Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

This week in Faribault: The incarceration of Japanese Americans, immigrant portraits & a historical novel March 16, 2026

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IF YOU WERE TO COLLECTIVELY consider two upcoming events this week and one current art exhibit in Faribault, you would find a common theme. That would be humanity and how we treat one another.

Let’s start with “Enmity and Empathy: Japanese Americans During World War II,” a talk by Dr. Ka Wong, set for 6 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at the Rice County Historical Society in Faribault. Wong, a professor of Asian Studies at St. Olaf College in Northfield wrote a book by that name. I’m 25 pages into the book, which was published in May 2025 by the Minnesota Historical Society Press and is a finalist for the “Emilie Buchwald Award for Minnesota Nonfiction” Minnesota Book Award.

Award nominee or not, this book is assuredly a winner for the depth and volume of information Wong shares about imprisoned Japanese Americans, something unknown to many Americans. My knowledge is limited, so I’m looking forward to this presentation.

In promoting Wong’s talk this Thursday evening, the county historical society shared this in a media release:

Drawing on personal interviews, archival sources, and historical literature, Professor Ka Wong explores the courageous struggles of trailblazers who left the incarceration camps and rebuilt their lives in the North Star State. He will share stories of college students pursuing higher education, including the two colleges in Rice County, young men and women training at the Military Intelligence Service Language School at Camp Savage and then Fort Snelling, the US Cadet Nurse Corps serving in Rochester hospitals, and entrepreneurial families and individuals in the Twin Cities and beyond.

All of this, of course, makes me think of the recent massive federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota. In that operation, many were illegally detained by federal agents, flown out of the state and held without due process in detention camps, where they remain. Others were released, some deported. I expect Wong may address this during his presentation. He can definitely provide historic perspective.

NOTE: Reserve a spot at this talk by calling (507) 332-2121. Space is limited. Admittance is free for RCHS members and $5 for non-members.

Immigrant portraits line the hall connecting the library, left, to the community center. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

ART EXHIBIT FEATURES IMMIGRANT PORTRAITS

Immigrants are the focus of an exhibit currently showing in the hallway between the Faribault Community Center and Buckham Memorial Library. Faribault artist Kate Langlais shows 13 of her portraits from her “I Am Minnesota” project. These are first and second-generation immigrants.

Four months ago, Langlais’ immigrant portraits filled a spacious gallery at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault. These are selected drawings from that show. She’s also previously shown her artwork in the same space where the 13 portraits now hang.

In my opinion, these portraits should be shared as often as possible in Faribault, which has not always been particularly welcoming to immigrants. I’m certainly not talking everyone, but too many people would rather our newest neighbors from Somalia, Mexico and other countries leave our city. I’ve heard that shouted while protesting ICE operations.

(Promo from the Books on Central Facebook page)

AN AUTHOR TALKS ABOUT THE GOSPEL OF SALOME

Finally, St. Olaf College professor and author Kaethe Schwehn will talk about her newest book, The Gospel of Salome, at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, at Books on Central in Faribault. The historical novel set in Biblical times follows a mother who is navigating a complex world of gender and power imbalances during the First Century. Schwehn will read from her book and talk about some of its themes, examining ideology, motherhood and a poignant argument for love and equality in today’s world, according to pre-event information.

I expect good discussion will follow, as it always does at these free literary events at Books on Central.

There’s a lot to be learned in Faribault this week. I hope locals and others will embrace these three opportunities to grow their knowledge and broaden their perspectives.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Art swap to benefit Northfield Supporting Neighbors March 13, 2026

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(Promo sourced from the Northfield Arts Guild Facebook page.)

Update: Due to the forecast winter storm/blizzard in Minnesota beginning Saturday, March 14, through Monday, March 16, this event could be subject to cancellation on Sunday. However, hours have already been added from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 21.

THE COMMUNITY OF NORTHFIELD is stepping up once again, as it has multiple times in recent months, to help immigrants in need following Operation Metro Surge.

From 1-5 p.m. this Sunday, March 15, the Northfield Arts Guild is hosting a Fine Art Fundraiser for Northfield Supporting Neighbors. Art created during February swap art sessions will be sold at the Guild’s Water Street Studios, 411 Water St. S. in downtown Northfield. One hundred percent of sale proceeds will go to Northfield Supporting Neighbors.

