The State Capitol, a Minnesota Marvel
Artwork and text by Amber Sausen, AIA | February 11, 2021
The grand reopening of the Minnesota State Capitol in 2017. Artwork by Amber Sausen, AIA.
POSTCARD
Over the course of many months, a colleague and I visited warehouses, archives, and nearly every room in the Minnesota State Capitol to inventory, document, and catalog the historic and not-so-historic furniture of the capitol and nearby state office buildings. We were provided with an illustrated list of architect Cass Gilbert’s original designs for the furnishings to grace the building. We scoured every storeroom and dusty warehouse recess to try to find the remaining pieces of original furniture, so that they could be restored and reused in the capitol restoration, completed in 2017.
After several years of hard work, I attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand reopening. I made this sketch that summer morning while enjoying speeches, poetry, and music that honored the tenacity, craft, and humility of the many people who worked to restore the landmark to a state of true grandeur. Afterward, I wandered the building alongside my fellow Minnesotans, marveling at how the capitol was once again a shining manifestation of the democratic experiment we’re living.
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