SFAI’S Grant Ernhart

Grant Ernhart
BFA awarded May 2006
San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco

Artist’s Contact:
gern76@aol.com
http://granternhart.com


Artist’s Statement:

As a traveler I am often asked the question: “Where are you from?” Replying simply “America” is rarely deemed a sufficient answer and quickly prompts a second more specific question. This second question refers to my heritage—in other words, where my family originally emigrated from.

I grew up in Minnesota, four generations after my Swedish ancestors arrived there. Growing up I always knew that I came from a Nordic heritage, but to me it was simply an interesting fact. However, because of my experiences while traveling I began to wonder, what did these strangers think they learned about me when they found out my roots extend back to Sweden and Germany? At what point is the word “immigrant” replaced by the word “native”? How much time needs to pass before the connections to a family’s homeland cease to exist? Could my heritage still be playing an active roll in who I am today?

“In Spirit” is a collection of photographs that mixes images from Sweden and from my home in Minnesota. The images depict not only the specific geographies of these two places, but also my exploration of the linkage between home, history and personal identity. As such, the landscape becomes more than a collection of physical characteristics, it becomes a backdrop for feelings of familiarity, projected memory and emotional resonance.

Artist’s Bio:

Grant Ernhart has recently graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute with a degree in Photography. He travels back to Minnesota on a regular basis to make new work and is looking for opportunities to return to Sweden. Meanwhile he continues to live and work in San Francisco.

Solo Exhibitions:

- Spring 2006: Diego Rivera Gallery, The San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco
- Fall 2004/Spring 2003: Stillights Gallery, The San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco

Group Exhibitions:

2006
- "New in Town:Group-Show Pin Up;" 3rd Ward Gallery, New York
- "Beyond the Institute;" Linda Fairchild Gallery, San Francisco
- Spring Show; San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco. Won “Best of Spring Show” Award.

2004
- Art Council Group Show; Thrivent Building, Minneapolis, MN
- Elk River Area Art Council National Juried Art Show; Elk River, MN
- Spring Show; San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco
- "Pure Plastic;" San Francisco Photography Center, San Francisco
- Stillights Gallery, The San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco

2003
- "Annual Juried Student Art Show;" University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN

Collections:
Tweed Museum of Art, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN


About the San Francisco Art Institute:

At the San Francisco Art Institute, art is more than objects and processes; it is also a way of thinking, an approach to both knowledge and the world itself.

SFAI's degree programs further the relationship between the practices, histories and theories of contemporary art and culture. The School of Studio Practice consists of the institute's historical departments of Design+Technology, Film, New Genres, Painting, Photography, Printmaking and Sculpture. Offering BFA and MFA degrees and a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate, The School of Studio Practice is centered on the development of the artist's vision through studio-based experiments and the understanding that the work of the artist is an essential part of society.

The School of Interdisciplinary Studies, offers programs in History and Theory of Contemporary Art (BA, MA), Urban Studies (BA, MA) and Exhibition and Museum Studies (MA). Supporting the role of research and other forms of education, The School of Interdisciplinary Studies is based on the premise that critical reading, thinking, and writing—informed by an in-depth understanding of theory and practice—are essential for engaging and understanding contemporary art and global society. Also under this school's aegis are SFAI's four centers for interdisciplinary study: Art+Science; Public Practice; Word, Text, and Image; and Media Culture. Each center sponsors symposia, seminars, exhibitions, research fellowships, and residencies at SFAI during the academic year.

Together the two schools provide a more inclusive model to address issues relating to the evolution of contemporary art. SFAI's dean of academic afairs is world-renowned curator, critic,and writer Okwui Enwezor. Dean of graduate studies is the internationally prolific artist, filmmaker and writer Renée Green. The director of SFAI's Exhibitions and Museum Studies Program is independent critic and curator Hou Hanru.

SFAI has a rolling admissions policy and accepts applications year-round. For more information visit www.sfai.edu or call 1.800.345.7324 (outside US, call 415-771-7020).