The posters created by Tina Bartels for M-State University’s Fine Arts Events aren’t just advertisements, they’re art.
So it’s no surprise that an upcoming art show on the Fergus Falls campus will feature these posters, which Bartels designed for the art faculty during his time working as the university’s graphic designer.
From Nov. 9 to Dec. 14, visitors to the university’s Beck Gallery will be able to explore “Graphics,” a visual history of theatrical performances, concerts, and events told through many of Bartels’ approximately 130 posters. Inspiration: M-State Posters 2010-2022.
After Bartels leaves the university in 2022, Massachusetts Ceramics Instructor Lori Charest, who organizes art exhibitions at the university, asked Bartels if she would be interested in exhibiting her work. . The conversation turned to posters Bartels had created for art events, and the two joked that the posters themselves could form an exhibition.
“The more I thought about it, the more this idea seemed like a good one, especially since we are celebrating our 20th anniversary at M-State this year,” Charest said. “Tina’s posters are an example of another art discipline that focuses her designs on graphics. She has always had a great eye for attractive and eye-catching images.”
Promoting M-State has always been more than just a job for Bartels. After graduating from high school at Mills in New York, she attended the Fergus Falls campus, worked in the library, served as a university ambassador, hand-painted posters for the marketing department, and joined the student body. Travels to Europe and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
“My two years at Fergus were the best two years of my college career,” Bartels says.
He transferred to St. Cloud State University, planning to major in art, but was warned that he would “never make money.” She majored in English and graphic design instead, and after her graduation took graphic design jobs at Nash’s Finch grocery chain and her hometown newspaper.
She returned to M. 2007 She worked as an accounting clerk and director of the M-State Wadena Campus Foundation, but her design talent soon led to a university-wide position in the communications department.
Bartels says creating posters for art events was the best part of her job.
“I love the art club,” she says. “It felt like I was doing something for my family. It gave me a chance to be creative and step outside of my daily routine.”
She recalls the first poster she painted for the department, “Hamlet.” This poster is a set of four posters of her featuring each of her four main characters from ‘Steel Magnolia’, including a set of fantastic pipes with angel wings for choral concerts, her organ set and It’s the men. Women danced on a poster for a jazz band concert.
Stephanie Gerhardson, a theater instructor at M-State, said many of Bartels’ theater posters still hang in her office and theater makeup room.
“Every poster was beautiful and radiated energy and vitality,” Gerhardson said. “Tina always went the extra mile to make her posters unique. She wasn’t satisfied with using stock images and turning them into posters. Her enthusiasm for working with directors and The drive was very pleasing and what she produced was always vibrant and professional.”
Charest said Bartels’ creative posters may have helped draw many people from the community to university events.
Since leaving M-State, Bartels has been “experimenting with what he wants to do with his life.” That meant enjoying more time with family, connecting with the community through a part-time job at Karvonen Funeral Home, organizing short-term school substitutions, and freelancing as a graphic artist.
Bartels also enjoys making wine, painting (her goal is to do one painting a month), and exploring opportunities to “use my love of art, which I had no intention of making money from.” “Yes,” she says with a laugh.
“Graphic inspiration” It is open to the public and admission is free. Beck Gallery is open during regular U of M campus campus hours.