So what exactly is an art swap? It’s a group of artists gathering, creating and passing around artwork, all contributing at the same time. Basically, an artist builds on or adds to an original work of art that’s circulating around the room.

Local artists met for four two-hour sessions in February to create watercolor and acrylic art themed to Banksy’s “Flower Thrower” painting. That piece by the graffiti artist shows a masked man throwing flowers in a form of nonviolent resistance. This seems an appropriate choice given federal immigration enforcement agents wore masks and threw tear gas and other chemical irritants at protesters and resisters in Minnesota. Art has always been a tool of expression.

Now, as nearly all 3,000 federal agents have left the state (about 100 remain), recovery begins. The need is great for monies to fund legal aid, rental assistance, food and other basics among those impacted by ICE. This sale of collaborative art on Sunday is just one more way to help individuals and families who are struggling.

Northfield continues to show, via multiple fundraisers, that it cares deeply about those who call this southern Minnesota community home. They take the directive, “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” and put those words into action, this time with paint and paintbrushes.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

“The world needs art,” as seen at a Lakeville student art exhibit March 12, 2026

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“Pop Art Inspired by Roy Lichtenstein,” mixed media by third grader Samuel Aquino. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

DURING A RECENT OVERNIGHT STAY, my 7-year-old grandson asked me to draw the shape of Minnesota. I declined. He, the boy who drew state and world maps even before entering kindergarten, far exceeds me in his map making skills. Correction. He can draw far better than Grandma in any subject.

This shows some of the art created by Lakeville High School students. The exhibit is open until March 20. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

But it’s not just Isaac who impresses me with his art. It’s kids in general. I base that on my yearly viewing of student art displayed publicly during National Youth Art Month in March. “The World Needs Art” themes this year’s event. I wholeheartedly agree. We absolutely need art to express ourselves, to share ideas, to learn, to grow, to change, to celebrate.

Lakeville High School and Middle School art is displayed in the performing arts center building pictured here. Elementary school art is exhibited in the next door fine arts building.(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

This year I toured exhibits of student art at a K-12 show at the Lakeville Area Arts Center. Although my grandson and his sister attend Lakeville schools, their art is not included. Elementary school art is randomly selected for display, my granddaughter said.

My husband, Randy, looks at elementary school art in a hallway of the fine arts building. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

Perhaps some day I’ll see my grandchildren’s art hung inside the Lakeville Area Arts Center. But for now, I enjoyed the creativity of other kids.

“Loonscape” by Aubrey Bartyzal. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

Take the mixed media “Loonscape” by kindergartner Aubrey Bartyzal, which earned honorable mention at the elementary school level. I could easily envision her rendition of Minnesota’s state bird on a t-shirt, tote bag or note cards. Set against a fiery sun and swimming in bold blue waters, the loon in Aubrey’s scene shouts “Up North at the Cabin.”

“Night Scene” by Millie Vosika, awarded Best of Show. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

Quite the opposite is high school senior Millie Vosika’s “Night Scene,” depicting a cityscape of towering buildings, a narrow street and a brooding night sky. The acrylic, watercolor and oil painting earned Best of Show and rightfully so. It’s impressive.

“Monkey Teapot” by Ruby Lyke. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

A ceramic “Monkey Teapot” by junior Ruby Lyke, simply put, made me happy.

A wall of art by Lakeville Middle School students. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

There’s much to celebrate not only in the actual art itself, but also in the student artists who create and in the teachers who guide them. To foster creativity in a child is, in my opinion, invaluable. I’ve bought markers, reams of paper, construction paper and other art supplies for my young grandson, who, if he’s not solving math equations, is drawing.

“Geometric Shapes,” a collage by third grader, Remy Espinasse. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

Some of the Lakeville students drew. Others painted. High schoolers used digital tools. A few molded clay. I saw varied art forms displayed.

This shows a portion of third grader Avery Rundell’s mixed media “2-Point Perspective Treehouse.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

I climbed a treehouse. Went to Australia to see the kangaroos. Saw Billie Eilish. All without leaving Lakeville.

A cropped version of seventh grader Kira Johnson’s mixed media “Crimson Kangaroo.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

That’s art. It takes you places. Broadens your perspective. Opens doors. The world does, indeed, need art.

