A delightful handcrafted turkey in Henderson, Minnesota. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
INFLATABLE MASS-PRODUCED holiday décor abounds. So when I saw an over-sized handcrafted turkey positioned outside a small town museum, I took notice. And stopped to photograph it.
The Thanksgiving scene that drew my attention near the historical society and museum in Henderson. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
I appreciate that someone took the time to create this turkey with plywood, paint and a single large bale. The turkey truly grabs your attention on the west end of Henderson, just below the hill from the Sibley County Historical Society and Museum.
Vehicles pass right by the turkey on highway 19. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
Anyone passing by on Minnesota State Highway 19, a main thoroughfare that runs right through the heart of this Minnesota River town, will certainly notice the colorful lone turkey. And, if they’re like me, they’ll even stop for photos and a closer look.
A detailed, festive message next to the turkey. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
The turkey and “Happy Thanksgiving from Henderson Minn!”, complete with red hearts dotting the “i’s” and marking the exclamation point, made me smile. And that’s a good thing. I appreciate things that make me smile.
A closeup of those colorful turkey feathers which clearly took time to cut, paint and attach to the bale. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
During this Thanksgiving week, I hope you find many reasons to smile as you consider all that is good and wonderful in your life—friends, family, community.. Pause to give thanks for your many blessings from food to health to shelter to freedom.
A much smaller handcrafted turkey from my collection. I bought this at a thrift store. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
And if you see a handcrafted holiday decoration like Henderson’s turkey, take notice, appreciate and give thanks for the kind-hearted soul who shared their talents and made you smile.
I photographed this tag hanging on The Gratitude Tree in the neighboring city of Northfield in 2019. I love this idea of publicly expressing thankfulness, including for community. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo July 2019)
WHEN CONSIDERING GRATITUDE, as we do this week, we usually look inward. But I want to look outward and share six reasons why I feel grateful to live in Faribault.
This is my all-time favorite image showing local diversity. Here children gather to break a pinata during an international festival at Faribault’s Central Park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2012)
PEOPLE make a community. I knew no one when I moved here as a newlywed in 1982. But I was welcomed and have since formed deep friendships in Faribault. I can walk into a business, attend an event, or simply be out and about and run into someone who knows me. Conversation often follows.
Recently I attended a 75th anniversary open house at Burkhartzmeyer Shoes, a third-generation family owned shoe store in downtown Faribault. After purchasing athletic shoes, I headed to a back room for complimentary refreshments. A small group of us sat there talking and laughing, simply enjoying each other’s company. I felt like I was inside a small town cafe drinking coffee and conversing. It felt that down-home comfortable.
But I can feel just as comfortable with strangers, including Adolfo, whom I met in October while walking in Central Park. Adolfo moved to America from Venezuela, a country he fled because of Communism and violence. On this morning, he was pushing his one-year-old grandson in a stroller. It’s part of their daily routine. Darling Milan drew me to his grandpa, where I connected with Adolfo on a personal level and heard his story. I feel grateful for every opportunity I have to meet Faribault’s newest immigrants and hear their stories, stories often laced with hardship and hope. To live in a city as diverse as Faribault is truly a gift.
Kids help at the Faribault CommUnity Thanksgiving Dinner by, among other things, creating festive placemats.(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2017)
Faribault overflows with CARING INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS striving to help others: the Community Action Center, Rice County Habitat for Humanity, St. Vincent de Paul, HOPE Center, Ruth’s House, IRIS (Infants Remembered in Silence), the Salvation Army, Operation: 23 to 0… I’ve received support while dealing with some especially challenging life events. When you experience that community love and care first-hand, you understand the true meaning of community.
Once again this Thanksgiving, volunteers will serve a free CommUnity Thanksgiving Dinner as they have for the past 30 some years. I’ve previously helped deliver those holiday meals. Every Tuesday, a free meal is also available at the Community Cafe. With Christmas approaching, I’m part of a bible study group coordinating the annual Angel Tree (gift giving) at my church. I could go on and on with an endless list of how people are helping people in my community. Hearts are loving, spirits giving.
