Augustana University’s Eide/Dalrymple Gallery Presents ‘Chad Nelson: Fires in the Dark’

The Augustana University Eide/Dalrymple Gallery presents "Chad Nelson: Fires in the Dark," a Master of Art Education thesis exhibition - on view through Thursday, June 18. Free and open to the public, a reception for "Fires in the Dark" will take place in the Center for Visual Arts on Friday, June 5, from 6-8 p.m.

Nelson '95 is a printmaker, educator and artist based in Sioux Falls. He has taught high school art for nearly three decades, including four years at Baltic High School and 20+ years at Brandon Valley High School, where he currently teaches. Nelson also serves as instructor of printmaking at Augustana, while maintaining an active studio practice centered in printmaking and community-based art projects.

Nelson's work focuses primarily on mezzotint, relief printmaking and collaborative work. His imagery often explores interconnected systems found in both nature and human experience - drawing visual parallels between cosmic structures, root systems, woven forms, memory and relationships. Much of his recent work reflects on parenthood, identity, mythology, overcoming periods of emotional struggle and the unseen emotional and social networks that shape our lives.

"Fires in the Dark" marks the completion of his Master of Arts in education at Northern State University, while representing a continuation of his ongoing studio work and return to Augustana as a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) candidate in printmaking.

The exhibition brings together Nelson's work alongside collaborative projects, public-facing student work and a group of graduating seniors whose "collective talent and creative energy have shaped the studio in extraordinary ways." The senior artists included in this exhibition represent an unusually powerful concentration of creativity, curiosity, technical skill and individuality.

"In more than 20 years of teaching, I have never experienced a group quite like this one, and I may never again. Their work, energy, humor, trust and willingness to invest themselves fully into the creative process became an essential part of the spirit of this exhibition," said Nelson.

At the center of the exhibition is the idea that art education is not simply about technical instruction or isolated assignments, but building connections between people across time. The collaborative works included in the exhibition - "Empty Bowls," "Steamroller Printmaking," "Creative Minds" and "Fires in the Dark" itself - reflect the belief that students grow most deeply when their work exists publicly, collaboratively and with genuine purpose beyond a grade. Many of the works explore woven structures, networks, roots, stars and unseen systems as metaphors for the ways relationships, influence, memory and shared experiences continue outward long after a class has ended.

About the Eide/Dalrymple Gallery

As a part of Augustana University, the mission of the Eide/Dalrymple Gallery is to contribute to the educational and cultural vitality of the university, surrounding community and state of South Dakota. The Eide/Dalrymple Gallery inspires the artists of today and tomorrow, and serves as a resource for teaching and promoting life-long learning through its permanent collection and temporary exhibition program with accompanying artist visits, gallery talks and educational materials.

The Eide/Dalrymple Gallery is named after Palmer Eide and Ogden Dalrymple, pioneering Augustana professors emeriti of art. Many of their collaborative works are spread throughout its campus.

The Eide/Dalrymple Gallery is located at 30th Street and Grange Avenue, in the Center for Visual Arts at Augustana. The gallery is open to the public and free of charge. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Saturdays, from 1-4 p.m.