The Marxhausen Gallery of Art at Concordia University, Nebraska will host the exhibition "Darger HQ Presents: Lingua Franca" from November 6th through December 14th. The exhibition will feature works by 17 Nebraska artists working in various mediums who share an interest in using visual art for global conversations. There will be an opening reception on November 13th with a special talk by curator and artist Launa Bacon. Bacon runs the Darger HQ gallery in Omaha which connects local artists to international opportunities and brings innovative contemporary art to the Midwest region.

1. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT
Sue M. Roush
Concordia University, Nebraska
402-643-7266
newsdesk@cune.edu
cune.edu
NR-023
Caption [Lingua Franca]: Concordia University, Nebraska’s Marxhausen Gallery of Art
will host the exhibit, “Darger HQ Presents: Lingua Franca” Nov. 6 through Dec. 14.
Concordia’s Marxhausen Gallery of Art Opens Darger HQ exhibit Lingua Franca: curated
by Launa Bacon
SEWARD, Neb. – Oct. 28, 2016 – Concordia University, Nebraska’s Marxhausen Gallery of
Art will host the exhibit, “Darger HQ Presents: Lingua Franca.” The exhibition will be available
for viewing at the Marxhausen Gallery of Art on Concordia’s campus Nov. 6 through Dec. 14.
There will be an open reception on Sunday, Nov. 13, from 1 to 4 p.m. with a special talk by
Launa Bacon at 2 p.m. in Concordia’s Thom Leadership Education Center Auditorium.
Lingua Franca is a group exhibition of Nebraska artists whose practice ranges from embroidery,
painting, video and installation. The unifying element among these artists is their interest in a
common, global conversation expressed through art. Traditionally, Lingua Franca is a language
that is used among people who speak various different languages, used as a means of
communication between populations speaking vernaculars that are not mutually intelligible.
Visual art communicates in a similar way. Art is the universal language that speaks to all people
and is able to evoke emotions.
The artists represented in the exhibit have been exposed and are aware of the global
contemporary art climate. They create work that is in conversation and considers art history and
the current global contemporary art climate. Their work possesses a certain universal worldview
that speaks the common language, or kind of artist trade, lingua franca.
The artists that will be featured at the exhibit are (all Nebraskan): Kenneth Adkins, Jennifer
Bockelman, Kim Darling, Charley Friedman, Nancy Friedmann-Sanchez, Camille Hawbaker,

2. Anthony Hawley, Josh Johnson, Qwist Joseph, Michael Ian Larsen, Craig Roper, Sarah Rowe,
Angie Seykora, Luke Severson, Matthew Sontheimer, Sheila Talbitzer and Ying Zhu.
Launa Bacon is an artist and educator that has exhibited internationally and received grants,
fellowships and residencies from around the world. She received the Master of Fine Arts degree
from Goldsmiths College, University of London and has worked as a curator and designer since.
As artist services manager for the Nebraska Arts Council, Bacon oversees all the 1 percent for
Art projects in Nebraska, Individual Artist Fellowships, Fred Simon Gallery and Governor’s
Residence Exhibitions.
In 2014, Bacon moved back to her home state of Nebraska from Los Angeles and opened Darger
HQ, a contemporary art gallery near downtown Omaha, Nebraska. Darger HQ holds monthly
exhibitions from international, national and local artists who Bacon believes bring a unique
artistic perspective to the Midwest region.
The Marxhausen Gallery of Art at Concordia University has hosted more than 20 artists and art
professionals since 2000, and is located on the main level of Jesse Hall on Concordia’s campus.
All exhibits are open and free to the public. The Marxhausen Gallery hours of operation are 11
a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The gallery is
closed when classes are not in session.
About Darger HQ
Darger HQ connects Nebraska contemporary artists to the world by creating collaborative
working opportunities between local artists and national and international artists with related
practices, and develops partnerships that benefit artists by providing new means of support
through combined private and non-profit sources. Darger HQ also educates, enriches and
exposes the community to some of the most innovative contemporary art being produced today.
For more information, visit dargerhq.org.
About Concordia University, Nebraska
Concordia University, Nebraska, founded in 1894, is a fully accredited, coeducational university
located in Seward, Nebraska, that currently serves more than 2,600 students. Concordia more
than 100 undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in an excellent academic and
Christ-centered community that equips men and women for lives of learning, service and
leadership in the church and world. For more information, visit cune.edu.
###