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GRANITE FALLS — Leah Cook grew up on an organic farm on the Canadian border in Maine near a small community known for its strong Acadian culture.
A stint in the Peace Corps brought her to a destination even more remote: The tiny village she served in Suriname, South America, was reached only by a lengthy upriver paddle or by bush plane.
“Good training for something like this,” said Cook of her new role. Since mid-August, she has been serving as the second artist-in-residence for the city of Granite Falls in western Minnesota.
Her prior experiences are important to this new challenge. She said they've taught her the importance of learning the history and culture of the people and, especially, how to be a good listener.
As the artist-in-residence for Granite Falls, she has a three-month time frame in which to carry out two objectives set for her by a community advisory council: To make art around the theme of the Minnesota River and to do community engagement.
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It all starts by “listening to the things said and the things almost said,” said Cook. “It takes a little bit of time before people will say some things; (they won’t) tell you everything at once.”
She’s been listening and hearing a lot. She is also finding many in the community of all ages and backgrounds eager to participate in creating art and a stronger sense of community.
A theme for the art now in the works is “how the invisible shapes the visible,” said Cook. There are so many invisible threads that shape our lives and the world around us today, she explained — the transformation of the prairie to farms; the relationship of the Dakota people and the European settlers — the cultural heritage of the settlers are all examples of the ties that shape lives today.
With support from the Granite Falls City Council, Cook has identified five projects for her residency.
One is completed. A group of local residents joined her on the eve of the Upper Minnesota River Valley Meander to forage in wild places along the Minnesota River for natural materials. They turned their collection into a tapestry, which was displayed Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 for both residents and visitors to the area.
The remaining projects are works in progress.
Perhaps the most ambitious among them is the production of what she terms "Wonder Boxes." Similar to small, neighborhood free libraries, the Wonder Boxes will be placed around town on wheeled bases for portability. Each box will offer a way to look at the invisible threads shaping the world today.
One example she offered is a box with louvered slats. Look at one side, and you will see prairie sprinkled with wetlands. On the other side will be modern farmland with islands of trees around homesteads.
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“(They) all show different things we can wonder about or things that bring wonder,” said Cook of the Wonder Boxes.
She is working with the community’s block nursing program to develop a "Memory Cafe" of the stories that seniors can tell of the community’s past.
There are so many interesting stories, she said. She’s already talked to people who remember a summer celebration that once attracted thousands of people to view a parade of floats on the Minnesota River. Others told her how some of the town’s first buildings were pulled across the frozen river to Granite Falls from Minnesota Falls, a rival community that was abandoned due to flooding.
To celebrate the river and its people, she is also working to create a "River Sing" event with the voices of all those willing to participate. This is for everyone, no matter their singing ability, she emphasized.
She is also working with students at the Yellow Medicine East High School to create "Voices and Views," a video production about the Minnesota River and all that it offers.
One of the recurring themes she has heard from people is how the river is underutilized as a recreational asset. There are many — young people and longtime residents alike — who have yet to discover it, she explained.
Taking on five distinct projects in a short time frame is a challenge, but important to the goals of the residency, she said. She believes that offering a mix of opportunities is the best means to connect lots of different people in the community.
She is optimistic. She has been impressed by the level of community engagement she has discovered.
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“I knew Granite had a lot going on before I got here,” said Cook. “Now that I got here, wow, it’s got a lot going on.”
Anyone interested in being part of any of the projects is welcome to contact her at 207-316-6776 . She is particularly in need of people with carpentry or metalworking skills to help build the Wonder Boxes.
The city of Granite Falls, with a population of around 2,700, launched the artist-in-residence program two years ago. Dani Prados served as the inaugural artist-in-residence for the community. She served for a 13-month period and launched a variety of art projects with an emphasis on community engagement.
