Outline the Sky
A public art project for cementing Minot's Skyline
About the project
Union Silos is a public art project designed to turn the downtown Farmer's Union Co-op grain silos at 318 1st Ave NE into North Dakota's largest mural and artistic backdrop for downtown Minot.
Work on this project will begin in the spring of 2024.
About
the Artist
Guido van
Helten
Guido van Helten (b. 1986) is an Australian-born visual
artist and photographer. He is recognized
internationally for creating large-scale mural
installations and street art underpinned by his
exploration of community identity generated through
photography and public engagement. Born in
Canberra and growing up in inner-city Melbourne,
Australia, the artist was influenced at a young age
by traditional graffiti movements leading to an
early introduction to aerosol. After graduating with
a Bachelor of Visual Arts majoring in Printmaking
at Southern Cross University, Guido began the
development of his contemporary work closely
aligned with the movement of large-scale
muralism across the world. His practice has
developed out of his keen interests in travel,
photography, and architecture, as well as learning
about cultures in connection with their landscapes.
The artist’s work in regional communities across
Australia has attracted international attention and
earned him a nomination for the Sir John Sulman prize
at the Art Gallery of NSW in 2016 for his work in the
community of Brim, Victoria. Van Helten’s interests
and his ability to work on large-scale projects have
spurred commissions across the world throughout
Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North America and
Australia.
Since 2013, my practice has
evolved into an exploration
of identity in connection with
the urban environment
inspired by an interest in
architectural sociology. With
this approach, my mural
projects use photography and
community engagement to
uncover human stories with a
strong connection to place.
"
"
Why (not) Minot?
Situated north of Bismarck, south of the Canadian border, and a relatively short drive away from Faulkton, SD surrounded by major US highways 83 and 2, Minot has the potential as the location of prominent art and cultural draw in North Dakota.
This project will connect to the ongoing Monuments series created by Guido van Helten, encompassing large-scale murals, storytelling, and photography. Incorporating small to mid-sized cities, these works showcase the cultural values of the regional United States.
The works generate interest from the contemporary
public art movement and its audience in larger metro
areas; and they garner attention due to their prominence, scale, craftsmanship, and detail. The underpinning element of the artist’s community engagement makes the project especially unique.
Monuments links regional communities through
commonalities in their industrial architecture and stories in common, creating a tourism opportunity for a pathway of large-scale, socially focused artworks. As the project grows, it will become ever more connected and accessible to tourists and spontaneous viewers alike. Large-scale visual art can align with a conscience development and revitalization strategy, honoring the past while bringing the activation of the present narrative identity to the forefront.
The final mural outcome will form an eye-catching visual
welcome statement to the Minot downtown as you cross the
river over both the 3rd Street and Broadway bridges,
bringing activation and a sense of revitalization to the town
center while honoring the industrial past, bringing a cultural
future to the forefront through public art.
Once the mural design is formulated by the artist, it is
presented to the commissioner and will be in line with
current artistic direction and style.
The final project
The design for the mural artwork is achieved through consultation with
commissioning partners and local cultural influences in dialogue with
community leaders. By documenting the engagement with the
community through selected media including photography or video, the
outcome will be an artwork design utilizing themes relevant to place.
Key aspects of the design process include:
- Photography
- Audio documentation of oral history and storytelling
- Video
- Community workshops
- Collaboration with local creatives
The METHODOLOGY
The Process of the
Project
Guido van Helten’s artworks utilize industrial architecture
as an element of urban revitalization. His projects have
helped facilitate meaningful collaborative partnerships
between developers, governments, local community
groups, and other stakeholders through his consultative
and inclusive process.
Completed works have attracted considerable
international interest and inspired local investment
opportunities while also establishing regional cultural
tourism.
The artist will engage the selected representative
organizations from Minot including manufacturing
businesses, schools, and nominated community-based
programs. Ideas for the large-scale mural will be developed
through a consultative engagement strategy resulting in
the development of a documentary photographic series on
which the artwork concept is based.
Outcomes will aim to document the unique character of the
town and inform a mural design that focuses on people,
places, and culture-specific to Minot and North Dakota.
Some examples of community engagement strategies
include:
- Photography workshops - secondary and tertiary levels
in the US and Australia - Lectures/Talks at universities
- Creative movement + Connecting Art and Sport
workshop introduced in rural Australian community - Murals + Public Art basics - workshops with primary
school aged kids in the US and Australia - Meet and Greets - informal discussions with the artist
themes - Cultural heritage
- Regional, community-focused identity
Project Outcomes