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"100 Years of Sandzén Prints" on exhibit

The Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery in Lindsborg, Kansas, is hosting "100 Years of Sandzén Prints," an exhibition commemorating the 100th anniversary of Birger Sandzén's first attempts at printmaking. The exhibit will run from February 7 through April 17, 2016.

Sandzén (February 5, 1871 – June 22, 1954) began creating lithographs at the urging of McPherson art dealer, Carl Smalley. Over his lifetime, he created 207 lithographs. Later in 1916, he also began producing block prints. He created 94 different images using either wood or linoleum and developed a unique woodcut style termed a "nailcut" by his daughter, Margaret. In 1918 he produced his first drypoint intaglio print and had a limited production of 27 different plate designs. The exhibition will feature many of his early lithographs and block prints, along with a complete collection of drypoints.

In his early 20s, the Swedish-born artist moved to Lindsborg — a town nicknamed "Little Sweden" because of the large number of Swedish immigrants that settled the town in the late 19th century. Sandzén lived there the rest of his life, painting and working at Bethany College. The Sandzén Gallery was dedicated in 1957, housing the most extensive collection of his paintings, watercolors, prints, and drawings in the world.

Below is an example of one of his prints featured in the book, Birger Sandzén on Art, Music and Transcendence by James M. Kaplan (Nordic Studies Press).


Giant Cedars
Lithograph
Birger Sandzén, 1922



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