The Northwest Arts Center, located on Minot State University’s campus, is hosting a woodcut exhibit titled “Artist + Muse” in the Walter Piehl Gallery through Nov. 25. It features woodcuts by Charles Beck from the Timothy Murphy Collection. This exhibit was organized by the Rourke Art Gallery + Museum in Moorhead, Minnesota, and is on tour through the North Dakota Art Gallery Association.

Beck was a celebrated printmaker and painter who resided in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. He attended college at Concordia University in Moorhead in the ’40s and later continued his education at the University of Iowa and the University of Minnesota. He taught at Fergus Falls Community College (now Minnesota State Community and Technical College or M State) for 27 years, starting in 1960.

He took inspiration from the landscapes and nature of Otter Tail County and western Minnesota, which he portrayed with a modernist art style.

The collection was assembled by poet Timothy Murphy, an admirer and friend of Beck. He took inspiration from these works for his poetry, which is displayed alongside Beck’s woodcuttings.

“The collection features a wonderful cross-section of Beck’s work from 1966 to 2000,” said Greg Vettel, Northwest Arts Center director. “While primarily featuring the landscape of rural western Minnesota, the prints depict imagery that we would find familiar and relatable in a beautiful, yet simple style. The exhibition’s theme of the ability of artists to inspire others also resonates powerfully.”

This exhibit is free and open to the public. The Northwest Arts center is open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; however, it is closed on holidays. The Walter Piehl Gallery is located on the lower level of the Gordon B. Olson Library.