Over the last half century, the matriarch of one of Waseca’s most prominent and expansive families has brought her incredible talent and passion for the arts to her hometown art center, serving as a backbone, leader and mentor for so many in the small community nonprofit.
On Friday, the Art Center paid a fitting tribute to Char Harguth, not only displaying her art in its front gallery but permanently naming the space in her honor, appropriate for a woman whose passion and selfless service over many years has been invaluable to the Art Center’s success.
Raised on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, Harguth taught Elementary School for several years before shifting her focus to art and the real loves of her life, her children, of whom she said “I brought five of them into the world and they brought the world to me.”
In the world of art, Harguth brought great ability and energy to a wide variety of mediums, from painting to sculptures to music to writing. Her artistic touch was always heavily influenced by the natural, rural scenes she experienced having spent most of her life on the farm.
In front of a large crowd composed largely of Harguth’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, a series of speakers praised not only Harguth’s remarkable artistic talents but her decency, generosity and humility.
“Char is a quiet-spoken, kind, compassionate, and determined woman, a woman of few words and more humility than anyone I have ever known,” said Art Center CEO Mikhail Rostislavovich.
As Vice Chair of the Art Center’s Board of Directors, Rostislavovich was tasked with telling Harguth that the Board wished to name the main gallery in her honor. In classic Char Harguth fashion she all but declined the honor, instead urging the board to give credit to others.
“Her response, in quiet, hushed tones was, “Oh no, not me, many others would deserve that honor way before me. No, no I would rather not. But thank you for thinking of me,’” Rostislavovich recalled.
Despite Char’s signature modesty, the board stood by its belief that Harguth was most deserving of the high honor, with Rostislavovich saying that she had been “an inspiration to us not only in your artistic abilities, but the manner in which you have led your life.”
Now in her late 80s, Harguth first walked into the Art Center in 1976 as a comparatively spry 40 year old woman, but one challenged not only by the joyful burdens of raising five young kids but also by the heavy burden of a recent MS diagnosis.
When Char discovered the art center, she quickly became hooked, with the “diversion” of art becoming a central part of her life. For close to half a century, she became a regular in the Art Center, especially the weekly art appreciation group held every Wednesday morning.
After a flashy ribbon cutting reception, which was attended by city leaders like City Manager Carl Sonnenberg and, of course, County Board Chair Brian Harguth, Char urged anyone in the large crowd who may be interested to stop by the Arts Center’s Wednesday morning group.
“Anyone is welcome to join us, age, gender or level of talent, we’ll be happy to have you,” Harguth said. “If you want to stop in and visit on a Wednesday morning, we’ll try to be on our best behavior.”
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