You’re invited to an Art & Identity campaign kickoff to meet the artists and view original artwork available for sponsorship. More than 25 pieces are available for sponsorship, ranging from $5,000 to $50,000. Each unique work was created for the Hagfors Center by area artists, including alumni, faculty, and staff.

Art & Identity Campaign Kickoff
Monday, November 21
9-11 a.m.
Courtyard Marriott, East Town Ballroom
1500 S. Washington Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454

RSVP to this event

Learn more about this artful articulation of Augsburg’s mission and see some of the first artwork available for sponsorship at the Art & Identity Campaign page.

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Inspired by a mosaic being produced by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, they did their homework, learning how to break and cut ceramics and tile, use a tile nipper, and manage grout. They discussed methods, materials, timing, and logistics—and worked on theme and design, eventually deciding to focus on 2 Corinthians 4:7, “But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” The design, primarily Mikelson’s work, echoed the stained glass window design in the sanctuary, created by an Augsburg professor, the late August Molder, and incorporating the rainbow colors symbolic of a parish that identifies as a Reconciling in Christ congregation.

When the committee extended the invitation for help, they were astonished that about 80 individuals came forward, ranging in age from 4 to 80. Some simply donated broken bits of ceramic from their homes, others worked on sorting the donations by color, or cutting/breaking tile and ceramics. Most everyone worked on piecing bits of ceramic together in the mosaic, with those most confident in their abilities working on the more complex sections.

Over about a three-week period, at each of four work sessions a week, anywhere from 4 to 15 individuals would appear to help. Located in the choir room, the project was “highly visible and a bit in the way,” said Mikelson. People could watch the progress, and participants enjoyed pointing out their part of the project to family and friends.

The project became part of the parish’s Lenten journey. Mikelson said, “From our brokenness and pieces, we worked together to create beauty and wholeness. There was also a sort of unspoken sense of awe among the participants, knowing that our work would be installed directly inside the entrance to our church, and would be the sight to welcome people as they entered.” Even today, people walk past the mosaic in the church entry and touch the section on which they worked.

Though Mikelson spent most of her earlier career in retail human resources, she served the last 12 years as director of her church’s all-day, year-round early childhood education center, All God’s Children Learning Center—work that she found inspiring and humbling. Having just retired in January, Mikelson is pleased that the school’s leadership is now in the able hands of another Auggie, Courtney Gadbois-Brumbaugh ’95.

Mikelson’s retirement will afford her more time for her garden and for volunteering, and she and her husband, Paul ’70, look forward to traveling more and spending more time with their two “terrific” married children and spouses, and their three “beautiful” grandchildren. She hopes there may be some opportunities for new creative efforts in the future, too. “There is talk of a community weaving project at Valley of Peace,” she says, “so stay tuned.”

—by Cheryl Crockett ’89

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Peter takes pride in giving an ever-lasting voice to the trees, and is honored to have been chosen for the project. He has made a gift to the College of a vessel, inset with a medallion (at left). His work carries the history of the trees’ beautiful past and can be seen for decades to come. This piece and others will be available for viewing at the Taste Of Augsburg in Murphy Park on Saturday, October 10.

The elms created wonderful character of space in the quad for decades, and have helped inspire our longer-term visioning of the central campus as a larger green space that, over time, becomes an even more significant component of campus life.

To learn more about Augsburg’s urban arboretum and how you may own a wood-turned creation from the elm trees, please contact Amanda Storm Schuster, Director of Leadership Gifts at 612-330-1098 or schustea@augsburg.edu.

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