Reinhold Marxhausen

Reinhold Pieper Marxhausen (April 13, 1922 - April 23, 2011), was an American artist known for his work in sculpture, mosaic, painting, and found object art.

Reinhold studied at Valparaiso University, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Ray-Vogue School in Chicago, and Mills College in California.

Immediately after graduation in 1950, a confused Reinhold realized that he had a biology degree, but still desired to be an artist.

He went back to Illinois and enrolled in the Art Institute of Chicago.

He also took a couple summer workshops at the University of Minnesota in Duluth under the mentorship of Max Weber and Millard Sheets.

However, the money from the G.I. Bill soon ran out and Marxhausen began hitchhiking around the country painting and selling watercolors to make ends meet.

Marxhausen sold a few paintings to the Ford Times, a monthly publication of the Ford Motor Company.

A music teacher at Concordia Teachers College (now Concordia University) in Seward, Nebraska, noticed his name and paintings while reading Ford Times at a barber shop.

He showed it to the president of the college, who had mentioned he was looking for a Lutheran artist.

He became the first art department chair at Concordia University, Nebraska in 1951, teaching there until his retirement in 1991.

During this time, he gained national recognition through various exhibits across the country.

His most well-known works include two massive mosaic murals in the Nebraska State Capitol and the small sound sculptures called Stardust.

Reinhold “Marx” Marxhausen was born in Vergas, Minnesota, to E.J.A. and Aurelia Marxhausen.

His father was a Lutheran pastor who wanted Reinhold to follow in his footsteps and attend the Lutheran seminary.

However, Marxhausen always saw his future in the world of art.

As a compromise with his father, he went to Dunwoody Technical School to learn interior design.

After completing his courses, he ran a painting and wallpapering business.

Reinhold was successful enough that by age 20, he had opened a paint store in New Ulm, Minnesota.

Unfortunately, a little over a year later, he was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II, forcing him to close the business and let his employees go.

Marxhausen served in New Guinea and the Philippines as a processor of Japanese prisoners of war.

As way to stave off boredom, he made trinkets out of what he found around the islands, such as tin and plastic pieces from destroyed aircraft.

Reinhold returned from war determined to pursue an artistic future.

He was surprised to find out that his father had sent out letters and already enrolled him with the Ray-Vogue Community Arts School.

In his very first class, he made the realization that the only thing that had been preventing him from doing any artistic type of painting was simply getting permission to do it.

Fueled by both the anger at this knowledge and a passion for art, Marxhausen obsessively attended to his studies producing painting after painting.

At the suggestion of a fellow Lutheran, he quit art school and transferred to Valparaiso University.

There was no formal art department at Valparaiso, so Marxhausen earned a degree in Biology instead.

In 1951, the college sent a letter to Marxhausen inviting him to not only become an art instructor for Concordia, but also start the art department.

Fully accustomed to the life of a professional artist, Reinhold didn't take it seriously.

He threw the offer away in the trash.

A second letter later arrived when they never received a reply.

Given the second chance, he noticed that they also needed him to fill the position of a biology teacher as well.

He decided that it was a sign from God for him to take the job and began a 40-year teaching career for the college.

In 1953, Marxhausen married Concordia student Dorris Steinbrueck.

They had two sons, Karl and Paul.

In 1962, Marxhausen took a year-long sabbatical to complete his MFA at Mills College in Oakland, California.

It was there that he began a life of experimentation with sound sculptures.

While creating a metal interpretation of the solar system, he welded wires to the back of a door knob and decided to strum his fingers across the wires.

He put it next to his ear and noticed that they made a beautiful sound.

Throughout his time at Concordia, Marxhausen started teaching art appreciation to the communities in and around Seward.