FARGO – Artist Anna Johnson is known as a printmaker, but she is currently making marks on a larger and harder surface. Last week he was doing a mural on the south side of Bernie’s Wines and Liquors at the corner of University Drive and 16th Avenue South, Fargo.
This is the largest work done by the Fargo artist, in size and scope as it connects nearby businesses to its origin in the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation.
The painting, “The Moon Also Rises,” was inspired in part by Luna Fargo, the restaurant adjacent to Bernies, and features motifs from Johnson’s Chippewa and Cree heritage.
“How do you like it,” Johnson asked Nikki Ness Berglund, Bernie’s proprietor and founder/owner of Luna Fargo, while taking a break from painting one morning.
“I love it,” Ness Berglund said.
David Samson/The Forum
“I’m trying to get art into Midtown forever,” Ness Berglund explains. “I’ve been thinking about a mural forever and I was talking about it when Anna came in to buy cheese. It was serendipitous.”
The two collaborated and applied for public funding for the arts through the City of Fargo Art and Culture Commission.
“Public arts projects can help leverage private support for cultural, creative, and artistic development,” said Joe Williams, director of community education at the Plains Art Museum and a member of Fargo’s Arts and Crafts. Culture Commission, in a statement announcing the project. “The Fargo Arts and Culture Commission funds activities that include and reflect our growing cultural diversity. The arts and cultural assets of a community are important elements of economic development and can lead to the creation of creative, arts, or cultural districts, such as Midtown.
Midtown is typically 13th and 32nd Avenue in Fargo.
Johnson lives in the neighborhood, so he took the opportunity to create a large piece of art.
“I’m glad to have the opportunity to do this,” he said. “I want my art to be accessible. So I became a printmaker because it was affordable. This is great for people who may not be able to get to museums.
She makes inspiration and uses some floral motifs from Ojibwa and Cree floral beadwork patterns.
“I try to update the colors from traditional to more fresh and modern. Because it will last here, I want to be energetic, ”she says. “I really like these pinks. My nephews say I really need all the pink ”
David Samson/The Forum
Johnson plans to add a hummingbird, similar to the one he tattoos on his arm for his nephews and could add a rabbit.
He included those animals in his contribution to the mural “Welcome to Fargo” on the corner of Roberts Street and First Avenue North where he painted inside the letter A.
“Hopefully this will open the door for other people,” he said, hoping more businesses will consider adding the mural. “Anyone can do it.”
He also designed four utility boxes and a bank in downtown Fargo.
David Samson/The Forum
Johnson’s friend Heather Keeler, a state representative from Moorhead and assistant director for multicultural recruitment at North Dakota State University, passed by to view the painting and admired her.
“It’s a sign to the indigenous community that‘ You are welcome, ’” said Keeler, a member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe.
Johnson appreciates the arrival of people and offers support, whether from the sidewalk or from their vehicles. He only asked for one thing.
“Don’t blow the horn when I’m on the air,” he said. “Catcalls are cool or whatever, but I get shocked when people blow the horn.”
Unlike some murals, he painted with brushes, even a broom for some larger areas and did not spray paint. Even the paint names make him happy.
“This blue is called Blueberry Hill, so I sing that while I work,” he said. “I still need to get some paint. They love me Ace. ”
David Samson/The Forum
Johnson works from a scissor lift to reach higher ground. He works in the morning and evening when the sun is not shining too much on him and rests from noon to 7 pm
“I live two blocks from here. I’m going home and I’m just thinking about it,” he said.
In addition to bringing some art to the neighborhood, Ness Berglund likes the project because it gives her a permanent feel for her family’s businesses. Bernie’s was founded by his paternal grandfather and his father now owns the store, while he manages it. He is also the founder and owner of Luna next door.
Looking at the mural, he thought of putting a bench in front of the painting so that people could receive everything. Johnson suggested adding a flower bed and the two of them talked about making a coloring book and T-shirt based on the painting that might be available at Luna.
Johnson expects the work to be completed by Monday.