“Billie Eilish,” a mixed media portrait by seventh grader Sadie Stevens. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

FYI: To see more student art in area galleries, check out the following: Area Student Art Show at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault until April 10; The All School Art Show at the Northfield Arts Guild until March 29; the Owatonna Public Schools K-12 Student Art Exhibition at the Owatonna Arts Center until March 31; the Student Art Show at the Arts & Heritage Center of Montgomery until May 16; and the High School Art Show at the Waseca Art Center from March 24-May 1.

Exhibit photographed with permission of the Lakeville Area Arts Center. Artists retain the copyright to their art.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Art installation highlights Northfield authors, screens vacant lot March 3, 2026

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College students walk past a public mural fronting a vacant lot in downtown Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

BETWEEN DIVISION STREET and the Cannon River in downtown Northfield across from the public library, an art installment stretches, hiding a fenced, vacant spot of land.

Barricades block entry to the historic Archer House, damaged by a 2020 fire and later demolished. The public art installation covers the length of the hotel. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2020)

Here the historic Archer House River Inn once stood, a sprawling complex of hotel and businesses until a November 2020 fire severely damaged the building. It was later demolished, leaving a gaping hole in the heart of this thriving southern Minnesota college town.

The back view behind the panels shows the foundation of the Archer House. The Northfield Public Library sits in the background across Division Street. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

Flash forward years later and a 170-foot long length of 17 individual mesh fabric murals now hang on fencing surrounding foundation remnants and earth. Until the land is developed, this public art installation hides an eyesore and stands as a tribute to the creatives in the Northfield community.

Northfield library staffers compiled a list of books by Northfielders, past and present, to incorporate into the panels. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

As a lover of both art and books, I appreciate this unique community endeavor to create something artistically beautiful and informative.

College students pass by the mural panels while I photograph the installation. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

The Northfield Public Library worked with local Latino artist Rocky Casillas Aguirre on the project, which features more than 100 books by Northfield authors showcased on bookshelves printed on fabric. Walking along the mural scanning the titles is almost like walking into the library across the street up the hill and searching for a book.

One of Aguirre’s characters reads “Giants in the Earth.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

As I followed the installation, photographing and reading book titles, I found books familiar and unfamiliar. Some are widely-known, like Giants in the Earth, a story about Norwegian immigrants homesteading in Dakota Territory during the 19th Century, by Ole E. Rolvaag. Or Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone’s The Conscience of a Liberal—Reclaiming the Compassionate Agendas. He died in a 2002 plane crash.

Characters created by Rocky Casillas Aguirre mix with books by Northfielders. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

Then there are poetry collections by Northfield poets—Bridge and Division, We Look West… This is a community rich in poets, a city where poems imprint upon concrete in a Sidewalk Poetry project.

Some of the books by Northfield authors are specifically themed to Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

Other titles also drew my eye like A Field Guide to Northfield by Nancy Soth, Peace for Ukraine Coloring Book, Northfield Cocina: Local Latino Recipes and many more.

Lots of the artist’s cartoon characters are busy reading books. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

Beyond those 100 plus books featured in the art installation are the colorful characters Aguirre creates for his books, cartoons and stand alone art. They are interspersed among the titles—reading, interacting, resting, adding elements of color and interest.

Twitch, a magical campfire created by the artist for his own art, is incorporated into the murals. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

Aguirre, who has dealt with anxiety and depression, focuses his art on raising awareness about mental health, especially among youth. Twitch, a magical campfire, is among the characters he’s created and which can be spotted on the downtown mural.

Another view of the panels, looking south on Division St. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted

This artist, born in Mexico but raised in Northfield and a resident for more than 20 years, also worked with the local Latino community on another city-supported art project, “Dear Northfield.” He interviewed 100 local Latinos, among the 2,000 who live in the city, to get their insights on topics like housing, food, transportation and more. The result is a series of bi-lingual posters that inform, raise awareness and connect. “Dear Northfield” is currently displayed at the Northfield library.

Even the library has its own history book. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

I learned a lot by simply walking along the mural panels attached to fencing at the site of the demolished Archer House. I learned that Northfield has far more authors than I ever imagined. Authors who write in all genres.

Looking at the mural north along Division Street. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

And then, because I was curious, I poked around online and learned that Rocky Casillas Aguirre’s art will be featured soon in my city. His ”Celebrate Life” art will be shown in an April 13-June 13 gallery exhibit at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault.