A 1950s scene along Faribault’s Central Avenue is shown in this downtown mural.(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I am especially grateful to live in a community which values THE ARTS. The Paradise Center for the Arts in downtown Faribault centers our arts scene. Every time I tour a gallery exhibit, attend a play or otherwise engage in the arts, I feel grateful to live here. I’ve even contributed to the local arts scene by publicly reading my poetry. I love attending summer concerts in the park and concerts inside the historic Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour. I appreciate the history-based murals that color our downtown. I grew up in rural southwestern Minnesota with minimal access to the arts, meaning my gratitude for the arts in Faribault runs deep.
I treasure Buckham Memorial Library, just blocks from my home. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2022)
My thankfulness for BUCKHAM MEMORIAL LIBRARYalso runs deep, for the very same reason. I grew up in a small farming town without a library. And I love to read. That we now also have a volunteer run used bookstore, Books on Central (benefitting the Rice County Area United Way), notches my gratitude level even higher.
A snippet of Faribault’s historic buildings, photographed during a monthly Car Cruise Night.(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2016)
The bookshop is located in the heart of our HISTORIC DOWNTOWN, another reason I feel grateful to live in Faribault. My community cares about preserving historic buildings. I love old architecture. There’s nothing quite like walking among vintage vehicles along Central Avenue during Car Cruise Night as the sun sets at the end of a summer day. Beautiful.
In just minutes, I can reach the countryside, where I love to travel gravel roads. This road winds among the lakes and farm fields west of Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2022)
Faribault also offers incredible NATURAL BEAUTY in a diverse landscape of woods and prairie, hills and valleys, ravines and bluffs. It’s so different than my native prairie. Admittedly, it took me a while to “get used to” all the trees when I moved here 42 years ago. I still mostly have no sense of direction on roads and streets that don’t run prairie grid straight. But I love to walk through city parks, along city trails, at River Bend Nature Center, on the campus of the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf… And within a short drive of my home, I am immersed in the countryside.
A view of The Gratitude Tree outside the Northfield Public Library in 2021. People wrote their reasons for feeling thankful on a blank tag. Those were then hung on the tree. I’d like to see a Gratitude Tree in every community once a year. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2021)
This list of a half dozen reasons to feel thankful for the place I call home just touches the surface of why I am grateful to live in Faribault. It’s not utopia, certainly. Nowhere is. But today I want to pause, consider and acknowledge specific reasons for feeling thankful that Faribault is my home. I hope you’ll do the same, wherever you live.
Art, as I see it. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
TIRES AND ART. Typically the two would not intertwine. But that thought changed when I spotted a stash of used tires on the side of Vintage Auto & Glass about a month ago. I noticed how the bottom three layers wove together, almost like a braid. But then the top layers were strewn haphazardly, as if the creator got bored and infused abstract into the pattern.
In all reality, this was not art at all to whoever placed the tires alongside the Faribault garage. This was simply a pattern that would keep the tires in place. At least that’s my guess.
This photo gives perspective on size and placement of the garage art. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
If any mechanics are reading this, I hope you appreciate that I appreciate the creative tire stacking. And even more, I appreciate your mechanical skills. As the wife of a long-time, semi-retired automotive machinist, I understand how hard you work to keep vehicles running. I understand the knowledge, skills and experience you bring to your work. I understand the patience needed in dealing with customers. I understand the time pressures. I understand the frustrations. I see the grease under your fingernails, the oil and dirt creasing your palms. You work hard to serve others.
And on this day, I see another side, that of a creative.
Yulia Sholomova won first place in the Halloween Group Show for her costumed kitties. The show at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault runs until November 16. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2024)
TO VIEW VISUAL ART created by others feeds my spirit in a way that I can’t fully explain. Perhaps it’s the kinship I feel as a creative. Perhaps it’s the appreciation I hold for their work. Or maybe it’s simply because of the feelings sparked by viewing a work of art.
Admiration. Joy. Serenity. Chaos. Calm. A myriad of emotions can arise when looking at a painting, a sculpture, mixed media, a photo, whatever the artist creates.
This shows a section of “Melody” done in micron pen and cut paper by Shelley Caldwell. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Recently I popped into the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault specifically to see the Halloween Group Show. But then I was drawn to the other galleries. There I saw “Unfurling,” mixed media drawings and an installation by Shelley Caldwell who creates art from her Faribault County farm near the Iowa border. Her exhibit seemed familiar. And it should have. In October 22, Caldwell’s work was featured in a smaller installation at the Paradise.
