Since 2013, Surprise Sculpture has provided free arts education opportunities for local students. For six weeks each summer, Lanesboro Arts staff and volunteers lead participants in constructing large-scale, site-specific sculptures for public spaces using a mixture of upcycled, recycled, and fine art materials. The program serves over 150 rural youth and adults from Lanesboro, Harmony, Preston, Rushford, and beyond each year.
Surprise Sculpture is held every other Tuesday from 1 – 3 pm in the second floor studio space at the St. Mane Theatre. No registration or participation fee is required.
Surprise Sculpture Dates for Summer 2024:
- June 11
- June 25
- July 9
- July 23
- August 6
- August 20
Surprise Sculpture works towards building children’s art-making skills as well as emphasizing collaboration and group decision-making. Each project also affords students the opportunity to learn about various principles and methods of art making. Attendees are routinely asked to work in large or small group settings, collaborating to create work that is for the community to enjoy rather than projects that are taken home at the end of each class.
Program Goals
1. Providing free, high-quality arts education experiences to rural youth;
2. Encouraging community pride and heightened cultural identity through public art;
3. Teaching creative problem-solving, inter-generational learning, and community service through hands-on art-making;
4. Bringing awareness to, and celebrating, community assets and traditions;
5. Increasing the beauty of overlooked places in the community, encouraging walkability, and fostering public interaction.
If participants have any questions – please contact Leah Steding, Program Coordinator at Lanesboro Arts, at Leah@lanesboroarts.org
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.