A distinguished professor of art at Carleton College since 1984, Fred Hagstrom came to the book arts through a long background in printmaking. His recent work focuses on historical subjects, juxtaposing archival photographs with carefully chosen text to produce work both visually rich and emotionally provocative. His award-winning piece, “Passage,” examines the historic tragedy of the slave trade using archival photographs of former slaves combined with hand-drawn diagrams depicting the inhumane conditions aboard slave ships. These images are paired with selected texts from two historical books that were important for building opposition to the slave trade: An Essay on the Impolicy of the African Slave Trade by Thomas Clarkson, 1788, and Biographical Sketches and Interesting Anecdotes of Person of Color by A.Mott, 1837.
Hagstrom teaches printmaking, drawing, art and narrative, and artist’s books at Carleton College. He received his BA from Hamline University in Saint Paul and his MFA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In addition, he studied at the University of Chicago for one year, as well as under S.W. Hayter at Atelier 17 in Paris, France. His prints have been shown in galleries throughout the United States and are featured in numerous museum collections, including the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Walker Art Center. Hagstrom’s awards and honors include several research, travel, and development grants, as well as prestigious national printmaking awards. He has also received fellowships through the McKnight and Blandin Foundations.