With the start of classes, St. Olaf bids farewell to the humid summer weather and welcomes the crisp fall air. Autumn brings an engaging activity to campus: art exhibits. Soon, the Groot Gallery will be decorated with mesmerizing artwork from the 2024–25 Emerging Artists (EAs). This program gives recent graduates the opportunity to build their own exhibits and showcase their work in the Center for Art and Dance, all while preparing for a professional career in the arts. This year’s EAs are Annie Sanders ’25, Ashley Marcial Rodriquez ’25, and Emily Page ’25. Here’s an introduction to the graduates:
Annie Sanders ’25:
At St. Olaf, Sanders double majored in psychology and studio art along with a concentration in Asian Studies. She is from Apple Valley, Minn. When she is outside the studio, she is working for Northfield Arts Guild as a Visual Arts and Education Associate.
During her freshman year, Sanders attended a photography class. She spent time developing images in a darkroom, lit up by a calming red light. The process of dipping the prints into a wash was quite meditative. She grew a strong passion for darkroom photography in her college career. Now, for the EA Program, Sanders works in the studio 25-30 hours a week. She is still in the early stages of her project, but is re-entering the print making scene and exploring further into the darkroom to find inspiration.
Ashley Marcial Rodriguez ’25:
During her time in college, Marcial Rodriguez majored in studio art and math. She is from Northfield. Prior to college, she had taken many art courses and found that she excelled in 2D art. In college, she furthered her art skills through courses in 3D art, studio art, and photography. Her time here at St. Olaf allowed her to expand her interests and talents within the art world. She is navigating the transition from being a full time student to an intern and moving onto curating art full time. The EA Program has allowed her to gain a sense of what she wants to do in the future as an aspiring artist. Although the opening show is a ways away, Marcial Rodriguez is looking forward to presenting her hard work to her family. She is excited to see what her fellow EA’s have accomplished and celebrate the success of their gallery.
Emily Page ’25:
Page was a studio art major, holding a concentration in gender and sexuality studies. She is from Chicago, but now living in St. Paul. When Page entered college, she believed she wanted to be a 2D artist because she had the most experience with this type of art. However, in her 3D art class, she worked with different types of yarn and learned new knitting techniques. She developed captivating sculptures that combined wood and yarn. Soon enough, she grew a strong love for fiber art. Her college journey allowed her to discover a new medium of art, a type of art that will guide her inspiration for her EA gallery. Page is currently doing research on how she can interview local farms in the Northfield area. She is also in the early stages of her project, but she is interested in sourcing wool, natural dyes, and other natural elements. If possible, she wants to immerse herself into the farming culture, and maybe do so by learning how to shear sheep.
