Chronology - Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery

Born: Blidsberg, Västergötland, Sweden, February 5, 1871.
Died: Lindsborg, Kansas, June 19, 1954.

1871 February 5 Born in rural parish of Blidsberg, Västergötland (province), Sweden. The third son of the Reverend Johan Peter and Caroline Elizabeth (Sylvén) Sandzen. Father played violin and wrote poetry. Mother had studied drawing and watercolor. Older brothers: Carl becomes a physician in America and Gustaf Magnus Sandzén a well-known pastor in the Lutheran Church of Sweden.
1877 Family moves to the parish of Järpås, Västergötland.
1881 Enters preparatory school at Skara and continues at Skara College, Skara, Sweden. Studies drawing and painting with Olaf Erlandsson (1845-1916).
1890 Graduates with distinction from Skara College, continues spring studies in watercolors in Västergötland with Regina Kyllberg-Bobeck (1843-1913). In the autumn, enrolls at Lund University, Sweden and takes studies in French and Esthetics for one semester.
1891 Leaves for Stockholm to seek his career as an artist, takes entrance exams for the Royal Academy but becomes impatient because of the long wait for acceptance.
Learns of a class being formed by Anders Zorn (1862-1920) and is accepted into the class which is also taught by Richard Bergh (1858-1919) and Per Hasselberg (1850-1941).
Class in Stockholm would become the Konstnärförbundt (Artist’s League School) seeking to instruct in realistic forms and color study; drawing and painting of live models; still life and open-air motifs with nature study as a principal emphasis.
1893 Sandzén influenced by Sweden’s ‘Romantic Movement.’
Visits Varberg, Sweden, and the studio of Richard Bergh and associates Karl Nordström and Nils Kreuger. Sends off 6 oils to first public exhibition at Gothenburg Art Society. This is followed by 11 more from 1893 to 1948. He returns to Järpås and fulfills military training duties during the summer. In the fall, he sketches, paints and gives lessons in painting.
1894 Leaves for Paris to study in late January. Undertakes singing lessons and, at the suggestion of Richard Bergh, begins painting in the studio of artist Edmond-Francois Aman-Jean (1860-1935).
In February, begins correspondence with Dr. Carl Aaron Swensson about teaching at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas.
In March, visits Anders Zorn in his Paris home and studio. He writes to his father that “Zorn’s studio is, as one would expect, very fine. Valuable old tapestries from floor to ceiling, valuable (and old) paintings, excellent statues, Japanese porcelain, etc.”
Returns to Järpås, Sweden, in June and prepares to leave for America after receiving an acceptance letter from Dr. Swensson.
Sails for America arriving in New York and after a short visit leaves for Chicago where he takes a Rock Island train for McPherson, Kansas. Arrives in McPherson on September 4, 1894, meets Olof Grafström (1855-1933), Bethany Art Teacher, and travels to Lindsborg by a light wagon.
Greeted by Dr. Swensson at the Main Building on the Bethany campus in Lindsborg. Begins a 52 year career as a teacher at Bethany College. Principal assignment during the first year is to teach classes in Swedish, German, and French, assist Olof Grafström in art, and assist with vocal music.
Meets Alfrida Leksell (1877-1961), an outstanding Bethany College piano student from McPherson.
1895 Sandzén’s class load keeps him very busy. In his spare time he paints, studies languages and continues singing lessons.
Spends summer in McPherson. Rents a storefront building as a studio.
Returns to Lindsborg for fall semester.
1896 Sandzén’s brother, Carl, moves to Lindsborg to practice medicine.
In his spare time, Birger paints, studies languages and continues singing lessons.
1897 1st of 3 trips to Sweden, traveling with Dr. and Mrs. Carl A. Swensson and three Bethany professors. Olof Grafström leaves Bethany to teach at Augustana College, succeeded by Carl G. Lotave (1872-1924). Sandzén and Lotave were classmates in the studio class of Anders Zorn in Stockholm.
1898 Birger Sandzén becomes engaged to Alfrida Leksell.
1899 Organizes, along with G.N. Malm and Carl Lotave, first annual exhibition in the United States of Swedish-American art, later known as the Midwest Art Exhibition. Carl Lotave leaves for Colorado Springs. Sandzén becomes Chairman of Department of Art.
Travels to Mexico City during the summer. Studies Spanish language with Professor Jose Oliveria, one of Mexico’s prominent language scholars. Also sketches and paints
1900 Marries Alfrida Leksell, McPherson, Kansas, after a 6 year courtship. Builds a house at 421 North Second Street (across the street from the Bethany campus) in Lindsborg.
Commissioned artwork, including religious altar paintings, increase.
1904 Writes MED PENSEL OCH PENNA (WITH PENCIL AND PEN), a collection of stories and folk tales written in Swedish and illustrated with motif’s of Mexico. Father, Johan Peter Sandzén, dies in Sweden. Paints two major altar paintings for Bethany Lutheran Church in Lindsborg.
1905-1906 Takes one year leave of absence from Bethany and travels to Sweden with Alfrida, and through Europe by himself. Helps, along with brother Gustaf, to save the Old Ornunga Church in Västergötland, Sweden.