Some of Shelley Caldwell’s art, which rings the main gallery walls. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Then, as now, plants focus her art. She combines drawings of natural subjects with abstract drawings to create art that is signature identifiable as hers. This time Caldwell worked with micron pen and cut paper to craft black-and-white framed pieces rather than artfully staging spider plants.
This shows an overview of Shelley Caldwell’s exhibit, including dangling leaves. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Real plant leaves, though, dangling and dancing, shape the focal centerpiece suspended from the gallery ceiling. There is movement. Freedom. A certain airiness.
“Stars & I,” an acrylic painting by Angelina Dornquast. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
“Raspberry Cupcake,” an acrylic by Angelina Dornquast. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Angelina Dornquast’s acrylic, “Peace and Love.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
From Caldwell’s exhibit, I turned the corner to look at the acrylic paintings of Angelina Dornquast, a recent Waterville-Elysian-Morristown High School graduate. To think that someone this young can be this talented in portraiture impresses me. I thought in my head, “Wow, this girl can paint!” Plus, I sensed the confidence this young artist has in herself and in her work. That shines.
This portrait by Jaclyn Theiss Garlock is part of the Paradise’s permanent art collection. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
As I was about to head to the next gallery, Paradise Executive Director Julie Fakler pointed out an over-sized portrait of a glamorous woman on a stairway wall. The painting is the work of Jaclyn Theiss Garlock of Clear Lake, Iowa, and was a gift to the Paradise, part of its permanent art collection. The woman in the painting exudes strength, sass and attitude. I rather like her.
Two of the horses in Walter Salas-Humara’s trio of paintings which hang in an office at the Paradise. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Inside Fakler’s office hangs more art in the permanent collection, including a trio of horses by Walter Salas-Humara of the musical group The Silos. The bold, long-legged horses are a signature subject and style of Salas-Humara. I enjoyed getting a peek at the permanent collection not typically seen by the public.
A grouping of animal portraits in clay by Julie Fakler. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
“Miro Turquoise Circles” created in clay by Julie Fakler. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
More animal portraits in clay created by Julie Fakler. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Fakler is a gifted artist, too, not unexpected from someone who leads an arts center. She specializes in animal portraits done primarily in clay. I’d recognize Fakler’s dogs, cats, goats, chickens, cows, pigs anywhere. They are bold, with personality. I could easily envision them on tee shirts, tote bags, greeting cards. They are uncomplicated and folksy in a way that reconnects me to my farm upbringing. And they are currently on exhibit in another Paradise gallery along with the work of those in a creative aging class.
There’s so much to see, experience and feel when viewing all of this art inside the Paradise galleries. Current art will be up until November 16, after which the works of more creatives will go on display beginning November 18. To have access to all this art in my community sparks gratitude within me. I had only minimal access to the arts as a child. Now I see, and experience, the arts often, much to my delight.
A stunning historic building anchors a corner in the heart of downtown St. Peter along Minnesota Avenue. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
A COLLEGE TOWN. A river town. A town once destined to become Minnesota’s state capital, except for a stolen legislative bill and a judge’s ruling. A town where Jesse James and his gang rode through en route to robbing the First National Bank of Northfield. A town two-thirds destroyed by a March 29, 1998, tornado. The town is St. Peter, population around 12,000, nestled in the Minnesota River Valley.
I felt right at home inside this picnic shelter with the grain bin roof. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
An eagle soars high above the Minnesota River at Riverside Park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
The Minnesota River shoreline as photographed from Riverside Park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Recently I spent a bit of time in St. Peter while on a fall color drive. Randy and I picnicked at Riverside Park—Mill Pond & Campground. I watched volunteers prepare for a haunted hayride along the park’s trails, nearly twisted my ankle in an unfilled hole in the grass, noted how murky the Minnesota River appeared, observed an eagle soaring, and noticed the roof of the small picnic shelter. It looked like the top of an old grain bin, much to my rural roots delight.
I appreciated that books inside the St. Peter Thrift Store were mostly displayed horizontally, making it easier for me to read the titles. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Following lunch, we stopped briefly downtown when I spotted a thrift store. I always enjoy poking around second-hand shops. Not that I’m looking for anything in particular. Often I leave empty-handed. But this time I picked up a clutch of greeting cards because I’m one of those people who still sends cards on birthdays and other occasions. Randy found a cassette tape of some radio talk show, nothing that interests me.
