The Mississippi River has inspired artists of many stripes, including Prairie du Chien-based sculptor Florence Bird. In this episode, I talk with Bird about her path into a career as a professional artist, how she found inspiration from the Mississippi, and the details of how she goes from idea to a life-sized bronze statue.
What’s your Mississippi River like? Why do you keep coming back? For many people, the Mississippi means barges and Mark Twain, but the river is so much more than that. In this episode, we hear from five people who have a strong connection with the river that doesn’t involve barges or Mark Twain: a
I've had the chance recently to check out a couple of new exhibits that feature art inspired by Mississippi River. I highly recommend both, but you'll need to go soon as they will only be around for a limited time. From the Surface: Paintings by Thomas Paquette Painter Thomas Paquette grew up
Population (2010) 18,007 Introduction Godfrey is an old agricultural community that has grown far beyond its farming roots. The fields where inventive early settlers once conducted agricultural experiments are now covered with housing subdivisions and a growing college. Many of the town's early historic sites are still around, though,
Introduction “First in booze, first in shoes, and last in the American League.” Those last place Browns are long gone, as are the shoe factories, but we still have the booze and a National League baseball team that is a perennial contender. St. Louis, my hometown, is great place to live and full
Like many of us, painter Thomas Paquette had a simple idea that quickly grew out of control. His plan to paint the 72-mile stretch of the Mississippi River through the Twin Cities morphed into "Why not paint the whole river?" It took a while to explore the river and complete the paintings, but the
