PRAIRIE PUBLIC | MOORHEAD & CROOKSTON Prairie Public and Legacy Funding Honor the Fortitude of Minnesotans IMPACT STORY
The strong foundation of Northwest Minnesota lies within its people and their unwavering passion to protect and maintain this place we call home. Prairie Public is proud to recognize and honor the dedication and perseverance of community members throughout the Red River Valley. With the help of Legacy funding, we were successful in telling the story of Minnesotans who worked tirelessly fighting floods along the Red River of the North for decades by featuring the “Spirit of the Sandbagger” art installation. Prairie Public has also become a resource for helping veterans share their untold stories. The “Warriors in the North: Healing Through Art” project was a natural extension of our efforts to support veterans of all wars. We hope public television’s role in celebrating the unified contributions of individuals will create a stronger sense of empathy for all Minnesotans while encouraging active participation in community discussion and problem solving.
Spirit of the Sandbagger The artwork is meant to be seen by community members and visitors because so many helped in the flood fighting efforts... whether sandbagging, boxing lunches, providing transportation, organizing volunteers, creating earthen clay dikes, or monitoring pumps. Markings on the monument pillars show water levels with and without the FM Diversion Project. Bronze plaques explaining the structure and its significance are also provided in braille. More than 60% of people surveyed learned something new related to arts, culture or history in their community.
Warriors in the North Warriors in the North features an opportunity for veterans with trauma histories to design masks that reflect their experiences or recoveries from those experiences. The project helps local veterans recover from trauma through art and helps them realize their value in the community. The event is a joint effort between the Fargo Veterans Affairs Health Care System and the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County in Moorhead, MN.
“Local public media, especially the arts, culture, and history programming helps build community by exploring our common identity.” –MPTA Survey respondent
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