Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Celebrating the bald eagle locally, elsewhere in Minnesota & now nationally December 26, 2024

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A bald eagle photographed in Faribault by the Cannon River. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo March 2018)

THE BALD EAGLE IS NOW America’s official national bird as of a bill signed into law on Christmas Eve. And that’s exciting, especially for Minnesota, home to the National Eagle Center in Wabasha and home to the second largest population of eagles in the US, behind Alaska.

The National Eagle Center in Wabasha. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2014)

I expect this designation will draw more visitors to Wabasha. I last visited the Eagle Center in 2014 and need to return as it was recently expanded and updated, building on an already impressive place to learn about eagles.

Up close with an eagle at the National Eagle Center along the Mississippi River in Wabasha. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2014)

Wabasha’s National Eagle Center not only houses rehabilitated resident eagles (used in programming), but also features eagles in art, history and more. I’m all about learning more about a bird which I never tire of seeing. There’s something about an eagle soaring that imprints upon me a sense of awe.

The Bicentennial Eagle by A. Giannelli inside the National Eagle Center. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2014)

On Christmas Day, as Randy and I sat home alone eating French toast (instead of a ham dinner due to illness in the family), I looked out the dining room window to see a large bird flying directly toward our house. Even as high as the bird flew, I recognized it as an eagle. Soon I spotted a second trailing eagle.

Just south of Union Lake Trail along Rice County Road 46, a bald eagle watches me. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2018)

This isn’t the first time I’ve seen bald eagles simply by looking out windows in my south Faribault home. I’ve watched an eagle glide low past our picture window. I’ve seen one a block away flying at treetop level. Several blocks up the hill, an eagle flew above Fourth Avenue Southwest. I’ve observed an eagle following the course of the Straight River while dining at The Depot Bar & Grill. On Faribault’s north side, I’ve spotted eagles flying near the Cannon and Straight Rivers. On the way to Dundas, eagles perch in a nest visible from Minnesota State Highway 3.

Eagles perch in a tree near Waseca. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2012)

I’ve seen eagles in other areas of Rice County and in Waseca County. They are seemingly everywhere throughout Minnesota.

Glimpse of a bald eagle in a lakeside treetop south of Crosslake in central Minnesota. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

To the north in the Brainerd lakes area of Central Minnesota, eagles once nested in a tree at a family member’s lake cabin. The nest fell in a storm, but the eagles relocated along Horseshoe Lake. So there’s still plenty of eagle watching at the cabin.

Eagles suspended from the ceiling and a view of the Mississippi River from the second floor of the National Eagle Center. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2014)

We once nearly hit a bald eagle south of Hackensack as it lifted off the shoulder just as our van passed. Let me tell you that seeing the massive wing span (from 5 to 8 feet) of an adult eagle passing across your windshield is not only startling, but scary. Fortunately, the eagle cleared the windshield. Near Kenyon another grazing-on-roadkill eagle took flight within seconds of our van striking it. Aside from those close encounters, eagle watching has proven pleasant.

My photo of an eagle and dove at the Rice County Veterans Memorial now hangs in the Minnesota Veterans Home, Bemidji. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

I also appreciate how bald eagles are incorporated into many veterans memorials as symbols of America and of freedom. I’ve photographed many of those memorial eagle sculptures, including one right here in Faribault. Today that photo from the Rice County Veterans Memorial graces a wall at the new Minnesota Veterans Home in Bemidji. along with five other veterans memorial photos I took. What an honor to have my work displayed there for veterans and others to appreciate.

The bald eagle at the vets park in Morristown flanked by flags. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

The bald eagle symbolizes freedom and strength. Now to have this majestic bird as our national bird seems fitting. And long overdue. The bald eagle is a powerful symbol connected to democracy. To see an eagle soar is to see freedom soaring.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Forgiveness on December 26 December 24, 2024

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This limestone sculpture by Thomas Miller depicts a Dakota warrior. It sits across from Reconciliation Park in Mankato at the Blue Earth County Library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

FORGIVE EVERYONE EVERYTHING.

Powerful words on a bench at the Dakota 38 Memorial in Reconciliation Park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

Those uppercase engraved block words, white against red on a stone bench at the Dakota 38 Memorial in the heart of downtown Mankato at Reconciliation Park, hold the strength of a people who really have no reason to forgive. But they choose to do so. And in forgiveness comes healing.

