Ocean Jasper Polished Orb
Exhibit: Tuesday, February 24, through Friday, March 20
Reception: Friday, March 6, 5 p.m.
University of Dubuque's Bisignano Art Gallery, 2255 Bennett Street, Dubuque IA
Amethyst cathedrals, diamonds, Lake Superior agates, opals, geodes, and additionally beautiful objects will be on view at the University of Dubuque's Bisignano Art Gallery through March 20, with works in the fascinating exhibition Rocks, Minerals, & Gems: The Olsen Collection spanning five-plus decades of curiosity, craftsmanship, and global exploration.
More than 100 spectacular specimens from the collection of Linda (Breitbach) Olsen and Gary Olsen have transformed the art gallery into a natural history display. Unique pieces include handmade jewelry, fossils, a table made from a Cypress log and Ocean Jasper, and a quartz formation with water trapped inside from millions of years ago.
“At its heart, this exhibition is a tribute to discovery, to family, and to generational passion,” said Noah Bullock, coordinator of the Bisignano Art Gallery. “Dedicated to Linda’s father, Francis 'Frannie' Breitbach, whose ingenuity and mechanical brilliance made it possible to reveal hidden beauty within stone, the show celebrates the bond between a father and daughter united by curiosity. It also honors the shared adventures of Linda and her husband, Gary, whose travels to destinations such as Tucson’s renowned gem and mineral show expanded their collection and deepened their global connections.”
Linda began collecting rocks as a child. She would accompany her father in the Great Outdoors and ask to keep the rocks she noticed beneath her feet, along railroad tracks, on the banks of streams. Linda’s enthusiasm soon became her father’s passion.
Frannie already had a basic knowledge of local rocks and minerals. He knew there was a treasure trove of rocks in dredged piles of gravel heaped along the Mississippi River used for paving materials, so he got permission to explore them. The father-daughter duo found quartz, jasper, limestone fossils, red garnets, Lake Superior agates, and more.
Linda’s enthusiasm for gems, minerals, and fossils became global in scope, and she traveled the world with Gary, her husband of 55 years who shares her love for stones. Linda learned how to design and craft jewelry with gems and minerals, while Frannie turned his passion into mining and polishing opal he discovered on one of his many Western travels with Linda’s mom, Leona.
“What began as a childhood fascination in the Driftless landscapes of Dubuque, Iowa, has evolved into a lifetime of collecting, studying, and transforming natural treasures into works of art,” Bullock said. “From river-worn agates and limestone fossils discovered along the Mississippi to opals mined in Idaho and fossilized seabed formations from Morocco, this exhibition reflects both the scientific wonder and the personal devotion that define Linda’s journey.”
Rocks, Minerals, & Gems: The Olsen Collection is an interactive exhibition. Visitors are encouraged to download Google Lens on their iPhone or Android device or use their favorite AI app to identify the various specimens. UD students will be available to assist those who need help.
A reception for Rocks, Minerals, & Gems: The Olsen Collection will be held in the University of Dubuque's Bisignano Art Gallery at 5 p.m. on March 6, and the exhibit itself will be on view through March 20. Regular gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, admission is free, and more information is available by calling (563)589-3267 and visiting Dbq.edu/HeritageCenter/BisignanoArtGallery.
