SXU Gallery Presents "That Which Remains"
Saint Xavier University (SXU) will host "That Which Remains," the work of SXU art and design professor Cathie Ruggie Saunders, from August 25 through September 20, 2025.
"That Which Remains" is the title of the suite of art pieces Ruggie Saunders worked on during her fall 2024 sabbatical and completed through spring and summer 2025. The exhibition consists of artists' books, letterpress prints, and mixed media drawings, inspired by three significant interests of Ruggie Saunders.
The first influence stems from her interest in archaeology and the major Indian excavation that she participated in during college at the Koster Site in the lower Illinois River Valley, considered one of the most important archaeological digs in North America. Students from Ruggie Saunders' alma mater, Northwestern University, dug through layers of earth, excavating fossils, shells, arrowheads, the oldest domesticated dog burial in North America, and an infant burial.
The second stems from teaching letterpress printing for more than 40 years at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Letterpress, the 15th-century method of setting individual metal characters of type by hand, is a slow, deliberate process of accumulation, almost the exact opposite of excavating/deconstructing a civilization to read the messages left behind. Letterpress also makes an impression in the paper similar to a fossil embedded in the earth.
The third influence centers around being a poet and visual artist. Ruggie Saunders loves words, language, and anything 'old,' like letterpress. For her, writing a poem often inspires a visual artwork to be made. She has kept journals most every day of her life, which become layers upon layers of memories that make up her life.
For "That Which Remains," Ruggie Saunders used letterpress printings in single sheet formats as well as artists' books and mixed media drawings. She salvaged some of the paper that former students have 'mistakenly' printed upon, viewed them as layouts of beauty, and revived them as composition she has added upon to create an 'archaeological collaboration.'
"I hope visitors will take away the fact that 'old' is not necessarily 'out of date.' Creativity happens when materials are viewed from new perspectives. I hope they see that books are a form of art, where the 'container' helps communicate the concept, and I hope they begin to become acquainted with me through my work," said Ruggie Saunders.
As an undergraduate, Ruggie Saunders double-majored in anthropology and art. During graduate school, she chose to pursue art as she preferred to create her own 'artifacts' rather than focus on digging up another culture's artifacts.
"Becoming an art teacher was an easy decision. I wanted to share that ability and excitement with others. Teaching art demands a deep acquaintance with oneself; I wanted that to happen for others," said Ruggie Saunders.
Ruggie Saunders believes that she grows as an artist over time through teaching her students, seeing their eyes open in excitement over a process they have never tried before, and encouraging them to continue the exploration.
Though Ruggie Saunders, as the director of the SXU Gallery, is usually on the other side, hosting artists, she is honored to display her work for the fall 2025 exhibition.
"I am thrilled to fill the space with my pieces, to see the room I have hosted a multitude of artists in for over 40 years become filled with the visual evidence [layers] of me. It is an honor."
The artist's presentation and reception will be held Wednesday, September 3, at 3:30 p.m. at the SXU Gallery. The SXU Gallery is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, contact the Gallery at 773-298-3081.