An Honor, and a Privilege

Yes taxpayers, I spent your money on the children, and your children's children's children . . .

Mn State Capitol  Aug 11, 2017

No extravagance, I can assure you - simply what had to be done. Through your legislators, you have spent $310 million to restore one of the finest state capitol's in the country, the Minnesota State Capitol, planned to last at least the next 100 years.  Indeed, my bias will come through if I were to argue as the finest state capitol in the country.  And this restoration, four years in the works, is now complete, and the grand re-opening celebration took place this past weekend.

I spent your money in my capacity as an at-large member of the State Capitol Preservation Commission, appointed by Governor Dayton in 2013, representing all people of Minnesota, and I have been honored to serve you.

It was a fine journey to this celebratory point.  I learned much, about the State Capitol that I had not heretofore known, and grew in the process to really appreciate all that went into its creation.  At times, I felt I was channeling architect Cass Gilbert in 1897, imagining the raging debates, likely with strong political overtones, arguing for the white Georgia marble on the exterior, when the State has an abundance of granite and limestone.  But it had to be white, he insisted, a beacon of the peoples house atop the hill.

Oh, we had our arguments during the process, and why wouldn't we?  This is politics mixed with progress!  It was both very interesting and quite frustrating for me to witness as one of the few non-politicians on the panel, and I was not afraid to speak my mind on your behalf. But I can say that the parties came together well in the end - that is what you would have wanted, rather than the gridlock we experience on other matters of State and Nation these days.  And when it came to the Capitol Art Subcommittee of which I was a part, I learned many lessons - a better understanding of our history through the marvelous artwork, and also the raw pain that some of this artwork imparts.  It is our history, we can be both sorry and proud of parts of our heritage.  The artwork has been wonderfully restored, and is the crown jewel of this marvelous structure.

The Rotunda

And speaking of artwork, I was a lonely voice in support of the event graphics, whose imagery was not so favorable to my august colleagues, perhaps wanting something more in the grand tradition of the Capitol itself.  But I spoke to the youthfulness of the graphical expression - the people's house - reminding my colleagues of their own flirt with the '70's, and how this image may perhaps appeal to the very generation we want to carry on the care and feeding of this marvelous structure.

So it was time to celebrate its completion.  The "party" was not funded by taxpayers, but by donors, one of whom was me, honored to provide a modest contribution - the first received - to fund the raising of more money for this event.

Hope Anderson lecturing the Governor   (photo by Lou Michaels)

I had a front row seat at the ribbon cutting last Friday under a crystalline blue sky, dressing the capitol in an iridescent white glow, listening to all the dignitaries extol the virtues of the capitol, the process and government, but all overwhelmed by the diminutive Hope Anderson, a third grader from Duluth barely tall enough to reach the microphone, the winner of an essay contest, innocently wondering when the first  woman Governor would be "living in the capitol!"  I was honored to be one of the ribbon holders as Governor Dayton cut the wide red ribbon.

The official ribbon cutting (and me back row, holdng on, below arrow)

I then helped my Commission colleague and friend, Ted Lentz, of the Cass Gilbert Society, hand out pieces of the original marble scraps he chipped up to hand out - ultimately distributing 1 ton of rocks to eager, and at times, incredulous visitors that they could actually have this shard of history - for free!  Ted also deserves praise for his tireless efforts on the Commission to open the loggia after so many inaccessible years, and the personal mission to curate a display in the Third floor conference room on the original construction of the capitol.

And in the final day of three celebrating this occasion on Sunday, I was the gatekeeper on the line to the ice cream stands, originally intended for the families of the construction workers following a brief recognition event for current and past workers of the original structure - a well deserved honor for the many that made this work resplendent again.  But thankfully, I held no one back, feigning seriousness to the younger ones by suggesting that they tell me the date the capitol first opened for passage to this aisle of frozen delight (1905).  I admit my ability to settle into a carnival clown's role is overwhelming - which apparently was cited by unknown others who apparently identified me as a particularly "notable" volunteer.  My position was somewhat strategically located, affording me brief face time with many colleagues and notables, including Mayor Chris Coleman and Governor Mark Dayton, who recognized and thanked me on his way to the workers recognition event.

But what really inspired me was to quietly observe the crowds viewing the capitol, pointing to this or that, trying to keep the otherwise bored youngsters engaged, speaking in complimentary terms in awe of the sheer grandeur of the place.  And even a large crowd, seeing up close the enormous paintings of the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux (Frank Mayer, 1885, David Millet 1905)) and the Father Hennepin at the Falls of St. Anthony (Douglas Volk, 1905) paintings, dwarfing the 3rd floor Library and allowing the visitors a moment of quiet reflection upon the history these paintings represent.

And finally, I am humbled - and honored, and deeply so.

Unbeknownst to me, the large, ornate brass plaque recognizing the Capitol's restoration, positioned opposite a similar plaque of 1905, was revealed by the Minnesota State Historical Society on Friday morning.  And there, in approximately the center of the plaque, is my name, noted for posterity.

Thank you for the privilege and honor of serving all people of Minnesota, preserving one of my favorite buildings, for you and your children's children's children.