An overview of the art installation photographed through a second floor library window looking down on the Division Street scene. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

I’m excited to see more and learn more. The visual arts are such a gift, whether hung on a fence screening a vacant lot or hung in a gallery inside an arts center. Art holds the power to move us, inform us, enlighten us and, sometimes, even to change us.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

From Red Wing: The Equal Rights Meat Market January 14, 2026

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“Stand in the Shadows” public art outside the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Red Wing shares interesting local history. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2025)

Oh, the things you discover when you least expect it. That can be said for the local history highlighted outside the Red Wing Salvation Army Thrift Store. There, imprinted upon the sidewalk, I found these words: I was born as chattel but on this corner I was an owner and bought cattle for The Equal Rights Meat Market—1897.

The Equal Rights Meat Market once stood at this location. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2025)

And that’s how I learned about Red Wing’s first Black-white owned business opened in 1897 at the site of the current-day thrift shop on the corner of Plum and Fifth streets. Jeremiah Patterson, born into slavery, and activist Julia Bullard Nelson co-owned the meat market in this Mississippi riverside community in southern Minnesota.

I love when communities pull hidden history out of the archives and publicly share it in creative ways. If not for this “Stand in the Shadows” public arts project, I would have had no idea that the thrift shop I was about to enter stood on the site of The Equal Rights Meat Market.

That name, oh, that name. Equal Rights. It fits. Nelson was a leader in women’s suffrage. For a white woman and a Black man (freed from slavery) to go into business together in the late 19th century, especially in predominantly white rural Minnesota, speaks to their strength, confidence and courage.

But then again, the two forged ahead on multiple fronts. Nelson taught African Americans in government Freedmen Schools down South when that was not necessarily well-received during post Civil War Reconstruction. Patterson was her student. He eventually moved to Minnesota to manage Nelson’s farm south of Red Wing near Belvidere. Patterson would marry a local white woman, Verna Gaylord, in 1886 with the interracial couple having nine children.

A summary of the story behind The Equal Rights Meat Market is showcased at the thrift shop. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2025)

I considered all of this fascinating as I researched information based on that sidewalk message and on a plaque posted outside the Salvation Army thrift store.

Similar historical info and a sidewalk imprint are also located by Red Wing’s St. James Hotel, although I missed seeing that. That poem reads: Bondage and war behind me/Back and forth, trunks and trolley, from train, from steamboat to the St. James Hotel/I landed here, worked and forged a life. This honors another Black man, Joseph Parker, enslaved in Kentucky and later a porter at the hotel. He is the great grandfather of Seitu Ken Jones, a multidisciplinary artist from St. Paul and lead on the “Stand in the Shadows” public art in Red Wing.

As I searched out the backstory, I learned that the Patterson family eventually left Red Wing, after the Ku Klux Klan became active in the area in the early 1920s. It’s an unsavory part of Minnesota history that some would prefer remain hidden. I’d rather know about such hatred than pretend it never happened.

My shadow falls on the sidewalk as I photograph the words. This art also includes a sidewalk silhouette although I don’t recall seeing it. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2025)

On this day in Red Wing outside the Salvation Army Thrift Store, I learned about two strong individuals who owned The Equal Rights Meat Market. Although the business remained open for only a short time, it leaves a legacy of strength and equality in this community.

This public arts project reminds us that history cannot, should not, be erased, rewritten or hidden. Those words—“born as chattel” to “I was an owner and bought cattle for The Equal Rights Meat Market”—need to be imprinted not only upon a sidewalk, but also upon our collective spirits. Especially now. And in recognition of civil rights leader and activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, who is honored annually, this year on Monday, January 19.

© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Art, history & laughter at the Paradise January 6, 2026

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The H.H. King Flour Mill as painted by Faribault artist Maybelle Stark in 1959. This is a photo of a print I own. Stark’s mill painting is included in a new exhibit at the Paradise Center for the Arts. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

THE VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS come together under one roof this Friday evening, January 9, at the Paradise Center for the Arts in historic downtown Faribault during an opening gallery reception from 5-7 pm followed by an improv comedy show at 7:30 pm. I’m excited about both. I love art. And I like entertainment that makes me laugh.

