Madison Arts Council promotes the beauty of western Minnesota through art

Aug. 30—MADISON

— There is a certain beauty about the prairie landscape of western Minnesota, a beauty the

Madison Arts Council

has worked to capture in two public art installations in the city over the last few years.

For the last seven years the council has strived to be an advocate for the visual arts and to use them to beautify the community.

The arts council was born of a 2016 community meeting to gather input about what residents envisioned for Madison's future.

"Public art wasn't named, but community beautification was," said Cynthia Huse, president of the arts council.

Those interested in community beautification then gathered for a second meeting to see just how those aims could be met, perhaps through public art.

"We thought a public art piece would be a beautiful addition to our community," said Deborah Meyer, arts council member.

There were initial struggles, including a failed grant application, but those who believe in the council's goal, such as Meyer, kept urging everyone to move forward.

"Deb wouldn't let it die, she kept encouraging us to keep getting together," Huse said.

The city of Madison also became a big supporter of the arts council. It helped find and pay for a grant writer through the

Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission

to assist the council in its mission to obtain a grant for a public art project. The city also gifted the land for the council's first public art piece.

"The city was supportive of the project in general, of public art and community beautification," Huse said. "They have been very supportive in all matters."

The arts council was successful in obtaining a grant from the

Southwest Minnesota Arts Council

, funded through the voter-approved Legacy Amendment, to engage an artist to design and install an outdoor, lighted art sculpture near the Madison Veterans Memorial, on land that was once home to the city's light plant. Three proposals were turned in and the local arts council chose

"Biome" by Tim Adams

.

Installed and dedicated in fall 2020, "Biome" is a metal, spiral-shaped structure, which signifies the passage of time, with cut-outs of native prairie flowers and grasses within the metal, which light up at dark. Within the piece are signs sharing information about the artwork and the prairie landscape surrounding Madison.

"We want it to be not only attractive but educational," Huse said. "We want to encourage people to stop and visit and reflect on our area and our history and our grounding in the prairie."

The "Biome" installation isn't complete yet either. The Madison Arts Council has started planting memorial trees around the structure, complete with metal signs to match the aesthetic of the art. There are also plans to plant a pollinator garden.

"It is still a work in progress," Meyer said.

The council's newest public art project, the mural "Humming with the Earth" located in Grand Park in downtown Madison, started with a request from the city. The city was transforming an empty lot into a new park, with pollinator gardens, outdoor exercise equipment and even musical instruments. On one end of the park there was a large, blank wall perfect for a mural.

The city applied for and was awarded a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council to hire an artist to design and paint a mural on the wall. Five artists applied, two were asked to submit a design. The Madison Arts Council chose Bloomington-based mural and set artist

Jacqui Rosenbush

.

"I was trying to capture Madison through the imagery of folk art," Rosenbush said. "Talking about the relationships we have with nature and the rhythms of life."

The mural includes a large hummingbird, a stylized Minnesota River and the landscape in and around Madison, painted in a style reminiscent of quilt blocks. The quilt block pattern was actually painted in part by members of the community earlier this year.

The mural itself went up the week of Aug. 14. Some of the mural was pre-painted on a type of fabric and then glued to the wall. Rosenbush and her assistant Kendra Kellevig then painted over the under-paint, brightening the finished mural and adding additional features such as butterflies.

"It just comes to life, it is just beautiful," Huse said.

As an artist who specializes in public art pieces, Rosenbush believes it can be an important part of the city.

"I think about it as being part of the fabric of the city itself and creating a sense of place," Rosenbush said. "I just love how murals make such a big impact."

In addition to the mural, the Madison Arts Council also commissioned and installed two smaller sculpture pieces for Grand Park. One is a large metal flower and the second is a musical chime piece created by "Biome" artist Tim Adams.

"The park is quite lovely," Huse said.

With two projects completed, the council is now taking the time to evaluate and plan for its future. While it had hoped to do three public art projects in five years, members feel now is a good moment to take a breath.

"Our membership has grown and everyone brings their own ideas," Meyer said. "We need a process to decide which ideas we should tackle."

The Madison Arts Council has started reaching out to other arts organizations, including the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, for advice on moving forward.

The local council wants to continue to be an advocate for the visual arts in Madison, something that may have been missing in the area for several years. They would like public art to become an important piece of Madison's future and assist artists in getting in front of the public more.

"We'd like to fill that gap," Meyer said. "I think we are creating that feeling."

The council has already started by exhibiting the works of local artists and holding artist receptions. The city is again a stop on the Minnesota River Valley Meander Art Crawl with three artists showcasing their work in the Madison Mercantile. There are also ideas to hold more art activities and events for the public, especially children.

The Madison Arts Council is thankful for the support it has received over the last several years and is more than open to collecting community feedback on what the residents of Madison would like to see next. The members remain committed to the visual arts and promoting them in the community and are looking forward to a bright and creative future by following the group's motto — living artfully in the prairie.