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Don Swartzentruber

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Don Michael Swartzentruber (swärt-zen-trü-ber) is an American artist who signs with his surname. His painting style has elements of regionalism, neo-pop and surrealism. [1][2][3][4][5]

A Deity for Darwin, Oil on Canvas

His efforts are noteworthy in diverse mediums such as the Pop-Mennonite and the Totem Triptychs exhibits, the “Silence is Madness” album cover, and carnival caricature portraits. In 2015 he transitioned from narrative painting to sequential storytelling. He lives in Winona Lake, Indiana and is currently writing and illustrating a sizable graphic novel.

Exhibit highlights

Pop-Mennonite: Swartzentruber was born in 1966 in Greenwood Delaware.[6] He was raised in a temperate Old Order home and church. While in secondary school he did illustration work for their Amish-Mennonite denomination’s publishing house. After Greenwood Mennonite School he briefly attended the conference’s post-secondary institution, Rosedale Bible College, in Ohio.[7] Years later, these foundational years inspired the creation of the exhibit Pop-Mennonite. It is a collection of paintings, drawings, and audio. A soundtrack included a surreal edit of preaching and congregational hymns. It accompanied the 2005 exhibits at Bluffton University [8][9] and Goshen College[10][11] Swartzentruber was a significant voice in thematically appropriating Mennonite culture into contemporary art. [12][13] The paintings were used for numerous book and journal covers.[14][15][16] Canadian Mennonite journal called the art a “jarring juxtaposition of the sacred and the secular.” Mennonite Weekly called it “Weird. Disturbing. Bizarre.” [17][18][19][20][21] The harshest criticisms of the exhibit came from Mennonite bloggers reviewing the paintings online. In 2023 a series of videos were created describing the artist’s thinking behind Pop-Mennonite.

Totem Triptych Exhibit, the Lincoln Center

The Totem Triptychs: This exhibit is 36 triptychs made up of small oil paintings. The 6” x 8” panels were designed to be interchangeable. 46,656 different compositions can be composed by rearranging the head, body and feet. The paintings were exhibited at Art Space Lima, the Lincoln Center and other museums. Swartzentruber’s preliminary drawings were stream of consciousness, leaving the meaning of the work rather nebulous. In 1998 the images were published online. The artist reached out to the writing community to create reader interpretations. Viewers emailed their submissions. Within days these “texters” could see their post on-line next to the artwork. Most authors added words to an individual painting. Two contributors, Marc Harshman [22] (Poet Laureate of West Virginia), and British wordsmith Cleveland W. Gibson wrote text for all 36 triptychs. Swartzentruber’s idea was an early form of social media. The Totem Triptych collaboration was six years before Facebook, and it was twelve years before Instagram allowed the public to make comments about images. Reader interpretation about online images soon became routine. [23]

Facing the Sublime and Grotesque: Inspired by the Artists’ book (Livre d’art) movement, in 2004, Swartzentruber created a traveling exhibit. His source for the art was the masks and taxidermy collection at the Chicago Field Museum. The sketches and artwork were created on pages in a scrapbook-like portfolio that could be opened. For exhibition each page could be removed and displayed on a museum wall. An image was used by Disproductions for the covers of poet John Sweet’s book Henry Chalise.

Sequential art

Sermons. Religion was a common theme in Swartzentruber’s art. In 2009 he published a Christian apologetics website. The project fell under the title Carnival Sage®.[24] He also held art and religious discussion groups in his home. For twenty years Swartzentruber taught evenings art classes at Grace College and Seminary. During his Visual Narrative classes, he taught students to use illustration as a way to explore religious themes. Some of his classroom demos became fully illustrated sequential short stories. Swartzentruber titled these ink and gauche pages “Sermons.” Eventually they were published in American literary magazines such as Fourteen Hills[25], Driftwood Press, Forged, Raven Chronicles, Split Rock Review, FreezeRay, Meat for Tea, Show Bear, Helen Literary Magazine, and others. [26][27][28]

Current work. After years of study, in 2015, the artist found counter-apologetics to be the reasonable position. This led the artist to additional years of additional Biblical research. Eventually this inspired the creation of a sizeable graphic novel. After countless rewrites the artist completed the script and storyboards. He resides in the historical Billy Sunday community of Winona Lake and, in 2023, was awarded an Indiana Art Commission grant to move forward on the final artwork.[29]

