Charles Biederman and John Anderson Guided Walking Tour with Stephanie Rogers

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Join Anderson Center Executive Director Stephanie Rogers as she shares her research on artists Charles Biederman and John P. Anderson on a one hour guided outdoor walking tour of the Tower View estate on Saturday, August 8th at 11:00 a.m. Their collaborative work has drawn international attention, and much of it was made here at Tower View. Register now as space is limited in order to ensure physical distancing. A second tour is also being offered later the same day at 1 p.m. Tour groups meet in front of Tower View Barn 15 minutes prior to the beginning of the tour.

Charles Biederman is perhaps the best-known artist to have lived in Red Wing. His work is part of significant museum collections worldwide, including the Tate Modern in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. After exhibiting and living in New York City and Paris at the beginning of the American Modernist movement in the 1930s, Biederman moved to Red Wing by 1942 to join his friend and patron, John P. Anderson, there. Working together out of the Chicken Coop Studio at Tower View, the two men created intricate geometric works of art and furnishings together. These pieces combined Charles’ keen eye for color and grand philosophies about art with John’s mechanical skill and innate ability to draft and construct the complicated ideas the two men shared.

John Anderson, the son Alexander P. Anderson, was an artist and photographer. His friendship with Biederman was built on a shared love of art, culture, and exploring new ideas. John made paintings, drawings, and sculptures, too, before devoting himself to photography and film later in his life. Like his father, John was interested in the natural world; his artwork engages in close examination of nature, especially the area around Tower View. Along with his wife, Eugenie, John lived in the white farmhouse on the east side of the Tower View estate, and utilized the buildings there for the pursuit of his interests, from hours spent in the basement darkroom to cast concrete sculptures made with Biederman.

Stephanie Lynn Rogers is the Executive and Artistic Director of the Anderson Center. She holds an MFA in Photography from Tyler School of Art, Temple University in Philadelphia. Prior to coming to the Anderson Center, she managed several galleries in Minneapolis, including Thomas Barry Fine Arts, where Stephanie was directly involved in documenting Charles Biederman’s Estate through a contract with the Weisman Art Museum.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. Thanks to this funding, the Anderson Center is able to offer tickets on a pay-what-you-can basis. All ticket sales will go to support work offering artistic programming in the Red Wing community.

The use of face masks is strongly encouraged! ASL interpretation is available upon request. To request interpretation, please contact Stephanie at stephanie@andersoncenter.org or 651-388-2009 at least two weeks prior to the event. Tour guides will be using a personal portable voice amplifier. While steps can be avoided on the tour, be advised that the tour route takes participants off paved trails and across uneven ground. If the weather is severe or there is heavy rain, the Anderson Center will announce cancellations prior to the tour’s departure via e-mail and social media.

Featured Image: Interstate Clinic Waiting Room, 1940, Red Wing, MN. Interior Constructions and Furniture by Charles Biederman and John P. Anderson. Photograph by John P. Anderson.