Outside the Arts Center of Saint Peter. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2024)
Inside the arts center, I viewed this and other collages by Mankato artist Holly Dodge. Her exhibit has closed. The gallery space now features the work of artists participating in the BUY-AND-TAKE INVITATIONAL and also Bianaca Wilson’s “SIEMPRE BUSCANDO.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2024)
We’d parked along busy Minnesota Avenue/US Highway 169 directly in front of the Arts Center of Saint Peter. So, of course, I had to check out the gallery exhibit—collage art by Mankato artist Holly Dodge. The exhibit has since closed. I meandered, photographing some of her pieces. I’m always impressed by the diversity of art, how creative minds work.
Paul Granlund’s sculpture offers a unique perspective through which to view downtown St Peter. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Once outside, I aimed my camera lens toward the distinctive bronze sculpture, “Mobius Strip,” crafted by Paul Granlund, a noted Minnesota sculptor, 1952 graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College (across town and up the hill), sculptor-in-residence there from 1971-1996, and much more in an illustrious career. Granlund’s sculpture is an eye-catching identifier of the arts center. Only after I returned home did I learn about the artist and about the many Granlund sculptures gracing the Gustavus campus. A return trip just to see those is now on my must-do list. I also found heron and eagle sculptures tucked into a pocket park in this block of downtown.
The heron sculpture is to the left, the eagle to the right (hidden by the shrub) in this pocket park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
I discovered, too, Poshinate Kiddos, a beautiful baby and kids gift boutique where I looked, but didn’t buy (not this trip). I loved the merchandise and the friendly, helpful shopkeeper.
A row of historic buildings sits along US Highway 169, where a center island divides the roadway in downtown St. Peter. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Historic buildings lining Minnesota Avenue drew my interest. About a dozen are on the National Register of Historic Places. Rather than cross the wide, wide street where traffic whizzes by at speeds that make me uncomfortable, I zoomed and photographed. I appreciate historic architecture and when a community cares enough to save it.
One of the Embassy signs… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
And then on the other side of the Embassy, this sign. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Within the single block I walked, I also noticed signage on the Embassy Bar, or Blaschko’s Embassy Bar & Grill, depending on which sign you view. Signs always draws my interest, not only as identifiers but also as works of art.
This and other words tag the windows of the Arts Center of Saint Peter. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Retracing my steps from River Rock Coffee & Tea, a busy place at the end of the block, I paused at the arts center again. On the second floor I spotted a singular word—writing—spanning a wide window. Now, when you’re a writer like me, you get excited about a word that celebrates your craft. That left a lasting impression on me as we pulled out of St. Peter intent on seeing what we’d come to see, the colorful trees along Highway 169 heading north toward Le Sueur. But the trees weren’t colorful. Not at all. Could have been the timing or the day, which was extremely windy with hazy skies.
I didn’t go into the River Rock. But I looked through the large windows to see the coffee and tea shop teeming with customers. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Although disappointed, I was not disappointed in the river town, the college town, the historical town of St. Peter. I need to return, devote an entire day to exploring a place that once could have been Minnesota’s state capital…if not for the theft of a legislative bill in 1857 by politician Joseph Rolette and the judicial ruling that followed.
Wildflowers bloom on a mural along Main Street in Nerstrand. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
NERSTRAND, POPULATION 295, is one of those small towns where not a lot changes. Until something does, and then you notice.
The mural is painted onto a corner of WildWood of Nerstrand. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
On a recent drive through this community in far eastern Rice County, I noticed something new. A mural. The wildflower-themed painting stretches across a corner of a brick building marked as WildWood.
I found Jordyn Brennan’s signature down low on a lily stem. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
“Love for All,” a mural in Faribault that celebrates my community’s diversity. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I felt a sense of familiarity with the artwork. And then I saw Jordyn Brennan’s signature climbing the stem of a dwarf trout lily. The Minneapolis artist’s colorful “Love for All” mural, complete with hands signing the word “LOVE” and plenty of flowers, covers a spacious exterior building wall in the heart of downtown Faribault.
