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FUNDING FOR OFF 90 IS PROVIDED IN PART BY
THE MINNESOTA ARTS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE FUND
AND THE CITIZENS OF MINNESOTA.
COMING UP ON OFF 90.
IT'S BEEN 150 YEARS SINCE THE START OF THE CIVIL WAR.
BE THERE AS HUNDREDS GATHER IN WASIOJA
TO HELP KEEP HISTORY ALIVE.
GET LOST INSIDE THE PHOTO REALISTIC DRAWINGS OF
AUSTIN NATIVE ELIZABETH JOHNSON
AND, GREAT ART INSPIRED BY WATER. TOUR THE MAGNIFICENT
MINNESOTA MARINE ART MUSEUM IN WINONA.
IT'S ALL JUST AHEAD: OFF 90.
♪ MUSIC ♪
HI. I'M BARBARA KEITH.
THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON THIS EPISODE OF OFF 90.
FIRST UP ON TODAY'S PROGRAM,
2011 MARKS THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL WAR.
TO COMMEMORATE THIS HISTORIC EVENT,
THE LITTLE TOWN OF WASIOJA, HOSTED A
WEEKEND LONG TIME WARP TO THE 1860'S
GIVING VISITORS A CHANCE TO BECOME PART OF AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE,
INCLUDING BATTLE REENACTMENTS, FOOD, FASHION,
AND EVEN A VISIT FROM PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
IT ALL SERVES TO GIVE VISITORS A TASTE
OF WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE AT THE TIME WHEN
OUR NATION ALMOST CAME TO AN END.
I'LL BE HONEST, I, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN TEACHING SCHOOL FOR 27 YEARS
AND I THOUGHT I KNEW A LOT ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR,
I FOUND OUT I KNEW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR.
WE'RE NOT HERE TO GLORIFY WAR.
OUR GOAL HERE IS TO TEACH PEOPLE, TO SHOW THEM WHAT THE LIFE WAS LIKE BACK THEN.
WHAT THEY WENT THROUGH AND HOW THEY DID IT.
THEY'RE JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS DOING THEIR PATRIOTIC DUTY,
BECAUSE THEY THINK WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS RIGHT.
WHETHER THEY WERE NORTH OR SOUTH,
THEY ALL FELT THE SAME THING.
♪ MUSIC ♪
I KNOW GUYS THAT ARE STILL REENACTING THAT ARE IN THEIR 70'S
AND I DON'T THINK I 'D WANT TO TRY TO OUT WALK THEM.
WE HAVE ALL DIFFERENT RELIGIONS, DEFINITELY DIFFERENT POLITICAL VIEWS,
AND WE GET ALONG. THERE'S SOMETHIN' ABOUT IT THAT BRINGS,
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY TOGETHER ON IT.
UNION BY BIRTH, CONFEDERATE BY CHOICE.
THAT'S, ABOUT AS EASY AS I CAN SAY IT.
WITH FIRST SOUTH CAROLINA VOLUNTEERS
I PORTRAY CAPTAIN WILLIAM HASKELL.
DEFINITELY BORN IN SOUTH CAROLINA, GREW UP ON A PLANTATION.
WAS TUTORED ON THAT PLANTATION, AND THEN ATTENDED UNIVERSITY IN VIRGINIA
AND CAME BACK, DID A LITTLE BIT OF TEACHING,
WAS A NEWSPAPER MAN AND SPEAKER,
AND THEN WHEN THE WAR BROKE OUT,
SIGNED UP WITH THE MILITIA.
FRONT RAN. READY. AIM. FIR.
WAIT FOR THE COMMAN. WHO FIRED FIRS?
FIR. THAT WAS BA. THAT WAS BA.
SO, YOU COULD GET WOUNDED AND KILLED.
YOU COULD GET WOUNDED TWICE.
BUT I, WE LIKE TO DO THIS BECAUSE,
WHEN WE DO IT TODAY THEY'RE GOING TO GO,
WELL LOOK AT THAT, THEY'RE FIRING AT EACH OTHER AND NOBODY'S DROPPING.
