Bend of the River

I am going to share a picture and description of a carving that I completed recently for the 150 anniversary of the School Sisters of Notre Dame arrival in Mankato,MN. The actual date they arrived here was Sept. 3, 1865. The following is the description:The four women on the top part of the carving represent S. Ambrosia, S. Johanna of the Cross, S. Rebeccah and Candidate Mary Helling who travelled from Milwaukee, WI in 1865. The man gazing out into the future toward the bottom part of the carving is to represent the original calling for SSND’s to Mother Caroline, in Milwaukee, by Leo Lamm in 1864 and later Father Sommereisen in 1865.The leaves shooting out in different directions represent how education provided new life and growth for the community and eventually spread to other locations. I chose to depict images from Psalm 150 representing the past 150 years of praising God with pipe organ, stringed instruments, trumpet, dancing, and tambourine.The outlines of people carved show our connection and outreach with different communities over the years. Some of the people shapes are in copper to signify those who have gone before us and to whom we owe much gratitude. The part of the Psalm that I quoted with the text "Let everything that has breath praise God" is the perspective SSND’s take for our celebration of 150 years in Mankato.

Bend of the River 73"h x 23"w x10"d