Film Premiere Chronicles the Creation of Jacobson’s “Harvest”
Local filmmaker Paul Krause will premier his film, Harvest, on Thursday, February 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the Northfield High School Auditorium. The film chronicles the creation of Ray Jacobson’s public sculpture of the same name from start to finish, revealing how the people of Northfield helped contribute to its making. It is truly a celebration of the community, just as the sculpture was originally commissioned to celebrate Northfield’s 150th anniversary as a city in 2005. Doors will open at 7 p.m. and a reception with Ray Jacobson will follow the screening. The movie will be of particular interest to artists, sculpture students, and any community planning to commission public art. This event is free and open to the public.
When Northfield celebrated its sesquicentennial, the city’s Streetscape Task Force paid tribute by spearheading a renovation of the downtown riverfront. They accepted a proposal by sculptor and former Carleton professor of art Ray Jacobson for a new piece of public art commemorating the city’s long-standing milling history. Jacobson and community fundraiser Catherine McBride selected a location on the banks of the Cannon River to be the named the Sesquicentennial Legacy Plaza. They knew it would take some time—three years, in fact—to ready the space and sculpture, but the entire community agreed it would be worth the wait. Enter Paul Krause.
From initial drawings to the final installation along the riverfront, Krause captured every step required to craft Jacobson’s three thousand pound, bronze sculpture called Harvest. He began filming Harvest in June 2006, just when Jacobson was transporting the life-size cardboard cutouts of his planned sculpture to a foundry in Howard Lake, Minn., for initial consultations. Krause then followed the process every step of the way.
The film not only captures the artistic process behind Harvest, but the essence of the artist himself. Jacobson’s sculpture was inspired by his childhood on a farm in Oak City, Utah, where he tilled soil and threshed wheat. He received his BFA and MFA degrees from the University of Colorado in Boulder, and subsequently traveled widely for research and study. He later taught at Carleton College for 31 years and retired a community sculptor, still heavily influenced by the natural beauty of the environment and farmland. The film shows how the artist’s passion and vision was complemented by the work of a highly-skilled art foundry staff and by the commitment and support of the entire Northfield community. The resulting sculpture is a testament to the city’s natural beauty, artistic tradition, and historical roots.
A long-time resident of Northfield, Krause has created a variety of documentaries about the artistic life of his community, including the widely celebrated The Garden of Quiet Listening: The Japanese Style Garden as a Work of Art in Progress about Carleton College’s renowned Japanese style garden.
The Northfield High School is located on 1400 Division Street in Northfield. For more information visit www.dancingsun.biz/harvest.html.
