Art teacher taking time as artist

Before most students even step into the art room, Nathan Stromberg is already at work—kneading 100 pounds of clay, constantly prepping materials, and planning lessons for the day ahead. From teaching multiple classes to helping lead the fine arts department, his schedule is anything but slow; but that will soon look different.

Minnehaha Academy’s longtime art teacher Nathan Stromberg will be taking a year-long sabbatical next school year. While the break offers him time to focus on personal projects, it also leads students wondering what the art program will look like without him.

“I love teaching here, but I had this realization this last year that I’ve sort of been in a time loop,” Stromberg said. “A lot of the things that I’m doing now are the same things I’ve kind of done for the last 20 years in terms of just the schedule and kind of the day to day, going to work.”

After graduating from Minnehaha Academy in 1996, Stromberg attended Bethel College where he double majored in studio art, and art education. He ended up landing a job at Minnehaha in 2002, and has been teaching here since.

“It’s been amazing,” he said. “The art room was being rebuilt. When I was hired my first year, I taught in what is now the health room over in the gym, which was crazy. There was no sink. I had to teach painting without water. I had to get buckets of water from the concession stand.”

Stromberg said the current art room opened in 2003. It survived the August 2017 explosion.

“I’ve gotten to grow the entire program from the top down and develop everything that I’ve done here,” he said.

Currently, Stromberg is teaching fundamentals of art and design, graphic design, sculpture, AP studio art and ceramics. Minnehaha’s class sizes are a lot smaller than a typical high school’s.

“Things here are very laid back, and we have the chance to work with people and give them the space to create, which is really cool,” Stromberg said. “I really try to set up a place where they can come and go if they want to work.”

Stromberg has a big role in the fine arts department, including helping with homecoming scripts, theater productions and props, chapel graphics, etc.

“There’s a lot of random things that I do around here. When people want a graphic for something, I tend to be the person they go to,” Stromberg said. “I’ve built our whole curriculum. Before I came, there was no AP art, and then that kind of changed how we did everything else.”

During the time away from Minnehaha Academy next year, Nathan Stromberg is planning on working diligently to create art and future opportunities for his work.

“I’m going to try to secure some commissions and apply for some big projects,” he said. “I don’t have the time to do that here. I’m also going to travel.”

Stromberg is planning on visiting rural Scotland for the first time during mid October to November to do an art residency.

“I’m going to live in a tiny house and make art for a whole month, by myself, which is kind of crazy,” Stromberg said. “At the end of my four weeks, I’ll display some of my work and do some workshops with the residents. So I’m just excited to try something different, and super thankful that the school is supporting me in that.”

As for the art program next year, who will be teaching each course has not yet been finalized. This year, Katja Ornberg, who teaches fundamentals of art, drawing, and painting, will be taking on a larger role next year in the art department. This spring, she observed Nathan Stromberg teaching his AP studio art class that she will be teaching next fall.

“I will be taking on a few more classes for next year, some of them I’ve had before, but the AP class is new to me,” Ornberg said. “So I’m excited for AP art. I’m here today, for example, to kind of just shadow Mr. Stromberg, so I am prepped for that workload.”

Marissa Stower, a senior AP Studio Art student who has been taking art since freshman year, has had three classes with Stromberg.

“He has been very influential, especially in my problem solving when art is not going the exact way I want it too, because I’m quite a perfectionist when it comes to that stuff,” Stower said. “He has definitely helped me to not get frustrated and just keep trying with stuff even when it’s not working out the first time.”

Stower is happy for the opportunity Stromberg has earned, though she knows his absence will be difficult to get used to next year.

Stromberg is looking forward to his upcoming changes in his daily routine while also remaining eager to work with students when he returns.

“I know that for next year’s juniors, you know, they will be gone by the time I come back,” Stromberg said. “But I also know that we have a lot of really amazing sophomores and freshmen right now.”

As Stromberg prepares to step away next year, he is leaving knowing the program is in a strong place — and it will be waiting for him when he comes back.

“For me to be gone in previous years,” he said, “I think I would have found it harder to do it, but I think it’s a good time.”