Heritage
This Has Been a Meeting Place Since Long Before We Lived Here, and We Are Proud to Honor That Heritage. Natural Life on the Mississippi, the two-story feature wall that welcomes you to St. Cloud River's Edge Convention Center, is a visual history of the Mississippi's impact on Central Minnesota and an artistic celebration of the abundant life that has long gathered here. Natural Life on the Mississippi measures 40 feet wide by 25 feet high.
Created by a collaboration of artists from the Paramount Visual Arts Center, the wall depicts a cross section of the river and 118 different species of plants, animals, fish, and other wildlife that call the river home. These species are depicted with life-like accuracy.
Artist Credits
A combination of paint, ceramic tile and imagination, this great wall was handcrafted by regional artists. Three master artists designed and oversaw the work:
- Melissa Gohman, Visual Arts Director, Paramount Visual Arts Center
- Willicey Tynes, Lead Artist
- Dan Mondloch
Apprentices
6 apprentice artists also worked on the project:
- Solveig Anderson
- Ivy Brooks
- Amanda Hegreberg
- Lisa Knaak
- Laura Ruprecht
- Alexis Walcome
Consultation
Special thanks to Camp Ripley's Environmental office for consultation on the representation of native species, and to Biology Professor James Poff of St. John's University for the written description of the species.