First up is the reception celebrating the work of artists showcased in four galleries. That includes “Homegrown Art: The Local Artist Collection of the Rice County Historical Society,” individual artists Barbara Schwenk and Leo Bird, pottery from the Paradise Center for the Arts pottery department and art by Bethlehem Academy students.

The RCHS exhibit in the main gallery kicks off a year-long celebration of the county historical society’s 100th birthday. “From a fantastical creature made of tin to bright, creative pottery and beautiful paintings, this gallery highlights items normally tucked away in storage and spotlights the talents of the Rice County community,” according to a media release from the RCHS.

“1938 Church Wedding” by Linda Van Lear is based on The Holy Innocents Church at the Rice County Fairgrounds/Historical Society grounds. The painting was previously shown at the Paradise. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo August 2020)

Naturally, I wondered about the artists to be featured in the 20 pieces chosen for the Paradise show. They include, among others, Grace McKinstry, Linda Van Lear, Ivan Whillock, Maybelle Stark and Frieda Lord. I’m familiar with all of them except Lord, although I have seen and photographed the art of her granddaughter, Dana Warmington Hanson. Lord and Stark were among the founding members of the Faribault Art Center, which evolved into the Paradise Center for the Arts.

“Rain,” a woodcarving by Ivan Whillock exhibited previously at the Paradise. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2020)

McKinstry and Whillock are perhaps the best-known in that short list shared with me by the RCHS. Whillock, who has a studio in Faribault, is an internationally-renowned woodcarver and also a painter. McKinstry (she died in 1936) traveled the world in pursuit of creating portraits and landscapes. Her art is featured in the Smithsonian, the Minnesota Historical Society, the Minnesota State Capital and elsewhere worldwide. Locally, the county historical society owns more than 40 pieces of her artwork, the largest collection of McKinstry’s art anywhere.

I own art by one of the artists, Maybelle Stark, whose work is included in the RCHS gallery exhibit. That’s a print of the H.H. King Flour Mill, once located along the Cannon River on Faribault’s west side and destroyed by fire in 1975. Stark painted the scene in 1959 and exhibited it locally the same year. Now that painting is back on public display nearly 70 years later.

All of the art showcased in the Paradise galleries from now through February 21 is sure to draw plenty of interest among those who value creativity. And local history.

Promo for Little Fish Improv. (Sourced online)

And for anyone who also values the performing arts, Little Fish Improv presents improv comedy beginning at 7:30 pm Friday. I’ve seen this group of area comedians perform several times on the Paradise stage. They are a talented bunch who think quickly on their feet (thus the word “improv”) and get their audience engaged and laughing. It seems to me a really challenging art form.

Bonus, this comedy show is a fundraiser with all proceeds benefiting the Paradise Center for the Arts. I feel incredibly fortunate to live in a community with an outstanding arts center and with a deep appreciation for the arts.

FYI: Click here to purchase tickets for Little Fish Improv.

At 1 pm Saturday, January 17, Diane Lockerby, pottery instructor at the Paradise, will lead a “Historic Pottery Workshop at the Paradise.” Following her brief talk about pottery and local history, attendees will make a piece of pottery to take home. There is a fee. Space is limited. Click here to register.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Reflections on diversity & growing community in Faribault December 30, 2025

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Among the many hands of the Faribault community, painted in a mural. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2025)

WHAT ARE WE without community? The answer: alone.

We, at our very core, need each other. In times of celebration. In times of challenges. Even in times of great division. Without friends, family, neighbors and others, we are but individuals without community.

This mural was painted for and placed outside the Congregational Church in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2025)

And in Faribault, among the many murals adorning public spaces in the downtown area, one piece of art stands out as representing community. That is a free-standing mural placed on the west side of the Congregational Church of Faribault United Church of Christ this past summer. It seems an appropriate focal point to end 2025 and begin the new year.

The artwork, created by Shirley Rainey and her son Jason, features outstretched arms rising from the earth against a backdrop red heart and blue sky. “The mural represents the importance of coming together to share burdens and triumphs, while reaching for our highest selves,” Rainey said in an artist’s statement.

Henna painted on a hand reflects Somali culture. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2025)

I see that in the mural. But I also see a community of diversity. The Raineys show that in assorted skin tones, clothing, hand sizes and even henna painted on a hand. I love that about this art, this intentional, varied depiction of Faribault as it is—gloriously diverse.