1907 Studio built in backyard.
1908 First extended trip to Colorado after visiting in-laws farm near Bogue (in Graham County), Kansas.
1909 Daughter (and only child) born on June 16, Margareta Elizabeth Sandzén (1909-1993).
1911 Begins nearly three decades of exhibitions for the McPherson City Schools.
Paints motifs of pure pointillism technique until about 1912.
1913 Organizes the Smoky Hill Art Club at Bethany College to create a more active interest in art and all its form and to establish a fund to purchase art for the College art collection.
1915 Finds the beauty of the Southwest and mountains not possible to describe: “What a paradise for the painter.” Has first of 25 exhibitions until 1940 at the Kansas City Art Institute.
Travels through California, Nevada and Arizona. His first visit to the Grand Canyon. Attends Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. Much of travels spent with Oscar Thorsen and Oscar Jacobson.
1916 Art dealer Carl Smalley of McPherson encourages translation of drawings into prints. (Printmaking begins).
1917 Paintings in National Park scenery exhibition at National Gallery of Art.
1918 Meets Raymond and Vera Jonson on trip to Santa Fe, begins frequent correspondence.
1919 Travels to New Mexico with Oscar Thorsen and meets B.J.O. Nordfeldt, Marsden Hartley and Gustav Bauman. Toured Frijoles Canyon and stays in Santa Fe.
1920 One man show at the Washington Art Club, Washington, D.C. on March 4. Founds Delta chapter of Delta Phi Delta, a national honorary art fraternity at Bethany College.
1922 First New York show at the Babcock Gallery, prints in Wood Block Exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery and an invitation from Victor Higgins to become an associate member of the Taos Society of Artists.
1923 Teaches summers at Broadmoor Art Academy (later called Colorado Fine Arts Center). In the Smoky Valley, a volume of prints published by Carl J. Smalley. Through a lecture at Bethany College, corresponds with Carl Sandburg.
1924 Second New York show at the Babcock Gallery.
Final trip to Sweden with Alfrida and Margaret, visits with Prince Eugene (1865-1947) and travels throughout his homeland. First meeting of Olga and Carl Milles at a banquet honoring Finnish painter (Eero Järnefelt). Later spent time with them at their home in Lidingö.
1925 In the Mountains, a volume of prints published by Carl J. Smalley.
1926 Begins summer trips for 15 years to Estes Park, Colorado.
1927 Travels to Bryce Canyon and Zion Canyon in Utah and the Grand Canyon of Arizona, as well as Mesa Verde National Park cliff dwellings.
1928 Begins three summers of teaching painting and drawing at Utah State College at Logan.
1930 Painting style begins to change to lighter palette, smaller strokes. Completes final addition to his studio.
December 28th, several printmakers meet at Sandzen’s studio to organize the Prairie Print Makers Society, which by its end in 1965 has 100 members from states throughout America and Canada.
After teaching at Utah State Agricultural College, tours the Teton’s and Yellowstone National Park.
1931 Produces the first gift print for the Prairie Print Makers Society: A Kansas Creek.
1932 Sandzén is active in the organization of the Kansas Federation of Art.
1933 Founds the Prairie Watercolor Painters so that professional watercolorists of the region have an opportunity to exhibit and young members can receive training and encouragement. Has work in the opening exhibition of the William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art, Kansas City.
1935 Carl Milles (1875-1955) presents Little Triton bronze fountain to be placed in garden at the home. It is later moved to courtyard of Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery.
Along with Margaret travels to Mexico in the summer. Studied the arts of Mexico and sketched extensively.
1937 National honorary president of Delta Phi Delta, and later designated a Laurete member on two occasions.
1938 As part of the Treasury Department’s Section of Fine Arts program, paints post office mural for Lindsborg titled Smoky River. Presentation of Longs Peak, an oil painting commissioned by Ethel Greenough Holmes, to William Rockhill Nelson Museum of Art.
1939 As part of the Treasury Department’s Section of Fine Arts program, paints post office mural for Belleville titled Kansas Stream.
1940 Honored by Swedish Government, made a Knight of the Royal Order of Vasa, Order of the North Star for promotion of cultural relations between Sweden and the United States.
1941 As part of the Treasury Department’s Section of Fine Arts program, paints post office mural for Halstead titled Where Kit Carson Camped.
1942 Daughter Margaret marries Charles Pelham Greenough, 3rd. in the Sandzén studio.
1946 At the age of 75, Sandzen retires from Bethany College. In mid-year, has prints in National Exhibition of Prints at the Library of Congress.
1948 Family summer trip to Rockport, Massachusetts. New England motifs painted.
1950 Travels to Colorado and California with Alfrida, Margaret and Pelham.
1952 Completes organization with son-in-law, Charles Pelham Greenough of Graphic Work of Birger Sandzén. Later reprinted in three additional editions.
1954 Sandzén dies in Lindsborg on June 19, at the age of 83, on what was described as a beautiful “Sandzén-like day.”