This summer, Macalester College acquired dozens of remarkable Indigenous artworks donated to the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) by the estate of Robert C. Leestma.
The collection features contemporary Inuit printmaking from the 1980s through the early 2000s, including stone cuts, lithographs, and etchings created by Inuit family printmakers at Kinngait Studios. It also includes Inuit carvings crafted from soapstone, bone, horn, and ivory, showcasing the diversity, skill, and cultural significance of Inuit artistic traditions.
“The opportunity to receive this gift was a delightful surprise,” says Law Warschaw Gallery director and curator Heather Everhart. “At the college collection level, we’ve not had a gift of Indigenous art at this scale and quantity, so this rich archive of Inuit work is particularly exciting. We’re incredibly grateful. The breadth and depth of the collection is a great complement to Macalester’s beloved printmaking program while also greatly expanding and strengthening Indigenous representation within our art collection.”
The collection was divided between Macalester College and St. Olaf College through a collaborative acquisition effort carried out by the Associated Colleges of the Midwest.
“Given their academic strengths and institutional commitments, Macalester and St. Olaf are exceptionally well positioned to care for this remarkable collection for generations to come,” says ACM President Lisa Jasinski. “ACM is grateful for the partnership of both colleges in ensuring that Mr. Leestma’s vision will continue through teaching, scholarship, and meaningful engagement with Inuit art and culture.”
Macalester College received a broader collection of Subarctic Indigenous artworks valued at approximately $28,000. Together, the institutions acquired 209 works of art, with 128 pieces becoming part of Macalester’s permanent collection.
“The artworks—primarily stone block and stencil prints, along with a few excellent carvings—depict traditional and modern Inuit life and spirituality in the subarctic: seal hunting, dog sledding, the northern lights, and playful images of families and animals,” says Everhart. “As a vital storytelling medium, they share cultural history and the human connection to nature through Arctic wildlife, ways of life, and spiritual legends.”
Initial inventory work for the gift was supported by the Macalester Native and Indigenous Initiative Programming Fund. This funding allowed the college to hire two alumni, Kalei Ganser ’25, CHamoru/Kānaka Maoli and Lucas Wood ’25 to photograph, inventory, and complete condition reports for the newly acquired works.
The collection is housed in the Fine Arts Department’s storage facility in the Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center alongside the rest of Macalester’s art collection. The works are maintained in climate-controlled conditions, with prints stored in flat files that protect them from light exposure and potential damage.
The college is developing educational programming surrounding the gift that will allow students to learn firsthand about collection practices.