Heading east out of Nerstrand, WildWood is located at 315 Main Street, next to Lake Country Community Bank. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
And now her work can be seen in the heart of downtown Nerstrand on WildWood, a restored brick building housing an event space and photography studio. I peered through the window of the locked front door to see more brick and wood. Lovely. Rustic. Down-to-earth visually appealing.
The mural adds an inviting nature-themed backdrop to The Wilderness green space. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Tricia and Nick Streitz, with the help of family and friends, worked many years to renovate the space, which previously housed a woodcraft business and was then used for storage. Tricia’s business, Sweet Shibui Photography, is now located in a portion of the historic building. The rest is available to rent for gatherings in the 1,800 square foot The Great Room and outdoors in the 2,400 square foot The Wilderness green space.
A Monarch caterpillar spotted among the flowers. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
A bumblebee feeds on a coneflower. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Way down low on the mural, near the ground, I found this ladybug. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
But on this Saturday afternoon in late October, I focused on the mural of coneflowers, dwarf trout lilies, sunflower, butterfly weed and several other wildflowers unknown to me. I found a Monarch caterpillar, Monarch butterfly, dragonfly and bumblebee interspersed among the florals, almost missing a ladybug.
The mural is on the left side of the WildWood building. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
I love public art, especially in small towns where art is often not easily accessible. This mural splashes color into the few blocks that comprise Nerstrand’s downtown business area. But the mural is also a backdrop for The Wilderness outdoor gathering space. I can easily envision family and friends gathering here and on the concrete patio to celebrate a small wedding, an anniversary, a graduation, a baby or bridal shower, whatever brings people together in life’s celebratory moments. Yard games are part of the package rental. WildWood is hosting an indoor/outdoor Makers Market from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday, November 16.
That’s the rare dwarf trout lily to the far left in this section of the mural. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
This day I celebrated the discovery of the wildflower mural on the side of a new business in town. The over-sized art honors nature, including the endangered dwarf trout lily, which only grows in three places (Rice, Steele and Goodhue counties) in the world. That includes in Nerstrand Big Woods State Park just to the west of town.
The WildWood name fits given the nearby Big Woods and Tricia Streitz’s backstory. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Even the name of the business, WildWood of Nerstrand, is decidedly appealing for the images it brings to mind. A favorite young adult book and treasured childhood memories of playing in the woods inspired the name, Tricia Streitz shares on the company website. Hers is a poetically-beautiful story. Imagine children running free, into the woods, building forts, climbing trees…
A Monarch butterfly lands on a coneflower in Jordyn Brennan’s mural. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
All of this I learned following a drive into a small Minnesota town, a town where not much changes. Until it does. I noticed the change. Stopped. Embraced the beauty of that wildflower mural, public art that reaches beyond art to connecting community in a celebratory space.
A list of the Halloween Group Show artists hangs in the gallery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Eleven artists participated in the Halloween Group Show. This collection shows how these creatives took a theme and created a diversity of art with mixed media, stained glass, acrylic, intagio, clay… The results are as varied as Halloween costumes. And I loved it, even if a bit creeped out by some of the artwork.
“Hand of the Beholder” by Sara Caron. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Take Sara Caron’s “Roach Motel” mixed media piece featuring a flower-potted mannequin crawling with roaches. Or her “Hand of the Beholder” broken fingers on a hand nestled in netting, presumably a bridal veil. There’s definitely some underlying meaning going on here as implied by the title.
“Smile” by Taylor Sterling. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Taylor Sterling’s blood-dripping, eye-popping, cracked skull acrylic painting titled “Smile” also taps into Halloween’s ghoulish side.
This shows a portion of Breanna Adams’ piece, “Lady Dina and Dark Horse.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Likewise Breanna Adams’ “Lady Dina and Dark Horse” reminded me of an unnerving performer I saw on the television show “America’s Got Talent.” Not that the AGT contestant was half pumpkin-head like Adams’ girl whose face is mostly veiled by long, dark hair. But that’s where my mind went…back to AGT. The uneasiness I felt then and in viewing the “Lady Dina” painting were the same.
