Exhibition of Contemporary Landscapes at Colorado State University Explores the Amercian Middle-Class View of Society

Colorado State University’s Curfman Gallery will host an exhibit that explores American society through scenes of subdivisions, chain restaurants, retail franchises and interstate travel Nov. 10-Dec. 8.

Bill Amundson, a Denver based painter, presents "Art Stuff II, THE SEQUEL, 25 Years of Drawings and Constructions by Bill Amundson, 1975-2000."

A reception will be held from 7-9 p.m. Nov. 10. In addition, Amundson will present a lecture titled "Art, Humor and the American Way of Life a Biographical Travelogue" at 7 p.m. Nov. 14 in Room F-101 in the Visual Arts Building on campus. The exhibition, lecture and reception are free and open to the public. The Curfman Gallery, located in the Lory Student Center, is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m. and Saturday from 1-4 p.m.

Amundson calls himself a "Suburban Regionalist," a style devoted to capturing and celebrating the true American scene rather than the idealized version so often pictured in the art of our time.

"I’m a white, Midwestern suburban guy with little cultural upbringing, I think that accounts for it," Amundson said in describing his work.

The exhibit marks Amundson’s return to the Curfman Gallery after a 19-year hiatus. He lived in Fort Collins from 1980-93 and was involved in many aspects of the community.

Amundson taught a summer program at Colorado State for highly motivated youth, and his comic strip, "Sub-Suburban," appeared for several years in the Rocky Mountain Collegian, the campus newspaper. He also hosted a weekend music show at KCSU-FM radio.

Amundson has exhibited throughout Colorado and the United States over the past 25 years. The Denver Art Museum has shown his work three times, and he is represented in their permanent collection. He also won a drawing award at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival and took first place at this year’s Celebrate Artists Festival.

Amundson is available for gallery tours and classes during the duration of the show. He can be reached at (303) 480-0239 or through e-mail at amundart@earthlink.net.