That said, I am well aware of the racial tension (and that’s a tamped down word) in my community. I wish it didn’t exist, that we all got along, welcomed and embraced one another. We are, after all, just people who live, love, work, play, laugh, cry… The list of commonalities we share as humans goes on and on. Yes, we are different, too. But differences seen as negative, those we create.

The diverse hands of Faribault, up close, in the new community mural. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

We can learn from that church painting. We can choose to love one another, as portrayed in the over-sized backdrop red heart. We can stand side-by-side and raise our hands to help one another. We can see, in those arms stretched skyward, the possibilities in building community. In that blue sky, we can envision not only our personal dreams, but the dreams of all who call Faribault home.

Faribault is a multi-cultural community, always has been. From early settlement days to today, people have come here from around the world to start anew. Whether French, Irish, German, Scandinavian, Latino, Asian, Sudanese, Somalian or any of many other ethnicities, this place has become home. We can choose to create community or not.

I hope in 2026 that Faribault can build a better, stronger, more unified community which celebrates our commonalities, and our differences.

© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Encouraging & embracing creativity this holiday season December 10, 2025

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Gifts for the creative grandson. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

WHEN MY ELDEST DAUGHTER sent her children’s Christmas gift wish lists to me, I wasn’t surprised to find several art-related items on first grader Isaac’s list. He loves creating. And to create, he needs supplies. So Isaac asked for giant construction paper, a Paint by Sticker book, a pixel art set and Sharpie markers, specifically a grey marker. Why grey? I have no idea. He’s getting all of those from Randy and me.

One year Isaac wanted a ream of paper for Christmas. He blew through the 500 sheets we gave him in several months. Not only does my grandson create art, but he also solves math problems far beyond what a six-year-old should be capable of doing and recently proclaimed, “I love to read!”

I’m not sharing this to be a boastful grandma. Rather, I want to emphasize the importance of encouraging children in their interests. That builds confidence and shows that we support and care about them and their passions.

A Little Golden Book Journal, among several crafted by recycler artist Rhonda Norgaard and for sale at the Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

My 9-year-old granddaughter, who really really loves to read, and write, declared on her first day of fourth grade that she wants to become an author. That could change. But for now, Izzy embraces creativity through writing, singing and playing piano. And I enthusiastically encourage her.

Among the many gifts for sale at the Paradise Center for the Arts is a Paradise membership. Members get discounted ticket prices among other benefits. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

In Faribault, I am an enthusiastic supporter of the arts, centered at the Paradise Center for the Arts. This downtown hub of creativity brings the visual and performing arts to my community via concerts, theatre, comedy, gallery shows, art classes and more.

Acrylic paintings by Adele Beals. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

And now, during the holiday season, 32 artists are showcasing and selling their art at the annual Holly Days Sale. I recently popped into the Paradise to peruse the artsy offerings ranging from pottery to paintings, stained glass, fiber art, mittens, jewelry, metalwork, woodwork, journals, photography, handbags and more. This is one-of-a-kind merchandise crafted with creative minds and hands by Minnesota artists.

Gail Kielmeyer crafted this doll, aprons and more, tagged as Minnesota Made. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)
Handmade goods fill the main gallery and two smaller galleries for the Holly Days Sale. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)
Paula Person crafts cellphone-sized and other bags and clutches for her business, notebagz. Her products are made from recycled publications. She also does custom work. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

I can’t help but wonder how many of these artists, as young children like my grandchildren, loved to create. Perhaps a grandmother taught them to sew. Perhaps they were fascinated by their grandfather’s abilities to build anything with wood. Perhaps an aunt painted. Perhaps their parents knitted or welded or journaled. Perhaps a teacher encouraged them in their creativity.

Laura O’Connor of Cuddled Again rescues and restores gently-used stuffies for resale. A portion of the proceeds go to HOPE Center in Faribault. To the right is Sandra Sargent’s stained glass art created at Bending Sunlight Glassworks. She teaches at the Paradise and also has a studio across the street in the Bachrach building. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

Whatever the reasons individuals choose to make art really doesn’t matter, although it is interesting to hear backstories. If they’re like me, they create because they have to and can’t imagine their lives without art. No one expects to get rich in the arts, thus the term “starving artists.” Writing and photography are, for me, passions that earn me minimal income. Yet, I press on with my creative endeavors.