“Johnny Cash as Frankenstein,” a stained glass mosaic by Sushila Anderson. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
How we see and react to art is part of the artistic experience. Only the artist truly knows why they created what they did, how they did. As a writer, I was recently asked about the ending of a short story, an award-winning dark piece I wrote within the constraints of word count limits. It intentionally leaves the reader hanging. I couldn’t tell my sister-in-law how “Dear Mother” ends, because even I don’t know. Sometimes creativity simply flows without understanding of its root source or conclusion. I expect that can apply to both literary and visual art.
Yulia Sholomova’s trio of costumed kitty paintings titled, left to right, “Bedtime Tales,” “Warm mug,” and “Favorite Doll.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Or maybe the 11 artists featured in the Paradise Halloween show can tell you exactly what inspired them. Perhaps memories of trick-or-treating or fears or going through a haunted house or a long ago Halloween costume party.
Three top honors were given in the exhibit as judged by artist Tami Resler. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Yulia Sholomova’s trio of costumed sweet ghost kitties done in acrylics certainly lends itself to warm, cozy feelings. Her “Favorite Doll” painting earned first place in the group show. Sushila Anderson got second place for her “Johnny Cash as Frankenstein” stained glass mosaic. And Caron earned third place for that bug-infested mannequin.
“Cat with Pumpkins 1” by Julie Fakler. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Julie Fakler, who creates animal portraits and is the executive director of the Paradise, brings her talent to the show in clay, including the cutest cat nestled between pumpkins.
This shows a section of Aaron Dawley’s “Trick or Treat” artwork. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
There are many other pieces to be seen and appreciated, including art by Alison Albright, Aaron Dawley, Justin Delesha, Char Johnson and Sue Leech. It’s a real treat to view this Halloween Group Show, which runs until November 16.
Just inside the gallery door, a creepy clown holds this sign promoting the Halloween bar crawl. Chel Mattson created the poster art. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
FYI: The Paradise Center for the Arts is hosting a Fari “Boo” Bar Crawl fundraiser from 7-11 pm Friday, November 1, at the center and at four downtown Faribault bars. The event includes a costume contest, optional tarot card and psychic readings (for an additional fee), a horror movie, music, snacks and costume awards ceremony. For details, click here.
In a corner of the main floor gallery, Dodge also created a mood setting still life fronting her collage art. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
When I returned home from viewing Dodge’s work, I checked out two books of Dickinson’s poetry from the Faribault library to refresh my understanding of this recluse poet’s writing. She wrote most of her poems between 1862-1865. At one time, I really liked her poetry, maybe even understood some of it. Now? I struggled. Yet, I still delight in these words by Dickinson: “Hope” is the thing with feathers/ That perches in the soul/And sings the tune without the words/And never stops at all.
In this collage, a portion shown here. I see Emily Dickinson. It’s titled “And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
In viewing Dodge’s art, I could assuredly see the influence of Dickinson. In her artist statement, Dodge writes: “Her (Dickinson’s) fragmented, lyrical, elocutionary methods reminded me of the elements I was cutting out of books.” Dodge cut mostly flora, fauna and anatomical images from books to create her collages.
Titled “Oh Magnamity–My Visitor in Paradise.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Titled “I know that He exists. Somewhere–in silence.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
A collage titled “How softly sinks that troubling Sun In Human Nature’s West” incorporates an anatomical bat cut-out. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
It’s the anatomical aspect that pushed my mind toward scary thoughts. I doubt Dodge intended that. But given we are closing in on Halloween and body parts and birds and bats can be the stuff of fright, I leaned into that perspective.
In the lower gallery, I found the eyeball popping collage, center, among a trio or art pieces hung on a wall. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
I termed Dodge’s collages initially as “ghoulish.” But the more I looked, the more I pondered, the more I connected her creations to Dickinson’s poems, the less I thought unsettling thoughts. Sure there are skulls and a popping eyeball and a chambered heart and bat and birds and such. But intermixed are the loveliness of flowers and plants and even a portrait that could be Emily Dickinson.
Tabletop domed art titled “God gave a loaf to every bird, But just a crumb to me.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
The thing about art is that it is open to interpretation. We each bring our own experiences, our own biases, our own ideas to any art we view. But then an artist like Dodge, whose talent shines, causes us to pause and look through a clear lens. I could stretch my within to beyond.
Some titles are handwritten on the art. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Dodge titled many of her pieces directly after the words of Dickinson, who never titled her poems. Titles lend themselves to insights into Dodge’s artwork.
