CSU Journey Painting

by AFURE ADAH, CSU Communications Student Staff

In honor of the 150th Anniversary of our school, I thought I would throw it back to the “Journey” painting in the CSU. I am sure many of you have noticed and walked by the beautiful painting by  nationally renowned painter, Marian Anderson. Since it is such an iconic historical painting here at our school I’m going to give you some back story on the piece.

Let’s first take a look at the image and some of the iconic locations featured in it. Notable buildings include the Taylor Center (bottom middle), Ostrander Bell Tower (top right) and the fountain (middle). The right side features a highlight on athletics including a tip of the hat to the 2009 Women’s Basketball Team, who won the National Championship. The planes in the top left corner are a metaphor to “represent the promise of tomorrow.”

The painting was created by Minnesota native, Marian Anderson, who said she had to experience and get a feeling of campus before she could paint it. Her vision for the piece came from enthusiasm shared by alumni and the campus community after a tour of campus. Anderson said her vision wasn’t about capturing a collection of campus buildings, but instead, about bringing pride and promise to the canvas.

The montage is a journey that carries the viewer through the past to the ever evolving future at MSU Mankato. The amount of symbolism in the piece is almost endless, but as a whole, Marian said she wanted to “ignite people’s thinking so it will bring out their memories on their own” and to “deliver the promise of the future.”

So now that you know the story behind “Journey,” I encourage you to take a closer look and be inspired.

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