Minot State presents Armour of God: The Art of Steve Prince

MINOT, N.D. - Minot State University is pleased to welcome internationally recognized artist, educator, and community arts leader Steve Prince as a Flat Tail Press Visiting Artist, Feb. 2-6. Prince's visit coincides with the Northwest Arts Center exhibition Armour of God: The Art of Steve Prince, on view Jan. 8 through Feb. 21, in the Walter Piehl Gallery.

Prince is a master printmaker and art evangelist based in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he serves as the director of engagement and distinguished artist-in-residence at the Muscarelle Museum of Art at William & Mary University. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Prince earned his BFA from Xavier University of Louisiana and his MFA in printmaking and sculpture from Michigan State University. An educator throughout his career, Prince has taught at every level from middle and high school to community colleges and four-year institutions while maintaining a prolific studio and public art practice.

Armour of God: The Art of Steve Prince features a powerful series of large-scale linoleum relief prints inspired by Ephesians 6:11, which calls on believers to "put on the full armor of God." Prince reimagines this verse through a recurring "AOG" symbol embedded within layered visual narratives. This symbol represents both an omnipresent power that intervenes in schemes designed to destroy the lives of righteous people, and sacred protection for those who fight for the oppressed and disenfranchised.

"The exhibition is a reminder for us to collectively work for justice, peace, and equality, and know by faith we will be protected by the Armour of God," said Prince.

A public reception for the exhibition will be held on Thursday, Feb. 5, from 6:30-8 p.m. with artist remarks at 7 p.m. The exhibition and all events are free and open to the public.

While on campus, Prince present two public lectures. On Tuesday, February 3 at 7 p.m., Prince will give an artist talk titled, "Armour of God: The Art of Steve Prince," held in the Hartnett Hall Collaboration Space. Part of the Looyenga Leadership Center's Auto-Owners Insurance Speaker Series, the lecture will explore Prince's artistic practice and the themes of the exhibition.

On Friday, Feb. 6, at 12 p.m., Prince will present an Arts Seminar Series: Art as a Catalyst for Communal Change in Hartnett Hall, Room 106. Sponsored by the Northwest Arts Center, Arts Seminar presentations offer students and the public the opportunity to learn about the work, lives, and experiences of guest artists and arts professionals visiting Minot State University.

During his visit, Prince will collaborate with Flat Tail Press and work alongside MSU students and faculty to create an edition of large-scale linoleum relief prints. This process will be open to visitors in the Hartnett Hall Printmaking Studio, Room 243, allowing them to witness the creation of new work and engage with the artist's process.

Also on view is Neoteric Oeuvre, the 2026 Biennial Art Faculty Exhibition. Meaning "recent body of work," it features artwork and research by Minot State University Art Department faculty Micah Bloom, Bill Harbort, Ryan Stander, Amanda Watts, Greg Vettel, Blaire Engel, Micki Borkhuis, and Roxi Mathis.

The Northwest Arts Center is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. The gallery is located on the lower level of the Gordon B. Olson Library with a dedicated south entrance.

Armour of God: The Art of Steve Prince, Neoteric Oeuvre and related activities are supported in part by a grant from the North Dakota Council on the Arts, which receives funding from the state legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, and are sponsored by Minot State University's Cultural and Intellectual Engagement Council, Flat Tail Press, the Looyenga Leadership Center, and the Northwest Arts Center.

PRESS CONTACTS
Greg Vettel, director, Northwest Arts Center
Phone: 701-858-3264
Email: [email protected]

Ryan Stander, professor of art and co-director, Flat Tail Press
Phone: 701-858-3297
Email: [email protected]

Jim Sturm, director, Looyenga Leadership Center
Phone: 701-858-3129
Email: [email protected]

ABOUT NORTHWEST ARTS CENTER
The Northwest Arts Center is a non-profit arts center operating on the campus of Minot State University. The Center houses the Walter Piehl Gallery, a public reception area, and climate-controlled collections storage and display for Minot State University's Permanent Art Collection and Native American Collections. Over the years the Center has enriched the artistic life of northwest North Dakota with year-round art exhibitions, a performing arts series, a public lecture series, and numerous workshops and artists-in-residence activities.