Commercial art and art education

At the age of sixteen Swartzentruber started earning income by drawing caricature portraits.[30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] Over the years he entertained thousands of festival patrons in over a dozen states. He majored in character animation with Disney artist Milt Neil at the Kubert School.[38] After undergrad he earned a MFA in Visual Art at Vermont College of Norwich University and was mentored by Chicago Imagists Karl Wirsum and Don Baum. After art school Swartzentruber briefly worked as a television art director [39], animator, and illustrator.[40] He was contracted to do album cover art for bands such as Bride’s “Silence is Madness” and sequential art for the Penguin Point franchise. Swartzentruber has trained countless students in drawing, painting and printmaking. He served as affiliate faculty at Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne University, Grace College [41] and the Fort Wayne Art Museum. He is an art instructor at Warsaw Community High School.[42][43][44][45] He has been a guest speaker at Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture, the Midwest Scholars Conference, and the Art Education Association.[46]

References

  1. ^ Mihopoulos, Effie, prod. "The Swartzentruber and Danny Mansmith Episode."Northeastern Illinois University. WXAV 388.3 FM, Chicago, ILL, 23 Apr. 2006. Radio.
  2. ^ Evan Gillespie. "Separing the Sideshow Icons: Artist depicts our cliched fantasies." South Bend Tribune, [South Bend, IN] 19 Oct 2007. Print.
  3. ^ Bonfiglio, Jeremy D. "In a Word: Weird." South Bend Tribune [South Bend, Indiana] 13 Aug. 2006, D4 sec. Print.
  4. ^ Bigelow, Lea-Ann. "Swartzentruber." Indiana Review Summer 2004: 94-95, 195-96. Print.
  5. ^ Rhubarb, "Myths & Identities", Winnipeg, MB, Canada, image on cover and pages 7,11,19-22,47, Spring/06
  6. ^ Sairs, Vicki. "Pop Goes the Mennonite: Conversations with an Artist and His Work." DreamSeeker Magazine [Telford, PA] Winter 2007, Vol 7 ed. Print.
  7. ^ Smith, Teresa, "Swartzentruber Imagination on Display," Times Union, Warsaw, IN, cover story. Aug 4, 2001
  8. ^ "Pop-Mennonite show coming to BU's Albrecht Gallery," Bluffton News. August 16, 1997
  9. ^ "Bluffton University to host the work of Swartzentruber," Putnam County Sentinel. September 26, 2007
  10. ^ Beyeler, Jodi. "Pop-Mennonite to Premiere at Goshen College."The Goshen News [Goshen, IN] 14 Oct. 2005. Print.
  11. ^ Gallardo, Joanne. "From Looney Tunes to Menno Simons."The Goshen College Record [Goshen, IN] 20 Oct. 2005, Vol. 107 No.7 ed. Print.
  12. ^ Smith, Teresa. "Swartzentruber's Latest Exhibit Is 'Pop-Mennonite." Times Union [Warsaw, IN] 31 Oct. 2005, Cover sec.: 1-2. Print.
  13. ^ McClure, Matt. "Mennonite Art Display Depicts Rural Life in New Light." The Sounding Board [Winona Lake, IN] 11 July 2005: 7. Print.
  14. ^ Beck, Ervin, MennoFolk3: Puns, Riddles, Tales, Legends, Painted Glass Press, Goshen, IN, 2022. Cover art.
  15. ^ Canadian Mennonite, "Disciplining the Church", cover image, Vol.10, Number 10, May 15, 2006
  16. ^ Thiessen, Janis. Manufacturing Mennonites: Work and Religion in Post-War Manitoba. University of Toronto Press. Toronto, Buffalo, London. 2013
  17. ^ Friesen, Ilse E. "Pop-Mennonite Surrealism." Canadian Mennonite [Waterloo, Ontario] 16 May 2005, Vol 9, No. 10 ed. Print.
