Take a summer art walk through Bluffton
Summer is a great time to explore the art spread across the Bluffton community – especially for viewers unable to visit art galleries elsewhere in Ohio.
As a weekly series, The Icon will feature the art created by John Peter Klassen, a long-time Bluffton College art professor.
For some viewers, this series is familiar. For others, it may be a first-time experience.
Either way, it’s an opportunity to take a walk and view some art that is uniquely Bluffton. Much of Klassen’s art is spread through Bluffton University campus, however several pieces, shown later in this series, are elsewhere in the community.
To start the tour here’s a brief background on the artist. Klassen was born in Kronsgarten, Ukraine in 1888. He and his wife, Anna, arrived in Canada in 1923, and eventually arriving in Bluffton the following year, escaping the aftermath of the Russian Revolution.
He was a member of the college art faculty from 1924 to 1958. His works combine religious themes with first-hand observations of the Russian Revolution, where he saw suffering, hardship and death.
Countless Klassen works are in the collections of friends, former students and artists throughout North American. He died at age 87 in 1975.
The Klassen piece in this week’s feature is a Russian Cossack, completed in 1939. The bronze sculpture is perhaps the artist's most technically complete work. Viewers will find it in Klassen Court, named after the artist. The Court has several Klassen pieces and is located between Founders Hall and Marbeck Center.
Stories Posted This Week
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
- Observation deck added to Motter Park cascading pools project
- Bluffton Women in Business meet May 15
- Four sportsmen stock 200 trout at Buckeye Lake
- Pirate girls, boys 2nd at Minster track quad
- Pirate baseball win vs. Riverdale
- Pirate softball loss vs. Riverdale
- Field reports from NW Ohio wildlife officers
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Monday, April 28, 2025
Sunday, April 27, 2025
Saturday, April 26, 2025
- Kenneth Eugene Mast was head athletic coach for Bluffton College
- Eagle eye over Village Park
- Hillville Rd. barn fire on April 24
- Agenda for April 28 Bluffton Council meeting
- Cory-Rawson High School celebrates Community Day
- Bluffton Senior Center news for May 2025
- Weekend Doctor: The current situation with measles