The lower level multi-purpose space where Dodge’s art is also showcased. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Even the sign directing visitors to the lower level is artsy. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
I didn’t expect to see a grand piano in the lower level gallery space. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
I never tire of viewing art in a gallery like that of the Arts Center of Saint Peter, where Dodge’s collages grace walls on the main level and also downstairs in a space centered by a sitting area and a grand piano. Greater Minnesota is home to some wonderful galleries and to incredible talent.
Another still life by Holly Dodge placed among her framed collages. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
I encourage you, wherever you live, to embrace the art and artists who share their talents in your town, your region. I don’t need to travel to a metro area to see inspiring, thought-provoking art.
Dodge’s piece titled “I could bring you jewels–Had I a mind.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
In the words of Emily Dickinson, “I could bring You Jewels—had I a mind to.” Holly Dodge has brought us jewels, as have so many other artists who create and share their art here in southern Minnesota.
The Arts Center of Saint Peter is along busy Minnesota Avenue/Highway 169 running through downtown. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
FYI:The Arts Center of Saint Peter gallery hours are 1-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 1- 5 p.m. Sunday. The center is located at 315 South Minnesota Avenue in the heart of downtown St. Peter.
Minnesota artist Adam Turman designed this Abbey Road throw (inspired by the Beatles “Abbey Road” visual) for the Faribault Mill. It features the Hamm’s beer bear, Paul Bunyan, the Pillsbury Dough Boy and State Fairchild, all legendary Minnesota icons, against a metro skyline backdrop.(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
AS A LIFE-LONG MINNESOTAN, certain things pop out at me as iconic Minnesota. Topping that list—Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. I realize we’re not the only place claiming this over-sized legendary lumberjack and his ox as ours. But both are assuredly important in state lore, tourism and business identity, mostly in central and northern Minnesota where our lumber industry is rooted.
This Paul Bunyan sign is just blocks from my home. Granted, Paul is not wearing his usual buffalo plaid flannel shirt. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2023)
Yet, I only need head south a few blocks from my house to see Paul marking Bauers Southside Liquor, once also home to the adjoining Paul Bunyan South gas station and convenience store. It closed years ago as did all the other Paul Bunyan stores in Faribault.
Paul Bunyan’s bed sits by the Faribault Mill along the Cannon River on Faribault’s northside. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
A roadside sign welcomes visitors to hop into Paul Bunyan’s bed. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
The bed showcases several of the Mill blanket patterns. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Yet, the legendary lumberjack maintains his influence locally. Recently, I spotted an enormous buffalo plaid blanketed “bed” in the parking lot of Faribault Mill, an iconic business since 1865 known for its wool blankets. Signs invited folks to stop, climb onto the Paul Bunyan bed and take photos.
A friend photographs friends who climbed into Paul Bunyan’s bed. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
While I was there, one couple did just that. They were camping in nearby Nerstrand Big Woods State Park with others and headed into Faribault for stops at a local apple orchard and also at the Mill. I tipped them off to other places to visit, especially our historic downtown. I never pass on an opportunity to tell visitors about my community.
A comfy photo op in Paul Bunyan’s bed. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
On this Saturday, after photographing that creative marketing bed, I followed the two couples from Minneapolis into the Mill retail store. I haven’t been inside in a while. To my delight, I found more Minnesota icons on Mill products. I should note here that the Mill has a second mill (acquired in 2022) in Monmouth, Maine (Brahms Mount) which specializes in cotton textiles. Paul Bunyan is also big in Maine folklore.
Adam Turman designed this loon throw pillow displayed on an easy chair upholstered with Faribault Mill blankets. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
I love how Faribault Mill tapped into Minnesota talent. Artist Adam Turmancreated art for throws and pillows that is distinctly part of Minnesota culture and life. I’ve been a fan of Turman since viewing his art on seasonal-themed murals in neighboring Northfield. His work for Faribault Mill features Paul Bunyan and Babe, the Hamm’s beer bear, the Pillsbury Dough Boy, State Fairchild, loons, a snowy owl, cardinal, Split Rock lighthouse and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
The Faribault Mill partnered with Hamm’s Beer on these pillows. Hamm’s was first brewed in Minnesota, “the land of sky blue waters,” in 1865. It is no longer made in Minnesota. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
While strolling through the Mill store, I focused on the art-themed merchandise among all the traditional primarily plaid and solid-hued woolen blankets people have come to associate with Faribault’s mill.
