Recently, I was walking with a friend and brought up the Carleton wind turbine. “Carleton got a wind turbine?” she asked. Though many of us rarely miss out on the big changes in our environment, we are completely oblivious to the small ones.

The students of the art department produce hundreds of works each semester, many of which go unnoticed by the student body. They spend countless hours in the studio – during nights, weekends and breaks.

Undoubtedly, everyone on campus has seen the exhibitions between the Cage and Rolvaag and most students have seen the main student gallery in Dittmann.

But have you ever checked out the other corridors around Dittmann? How about the music library? Kelsey Gallery? Didn’t think so.

I’m here to provide you with a walking tour of students’ most recent artwork sometimes so “hidden” from view one can hardly find it. This art is fresh and probably the work of some of your closest friends. So make a date and go check out all the hidden art on campus.

Dittmann Center for the Arts

We begin our tour at the very place where student art is produced. Upon entering Ditt (get up on the new art major slang ... jeez), take a quick peek into the Groot Student Gallery (it’s always open during building hours which are 6 a.m.-12 a.m. everyday of the week). The student juried show was recently installed; the exhibit highlights some of the past year’s best works from non-seniors.

Then (now this is a big step here) take your time making the rounds of the Ditt corridors. The building is a big square, with bathrooms in the center, and each corridor around the perimeter displays the work of current or past students.

On the main level is displayed the work of this semester’s Color Design and Printmaking classes. The lower level boasts the work of both alums and last semester’s oil painting students. Finally, the beautiful upper level (unless you’ve had a dance or art history course, you’ve probably never even been up there) holds some great alumni paintings and mixed media pieces.

Halvorson Music Library

But you’re not a music major ... why would you ever want to go in the music library? Here’s a reason: It’s part of our tour! And really now, you need to get yourself more acquainted with this campus. Some people spend their entire lives in this building; don’t you want to see what it’s like?

The music library is located in the Christiansen Hall of Music, on the main floor. Just continue down the main hallway, and right after you turn the corner (left), you’re there! The student artwork in the library is to the right of the circulation desk and ranges from personal student shows to class exhibits.

An international student from Norway, Guro Tomerras, currently has both monotype and drypoint prints on exhibit, completed this fall in her printmaking class, which revolved around the symbolic nature of hands.

Kelsey Gallery

Now we make our way from Christiansen to Kelsey Theater. What? There’s a gallery in there? Yep! I only discovered it last year when I really had to go to the bathroom during “Appalachian Dream.” And that is exactly where the gallery is located: on the way to the women’s bathroom in Kelsey Theater.

Though it’s a small corridor, the natural light and track spotlighting make it an excellent spot to display almost any medium of work. Right now Rachel Egeberg ‘06 and Rachael Sexton ‘06 have a “conversational” exhibit of their oil paintings, starting in Kelsey Gallery and continued in Buntrock.

Rolvaag Library

Walk into the library. Look up. Woah! Where did those kayaks come from? Okay, so maybe you’ve noticed them before reading this, but it is more than likely that you don’t know who made them.

There is a small sign to the right of the Greenland and North Alaska Recovery Kayaks, and if you’ve read it, you know that our very own Dean of Students Greg Kneser was one of the crafts’ constructors.

Along with two other staff members, Kneser constructed these and two more kayaks this past summer and fall in the style of the Inuit.

Telecom Hallway

Unless you’re on your way to IIT or your phone isn’t working, you would never go down this seemingly creepy hallway in Buntrock. Students in topics in studio art exhibited work here in early December 2004.

From printmaking to sculpture, drawing to photography, the variety of mediums is as different as the variety of artwork from which they were produced. The Telecom hallway is extremely well- lit and is usually vacant, allowing viewers to take time and soak it all in, – a fitting final stop to our tour.

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