Visitors to the Empire Arts Center on April 23 noticed something different upon entering, most notably that they had been taken 45 years into the past. The entryway featured images of John F. Kennedy’s 1963 visit to Grand Forks and speakers played the hits of the 1960s for the second exhibit of the UND Art Collections at The Empire.

The exhibit featured works from UND’s own collection by artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Jasper Johns which ranged from 1960 to 1982. Exhibit curator and UND art design department chair Arthur Jones teaches a class this semester about that era, but he chose these works for a different reason as well.

“It’s a strong area within our collection,” he said. “Some of the major artists that we have in the collection of the 20th century come out of that period.”

While the exhibit shared works by world renowned artists, it also featured two works from UND alumni Peter Lockrem and Eunice Renee Kuhn, who said she was awestruck to have her name included next to some of the greats.

“I am honored and humbled,” Kuhn said. “I would never have guessed that some of my student work would be included with famous artists like Lichtenstein and Warhol. It’s amazing to me. I’m just awestruck.”

Jones took the chairman position upon arriving at UND in 2003. Two years later, he was appointed director of UND’s art collection by then president Charles Kupchella. As director, Jones wanted to make the collection more than just art.

“I tried to revamp it — refocus it on goals related to education and community cultural enrichment, which is what brings us downtown because this is actually feeding some cultural to the community even beyond the campus,” he said.

“I think it means a great deal to the community. For one thing, it helps to integrate the university’s vast holdings. We have a lot of things at the university that can really enrich the community far beyond simply the campus and I think this gives us an opportunity to do that.”

UND president Robert Kelley attended the event and agreed with Jones’ idea of using art to connect the university with the rest of Grand Forks.

“I think this is a great example of our Exceptional UND Outreach and connecting with our community and providing quality of life for all of us in the community,” he said. “The art and design program is looking for ways to exhibit our collection here at the university, so what better way than to bring it down to the Empire? People enjoy what it is that has been curated by the campus for many years but hasn’t been exhibited like this.”