WELL, IF YOU DO IT THE WAY IT WAS ACTUALLY FOUGHT,
IT WOULD BE OVER IN FIVE MINUTES. SO WE DO THIS.
WE TRY AND TAKE AS MANY HITS AS WE CAN
AND WE RECYCLE 'EM BACK INTO THE LINE.
I THINK IT'S WORTH CHECKIN' OUT.
105 DEGREE HEAT, SMOKE IN YOUR EYES,
THE SMELL OF SULFUR, SUNBURNS, HEAT STROKE,
MOSQUITO BITES, ETC.
AND DO THAT FOR THREE DAYS AND COME HOME AND SAY,
GEEZ, I HAD A GREAT TIME.
SO I FIGURE IF THERE'S A PSYCHIATRIST OUT THERE THAT
CAN ACTUALLY PINPOINT HOW SOMEBODY COULD GO THROUGH THAT
IN A COURSE OF A DAY AND COME UP WITH A LOGISTICAL REASON FOR IT,
THEY COULD AGAIN, AUTOMATICALLY BE A Ph.D.
♪ MUSIC ♪
WELL, I'VE HEARD SOME PEOPLE EDITORS OR ONLINE SAYING THAT
THEY DON'T THINK THIS IS A PROPER HOBBY FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE
BECAUSE OF HOW IT GLORIFIES WAR,
YOU KNOW, MAKES IT FUN. NO IT DOESN'T.
NOT IN MY OPINION, ANYWAY.
WE'RE NOT HERE TO GLORIFY WAR. WAR IS BAD.
FOR ME IT'S MOSTLY JUST LEARNING, OK,
HOW DID THEY LIVE? WHAT WAS IT LIKE?
THEY WERE A WHOLE LOT TOUGHER THAN ME.
WE'LL FALL IN BY OUR COMPANIES AND WE'LL FORM UP OUR LINES.
MARCH OUT TO THE FIELD. AND THEN, DEPENDING UPON WHICH
ONE WE'RE DOIN' AT THE TIME, WE'LL EITHER BE DUG IN AND WAIT FOR THE OTHER GUYS,
OR WE'LL BE ADVANCING ON THEIR POSITION.
BASICALLY DOIN', LISTENING TO WHATEVER THE OFFICERS TELL US TO DO
AND WHERE THEY TELL US TO GO,
WHICH IS A REASON... A LARGE REASON FOR WHY WE DRILL.
AND YOU KNOW, AND THEN THE QUESTION ALWAYS GETS ASKED,
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU'VE BEEN HIT OR NOT?
WELL, MOSTLY WE DO THAT ON AN HONOR SYSTEM.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK ON THE FIELD AND YOU SEE SOME GUY, HE'S GOT YOU IN HIS SIGHTS AND
YOU SEE THE GUN POWDER GO OFF, YOU KNOW, I'LL GENERALLY DROP.
YOU KNOW, HE'S GOT ME.
YES, IT IS A BLANK CARTRIDGE, THERE IS NO LEAD,
NOTHING ELSE BESIDES THE POWDER, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL
YOU COULD STILL SEVERELY HURT SOMEONE.
WELL, RE-ENACTORS, IN MY OPINION, YOU KNOW,
FOR THE MOST PART WE ARE A PRETTY GOOD BUNCH.
♪ MUSIC ♪
DODGE COUNTY'S AND WASIOJA'S INVOLVEMENT
IN THE CIVIL WAR, THERE'S A LOT OF INVOLVEMENT,
A LOT OF SOLDIERS LEFT FROM HERE, IT'S ONE OF THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGES
OF PARTICIPATION IN THE WAR OF ANY COUNTY IN THE COUNTRY.
DODGE COUNTY RESIDENTS IN THE 1860'S WERE VERY PATRIOTIC.
THEY'RE NEWLY ARRIVED IN THIS COUNTRY, MANY OF THEM,
AND NEWLY ARRIVED TO THIS NEW STATE
THAT HAD ONLY BEEN FORMED IN '58, SO THEY WERE VERY PATRIOTIC
AND WILLING TO SERVE.
