Gethsemane, 1980

Josephine, 1981

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The Rourke Art Gallery + Museum is pleased to present Frozen Music: The Midwestern Architectural Prints of James Tiernan O'Rourke, a touring exhibition of woodcut prints by the late artist and museum founder James Tiernan O'Rourke, (1933 - 2011) from the Permanent Collections of The Rourke Art Gallery + Museum.

One of the driving forces in James Tiernan O’Rourke’s life and art was his abiding passion for architecture. Structures are overwhelmingly represented as the subjects of his woodcut and linocut prints. James was an advocate for their preservation—frequently lending his images to use and prints to sell to regional groups working to support restoration projects. He was personally the steward of two late 19th-century homes—the Franklin-Sharp House, his residence for the second half of his life, and the Martinson House, which served as Rourke Gallery for decades—and the historic Moorhead Post Office Building, now The Rourke Art Gallery + Museum.
This exhibit highlights many of the structures and places that captured James’ imagination in Minnesota and North Dakota. Some of the sites featured are iconic and immediately recognizable to the residents of our region. Other have been lost to mishap or the march of time. James’ bold, lyrical linework, limited color palette, and the deliberate flattening of forms memorialize the unique “skylines” of the High Plains.

The Exhibit

​Currently Available for Rental 
23 O'Rourke woodcuts, interpretive materials, and exhibition signage included; please inquire for display space requirements, rental fees, and dates of availability. Only venues open to the public will be considered for exhibition.

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Red River Farm 1969, 1976

Livingston-Griggs, 1987

Fort Union, 1978