Friesen completes graduate studies at FHSU

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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