In 1970, Don Celender had his first solo exhibition of conceptual documentation at OK Harris. An art history professor at Macalaster College in St. Paul, Dr. Celender would continue his pursuit of the ephemeral via exhibitions at the gallery on an almost yearly basis for the next thirty-five years. The exhibitions for the most part consisted of a single, sample form letter, posing a question concerning art or aesthetics to people from all walks of life. The query/form letter was accompanied by the various responses, some typed on letterhead stationary, others hand-written. Celender was mining the gold vein of popular and not so popular opinions on the arts long before anyone else had even the glimmer of such an idea. The responses and non-responses were often funny, yet also presented an intriguing overview of a certain strata of public and private American attitudes about cultural experience.

The gallery will mount a selection of responses from his published and unpublished surveys from 1973-2003 as well as related works from the past thirty years. Included are surveys such as: - 2003, The Censorship Survey; “Should art ever be censored and if so, what kind?” - 1998, Art Preference Survey of Daytime Television Actors; “If an episode where written for your television program in which a famous artist from the past, or present would make a guest appearance, whom would you select?” - 1992, Aesthetic Experiences; “What is the most pleasing visual experience you have had in your life?” - 1990, What The Critics Said; “Pollock is a ‘Neo-Expressionist whose nervous, if rough calligraphy has an air of baked macaroni’-Parker Tyler, View Magazine, 1945” - 1989, Immortality Study; “What epitaph would you like to have inscribed on your tombstone?”

Related works on view: - 1993-94, Art Domes; Snow domes with famous artworks inside. - 1992, Art Crackers; ‘Animal’ crackers made into the shape of famous artworks. - 1975, Holy, Holy Art Cards; Art world personages dressed as saints. - 1971, Artball Trading Cards; Players such as Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Frank Stella dressed in baseball uniforms, assigned a position and identified on the back by a “hit” artwork

The back room of the gallery will be a “Reading Room” with tables and chairs provided for a extended look at Celender’s published surveys, and copies of several unpublished ones including but not limited to: - 1995, Mortal Remains - 1991, Questions About The Arts You May Never Have Thought To Ask - 1982, Reincarnation Study - 1979, National Architects Preference Survey - 1975, Observation and Scholarship Examination of Art Historians, Museum Directors - 1969-70,Corporate Art Movement, Mass Media Art Movement, Organizational Art Movement