The names of the 38 Dakota men hung in Mankato are listed on the Dakota 38 Memorial. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

December 26 marks the date in 1862 when 38 Dakota men were hung near this site along the Minnesota River in America’s largest mass execution. Originally, 303 Dakota were sentenced to death following “trials” (the quotes are intentional) after the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. President Abraham Lincoln reviewed the list of those sentenced to death, approving the hanging of thirty-eight. Thousands gathered to watch the execution on the day after Christmas 162 years ago.

Up close, names of the Dakota who were hung. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

This history I learned early on, but only from a White perspective and only because of my roots in southwestern Minnesota, at the epicenter of the war. I expect many Americans, including many Minnesotans, to this day know nothing of this conflict that killed hundreds of Whites and Dakota. Internment and exile of the Dakota followed. Native Peoples suffered because of the atrocities before and after the war.

A massive limestone sculpture of a white buffalo in Reconciliation Park represents the spiritual survival of the Dakota. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

This is history I’d encourage everyone to study. And not just from a one-sided perspective. I won’t pretend that I am fully-informed. I’m not. I do, though, have a much better understanding than I did growing up. I’ve read, listened, learned. I know of stolen land, broken treaties and promises. Starvation. Injustices. Demeaning words like those attributed to a trader who told starving Dakota to “eat grass.” Andrew Myrick was later reportedly found dead, his mouth stuffed with grass.

A sign in Reconciliation Park directs visitors to the many sites around Mankato focused on reconciliation and remembrance. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

But back to those three words on that stone bench in Mankato: FORGIVE EVERYONE EVERYTHING. The Dakota truly have no reason to forgive. But they choose to do so. I’ve learned that forgiveness is part of Dakota culture and beliefs.

An overview of the location of Reconciliation Park along Riverfront Drive in Mankato, along the Minnesota River and across from the public library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

In the month of December, the attitude of forgiveness extends beyond words in stone to an annual horseback ride honoring the 38+2 (two more Dakota were sentenced to death two years later). This year, two rides—The Makatoh Reconciliation & Healing Horse Ride and The Dakota Exile Ride, the first originating in South Dakota, the other in Nebraska—will end on December 26 with gatherings at Reconciliation Park and the Blue Earth County Library, located across from each other.

Just down the street from Reconciliation Park, murals on the Ardent Mills grain silos celebrate the diversity of Mankato, including that of the Dakota. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

These rides focus on educating, remembering, honoring, healing and forgiving. Five powerful verbs when connected with the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862.

Katherine Hughes’ poem ends with the word “forgiveness.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

The poem “Reconcile,” written by Katherine Hughes and posted in Reconciliation Park, closes with this powerful verse: Hope for a future/When memories remain/Balanced by forgiveness.

A Dakota prayer in the park ends with the word “reconciliation.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2023)

FORGIVE EVERYONE EVERYTHING.

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FYI: Here’s the schedule for the December 26 events. A community gathering is set for 9 am-10 am at Reconciliation Park and the library. Horseback riders arrive at 10 a.m. A ceremony in the park takes place from 10 am-11:30 am. From 11:30 am-1 pm, a healing circle will happen at the library with discussion surrounding the events of December 26, 1862, covering the past, present and future. A community meal for the horseback riders, who rode hundreds of miles to Mankato, follows.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Focus on vintage at Christmas & beyond December 18, 2024

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A creative merchandise display inside the barn at “Vintage Christmas in the Barn,” which featured old stuff for sale inside a barn, an outbuilding and outdoors. My older brother had a Tonka digger. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)

MENTION THE WORD “vintage” and I’m all in. Perhaps it’s my age. But probably not. I’ve always preferred the stuff of yesteryear to the stuff of today. For that reason, I am drawn to shops, garage sales and other places selling antiques, primitives, collectibles, second hand and vintage.

The site of the recent holiday market, “Vintage Christmas in the Barn,” in Cannon City. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)

This time of year, especially, “old” is out there, including in Cannon City, where Debbie Glende, aka The Crabby Wren, opens her outbuildings for occasional seasonal sales. Her holiday market, “Vintage Christmas in the Barn,” is no longer open. But it got me thinking about how much I appreciate the goods of yesteryear. And how this old stuff can make an ideal Christmas gift. It’s even a bit trendy now, especially with the younger generation, to shop thrift stores. Repurpose, reuse and keep stuff out of the landfill.

