It’s completely unexpected. A mix of evergreens and deciduous trees along Highway 8 suddenly give way to sculptures large and small. A roundabout slows things down, and the southbound exit invites the curious to visit Franconia Sculpture Park in central Minnesota.

“We encourage people to sort of choose their own adventure,” says Ginger Shulick Porcella, executive director and chief curator at Franconia. “There is no right or wrong way to interact with Franconia or the works at the park. We do encourage people to be respectful of the sculptures and the creative process.”

Franconia Sculpture Park rests on nearly 50 acres of land in Chisago County where Minnesota’s different topographies bump up against one another, offering a mix of rolling prairie grassland and coniferous and deciduous forest. At the entrance to Franconia Sculpture Park is a tentacular farmhouse-like structure, the Franconia Commons, a visitor center and exhibition space. “It’s a really great place to have people orient their visit,” Shulick Porcella says, “and then we can tell them more about our mission and our programs and our artists, and then sort of send them on their way.”

The mission of Franconia Sculpture Park is “to foster an inclusive community to create and contemplate contemporary art inspired by nature and our ever-evolving world.” To that end, the sculptures in the vast park are created by a number of artists from throughout Minnesota, the United States, and the world. A nine-bedroom artist residency houses visiting artists as they complete their works, many of which remain at the park for about two years. “After that, we discuss with the artists if it's something we want to keep up, if it's something that can be maintained or repaired,” Shulick Porcella explains. “As you know, the weather in Minnesota tends to the harsh extremes. So after two years, a lot of the work has sort of outlived its useful life at the park. We rotate out actually about a third of the work every year.”

Among the many striking works at Franconia Sculpture Park this year is Texas artist Molly Valentine Dierks’ “I Worried,” which uses re-imagined signposts to present a thoughtful poem by Mary Oliver about worry.

Another is “Are You Down?,” a piece by the late artist Michael Richards that elevates the story of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II and civil rights for African Americans. Richards, who died on Sept. 11, 2001, while working as artist-in-residence at the World Trade Center in New York, was himself the model for the Tuskegee Airmen statues.

And on the subject of civil rights, one of the most remarkable sculptures in place at Franconia right now is St. Paul artist Chris Larson’s faithful re-creation of the Lorraine Motel sign. “It's part of an ongoing series where [Larson] re-sites architecture or monuments of architectural or historic significance in sort of unexpected settings,” Shulick Porcella says. “The Lorraine Motel was where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated and is now the home of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. So that piece in particular was very powerful for people over the last few years, particularly coming out of the social justice movement in the Twin Cities, to see that history and that ongoing struggle for civil rights in America and to think about maybe how far we've come or how far we haven't come, and what more needs to be done. I think it’s a very powerful piece.”

In addition to its acres of modern visual art, Franconia Sculpture Park hosts a Music at Franconia series, held at the park’s amphitheater, where rolling berms and Adirondack chairs invite music fans to take in a concert under the vast sky. In June, Franconia welcomed Sawyer’s Dream, Mary Bue, and Turn Turn Turn. On July 9, the Music at Franconia lineup features Colin Bracewell, Wailing Loons and Superior Siren. Music runs from 2 to 6 p.m. In addition to the music, visitors are encouraged to tour the grounds and even make some art of their own.  “We get all sorts of folks to these shows to just be able to spend time outside and listen to music and take in some art,” Shulick Porcella says. “People can just bring their lawn chairs and hang out. We just have a beautiful amphitheater space for people to watch concerts and it sounds great. And it sounds great throughout the whole park. Even when you're not in the amphitheater, the way the sound carries through the park is really magical.”

On Saturday, August 6, Music at Franconia features R&B, hip hop and Afro Latin music by Maurice Mayfield, Tuvok the Word, Essjay the Afrocentricratchet, and Malamanya. In September, the series welcomes the electronic-music project, Mexican Institute of Sound (exact date to be announced).

In addition to music, Franconia hosts a film series, also held at the amphitheater. “I love doing more nighttime programming at the park because it's a very different experience to be here at night than it is during the day,” Shulick Porcella says. “A lot of sculptures light up and I don't think people realize that. Just to see that transition from from night into day is really magical as well.”

To round out a central Minnesota road trip to Franconia Sculpture Park, the nearby riparian town of Taylors Falls offers free hiking at Interstate State Park along the St. Croix River, and an assortment of spots to get a meal; notable among them is the Drive-In Restaurant, a Midcentury style diner where patrons can eat in their cars or at picnic tables, noshing on burgers and fries or other options like veggie burgers or fried green beans. The Drive-In makes its own root beer, too, which is rich in flavor and even has notes of honey. And for those who like community festivals, Taylors Falls hosts Wannigan Days from July 15 to 17, an event featuring a parade, food, games fireworks, live music and a street dance.  

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External Links

Franconia Sculpture Park - official site

Interstate State Park - official site

The Drive-In Restaurant - Taylors Falls, Minn.

Wannigan Days - event website