points in the room it will look like聽a tapestry, a quilt, an abstracted shape, an unfolded origami.

Jeff Nodland 鈥�77 and Becky Bjella Nodland 鈥�79 share Bebe’s passion for the celebration of an inclusive faith and the ideas of welcoming the聽stranger as core aspects of what it means to be an Auggie. While serving as a member of the Augsburg Board of Regents, and now taking on the聽leadership of the board, Jeff participated in the decisions to proceed with the construction of the Hagfors Center. He and Becky were intrigued聽by the inclusion of the chapel as a visible expression of the ideals of a lived Lutheran faith.

鈥淏ecky and I see this piece of sculpture as a beautiful expression of what it means to live as faithful servants and relevant leaders. We support the essence of what it means to be a Lutheran institution of higher learning and to lead with a global perspective. Bebe’s piece embodies those ideals for us,鈥� said Jeff.

The glass and metal framework will be fabricated in Germany based on Keith’s design.聽The sculpture will be installed in the chapel and open for visiting in January of 2018.

鈥� Cathy Madison

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