The work of Saint Vincent alumnus Roman Verostko will be featured in the inaugural exhibit of the new Saint Vincent Gallery, which is scheduled to be completed and dedicated on April 23, 2020. The exhibit will be enitled “Roman Verostko and the Cloud of Unknowing: From Ideas in the Mind to Ideas in Code.” The new gallery space is part of the expanded Dale P. Latimer Library, which is presently undergoing renovation as part of the Forward, Always Forward Capital Campaign for Saint Vincent College.
Verostko has championed the intersection of art, science and technology through his innovative use of computer algorithms driving pen-plotters to create original drawings. Verostko’s unique blending of art historical principles, technological innovation, and a profound spirituality informed by his time in the monastery, exemplifies the kind of academic inquiry Saint Vincent instills in its students.
The exhibition spans Verostko’s entire career—beginning with the formative years he spent at Saint Vincent and continuing to the present day. Verostko’s ceaseless exploration of pure abstract forms, electronic media, and systems of logic and language, have made him one of the most important artists within the expanding field of generative, algorithmic art. Students and researchers will be able to investigate more deeply the vast array of intersecting ideas and themes inherent in Verostko’s work.<br> Curated by Minneapolis College of Art & Design’s Gallery Director, Kerry Morgan and Melanie Pankau, MCAD Gallery Coordinator, Verostko’s retrospective exhibition is accompanied by a 168-page, full color catalogue. In the future, rotating exhibitions elaborating on Verostko’s oeuvre and the contemporary confluence of spirituality, science, technology, and art will be featured in the Saint Vincent Gallery.
Comprised of over 4,000 objects, the art collection at Saint Vincent boasts an impressive collection of paintings, works on paper, textiles, pottery and sculpture ranging from ancient to contemporary. Within the core of the collection remains nearly 200 paintings gifted by King Ludwig I of Bavaria at the request of Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B., in the mid-19th century. At a time when the nascent community of Saint Vincent was looking to establish itself in America, these paintings served as both tools to edify students as well as a visual link to a distant home.
“From its earliest days, Wimmer thought of the arts as having the same status and support as science and religion,” said Gallery Curator Andrew Julo. “Today, building on Wimmer’s vision, Saint Vincent continues its commitment to fostering a culture of creativity, inquiry and contemplation. The expansion of the Latimer Family Library and new state-of-the-art technology center is an extremely exciting step in Saint Vincent’s history.
“Placing the Gallery within the library emphasizes that Saint Vincent is an innovative Catholic institution of higher learning, interested in exploring intersections between faith, science, technology, and the humanities as expressed within the visual arts,” Julo said. “In addition to significantly expanding exhibition areas, the Gallery will also feature video presentation space, centralized climate-controlled storage, office space, a conservation lab, a rare book exhibition area and collection room. Through the generosity of several donors and benefactors, Saint Vincent has made a significant commitment to ensuring students have on-campus access to world class artwork and exhibitions.”
Watch the live stream video link for the library construction at www.stvincent.edu/forward.