I'M SURE WE HAVE WELL OVER TWO HUNDRED VOLUNTEERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE EVENTS
UP TO THE START OF THE EVENTS AND WITH ALL OF THE PARKING AND THE REGISTRATION
AND ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS, PROBABLY I'M SURE AT LEAST ANOTHER HUNDRED
VOLUNTEERS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THE EVENT THE LAST THREE DAYS.
IT'S HAULING IN BLEACHERS, SETTING UP TENTS,
SETTING UP FENCES, THE LOCALS HAVE BEEN FANTASTIC,
PEOPLE WOULD JUST COME OUT OF NOWHERE TO VOLUNTEER TO HELP.
THE 25 ACRE BATTLE SIGHT WAS A, WAS COW PASTURE.
JOHN DOESN'T CURRENTLY MILK ANYMORE SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO DISPLACE
ANY OF HIS LIVESTOCK FROM THE PROPERTY HERE.
BUT HE SEEDED IT DOWN FOR US SO IT WOULDN'T BE LIKE A PLOWED FIELD FOR OUR ENCAMPMENT AREA.
IT'S ALL ABOUT EDUCATION, THEY, THEY LOVE TO TELL THEIR STORY,
THEY LOVE TO, TO EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT THESE FOLKS WENT THROUGH,
THE SACRIFICES THEY MADE A HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS AGO.
WE CANNOT DEDICAE
WE CANNOT CONSECRAE
WE CANNOT HALLW THIS GROUD
THE BRAVE ME, LIVING AND DEAD WO STRUGGLED HEE
HAVE CONSECRATED T FAR ABOVE OUR POOR POWR TO ADD OR DETRAT
♪ WE ARE COMING FATHER ABRAHM' 300-THOUSAND MORE ♪
♪ FROM MISSISSIPPI'S WINDING STREAM AND FROM NEW ENGLAND'S SHORE ♪
MOST AMERICANS AREN'T CONCERNED WITH THEIR HISTORY,
WE LOSE A LOT OF OUR HISTORY.
WE DON'T MAINTAIN IT, WE THROW IT AWAY. AND TO ME THAT,
THAT, THAT'S A SHAME.
YOU'RE LOSING INVALUABLE INFORMATION, EXPERIENCES,
WHAT MADE US WHAT WE ARE TODAY.
♪ MUSIC ♪
TAKING THREE DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS AND
TRANSFORMING THEM INTO LIFE-LIKE TWO DIMENSIONAL DRAWINGS
IS NOT AN EASY TASK.
TAKE A MOMENT TO ENJOY THE PHOTO REALISTIC DRAWINGS
OF AUSTIN NATIVE ELIZABETH JOHNSON.
WHOSE SUBJECTS SEEM TO LEAP OFF THE PAGE
WHILE STILL GIVING THE VIEWER A SENSE OF MOOD AND PLACE.
♪ MUSIC ♪
GREAT ART INSPIRED BY WATER.
THAT'S THE MISSION OF THE MINNESOTA MARINE ART MUSEUM IN WINONA.
A TRIP TO THE MUSEUM IS AN EXPERIENCE IN AND OF ITSELF.
EXPLORING THE MUSEUM'S GARDENS ALONG THE BANK OF THE MISSISSIPPI
AND TAKING IN ALL OF THE BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK INSIDE
AND EVEN THOUGH WINONA IS MILES FROM NEW YORK CITY OR PARIS
THE MUSEUM IS HOME TO WORK BY SOME OF THE GREATEST ARTISTS OF ALL TIME.
♪ MUSIC ♪
THIS REGION IS CONNECTED TO THE WATER IN A UNIQUE WAY.
THERE'S A REAL CONNECTION TO THE RIVER HERE IN A WAY THAT IS, I THINK UNIQUE TO THIS AREA.
YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, GET ON TOP OF THE BLUFFS AND SEE THESE AMAZING VISTAS,
AND SO THOSE TWO THINGS REALLY SPEAK TO THE BEAUTY OF THIS PLACE
AND OUR CONNECTION TO THE LAND AND THE WATER.
WE'RE NOT DOWNTOWN, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE MANY MUSEUMS ARE.
WE WANT A CONNECTION TO THE RIVER,
OUR GARDENS, THE LANDSCAPE, THE BUILDING, AND THE ART INSIDE.
