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Artist ignites hearts with display honoring late Northland College alum

January 25, 2013

In the Dexter Library at Northland College, a bramble of branches hangs suspended over a large, backlit drawing encased in a glass frame circled by stones. The drawing depicts images of aloon, deer, trees and other symbols of the natural world. In its center, the form of a skier takes shape, intertwined with the lines of the piece. The drawing is not unlike its subject, Bjorn Norgaard, who touched the lives ofmany at Northland and beyond.

"The nature of his death, and the emptiness formed out of his sudden absence, was a cause of great suffering for all who knew him," said artist Anna Mahnke in a statement about the display.

A Northland alum, Norgaard died two years ago in February after being struck by a vehicle on Lake Superior as he skied home from Book Across the Bay. Mahnke's drawing is part of a recently installed display marking the memory of Norgaard - her cousin. The display dubbed "I Extinguish, We Ignite" is a celebration of his life.

Mahnke, a 2012 graduate of St. Olaf College, said her idea for the display evolved from a printmaking class in February 2011 - prior to Norgaard's passing. She created a wood block print with a tree and river design and a pattern profiling theback of a figure.

"At the time, however, I didn't know who the figure was," she said. "A few days after the block was printed and I was faced with deciding how to finish thedrawing, I received the hardest news I'd ever received."

As she coped with the loss of her cousin, she grappled with the complex emotions and thoughts through her artwork. Mahnke wanted the drawing to be more than a "framed piece of art on the wall." She wanted it to be an experience, hoping others who were grieving would find their own meaning in the display.

"When we first saw the piece last spring...it was incredibly moving," said Karin Norgaard, Bjorn's mother. "It literally brought us to our knees, which is what [Anna] intended it to do."

Karin and Brett Norgaard call the display an incredible gift that Mahnke has shared with them. For them, the piece captures their son's essence and his love of nature.

"Since he died, that has meant so much to us," said Karin Norgaard. "Spiritually, he is still with us.

"The Norgaards add that they are grateful to see the piece on display where their son was most happy.

"He told me many times, ‘Mom, this is the best time of my life," she said of Bjorn's time at Northland. Her husband, Brett, echoed her words.

"That piece belongs up there," he said.

The display will remain at the Dexter Library at Northland through the end of April.