Haehn Museum in St. Joseph Opening 2022 Exhibit Thursday [PHOTOS]

ST. JOSEPH -- The Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict are unveiling their 2022 museum exhibit this week.

The Haehn Museum, located inside the Art and Heritage Place at St. Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, will be displaying the handmade artwork of Sister Dennis Frandrup in the “By the Work of Her Hands” exhibit starting Thursday with an opening reception beginning at 4:00 p.m.

Museum Director Judy Kramer says Frandrup, who will be turning 90 this year, spent decades making art in a variety of different mediums including several types of ceramics and jewelry-making.

Unusually creative things, I would say. From the heat register to the rocks from Lake Superior, and at the same time useful things that were needed for the church and that kind of thing.

Frandrup also served as a teacher for 50 years, including 18 as a junior high school history teacher, and 32 as an art professor at the College of St. Benedict, before her retirement in 2005.

Kramer says while the process of physically putting together the exhibit took about three months, deciding which pieces to put on display took a little longer.

We were doing research on it. We started certainly in like October, and there were so many things to choose from, so we had to see what would be most representative. You have to range it. You can't stuff things in there.

Pieces of Frandrup’s art will be up for sale at the Whitby Gift Shop as well, with all of the proceeds going back to the monastery.

The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 12:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. The exhibit is free and runs through December 23rd.