News Highlights

Marian Anderson painting to be unveiled Sept. 26

'Journey'

Painting depicting university history kicks off Homecoming Week.

2011-09-29
Minnesota State University, Mankato Media Relations Office News Release [9-23-11]

Marian Anderson’s latest painting, “Journey,” depicting the advancement of Minnesota State Mankato from frontier school to doctoral university, will be unveiled Monday, Sept. 26, as part of Homecoming Week.

The ceremony, open to students, faculty, staff and the public, will be at 10 a.m. in the Centennial Student Union Ballroom lobby.

President Richard Davenport will be joined by Anderson in unveiling the painting.

“Journey” is the first painting completed by Anderson in four years and is part of a series of Mankato montages. It will be installed permanently in the new Ballroom lobby – part of the Ballroom renovation to be completed in late October.

The painting, commissioned by the university, was not intended to capture a collection of campus buildings. Rather, Anderson said she wanted to bring pride and promise to the canvas.

“I set out to capture a mood, a feeling,” she said. “I wanted to deliver the story of the journey – from the lower campus days to the Gage towers. I wanted to reflect aspects of the university that are dwindling into the past as the journey continues. And I want the painting to deliver the promise of the future.”

The resulting montage is a journey that carries the viewer through the past to the evolving future of Minnesota State Mankato. Colors and scenes take the viewer from sunrise to twilight and through the changing campus seasons.

The university created 750 signed and numbered prints, 75 signed artist’s proofs and 25 signed giclee prints. Sale of the prints will benefit the university’s scholarship program. Sale information is available on the Alumni Association website at www.mnsu.edu/alumni.

Anderson is a self-published, nationally-acclaimed artist with numerous credits and awards. She developed her artistic ability and strong love of the outdoors at an early age. Her portrait-painting talents have earned her numerous awards, as have her surrealism art, which she exhibited in New York.

Today her work ranges from wildlife and Western to landscape and nostalgia, including a number of popular works depicting the Mankato area. Her art is exhibited in galleries and private art collections throughout the United States and abroad.

Other Homecoming Week events include:

• Monday, Sept. 26: At 11 a.m. on the campus mall, President Richard Davenport will kick off Homecoming, followed by a mall block party with a band, lawn games and tournaments, free snacks, bonfire and free fireworks until 10 p.m.
• Wednesday, Sept. 28: Dodge ball tournament in Myers Field House starting at 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 29: Lip Sync at 7 p.m. in Bresnan Arena. Homecoming king and queen will be crowned during the event. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. campus community members will contribute non-perishable food for the food shelf.
• Friday, Sept. 30: Pep rally with the Every Avenue Band at 7 p.m. in Myers Field house. Doors open at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct.3: Game day kicks off with a free president’s community appreciation pancake breakfast at 10 a.m. The homecoming parade is at noon, and the football game against Winona State starts at 2 p.m. Illusionist Reza will perform in Bresnan Arena at 8 p.m.

Those who want a complete listing of homecoming activities may go to http://www.mnsu.edu/homecoming/schedule.

Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university, is part of the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities system, which comprises 32 state institutions.

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