WELCOME TO THE MINNESOTA MARINE ART MUSEUM.
♪ MUSIC ♪
WHAT IS THE MINNESOTA MARINE ART MUSEUM?
WE ARE A YOUNG MUSEUM;
WE OPENED IN JULY OF 2006 IN WINONA, MINNESOTA.
OUR FACILITY AND GARDENS ARE ON THE BANKS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
AND WE EXHIBIT GREAT ART INSPIRED BY WATER.
♪ MUSIC ♪
THE MUSEUM HAS ABOUT 1200 OBJECTS,
EVERYTHING FROM TRADITIONAL MARINE MARITIME THEMED ART
TO HUDSON RIVER SCHOOL AND IMPRESSIONISM,
AND SOME MODERN MASTERS.
THE CONSTANT THEME BETWEEN THE COLLECTIONS
AND WHAT WE ALWAYS SHOW THERE HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF ELEMENT TO RIVER TOWN CULTURE,
OR WHETHER IT'S A DEPICTION OF A BODY OF WATER
OR A LANDSCAPE THAT HAS WATER IN IT,
OR THE CULTURE THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT.
THOSE ARE SOME OF THE, THE THINGS THAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN SHOWING.
I THINK THAT'S A UNIQUE THING. I MEAN, I GUESS I DON'T KNOW OF OTHER MUSEUMS
THAT ARE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING.
♪ MUSIC ♪
THIS IS ACTUALLY ONE GALLERY IN A TWO GALLERY SHOW
CALLED THE RAGING RED AND THE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI
AND BASICALLY WHAT THE MUSEUM IS LOOKING AT ARE ARTISTS
WITH CONNECTIONS TO THIS REGION.
WHO ARE DOING WORK INSPIRED BY OUR REGIONAL RIVERS.
MOST OF THE ARTISTS IN THIS EXHIBITION HAVE, ACTUALLY, ALL OF THEM HAVE TIES TO THIS REGION,
MEANING WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA, IOWA, NORTH DAKOTA AND SO FORTH.
WE'RE LOOKING AT DIVERSITY IN ARTISTIC PERSPECTIVES WITHIN THAT,
WITHIN THOSE BOUNDARIES.
WELL, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A PROPONENT OF MUSEUMS WORKING WITH LIVING ARTISTS.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO IS CONNECT COMMUNITIES TO ARTISTS.
WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT ARTISTS IN THIS REGION.
♪ MUSIC ♪
I'M BRIAN STEWART. I'M A PLEIN AIR PAINTER.
PLEIN AIR IS JUST A FANCY WORD FOR A FRENCH WORD MEANING, I PAINT OUTDOORS
ON LOCATION RIGHT FROM, DIRECTLY FROM NATURE.
WELL, I'M DOWN HERE ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER,
JUST SOUTH OF WINONA, THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES TO PAINT.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT INSPIRE ME, BUT WATER HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FAVORITE.
IT'S THE THING THAT LIFE IS MADE OF;
IT'S THE THING THAT WE'RE MADE OF .
YOU CAN'T GET BY WITHOUT WATER,
IT'S EVERYTHING.
HAVING A PIECE OR TWO IN THE MARINE ART MUSEUM IS HUGE.
YOU WANNA HANG YOUR WORK WHERE IT'S IMPORTANT
AND WHERE PEOPLE WILL SEE IT AND TAKE IT SERIOUSLY
THE MARINE ART MUSEUM IS HUGE.
THERE IS NO WHERE THAT HAS AN ART MUSEUM
LIKE WHAT WINONA HAS. IT'S SUCH A TREASURE
AND IT'S SUCH AN UNEXPECTED FIND IN THIS AREA.
THE MOST COMMON RESPONSE THAT WE GET FROM ANYBODY, ARTISTS OR OTHERWISE,
IS A LITTLE BIT OF A SURPRISE AND MOST OF THAT SURPRISE IS IN RELATION TO THE HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS.
BECAUSE THEY JUST DON'T EXPECT TO SEE THAT.
