CityArt on the Go Preview

Artist statement by Katie Meyer of Mankato - "My love for nature manifests itself in my paintings. I focus mostly on landscapes because that is what I am drawn to. I try to create places that I’d like to be so I feel like I am there. Wildlife inspires me."

Artist statement by Peder Storvick of Mankato - "Vibrance was a summer project. I was not really doing anything during the summer and my mother found the ad in the paper and pushed me to make a submission. I’d been rolling ideas around in my head for about a week when we went on a vacation. No internet for a week; no distractions for a week. I made a “rough draft” of the design on paper, throwing out idea after idea, stacking together everything to get an idea in my mind. After that I spent about 60 hours on my computer making the final draft."

Artist Statement by Terri DeGezelle of Mankato - "I am a photographer. I prepare my equipment, map out my route, study my destination, and finally, spend time taking photos. What I have learned along the way is - best laid plans can go awry. My best shots are those taken when spontaneity takes over and I am simply in the right spot, at the right moment, with my camera turned on. I enjoy taking up the challenge to seek out the splendor, quiet, graceful beauty of the world around me while bringing my viewers along to provide them with an … “Ah ha moment!”

Artist Statement by Amanda Wirig of Mankato - "My piece, entitled "Playing the Blues," was influenced by the thriving music scene in Mankato's downtown area. This particular box is in close proximity to many of the bars and restaurants that feature live music several nights a week, so I chose to depict a group of musicians performing in one of these venues. Mankato is also home to several recording studios, a college radio station, and a record store, which are represented by the vinyl record on the top of the box."

Artist Statement by Bill Bukowski of Mankato - "The garden has been a universal theme in art since the ancient Egyptians. It has represented heaven, the status of the aristocrat, the ideal world, and a symbol of peace and contentment. I like the idea of sharing those concepts with an image of a park that is right in our park system; that we can all experience. Painting a garden allows me to experiment with brushstrokes and to paint with bold colors and more abstract images. In 2004 I discovered Sibley Park. I had lived here in Mankato for 24 years before I really saw the flower garden. Once I experienced the peak flowers of late July, I have been back painting there every year. The garden has become an important theme for me and one that I hope others can enjoy."

Artist Statement by Holly Theobald Dodge of Mankato - “Noble River” is a mural inspired by the rich and diverse history of the city of Mankato. The name Mankato derived from “Mahkato”, which means ‘the river where blue earth is gathered’. According to Mankato historian, Warren Upham, “...No more appropriate name could be given to the new city, than that of the noble river at whose mouth it is located." The colors represent the landscape that Mankato has grown from. The feathers emerging from the painting honor the Dakota Sioux that were indigenous to the area. There are 38 red streaks dispersed throughout the abstract landscape to commemorate the 38 Dakota Indians that were executed in 1862."

Artist statement by Terra Rathai of Minneapolis - I create spontaneously through a process of discovery. My work is about seeing. My process involves being present, actively looking and having both an eye for aesthetics and an open mind. Finding the picture, for me, is a means of revealing transcendence in the everyday stuff of the world. ‘Wet Paint’ expresses a moment of creative energy and freedom - when the colors are fresh, pure and vibrant, and the composition is a riotous swirl of accidental harmony."

Artist statement by Julie Johnson of Mankato - "I love the moment when I look closely at a flower and a surprising color appears. I’m also enamored with the background patterns of flower stems and leaves, to me that’s the beat of their song. All in all, the beauty and symmetry of flowers make them a very rewarding subject matter to paint. I work with oil paint, acrylic paint, chalk pastel, pencil and photography. Other subject matter I like to work with are: people in places, still life, architecture and landscapes."

Artist statement by Lisa Bierer of Mankato - "My design for the traffic signal box at Cherry and Front Street was inspired by Jazz Age artists, painting in a strong semi-abstract style using a limited palette. I want this work to represent the music and concert scene in this area of Mankato, encompassing aspects of different types of music in a fun way."

Artist statement by Erika Nelson of Kansas - "Growing up, my Mother always thought that grain silos were actually houses for giants. Eventually she realized that it wasn’t true (not for the reasons you think... she decided that since giants were so big, they probably couldn’t bend over in the silo, and could not reach the food provided for them through the little doors at the bottom. They’d starve to death, therefore, silos could not possibly humanely contain giants), but her story stuck with me. I often wonder what certain commonly seen structures contain, and that is what inspired my proposal for 'Lumberjack in the Box'."

Artist statement by Loralea Baldwin of Mankato. "There is something truly majestic and iconic about the buffalo. My design was inspired by the neighboring farm from where I grew up in rural Lonsdale. As you watch the buffalo wander through the pasture you can’t help but get a feeling of nostalgia and a connection to our past. I used several objects from my parent’s farm in this piece to convey an America past."

Terri DeGezelle of Mankato likens photography to going on a journey. She gathers her equipment, maps out her route, studies her destination, and finally, spends time doing all the planned activities. But what she has learned along the way is best laid plans can go awry and the most fruitful outings are those when spontaneity takes over. Her best shots are those taken when she simply is in the right spot, at the right moment, with her camera turned on. Terri strives to bring color, texture and wonder to her viewers. Her goal is to spark her viewers’ curiously enough to park their vehicle, get out and take a closer look at her work.

Artist statement by Ernie Christopher Emmanuel of Canada. “Changing Nation” is a mural inspired by the river, people and the colors deeply connected to Mankato. As the river swell and moves, I imagine the flow of people in the changing landscape of the town as it grows. The flower evolved from the portraits of diversity of a new nation emerging. Like the river that ebbs and flows so are the people of this land. As an artist I am drawn and inspired by the nature of Mankato. I return for many reasons."