Oil on canvas nature scenes painted by Joannie Johnson. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

Likewise all those artists selling their goods at the Holly Days Sale clearly love creating and sharing their artwork with others. I am grateful to them and to all creatives, and to arts centers like the Paradise, for enriching our communities through the arts. Perhaps some day I will see my grandson’s art in a gallery and my granddaughter’s book on a bookstore shelf. Whatever happens, I hope they will always appreciate and embrace creativity.

Gail Kielmeyer’s handcrafted Minnesota Made mittens. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

FYI: The Holly Days Sale continues at the Paradise from noon-5 pm Wednesday-Friday, from 10 am-2 pm Saturdays and extended hours from 10 am-5 pm December 20.

The Paradise is hosting the monthly Faribault City Council Chat at 6 pm Wednesday, December 10, as part of the city’s community engagement efforts.

The Paradise Community Theatre is currently performing “The Sound of Music” at the Paradise. Remaining performances are set for 7:30 pm December 11 and 12 and 2 pm December 13 and 14. Tickets are selling quickly, so reserve yours now.

© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Artwork photographed with permission of the Paradise Center for the Arts

 

The holiday scene in downtown Faribault from my perspective December 9, 2025

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A holiday mannequin in the window of Fleur de Lis Gallery, which sells handcrafted, original art. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

DOWNTOWN FARIBAULT IS BEGINNING to look at lot like Christmas. That’s my observation after a quick walk along several blocks of Central Avenue on the Saturday afternoon of Winterfest.

A holiday scene along Central Avenue in downtown Faribault on Saturday afternoon, December 6. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

Our core business district buzzed with shoppers checking out the many homegrown specialty and other shops housed in our historic downtown buildings.

A couple pauses to look at merchandise displayed in the front windows of Keepers Antique Shop. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

I loved seeing all the foot traffic. This shows me our business community is drawing people to shop for one-of-a-kind goods not found at mass retailers. This also shows me people care about supporting local. This shows me, too, that customer service and connections still matter in a world obsessed with online shopping.

I came face to face with The Grinch outside Runamuck Workshop. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)
The Grinch tries to draw attention to himself and the toy store. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

I was delighted to encounter The Grinch outside Faribault’s newest downtown shop, Runamuck Workshop. It’s a toy store already getting an enthusiastic response from the community. The Grinch was there for photo ops, but stepped out briefly to spread a little holiday fun and to draw shoppers inside.

A Candy Cane Lane themed window at Rice County Mutual Insurance Co. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)
A mannequin wears a holiday hat at Ristrom Amplifiers. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)
Holiday pots add a festive touch outside the Bachrach building housing Good Day Coffee and Fleur de Lis Gallery in the front of the building plus Bending Sunlight Glassworks and Glass Garden Beads Collective. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

On this afternoon, I wasn’t shopping for gifts. Rather, I was window shopping, looking for creative holiday storefront window displays to photograph. I found plenty and certainly missed some as the frigid weather allowed me to linger only so long before my fingers felt the bite of cold and I called it quits.

The Buddy the Elf display at The Oasis Cafe with historic buildings reflected in the window. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

But I found my favorite display, featuring Buddy the Elf, at The Oasis Cafe. A personal story drew me to stand in front of the window with a Buddy cut-out hovering over a plate of spaghetti and assorted candy, candy canes, candy corn and syrup. This, if you’ve seen the movie “Elf,” denotes Buddy’s definition of the four basic food groups. My son loved the “Elf” film so much that I gifted him with syrup and candy corn one Christmas because, why not have a little fun with a nine-year-old? Now, all these years later, I photographed The Oasis “Elf” scene and texted it to my son, who is all grown up and living in Boston.

Santa in the window of Keepers Antique Shop. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

To see local business owners create visually-pleasing holiday window displays warms my heart. It’s fun to see their creations. They add to the festiveness of the downtown business district. And sometimes they spark memories, like mine of “Elf” and my son, who will be back in Minnesota soon for the holidays.

Sprigs of red berries add a holiday touch to a window display at Keepers Antique Shop. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

At Keepers Antique Shop, shopkeeper Nona Boyes creates artsy window displays year-round, a nod to her art degree and marketing skills. I always admire her displays, including inside her shop full of antiques, collectibles and vintage goods.

