Minot State University Choir requests submissions

MINOT, N.D. – In commemoration of the Centenary of Women’s Suffrage in 2020, the Minot State University Choir under the direction of Emerson Eads is pleased to invite North Dakota women artists to participate in a special art exhibition in conjunction with their Nov. 9, 2019 performance of Luciano Berio’s “Magnificat.”

Based on the biblical “Song of Mary,” Berio’s composition was completed 70 years ago this year and is one of several on the November program celebrating the empowerment of women as embodied in the passage of the 19th Amendment.

As part of their performance, the MSU Choir is extending a special invitation to North Dakota women artists to submit work that visually represents one of the movements of Berio’s “Magnificat.”

Artwork selected will be displayed in the foyer of Ann Nicole Nelson Hall during the concert, and images of the works will be projected on a large screen behind the choir during the performance. Following the concert, the artwork will be exhibited at the Walter Piehl Gallery, Northwest Arts Center, from Nov. 14 through Dec. 5.

There are 11 sections in Berio’s textual layout of the “Magnificat,” and artists may choose any one of the 11 movements to represent. The artwork may directly reflect the meaning of the text or it may reinterpret Mary’s experience in the context of the empowerment of women as represented in the women’s suffrage movement. The text is reprinted below.

Artists should submit, by Oct. 15, a JPG image of their work for consideration, using the entry form. Works will be selected for the exhibit based on their interpretation of the theme. Selected artists will be notified by Oct. 25, and the physical artwork should be delivered to the Northwest Arts Center at Minot State University by Nov. 4. Artists are asked to provide a brief rationale for their work and a short personal biography.

There is no entry fee, up to three images may be submitted, and original works in any medium are acceptable. Works may be for sale; a 30% commission will be charged on sales. Commissions or donations will be divided equally between the Northwest Arts Center and the MSU Choir and will be used by the choir to support in-state travel and performances.

“Magnificat,” Luciano Berio

  1. My soul doth magnify.
  2. My soul doth magnify the Lord.
  3. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
  4. For he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden:
    For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
    For he that is mighty hath magnified me: and holy is his Name.
    And his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations.
  5. He hath shewed strength with his arm:
    he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
    He hath put down the mighty from their seat:
  6. and hath exalted the humble and meek.
  7. He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away.
    He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel:
  8. As he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed forever.
  9. Glory
  10. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
    As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end.
  11. Amen.

For more information contact:
Emerson Eads
Director of Choral Activities
Minot State University
701-858-3190
emerson.eads@MinotStateU.edu

Greg Vettel
Director, Northwest Arts Center
701-858-3264
gregory.vettel@MinotStateU.edu
nac@MinotStateU.edu

Avis Veikley
Minot State University
avis.veikley@MinotStateU.edu