Artist statement by Julie Johnson of Mankato. "I love the moment when I look closely at a flower and a surprising color appears. I’m also enamored with the background patterns of flower stems and leaves, to me that’s the beat of their song. All in all, the beauty and symmetry of flowers make them a very rewarding subject matter to paint. I work with oil paint, acrylic paint, chalk pastel, pencil and photography. Other subject matter I like to work with are: people in places, still life, architecture and landscapes."

Artist statement by Ann Judkins of North Mankato. "In all of my art work – drawing, painting, and photography – I enjoy experimenting with media. In my latest series of photographs, “Surreality”, I have been editing the photos to give them colors that go beyond what one would see in nature. I enjoy making the image look identifiable, yet surreal and somewhat abstracted. In “Loon of Many Colors” I have manipulated my photograph of our state bird into the antithesis of its natural black and white coloration. The result is a visually exciting image that takes the viewer beyond reality into a world of surreal colors."

Artist statement by Mankato native, Greg Mueller who currently resides in South Carolina. "Taking into consideration “what makes Greater Mankato unique” my CityArt On the Go vinyl wrap honors the contemporary, public art mission of CityArt by celebrating the birth of City Center public sculpture – the Mankato Piece, by Dale Eldred. The location of the traffic signal box at 2nd and Hickory Street stands in close proximity to the original Hickory Street site of the Mankato Piece. In 1968, Minnesota born artist Dale Eldred installed the Mankato Piece in downtown Mankato. As the City made attempts at urban renewal in the 70s and 80s, the controversial sculpture was uprooted twice and eventually disassembled and stored until the City funded its refurbishing and installation in its current Riverfront Park home. The vistas of the Mankato Piece evoke a strong presence of form, line, space, and mass and compliments the progressive ideals of a park designed for art and music events. However, the genesis of the Piece was intended as a site-specific work in-situ, between two existing buildings on East Hickory Street where the US Bank building now stands. Like modern masters David Smith, Mark DiSuvero and Alexander Calder, Dale Eldred was a significant player in the monumental abstract methodology of employing non-conventional industrial building materials into art forms. Eldred also taught and chaired the sculpture program at the highly regarded Kansas City Art Institute for 30 years. Eldred died in the 1993 Missouri River floods, trying to save his art studio from rising water.

Artist statement by Terra Rathai of Minneapolis. "I am a self-taught photographer working with everyday subject matter. I see my academic background in Art History as a major influence on my aesthetic. This training instilled the practice of looking closely and supplied a vast mental catalog of visual images to draw from. I am particularly drawn to color, abstraction and painterly texture. My work is rooted in the act of seeing – finding and revealing transcendence in the everyday stuff of the world. It is based in contemplative observation and an open-minded exploration of the visual. This process is simultaneously driven by an interest in formalism and an egalitarian worldview in which everything is worthy of contemplation."

The Mankato Flood Wall Mural, Mni Mural,was dedicated on August 24, 2016. It is named The Mni Mural as “Mni” means “water” in the Dakota language. This mural celebrates the river located behind the flood wall, imagining how it might have looked before human settlement. The natural river scene is bookended by images of fish native to the Minnesota River. The full mural stretches more than 500 feet.

Members of the CityArt committee and a group of local artists worked with Mankato city staff and the US Army Corps of Engineer since September 2015 to determine the feasibility of a mural, in response to frequent requests from community members. Once permission was granted, a community fundraising effort raised more than $20,000 in less than three months.

Work began in July 2016 and lasted approximately two months.

Dana says, "When approaching this public art piece as the Artistic Leader I knew I wanted to give each young artist their own creative voice, but at the same time allow them to work alongside their peers.
410 Project works with a huge group of diverse and talented young artists, each on their own artistic journey. Many of them they identify the 410 Project as part of their home, a safe place, their creative community. So when thinking of a theme to spark their inspiration I decided to ask them the question, "What makes you feel at home?" Each artist then approached that theme in different ways, showcasing their own artistic skills and ideas. I wanted them to have ownership of their work while at the same time supporting their fellow artists. I want them to come back years from now and look at their work and remember this time in their life, what they are feeling, and how they view the world. I hope that visitors looking at their work can also connect to it, remembering a place or object that makes them feel at home."

Colleen says, "My two grandsons, Jonah Worke (age 8) and Evan Worke (age 6), and I collaborated on the design for the traffic signal box and we came up with the kite theme. I sketched the basic design on the traffic signal box with pencil and the boys helped design the different patterns we used on the kites. We used blue painter's tape to edge the kites and began painting the blue sky and clouds. I showed the boys how to shade the clouds to look 3-dimensional rather than flat and how to blend shades of blue for the sky.

"Once the sky was finished, the boys and I began painting the kites. We collaborated on the colors to use. I showed the boys how to overlap shapes and use shading on the kites to make some look closer than others. Each painted shape proved to be a learning experience because the patterns were all different. Some had curved lines and some had straight lines and they found some designs were easier to paint than others. We found that some acrylic colors covered better than others and how some colors needed to have a second or third coat. The boys worked about 25 hours to complete this project and are very pleased with the finished product."

Amanda says, "Last year I took a group of students on a walking tour of most of the traffic signal boxes to inspire them and gather ideas. When we got back to the school, we brainstormed ideas and finally decided on a map of downtown. I took their idea and developed an abstract version of a map of the downtown area, and took charge of priming the box and painting the outline. In September they walked down from the school during their Friday Enrichment time to learn about the process and help to add the colors."