Art alumnus to give artist talk, premiere film about Fergus Falls State Hospital photography project
Tuesday, Jan. 24 | 7 p.m. | Fargo Library Community Room
Ethan Smith ’14 (art) first was interested in the architecture of the Fergus Falls building that used to be the state hospital. The building was built at the end of the 19th century in the vision of Dr. Thomas Kirkbride, a psychiatrist that recommended mental hospitals with lots of sunlight, located in nature. The opportunity for Smith to further explore those interests began when he was selected to a one-month artist’s residency program that was sponsored by the Fergus Falls Springboard for the Arts. He lived on the grounds of the state hospital and using a large format film camera, documented interior and exterior spaces. During the project, while talking to local residents, the building came alive with the sense of humanity of the people who lived and worked there.
With a grant from the Arts Partnership, Smith currently has a photo exhibition up at the Fargo Library and he will be giving an artist’s talk about his project on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. in the Fargo Library Community Room. He will also be premiering a new documentary-style film produced by Bob Schieffer, from MSUM media services. Smith’s project was recently featured on the front page of The Forum’s Variety section.