Elvis is in the house, or at least in the lower level of Corks & Pints, which co-hosted a Craft Spirits Holiday Bazaar with 10,000 Drops Distillers on December 6 and hosts another from 11 am to 4 pm on Saturday, December 13. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

When the weather warms and no snow is falling, perhaps I’ll head downtown again with my camera. Mine is a downtown with stunning historic buildings, locally-grown businesses and friendly shopkeepers invested in this community. And that matters to me, as it should to anyone who calls Faribault home.

© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Finding peace outside Nerstrand Elementary School & elsewhere December 2, 2025

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I photographed this peace van parked outside a shop near Garrison this past summer. It took me back to the 70s. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo 2025)

I CAME OF AGE in the early 1970s near the end of the Vietnam War. Those were years of national protests and pushing for peace. Young people, especially, embraced the word “peace”—in speech, in fashion, in actions. Like so many other teens of my era, I flashed the peace sign, wore peace-themed jewelry, drew the peace symbol on the covers of school notebooks. I once wrote a poem about peace, long forgotten now and tucked into a cardboard box among other long ago musings.

Love the message on the tee worn by a member of the Jackson Paulson Band when they performed at a Faribault Car Cruise Night this summer. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2025)

Lately, I’ve been musing about peace during these tumultuous times in which we live. So I challenged myself to look around for that which uplifts, enlightens, makes me smile. Gives me a sense of peace.

Harmony is a synonym for peace. This mural is on Minnesota’s Iron Range in Crosby. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2025)

I found what I sought in art, actions and, most of all, words. I am, after all, a wordsmith. Someone who works with words. Building, shaping, sharing. Someone who understands that words hold great power to build up or destroy. Someone who understands that words matter. Greatly. They can inspire, give us hope, offer peace. Or just the opposite.

Nerstrand Meats sits several blocks from the school in the heart of downtown Nerstrand. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2025)

With peace on my mind, I revisited the Peace Garden at Nerstrand Elementary Charter School in the rural farming community of Nerstrand, population not quite 280 and perhaps best known as home to 135-year-old family-owned Nerstrand Meats & Catering.

This green space centers the Peace Garden outside the school entry. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2025)

In 1999, the school was established as a peace site with the garden started in 2000 on the front lawn. That’s 25 years now of honoring peace. In words, art and plantings, this garden features 14 countries.

A unifying message posted at the Peace Garden. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2025)

Signage at the garden emphasizes that we all live under the same sun and moon on the same planet. We are all connected and all part of building a world “to make everyone proud.” That includes the U.S., Russia, China, Mexico, Canada… This is not a political message posted outside this small town Minnesota elementary school. Rather, this is a simple statement about those of us who call planet Earth our home.

To the right, Ukraine’s national flower, the sunflower, flourishes. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2025)

I arrived on an autumn day looking for the newest addition to the Peace Garden. Ukraine. And I found it near a picnic table and bike rack—a yellow and blue (the colors of the Ukrainian flag) planter filled with towering sunflowers past their summer prime. As I paused and read the singular word “Kiev” on a sign, I thought of the people of Ukraine. Oh, how they must yearn for peace in the midst of ongoing war.

Sunflowers grow around a sign naming Ukraine’s capital city. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2025)

Peace on an international scale feels elusive, as it’s always been. But then the same can be said nationally. Disagreements have flamed into much more than differences of opinion.

While the word PEACE was photographed from the back (because I couldn’t get a front angle), it holds the same meaning either way. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2025)

Yet, here I stood outside a school where children grow their knowledge, begin to understand that this world is much bigger than Nerstrand or Rice County or Minnesota or the U.S. I’m thankful that each day, as these student walk into school, they see the word “PEACE” atop the roof.

Lovely landscaping, flowers and plants surround the art honoring China with an inspiring message. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2025)

These children are our future. Perhaps they will grow to make peace marks upon their communities, maybe even the world. Perhaps they will live just ordinary lives, living peacefully among others while doing good. There’s so much potential.

Peace, a universal word we can understand no matter our home country. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2025)

I needed to walk around the Nerstrand Peace Garden, take in the words, art, plantings. In the quiet of this small town where the school sits next to farm fields, peace feels possible.

© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling