Museum hosts opening for Ewa Tarsia exhibit Ewa Tarsia: Absolute Dot will have a gala opening at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23. The artist will be present. The exhibition continues through Oct. 5. Polish-born and educated, this Canadian artist will exhibit both monoprints and relief paintings. She works in painting, sculpture, tapestry, landscape design, and drawing, and is known internationally as a printmaker. She has showed in international print biennials in Spain, France, Poland, Austria, United States, England, Germany, Japan, and Korea. Most recently, Tarsia was included in the New York International Print Center’s New Prints 2008/Summer. This exhibition represents the evolution of Tarsia’s printmaking into personal techniques that meld the actual lucite printing plate into relief paintings on canvas. As a printmaker, Tarsia is part of a tradition of artists who acknowledge that their plates — the pieces of metal, plastic, wood and linoleum that they print from — are the true objects of their affection. Covered with marks, lines, and subtle traces of color, printing plates are often as interesting as the images pulled from them. As an environmentalist, Tarsia sees the irony of using plastic and paper to create images that celebrate the beauty of the natural world. “It reflects our society,” she says of the work. “Plastic is everywhere.” The success of her artistic career in Canada was celebrated in June 2007 when she was inducted into the Royal Academy of Arts. The success of her passion for garden design was celebrated in the January 2008 issue of Manitoba Gardener. Thus, it is fitting that the Museum galleries will resemble the blaze of color and the plant complexity of a summer garden, just as her own Winnipeg garden is known far and wide for both its brilliant color and the plethora of plants that are only supposed to flourish much further south. Her husband Ludwik grows rhododendrons; Ewa grows everything else. The North Dakota Museum of Art is located on Centennial Drive in the heart of the UND campus. Weekday hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Weekend hours are 1 to 5 p.m. The Museum Shop is open during these hours as well. The Museum Café is open weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with lunch served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Although the Museum does not charge an admission fee, the suggested donation is $5 for adults and change for children. Wireless Internet access is available. -- Brian Lofthus, Assistant to the Director, North Dakota Museum of Art, blofthus@ndmoa.com, 777-4195