Lakewood Memorial Chapel

It never ceases to amaze me…the chapel at Lakewood Cemetery, on Lake Bde Maka Ska (previously Lake Calhoun). My paternal grandparents, and a beloved aunt, are buried in this picturesque cemetery. That is how I discovered the chapel. I didn’t know about it before I went to the cemetery to see the family graves. Since my discovery, I do visit the chapel occasionally, and often bring friends or out-of-town guests there, if they have not seen the stunning chapel.

My paternal grandmother’s gravestone.

The cemetery itself seems like an extra special place. Two Hundred and Fifty acres of mature trees, lush grass, and rolling hills with magnificent tombstones and monuments.  I learned on my last visit, the grounds of the cemetery are an accredited arboretum. I would assume my grandparents chose to lie in rest at this cemetery because of its beauty and proximity to a city lake. I know my grandmother loved the water, as do I. And as did Auntie Ag.

The Lakewood Cemetery Memorial Chapel.

The Memorial Chapel was completed in 1910. It is the centerpiece of the cemetery.   It is on the National Register of Historic Places, and it is a work of art; an excellent example of Byzantine mosaic art. I’m not sure why more attention isn’t given to this edifice. It is said, if this chapel were in Europe, thousands would visit it. 

“The dome is 40 feet high and ringed with 24 stained glass windows, set in copper and serves as a sundial. Twelve angels adorn the door, relating to the Old Testament’s 12 sons of Jacob, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 gates to the Holy City and the 12 disciples of Christ in the New Testament.” There is a lot of symbolism within the artwork, explained in the brochure.
A zoomed-in image of one of twelve angels in the dome…all small mosaic tiles.

The chapel at Lakewood Cemetery is open to the public daily, when not reserved for special events, such as weddings or funerals. When we were there with our son and his family recently, there was a sound check going on so it was closed to the public, however a woman came over to us and said if we kept silent, she would open the doors so we could peak into the chapel to see the magnificent dome, its amazing walls, and its beautiful mosaic. 

From the brochure:

"In 1906, Lakewood’s trustees formed a committee to guide the chapel development and solicit design concepts from leading architects.

In 1908 the Lakewood Building committee hired Harry Wild Jones, a prominent Minneapolis architect.

In 1909 the Lakewood Board of Trustees commissioned New York interior designer Charles Lamb to design the interior. He suggested a Byzantine mosaic design based on the interior of the San Marco Cathedral in Venice.

Lamb traveled to Rome to enlist six of Italy’s most accomplished mosaic artists, who had just completed a project at the Vatican. In Venice they created more than 10 million mosaic pieces, from marble, stone and glass fused with gold and silver [for the Lakewood Memorial Chapel].

The tiles, no larger than a fingernail, were attached to gummed cloth and shipped to Minneapolis. The artist themselves arrived in the summer of 1909 and painstakingly assembled the masterpiece inside the chapel."

The chapel was completed in 1910.
“The alcove at the front of the chapel is lined with entwined mosaic olive trees, whose fruit is known for healing properties.”

Today the chapel stands virtually unchanged in appearance from the day it was completed.

One of four large mosaic figures that represent the virtues of Love, Hope, Memory and Faith. They adorn the side walls below the dome. This particular figure is “Hope”.

If I lived close to this impressive – dazzling – spectacular chapel, I’m confident I would find myself visiting more frequently, just sitting inside and being still.

 

Copper doors and mosaic tiles and lots of detail are in this architectural masterpiece.
Be still and know that I am God.  
Psalm 46:10

Public Art in Lanesboro

There is a lot of public art in Lanesboro, Minnesota, starting as soon as you enter town, in the parking lot close to the downtown area.

One of several haikus posted in the general parking lot in Lanesboro.

On each lamp post in the parking lot is a plaque with haikus posted for people to enjoy. The haikus are responses to the Lanesboro Arts Poetry Series. What a fun way to welcome people to town.

The plaque reads: 1893 Chicago Bridge Co.

We walked away from the parking lot toward town on a path that led us over the Root River on an historic bridge, now a pedestrian bridge, built in 1893. The bridge leads you to a side street in town. And there, on the side of a brick building, is a wonderful public art display of four mosaic panels.

1 of 4 mosaic panels. The bike trail and rolling hills and farm fields near Lanesboro.

Mosaics have always intrigued me. I’m fascinated to see images and pictures created from small, colorful tiles, or stones and other such elements (in this case some pieces of mirrors). 

2 of 4 mosaic panels. An eagle over land and river, a big-wheel trike in the foreground, and flowers.

These panels were the results of an Artist in Residence project in 2017.  The artist, Bailey Aaland, involved the community in making these panels which, I think, adds a special touch.

The plaque explaining the mosaic public art pieces.

According to the artists plaque, she offered mosaic making sessions to community members, mirrors were donated by local residents to be used in the mural, and participants, working off Bailey’s outline, “helped shape the design throughout the creation process.”

3 of 4 mosaic panels. Tractors and bicycles on land, near river.

The results were four very creative, beautiful depictions of the surrounding areas of Lanesboro…the bike trail, the farm fields, the bluffs, the river.

4 of 4 mosaic panels. A bridge, fish, land and river.

It’s a wonderful display, showing off the area, and the collaborative work of the community, for the enjoyment of all people.

A mural in an empty space on Lanesboro’s main street.

Another public art piece in Lanesboro is on the main street, in an empty green space between buildings. It is a colorful, painted mural of the town’s name, providing a photo op for many people. There are picnic tables in this area too, offering space for people to gather together to gather to visit, eat or rest. During our overnight stay there was a community event held in this outdoor space. 

Little Lending Art Cupboard: on wheels…rolled out onto main street for folks to borrow art supplies.

To encourage art, instead of a “Little Free Library” there was a “Little Lending Art Cupboard” in this same community space. The cupboard is full of art supplies, and was on wheels so it could be set out during the day and taken in at night, or kept out of the rain, and moved around town to different locations I suppose. It encouraged people to “Take what you need, leave what you can. Because everyone needs a little art in their life!” The Art Cupboard was created by Girl Scout Troop 47985. What a great idea. I haven’t seen that before.

It was delightful to take in the variety of public art displays created with the intention of sharing them with the Lanesboro community and its many visitors.