  18. ^ Seely, Jeri, ed. "Pop-Surreal Paintings on Display at LAC," The Paper, Warsaw, IN. July 28, 2001
  19. ^ Rhodes, Robert. "Art's Oddity, A Critique of Old Order Culture." Mennonite Weekly Review [Newton, Kansas] 1 July 2005. Print.
  20. ^ Hughes, Andy. "Old Order Betty Boop to Debut at Goshen Exhibit." The Farmer's Exchange [New Paris, IN] 23 Aug. 2005. Print.
  21. ^ "Review of Pop-Mennonite Exhibit."Mennonite Weekly Review [Newton, Kansas] 16 Oct. 2005: 14. Print.
  22. ^ Harshman, Marc. Believe What you Can. Vandalia Press, West Virginia University Press. 2016. Totem poem.
  23. ^ David Sloan. "Swartzentruber's 'Totem Triptch' Is the Art of the Game." Times Union [Warsaw, IN] 28 May 2010. Print.
  24. ^ “Covid and the Arts: A Collection of Pandemic Related Stories from Alumni about Writings, Art and Music” (about Carnival Sage Videos). December, 1, 2022
  25. ^ Fourteen Hills, San Francisco State University. Faculty Advisor, Carolina De Robertis, 2022. P.14
  26. ^ Sheepshead Review: Journal of Art and Literature, Vol 44, No 2. Ed. Jou Lee Yang, Spring/22 , p 69-70
  27. ^ “Swartzentruber Exhibit Featured At Warsaw Library”, by Laurie Voss, Ink Free News. (about Sermons). April 26, 2022
  28. ^ “Works of Don Swartzentruber On Display at Warsaw Gallery,” Ink Free News, by Darla McCammon. April 2, 2018
  29. ^ “Four Fort Wayne-Area Artists Among Recipients for State Art Fellowships for Entrepreneurs”, by Corey McMaken, The Journal Gazette, Nov. 3, 2023.
  30. ^ Hersha, Jane, WPTA-TV 21 Alive, Fort Wayne, IN. July 14, 2005
  31. ^ DuVal, Steve, and Erika Edberg, prods. "Wake Up." Wake Up. Fox 28. South Bend, Indiana, 13 June 2003. Television.
  32. ^ Champlin, Clay. News 22. WSBT, South Bend, Indiana, 14 June 2003. Television.
  33. ^ Strike, Allen, prod. News Radio. WTRL, Elkhart, Indiana, 9 Sept. 2002. Radio.
  34. ^ Morgan, Donna, "Drawing Crowds," Delaware State News, Dover, DE. July 23, 1987
  35. ^ Milhoan, Cathy L, "Greenwood Artist has the State Fair Covered," Delaware State News, Dover, DE, cover story. Oct 10, 1992
  36. ^ “Swartzentruber brings a little Life to the Fair,” The Harrington Journal, The Milford Chronicle. 1986
  37. ^ WAFL 97.7 FM, Interviewed by Scott at Ross Mansion, Milford, DE. May 16, 1987
  38. ^ "Swartzentruber: The Start of a Career, "Christian Cartoonist & Illustrator, Issue no.10, Ontario, Canada, cover story. Aug 1986
  39. ^ "Open Studio".Public Television. WNIT, Elkhart, Indiana, 21 Jan. 2001. Television.
  40. ^ AV Video: Production & Presentation Technology Magazine, art gallery section. September 1989
  41. ^ Daniels, Judy, ed. "Easel Expressions," Grace Magazine, College Publication, Winona Lake, IN. Fall 1996
  42. ^ Dilling, Linda, "Swartzentruber: Artist, Teacher and Friend," Times Union, Warsaw, IN. Aug 23, 2001
  43. ^ Kopf, Sharon, "Swartzentruber Shares Love of Art with Students," The Paper, Warsaw, IN. Feb. 16, 1994.
  44. ^ Swartzentruber, Don. “Fiscal Iconography: An Art and Economic Interdisciplinary Unit.” SchoolArts, Davis Publications. January 2011, Print
  45. ^ Fields, DeWitt, "Swartzentruber Draws His Way through Life," Tracks, Warsaw, IN, May 20, 1995
  46. ^ “Lakeland Art Center & Gallery to Host Don Swartzentruber”, by Laurie Voss, Times Union, Warsaw, IN. May, 21, 2023
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