ABERDEEN, S.D.?– The Northern State University Art Gallery is pleased to present “birdhaus,” a collaborative student exhibition now on view in Gallery X in the Johnson Fine Arts Center.

“birdhaus” focuses on bird species native to northeastern South Dakota. As a collaboration between sculpture and graphic design students, participants were paired together and challenged to create a birdhouse, an informational poster and a tangible item representative of a single bird species. The project was conceptualized by Assistant Professor of 3D Media and Art Galleries Director Tim Rickett and Assistant Professor of Graphic Design and Art History and Department Coordinator Epiphany Knedler.

The inspiration for “birdhaus” came from a unique project at the School of Visual Arts in New York City called Barkitecture. That temporary installation on Madison Avenue features photos of dogs alongside doghouses inspired by their names and breeds. With that model in mind—but focusing instead on the diverse bird species native to northeastern South Dakota—Rickett and Knedler developed “birdhaus.”

The exhibition’s title is a play on the traditional birdhouse as well as a nod to the Bauhaus, an influential art and design movement and school in early twentieth-century Germany. The project also highlights collaboration across disciplines, which is often overlooked, particularly between these two distinct mediums.

“Part of what I really enjoyed about the ‘birdhaus’ project was the amount of research we had to do for whichever bird we were working with,” said studio art junior Leo Beckler. “I think it allowed us to create more conceptual and overall fun sculptures instead of the basic things people usually think of when they think of a birdhouse.”

Students included in the exhibition are Leo Beckler, Hayden Erdmann, Alicia Gedge, Maddy Haak, Lawson Hansen, Emily Jensen, Aly Lang, Heqing Lin, Karli Olson, Delaynie Parker, Daria Poor, Taylor Speidel, Lexus Tjeerdsma, Taylor Tool and Ksenia Unser.

“birdhaus” will be on view through Feb. 20, 2026, in Gallery X in the Johnson Fine Arts Center.

For more information or questions, contact Epiphany Knedler at Epiphany.Knedler@northern.edu