Sep 21
Convocation: Fred Hagstrom
The annual Argument and Inquiry Seminar Convocation is designed to stimulate reflection on the nature of liberal arts and a liberal arts approach to learning. What are the challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities inherent in a liberal arts education? How will liberal learning benefit graduates and their communities in the future?
This year’s speaker is Fred Hagstrom, the Rae Schupack Nathan Professor of Art. Professor Hagstrom teaches printmaking, drawing, art and narrative, and artist’s books, and is most interested in art that touches on social issues. Seeing our modern society’s flawed relationship with nature as the root of our ecological crisis, the issue of how our art and culture reflect our relationship with the natural world is a primary subject matter in his work.
After working figuratively for over twenty years, Professor Hagstrom began working in a more abstract style. He wants to see the art world become more concerned with passionately held beliefs and beauty, and less concerned with irony or market based strategies. He believes that art should be a part of people's lives, and that it has the power to change the way we view the world.
Professor Hagstrom considers the value of the liberal arts in his presentation, titled “Deepening the Habit of Learning, Fostering Curiosity and Imagination for a Lifetime.”