Capitol Preservation Subcommittee seeks public's opinion on Minnesota State Capitol Art

SAINT PAUL – Minnesotans are invited to help shape policies regarding art in the newly renovated and preserved Minnesota Capitol. A series of public input meetings will be held throughout the state this fall, where citizens will have the opportunity to share their opinions with policymakers on how Minnesota should be conveyed through art.

“The subcommittee is setting a framework to guide future additions to the symbolic decoration of the Capitol,” said Sen. David Senjem, subcommittee co-chair. “These meetings will help shape the policies for generations to come.”

The restored Capitol will have significantly more space for the public with the opportunity for new artwork in the building. In addition to new art, existing art in the Capitol will be discussed. Most existing art commemorates the Civil War and Minnesota prior to 1905.

"We want the public's input, said Rep. Diane Loeffler, subcommittee co-chair. “With expanded public space and rotating art shows we will have the opportunity to tell more stories about Minnesota's accomplishments and its people.”

“Much of the existing art in the Capitol reflects the popular ideas, beliefs, and attitudes of the majority population in early 1900s and some of those may not represent the way many of us think today,” said Paul Anderson, retired Supreme Court Justice, subcommittee co-chair. He asks, “What do you think should be done with the art that may not reflect our attitudes as Minnesotans in the twenty-first century?”

The subcommittee will tackle many challenging questions to ensure art at the Capitol represents a broad and inclusive story about Minnesota’s heritage and culture.

“The State Capitol belongs to the people of Minnesota and the art in the building should reflect and respect all Minnesotans,” said Department of Administration Commissioner Matt Massman, whose agency is overseeing the Capitol’s restoration.

Several Public Input Meetings have been scheduled with more to come. The schedule is updated on the Subcommittee on Capitol Art website as new dates and locations are confirmed. Members of the public unable to attend a meeting can share their ideas with the subcommittee by emailing capitol.art@state.mn.us.

The current schedule includes Rochester, Northeast Minneapolis, Willmar, St. Paul, Mankato and Bemidgi. Future Public Input Meetings are anticipated for Duluth, Bloomington, Southeast Minneapolis, Minnetonka and suburban St. Paul.

Rochester

Date: Tuesday, November 10 Time: 7-9 pm

Location: Rochester Area Foundation Community Room 12 Elton Hills Dr NW, Rochester, MN 55901

Directions (Google Maps)

NE, North and SE Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs

Date: Thursday, November 12 Time: 6:30-8:30 pm

Location: Minneapolis Park Administration Building 2nd floor Board Room

2117 West River Rd N, Minneapolis, MN 55411 Directions (Google Maps)

Willmar

Date: Monday, November 16 Time: 7-9 pm

Location: Ridgewater College Student Center, Upper Level

2101 15th Avenue NW, Willmar, MN 56201 Directions

Student Center Map

St. Paul – Tentative Location and Date

Date: Thursday, November 19

Time: 6-8 pm

Location: Hamline University Anderson Center, Rooms 304-5

(corner of Snelling Ave. N. and Englewood Ave.) 774 Snelling Avenue N, St. Paul, MN 55104 Directions (Google Maps)

Parking: On street, free. Underground $1/hour

Mankato

Date: Monday, November 23 Time: TBD evening

Location: Ostrander Auditorium

Minnesota State University, Centennial Student Union 620 South Road, Mankato, MN 56001

Directions

Bemidji

Date: Monday, November 30

Time: 6-8 pm

Location: American Indian Resource Center

Bemidji State University

1500 Birchmont Drive NE

Bemidji, MN 56601

Directions (Google Maps)

The Subcommittee on Capitol Art was established by the bi-partisan Minnesota State Capitol Preservation Commission to make recommendations for policies that will provide a unifying and representative space for art at the Capitol.

The Minnesota State Capitol Preservation Commission was formed in 2011 by statute to develop a comprehensive, multi- year plan for the restoration, preservation and maintenance of the Minnesota State Capitol. The Minnesota State Capitol is undergoing its first comprehensive restoration since the building’s completion in 1905.

To learn more about art in the Capitol see http://mn.gov/capitol-restoration/art.