An artist from St. Olaf College is commemorating the life and death of her cousin, a Northland College student killed two years ago. Alyssa Palmer has the story.

Two years ago, Bjorn Norgaard was skiing home from Book Across the Bay, a fundraiser event on Lake Superior, when he was struck and killed by a vehicle. His cousin Anna Mahnke has created an art display at Northland College to remember him.

The sum of the drawing started as a wood block print assignment in her class at St. Olaf College. She was directed to stamp with her wood block on a large piece of paper and then complete the drawing.

“Originally when I stamped it I knew it was a person. I wasn’t sure if it was me, or who it was. And then, I think it was a few days after I actually printed on the paper Bjorn died. And I immediately knew that was the subject of the print.”

Mahnke only worked on the drawing for a short time before becoming overwhelmed. The drawing was finished a year later for her senior exposition.

“In working on the drawing, I started to think a lot more about it. And I started to think about how important it was to me. I wanted to make my senior exposition about that experience. And I knew I wanted it to be also put on the floor because I wanted people to be able to walk around it and see the drawing from multiple angles and, see different images from multiple angles. And also because it is very representative of the nature of Bjorns death. You know, he died on the ice. And I wanted it to evoke that feeling too.”

The drawing depicts images of a loon, deer, trees and other natural elements. In the center of the drawing, a skier takes shape. Mahnke says the process of the drawing was long but healing.

“When I think of Bjorn, I think of light. I think he had a soul that really radiated. As I tried to put into the artwork, he was very connected to the outdoors and nature, and especially the simple things of life.”

Mahnke hopes her drawing will inspire others who have dealt with loss. “I didn’t want it to be just about Bjorn. For example in my artist statement I don’t say his name. And I wanted it to be universal and for people to relate to loss and the sort of the inter-connectiveness that our world is. I hope people will see the everyday beauty and preciousness of time that we have. I think he is a real role model of someone who embraced his day to day life.”

The drawing will be displayed in the Dexter Library at Northland College until the end of April.

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