ORIGINALLY WRITTEN JULIE ANDERSON
Upon completing his work for his master of fine arts degree from Fort
Hays State University, Stan Friesen plans to move to Buffalo, N.Y.,
where he will teach at Buffalo State College.
Friesen, who currently works at Tabor College in the public relations
department, finished his graduate work with a thesis show at FHSU
earlier this month.
?It?s really fun to see all of your work together at one time,? he
said.
His exhibit included work he completed during his time at Fort Hays.
It was titled ?Apostrophe ?S.?
Friesen said the exhibit allowed him to display his work the way he
wanted to: lighted and in one place.
?My favorite part of it was being able to show it in the setting,? he
said.
The gallery was divided up into four quadrants, each set up as a
different room in the house. There was just enough furniture?$30,000
worth donated by C.S. Post?to let people know what room they were in.
?The whole setting was kind of neat because people come in and say
?Wow, it is everywhere,?? he said.
The four quadrants were a bedroom, living room, dining room and
office. Restaurant projects were set on the dining room table,
televisions had different ads running on them and paintings hung on
the walls.
Friesen said he wanted his exhibit to show that design is everywhere.
He wanted to teach the people the importance of details as well as
have them enjoy the exhibit.
Part of the exhibit was influenced by Friesen?s experiences in other
lands, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Newfoundland and northern
Ontario.
His experience in Pakistan ?had a pretty profound influence in some of
things, especially in the painting I do,? he said. ?There are just so
many things you just can?t capture with a photograph. You just have to
paint them.?
Part of Friesen?s exhibit was dedicated to the war in Afghanistan. He
had paintings of alleyways and a piece of shrapnel, which he placed in
a frame. He created the display to keep people aware about what had
happened so it will not be repeated.
?Really, school wise, it is probably the richest two years I have ever
spent,? he said.
Friesen traveled to Hays one to three times a week. During this time
he reduced his workload at Tabor to half-time and did not take on any
new work in his free-lance design business.
?Tabor?s been good that way, letting me cut back,? he said.
During his time in school, Friesen said he didn?t go to any Tabor
events or out to eat. The only events he attended were ones his
children were in at Hillsboro High School.
?It?s been a progression that?s been kind of circuitous,? he said. ?It
has all been involved in graphic and art.?
Friesen was working at Multi Business Press, a former printing
business in Hillsboro, when he first had the opportunity to try
teaching.
He said he thought it would be a good time to see if he enjoyed it.
?And I did,? he said. ?I thoroughly enjoyed it.?
Friesen later spent three and a half years at Murree Christian School
in Pakistan teaching junior high and high school art.
He was familiar with the school because it was a sister school to the
one he attended while living in Afghanistan.
Friesen said it was good timing for the job in Pakistan. ?We wanted to
expose our kids to a culture other than this one,? he said. ?I mean,
this is normal for here, but it?s not normal for the world. So now,
every community they see, they can judge it accordingly.?
The experience showed Friesen he wanted to teach kids who are more
focused on design. This meant teaching at the college level, which
would require a master?s degree.
With his degree comes a new job.
Friesen will be leaving Hillsboro to take a position in the art
department in Buffalo State University.
He found out about the position when he was at a College Arts
Association Conference in February in New York.
?I was looking for a department where they enjoyed working together
and enjoyed each other?s company,? he said. ?They didn?t have to be
all touchy-feely, but respected each other and the students respected
them.?
He found that at Buffalo. He will be teaching multi-media. The art
department has 400 majors. Of those, 125 to 150 are graphic design
majors.
One of Friesen?s major tenants of teaching is getting people to look
at all of the lines and structure. He wants to get his students to
look at the details of life and put it into their work.
?If a designer enjoys what he or she is doing, and they enjoy life,
then that kind of intense life comes through in design,? he said.
In June, Friesen and his wife, Diane, will look at houses there. They
will be moving the last week of July or the first week of August.
?For some people it?s a huge change?you?re leaving Hillsboro and going
to New York,? he said. ?It?s not a difference, rather it?s another
section in the book.?
Friesen sees it as an opportunity to see what he can do and make new
friends.
?It?s been a sacrifice on the whole family,? he said.
Friesen and his wife have two children, Hei
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