North Dakota has eight distinct regions. NW North Dakota’s Region 1 is comprised of Williams, Divide, and McKenzie Counties. Regional and community leaders from business, arts, education and community were recruited to formulate a roadmap for the development of one site to be the artistic, historical, and cultural representation for the three counties. They met online for over two years to plan the inaugural Arts Across the Prairie project.
CURRENT STATUS: Artist Thane Lund is planning for the installation.
Thane Lund (b. 1986) is an artist from Crosby, ND currently based in Brooklyn, NY. He developed an early interest in art and worked on numerous murals and commissioned paintings throughout Divide County as early as 2002. Lund earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Montana State University in 2009 with a minor in Art History. His philosophy on artmaking is that it is both a method for experimentation and a tool that extends perception. He has an avid interest in placemaking and geography and is fascinated by the possibility for art to further shape the character of the environment.
Lund wrote, "Art in this sense, is a means to imbibe a sense of wonder through everyday materials and a playful approach to working with space." His work has been exhibited in the USA, Ireland, England, Germany, China, and Japan. In 2018, in collaboration with the Fire Island National Seashore in NY, Lund created an outdoor sculpture that depicts the ocean floor as it extends from the shore for 1000 miles. This artwork was installed in the town of Bellport, NY and provided an oceanic roadmap for residents to discover their relationship to the sea.
Thane has been an artist-in-residence at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson - VT, Studio Kura in Itoshima - Japan, The Institute for Electronic Arts at Alfred University - NY, The Lerman Trust in Laceyville - PA, the Varda Artist Residency in Sausalito - CA, and the Burren College of Art in Ballyvaughan - Ireland. He is a recipient of a 2011 NDCA Professional Development Grant.
The artwork proposed by Lund for installation is an earthwork that builds up the land into two enveloping mound formations. Each mound rises up from the ground with a gentle slope and together they create a shelter that frames the sky. Planted with native grasses and flowers, the artwork doubles as a living monument to the diverse ecosystem native to the region while offering heightened sensory awareness at the center.
Lund wrote, "The artwork accompanies the sweeping views <of North Dakota> with a more personal vantage point for observation and reflection. The concentric ripple formation suggests two waves converging at a central point. From within the central mound the timeless beauty of the sky becomes the focal point of the viewer’s experience. The interior provides a space that is both intriguing to discover and a destination for locals and visitors alike to return. This earthwork is intended to make an inhabitable space where the earth meets the sky."
*Final design to be determined.
Stakeholders met with two historians and one native elder. From those hours of discussions, certain themes began to evolve, and common threads arose. Historians and Native elders talked about Lake Sakakwea, the ebb and flow, year to year. The Stakeholders made connections to the people that traveled and settled here throughout the years, to find a better life. The ebb and flow of people, not only of the Lake, following the promise of certain industries were of interest.
The people that lived here and that came here had to endure many hardships due to the weather and landscape. Adaptation was a major theme. One native elder talked about collecting berries and hearing the wind move through lakeside reeds and the ever-present North Dakota wind. The height and perspective of looking out over the land was another important aspect discussed. The twinkle of light reflected on the snow, one source of water.
The installation will be located 12 miles south of Crosby in Divide County.
NDCA Board Member, Lead Contact
- John Geyerman, Photographer; Vice President, Williston Downtowners (Williams County)
Divide County
- Pamela Buth, High School Teacher, Divide County School District
- Allison Muncaster, High School Art Teacher, Divide County School District
- Rodney “Rod” Gillund, Retired, Director of Special Ed
- Lynae Hibbard, Paraeducator, Divide County High School
- KayCee Lindsey, Divide County Job Development Authority
McKenzie County
- Jan Dodge, Directory/Curator, Pioneer Museum of McKenzie County
- Jessica Newman, Education, Outreach, and Exhibit Coordinator, Long X Arts Foundation
- Jessie Veeder Scofield, Director, Long X Arts Foundation
- Loren Yellow Bird, Sr., Park Ranger, Fort Union Trading Post NHS
Williams County
- Daphne Johnson Clark, Artist, Department of Health
- Anna Hoffman, K-12 Art Educator, Trenton School
- Onesti Krieger, Professional Painter, Owner, Transition Painting
- Rochelle Villa, Program Manager, North Dakota Women's Business Center
The Inaugural Installation in Region 1 is made possible with funding from the Divide County Job Development Authority who received “Our Town” grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Meadowlark Arts Council, which received funding from the Andrist Fund through the Northwest North Dakota Community Foundation, and several individuals. The statewide Arts Across the Prairie: Placemaking in Rural North Dakota program is in collaboration with North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT), North Dakota Commerce/Tourism, and the ND State Legislature.
Coming soon
Coming soon