Heritage Renewal

Leo Beauchamp, the memory painter of Olga, North Dakota, spent a remarkable hour in the MU Gallery with the students of HIST 431, "The North American Plains," Tuesday afternoon, November 13. Responding to questions from interviewer Suzzanne Kelley and from students in the audience, he described how as a former farmer and an untrained artist he set about "rebuilding" the memory of Olga as he remembered it from his boyhood. He traced his acestry back to France, across to Quebec, and out to North Dakota, and recounted stories of his family, neighbors, and parish. Leo was accompanied by Lenore, his wife, and was greeted by Emily, his grandaughter, a student at NDSU. After the program staff of the gallery set about hanging Leo's paintings for an exhibition that will remain well into December. See more photos of Leo's visit here at Webshots. Read student responses to the program in the HIST 431 Webblog. Leo's program was sponsored by the Center for Heritage Renewal as part of the Great Plains Folk Festival.