Fred Joel Larson: A Celebration of Life and Art

The upcoming exhibition in the Quarter Gallery celebrates the innovative work and life of the longtime Continuing Education student.
Digital collage of various color blocks, scribbled lines, and snippets of photographs
Caption
Fred Joel Larson (1947 – 2020)
Untitled, 12 x 18 in.
Digital collage of various color blocks, scribbled lines, and snippets of newspaper articles
Caption
Fred Joel Larson (1947 – 2020)
Untitled, 18 x 12 in.
Digital collage of various color blocks, scribbled lines, and snippets of photographs
Caption
Fred Joel Larson (1947 – 2020)
Untitled, 13 x 19.25 in.
Digital collage of various color blocks, cartoon characters, newspaper headlines, and the silhouette of a flower
Caption
Fred Joel Larson (1947 – 2020)
Untitled, 20 x 15 in.
Large-headed cartoon characters stand in a line against a rough red and yellow background
Caption
Fred Joel Larson (1947 – 2020)
Henry, 8.75 x 6 in.
Several old comic strip pages printed on top of each other, some in color and some in black and white
Caption
Fred Joel Larson (1947 – 2020)
Untitled, 16 x 12 in.
Digital collage of various color blocks, scribbled lines, and snippets of photographs
Caption
Fred Joel Larson (1947 – 2020)
Untitled, 22 x 17 in.
Expressionistic painting of blue and gray brushstrokes creating a loose figural form on cream background
Caption
David Moore, Jr., After Sargent, 2016, mixed media on paper, 21 x 17 ½ in., framed.
Man sits under trees wearing a white t-shirt
Caption
Fred Joel Larson (1947-2020)
A person with long gray hair looks at black and white mixed media collages on a white gallery wall
An elderly woman in a white mask enters an art gallery
A woman with reading glasses speaks into a microphone in front of abstract art
Caption
Robin Larson speaks at the reception
A man speaks into a microphone in front of abstract artwork
Caption
David Moore, Jr. speaks at the reception
A middle-aged couple stand next to brightly colored abstract art
Caption
David Moore, Jr., and Leni Moore stand next to David's artwork. Photo by Kalley Fosso.
A black book with a man's photo on it sits on a table next to a vase of white roses and a gray fedora

Fred Joel Larson: A Celebration of Life and Art
January 17 – February 11, 2023

Public Reception
Saturday, January 21, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Join us in celebrating the life and work of Fred Joel Larson. That same evening visit the exhibition A Tender Spirit, A Vital FormArlene Burke-Morgan & Clarence Morgan in the Katherine E. Nash Gallery.

Fred Joel Larson (1947-2020) graduated from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1997. He continued his studies of studio art at the University of Saint Thomas and from 2007 to 2020 he was active in the Department of Art at the University of Minnesota through the College of Continuing and Professional Studies. Larson considered himself a printmaker, but he also worked extensively in digital media, site-specific installation, language, and ideas. The exhibition also includes a selection of works by Larson’s friend, David Moore, Jr. 

Read more about Fred's time at Regis in this article featuring remembrances from his family and friends.

Fred Joel Larson was mesmerized by poetry and philosophy. He was inspired by Abstract Expressionism and the sublime scribble. His artwork expresses these qualities. Throughout his life his art included airbrush, pastels, and pen and ink. During the last 15 years he was focused on photography, papermaking, printmaking, and digital composition. Fred’s artwork was very personal, and it was rarely shared. He was consumed by reading and the acquisition of knowledge. Fred was a quiet and private man with rigorous work habits but rarely believed his work was complete. We are happy to honor him and show his work in this exhibition.
 

Robin Larson, daughter of Fred Joel Larson

David Moore, Jr. earned an AB in Visual and Environmental Studies from Harvard College, initially studying scenic design before switching to drawing and painting with Dimitri Hadzi and Flora Natapoff. At the Yale School of Drama he studied dramaturgy and dramatic criticism. Moore continued his study of studio art at the New York Studio School and at the University of Minnesota, where he became friends with Fred Joel Larson.

Most of my studio work since 2017 has centered on several large still lifes incorporating classical plaster casts and statuary with abandoned mechanical parts, toy medieval knights, old curtains, candlesticks, bottles, gourds and so on. Often their arrangements remind me of the scale models I built decades ago when designing stage settings for theatrical productions. As my spatial and visual experience has grown, so has my rendering of color. Transcribing what I see, I employ inevitable accidents of hue, light, scale and metaphor in search of formal structure.
 

David Moore, Jr.

To see more of Fred Joel Larson's work, visit joelego.tumblr.com. To see more of David Moore, Jr.'s work, visit mooreart55.com.

The Quarter Gallery spans 2,000 square feet for the presentation of exhibitions and related programming that engages primarily with emerging artists and community partnerships.

Location & Hours
Regis Center for Art (East)
405 21st Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Access the Gallery via the Regis Center for Art main entrance directly across from the 21st Avenue parking ramp.

Tuesday and Friday, 11 am – 5 pm
Wednesday and Thursday, 11 am – 7 pm
Saturday, 11 am – 3 pm

Contact Us
Gallery Attendant Desk
612-624-7530

Administrative Office
nashgallery@umn.edu

Parking & Public Transit
Learn more about the parking options below:
21st Avenue South ramp
5th Street South lot
19th Avenue South ramp

The Gallery is accessible via Metro Transit buses and light rail lines. For your best route, visit Metro Transit Trip Planner.

Accessibility 
Regis Center for Art is accessible to visitors who use mobility devices or prefer to avoid stairs. Service animals are welcome in the gallery. A fully accessible, gender neutral restroom is available on the 2nd floor of the Regis Center for Art (West). To access this restroom, take the elevator to the 2nd floor and proceed across the skyway towards Regis West. As you exit the skyway the restroom will be directly across from you. Fully accessible gendered restrooms are located directly to the left hand side when exiting the gallery on the first floor of Regis Center for Art (East).

Katherine E. Nash Gallery:

January 17 – March 18, 2023
A Tender Spirit, A Vital Form: Arlene Burke-Morgan & Clarence Morgan

Saturday, January 21, 2023
Public Program & Reception, 5:00 - 8:00 pm

5:00 - 6:00 pm, Program with the exhibition catalog essayists
Robert Cozzolino, Tia-Simone Gardner, Bill Gaskins, Nyeema Morgan
This is a ticketed event. Tickets are free. RSVP to reserve your ticket.

6:00 - 8:00 pm, Reception
This is a ticketed event. Tickets are free. RSVP to reserve your ticket.

March 28 - April 15, 2023
MFA Thesis

Saturday, April 1, 2023
Public Program & Reception, 6:00 - 8:30 pm
6:00 - 6:30 PM, Program
6:3 0 - 8:30 PM, Reception

May 2 - 11, 2023
BFA Thesis

Quarter Gallery:

January 17 – February 11, 2023
Fred Joel Larson: A Celebration of Life and Art

February 21 - March 18, 2023
RCA Emerging Artist Exhibition Program
Nancy Julia Hicks & Kieran Myles-Andrés Tverbakk

Regis West Gallery:

February 1-25, 2023
Minnesota Scholastic Art Awards

April 18-27, 2023
Bachelor of Arts Spring 2023 Capstone

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