We are deeply saddened by the recent news that artist and Professor Emeritus Roman Versostko passed away over the weekend. His unique life experiences and unconventional career path, which eventually led him to MCAD, made him a true innovator in the art world.
After graduating from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 1949, Verostko chose the life of a monk, where he could pursue his artistic practices while continuing his philosophical and theological studies. He was ultimately ordained a priest in 1959. He received an MFA from Pratt Institute in 1961 and studied art history at Columbia University and New York University. In 1968, following a struggle with his own spiritual beliefs, Verostko left religious life and joined the faculty at Minneapolis School of Art (now MCAD), where he became a pioneer by using emerging digital technology and computing power combined with painting and drawing as his new art form. Over the course of his career, Verostko’s work appeared in over 100 exhibitions nationally and internationally and he authored 22 published articles. In 1994, Versostko retired from MCAD and was granted Faculty Emeritus status.
MCAD Professor Piotr Szychalski states, “With artists, the human loss is always tempered by the legacy of their work, which remains with us forever. However, Roman will be missed as not only a great artist, but also a gentle, caring, and generous human being. His groundbreaking work with early computer technologies, to this day, serves as a guidepost for artists exploring algorithmic, generative media. Visionary and endlessly curious, Roman mapped the mysterious space between digital and physical worlds, producing artwork as smart and sophisticated as it was breathtakingly beautiful and complex.”
Through his work, Verostko will remain an inspiring philosopher, writer, and artist for generations to come–both inside and well beyond the MCAD community. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and former students who were forever changed by his care and immense talents.