♪ MUSIC ♪
DOWN HERE, WHICH HAS A PROMINENT SPOT IN THE GALLERY
IS THE ONE PIECE THAT WE HAVE BY PABLO PICASSO
AND THE PIECE THAT IS PROBABLY OF THE MOST HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE TO THE COLLECTION
IS THIS ONE. WHICH HAS SOMEWHAT OF A QUIET PRESENCE WHEN YOU WALK IN
THAT PEOPLE SHOULDN'T LOOK BY IT, IT'S, IT'S BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY WHAT WE THINK
COULD VERY WELL BE VINCENT VAN GOGH'S FIRST OIL PAINTING
WHICH MAKES IT INCREDIBLY SIGNIFICANT.
ANY VAN GOGH IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE HE PRODUCED SO LITTLE WORK.
BUT THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR IS VERY SIGNIFICANT.
THESE TWO WORKS ARE SUBSTANTIAL AND BEAUTIFUL WORKS BY CLAUDE MONET.
WHICH WE THINK OF AS ALMOST A HOUSEHOLD NAME OF IMPRESSIONISM.
SO, I WOULD SAY THOSE ARE PROBABLY SOME OF
THE MORE FAMOUS THAT WOULD BE THE PICASSO, VAN GOGH, AND MONET.
IF YOU TOOK A REALLY WIDE LENS AT THE UNITED STATES
AS A WHOLE, IF YOU LOOKED AT OUR ACCESS TO ARTS AND CULTURE
IT'S MORE READILY AVAILABLE IN URBAN CENTERS,
PARTICULARLY WITH HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS.
THAT'S NOTHING AGAINST A LARGER MUSEUM IN AN URBAN CENTER,
BUT THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS ACCESS TO THE ARTS.
I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER BEEN TO A MUSEUM IN RURAL AMERICA
THAT HAD THIS SUBSTANTIAL OF A COLLECTION.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S PRETTY DARN SPECIAL TO ME.
♪ MUSIC ♪
MUSEUM AUDIENCES DIFFER DRAMATICALLY.
ONE PERSON MIGHT GO FOR THIS REASON,
ANOTHER MIGHT GO FOR THAT REASON.
I THINK NO LONGER DO PEOPLE NECESSARILY
IN YOUNGER GENERATIONS GO TO SEE A SPECIFIC WORK OF ART.
BUT, YOUNGER GENERATIONS ARE INTERESTED IN UNIQUE AND AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES.
♪ MUSIC ♪
YOU CAN TAKE MUSIC FOR EXAMPLE,
AND HOW MUSIC IS TRADED AS A COMMODITY
AND IT'S DIGITAL NOW. BUT WHAT YOU'RE LOSING THERE
IS THE AUTHENTICITY IN THE ACTUAL OBJECT.
WHICH MAKES THE OBJECT MORE VALUABLE.
THIS OBJECT HAS VALUE BECAUSE IT WAS CREATED
WITH PASSION, AND WITH SINCERITY, AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL.
IT'S ALL A PART OF AN EXPERIENCE OF VISITING A MUSEUM.
♪ MUSIC ♪
IF WE DO OUR JOB RIGHT, YOUR CHILDREN, MY CHILDREN, AND THEIR CHILDREN,
AND SEVEN GENERATIONS WILL BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THE WORKS IN OUR COLLECTION
IN THE SAME STATE THAT THEY EXIST TODAY.
WE ALSO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE, I THINK, IN WORKING WITH AND SUPPORTING LIVING ARTISTS.
I THINK EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE IN A WORLD WHERE THEIR CHILD SAYS,
I WANT TO BE AN ARTIST AND THAT IT CAN ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
♪ MUSIC ♪
THAT'S ALL FOR THIS EPISODE OF OFF 90.
BUT, BEFORE WE LEAVE WE'RE GIVING YOU A CLOSER LOOK
AT SOME OF THE MINNESOTA MARINE ART MUSEUM'S PAINTINGS, IN A PRETTY UNIQUE WAY.
SEE YOU NEXT TIME OFF 90.
♪ MUSIC ♪
♪ MUSIC ♪
FUNDING FOR OFF 90 IS PROVIDED IN PART BY
THE MINNESOTA ARTS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE FUND
AND THE CITIZENS OF MINNESOTA.