I recycled festive holiday trim and a card from Christmases past to decorate this gift. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

I’ve been doing this for a long time. Buying used, using goods passed down to me from family, even gifting second hand. And, yes, I save and reuse gift bags, tissue paper, ribbons and bows and recycle greeting cards as gift tags, all to the ridicule of my siblings. Let ’em laugh. Mom would be proud that I’m following her thrifty example.

A paint-by-number winter scene painted by my Great Grandma Anna and currently displayed in my home for the holidays. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

If you were to step into my home, you would find lots of vintage. I have collections of vintage glassware, which I use daily; vintage tablecloths, pulled out whenever I have dinner guests; and vintage art (including paint-by-number), displayed throughout my home.

My vintage early 1970s vinyl with two songs by Bob Dylan. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)

And then there’s my vinyl collection including a recording of a young Michael Jackson of The Jackson 5 singing “I’ll Be There” in a high-pitched voice. I got that record as a Christmas gift in 1970. Likewise my vinyl of heartthrob David Cassidy making his case in “I Think I Love You” with The Partridge Family. I can still belt out the words as that love song blasts on a garage sale turntable. And not to be forgotten, Minnesota native Bob Dylan with his ballad “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” That’s especially timely with the Christmas release of “A Complete Unknown,” a movie about Dylan. Yes, I like vintage.

Gathering with extended family in my home for a Thanksgiving dinner around George and Clara’s table many years ago. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

My dining room table, of unknown vintage, came from George and Clara’s home, purchased at George’s farm auction after he passed. The couple lived a few sections over from my childhood home near Vesta. For the past four decades plus, my family has gathered around that large oval wooden table with the graceful, curved legs. We’ve shared thousands of meals, talked and laughed and, yes, even cried. Kids did their homework there. Grandkids drew. Tabletop dings mark memories.

The 1960s amber glasses purchased for my mom and which I now have and use daily. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Perhaps that’s the appeal of vintage. The memories. Vintage connects me to my past or to loved ones. When I drink from textured amber glasses, I think of my mom. The glasses were purchased at Marquardt’s Hardware Store in Vesta as a Mother’s Day gift for her sometime in the 1960s. They are a tactile reminder of Mom, who died in January 2022.

My Aunt Rachel crafted and gifted this to my mom in the 1960s. Now I have the tree and hang it in my home at Christmas. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

The handcrafted pinecone Christmas tree, which my beloved Aunt Rachel made for my mom in the 1960s, now hangs in my home each December. In the dining room, within view when dining at George and Clara’s table.

The Shiny Brite Christmas Angel Band, vintage 1960s. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Atop a vintage chest of drawers (one my dad and his older brother used as children) in my living room, six plastic angels gather as part of the Shiny Brite Christmas Angel Band. My brother Doug and I bought the tiny figurines for Mom at a hardware store in Echo. A Christmas gift sometime in the 1960s.

Vintage outdoor holiday decorations like this were for sale at “Vintage Christmas in the Barn.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)

Vintage. Whether viewed inside or outside a barn in Cannon City, in my home or in a local shop, these goods of bygone days spark memories, ignite joy, remind me of the passage of time. Will my adult children or grandkids care about any of this after I’m gone? Maybe. But I expect they will wonder why Mom/Grandma kept all this old stuff. Perhaps they will choose a piece or two to keep as a memory of me. And then they will box up the rest, wondering who the heck David Cassidy is and why I needed all those vintage tablecloths and drinking glasses and what’s with this pinecone Christmas tree?

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

In Henderson: The turkey that made me smile November 26, 2024

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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.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

With gratitude for my southern Minnesota community November 25, 2024

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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 LIBRARY also 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.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Garage art November 21, 2024

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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.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Inside the Paradise: So much art to view & experience November 7, 2024

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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.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

A brief stop in St. Peter, what I saw & learned November 6, 2024

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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.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

A wildflower mural blooms in Nerstrand October 30, 2024

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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.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

The art of Halloween in Paradise October 29, 2024

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This shows part of “Roach Motel,” mixed media art by Sara Caron. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

DARK, FRIGHTENING, CREEPY, unsettling and even sweet. That’s the mix of art you’ll see in a Halloween-themed gallery exhibit at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault.

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.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling