Goodbye to our 20-21 Law School Artist in Residence, Shelle Lindholm
After a memorable year, Gonzaga University School of Law commemorated its final month in August with 2020-2021 artist-in-residence Shelle Lindholm. Lindholm, who hails from Kalispell, Montana, was selected as the school’s second artist-in-residence with her work displayed throughout all four floors of the law school building.
Known for her energetic and playful depictions of wildlife, Lindholm’s work brings with it a sense of experimentation and exploration. Lindholm describes herself as a storyteller, combining colors, shapes, patterns, and textures to create a world where her animals are the stars. In her artist statement, Lindholm notes that she often asks herself, “how can I make this animal different,” as a way to craft her whimsical pieces. Lindholm's residency was installed in summer 2020 and scheduled to be taken down in December, however, due to campus closures her residence extended through July 2021.
With 15 pieces on display staff and faculty at the School of Law can attest to the joy and whimsy that the pieces added to offices and public spaces. Sarah Guzman, Director of Alumni Engagement & Strategic Initiatives and chair of the Law School Building Committee, said that Lindholm’s work was a bright spark during a challenging time. “We’ve enjoyed the opportunity to bring her creativity into our space here at the Law School.”
In recognition of the need created by the pandemic, Lindholm and The Art Spirit Gallery graciously committed a portion of the proceeds from the sale of her artwork to benefit the law school’s student emergency fund. Blair Williams, owner of The Art Spirit Gallery remarks that, “We want to support the good work the school of law is doing to promote art in our community and artists in this region.”
“It truly took a village to pull off the Artist Residency 2020-2021,” Lindholm said. “Little did we know, planning would require daily, weekly, monthly flexibility. Many thanks to Dean Jacob Rooksby for having the vision to ‘think outside the box’ and to Sarah Guzman, always ready and willing to help and assist. And last but not least, thanks to Blair Williams and her team at The Art Spirit Gallery for doing work on my behalf. It was a real community effort and an experience I will not forget. May the next artist enjoy their residency at Gonzaga School of Law as much as I have!”
Law school alumni can watch for one more appearance of Lindholm’s work, which will be featured on the cover and throughout the school’s annual alumni publication, arriving in mailboxes in September. The Art Spirit Gallery is pleased to represent Lindholm for over six years and a full collection of Lindholm’s pieces can also be viewed on the Art Spirit Gallery website at theartspiritgallery.com/artist/Shelle_Lindholm