Visitors touring the Mill settle on these blanket remnant draped chairs to learn more about the Mill. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
In a room just off the main shop, I spotted folding chairs set up for folks who tour the mill. Tours are available at 11 am and 1 pm Fridays and Saturdays for a fee. Wool blanket remnants drape the chair backs, creating a memorable and colorful scene.
Peanuts themed throws are among Mill merch, shown here in the gathering space for those touring the factory. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Also memorable are the Linus statue and the Peanuts-themed throws. We Minnesotans are proud of the Peanuts crew created by Charles Schulz, born in Minneapolis and raised in St. Paul. And I am proud of the Faribault Mill, a long-standing business in my community known for its quality made-in-America products. During the two World Wars, the then Faribault Woolen Mill made wool blankets for Army soldiers.
Another photo op, sheep cut-outs photographed inside the entrance to the retail store. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Today Mill employees continue to create quality products, and not just blankets, at its two plants. The Mill also weaves into the fabric of America via a Paul Bunyan-sized spirit of generosity. For every bed blanket sold, the company donates a blanket to nonprofits serving youth experiencing homelessness in major cities across the U.S. That’s through its Spread the Warmth program. The Mill has also donated blankets to local youth.
The marketing and business teams at Faribault Mill clearly understand the value of connecting with community, of giving back and of drawing customers via creativity. The Paul Bunyan-sized buffalo plaid blanketed bed and the Minnesota art by Adam Turman both grabbed my attention. While the bed has been put to bed for the season—maybe because Paul Bunyan needs his wool blankets back for the forthcoming winter—you can still step inside the retail store and wrap yourself in the warmth of Minnesota from blankets to legendary icons.
Among the many signs that drew my interest in Owatonna was this insurance agency sign. The bold colors and layered signage stood out. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
SIGNS, WHETHER HANDWRITTEN on a piece of paper or professionally made to mark a business, fascinate me. They reveal much about the heartbeat and history of a community.
Love this artsy sign.The curving arrow points me directly to Wagner’s. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
On a recent visit to Owatonna’s downtown, I photographed a collection of signs that caught my eye. I lean toward vintage, or those that appear vintage. I also lean toward unusual names and interesting fonts and art.
This candy shop and eatery has a lengthy history in Owatonna. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
Most people likely view a sign only as an identifier or source of information. Clearly not me. I see signage through the lens of a writer and a photographer.
Even if partially missing, I still appreciate the vintage charm of this sign. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
The Kitchen, a downtown Owatonna staple gathering spot. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
A catchy name for a bar. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
Every town, not just Owatonna, offers a potluck of signs, a feast for the eyes. All signs bring something to the table. Something that tastes of local flavor. And I’m not just talking food or drink, although certainly you will find plenty of that along North Cedar Avenue and other streets spoking off Owatonna’s main downtown artery.
This shows partial signage for Central Park Coffee and a mini owl mural, among several owls “hidden” in downtown Owatonna. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
It’s that time of year again, time for all things pumpkin as noted on this sandwich board. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
A long-standing pizza place along North Cedar Avenue. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
I’m also talking about the stories behind those signs. The people who own the businesses, run them, welcome customers inside for a cold one, a cup of coffee, a slice of pizza, a new pair of shoes, a pumpkin truffle, even an insurance policy. Signs are more, much more, than simply signs.
A mostly unreadable (at least to me) ghost sign. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
On the side of Owatonna Shoe is this painting of Princess Owatonna, after whom the city is named. A statue of the princess stands in Mineral Springs Park, the spring and princess being part of local lore. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
The long ago Roxy Theater is honored in the Main Street Mural in a downtown pocket park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
Signs also hold history. Ghost signs, of which there are several in Owatonna, write of bygone days. Murals paint history, too, of the Roxy Theater and of Princess Owatonna and more.
And then I spotted this vintage gem on a building… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
Wherever you live, whatever community you visit, I encourage you to pause, look and really see the signage. Appreciate the history. Consider the stories. Study the fonts and art. Enjoy the potluck of signs that flavor a place.
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
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