>> Eric: AN ICONIC SCULPTURE IN ST. PAUL HAS BEEN AT THE CENTER OF CONTROVERSY AND ADMIRATION FOR 90 YEARS.

PRODUCER ALAUNA YUST TAKES A LOOK AT ITS STORIED PAST AND A CONTEMPORARY ARTIST'S NEW WORK AT THE WEISMAN MUSEUM.

>> THE RAMSEY COUNTY COURTHOUSE IS HOME TO AN IMPOSING SCULPTURE.

VISION OF PEACE WAS CRAFTED BY CARL MILLIS.

>> THE VISION OF PEACE IS PROBABLY THE CENTERPIECE OF THIS BUILDING.

THERE'S NO OTHER STATUE LIKE IT IN THE WORLD.

>> IT IS 36 FEET TALL FROM THE BASE OF THE STATUE TO THE TOP OF HIS HEAD.

AND THE OTHER VERY UNIQUE THING ABOUT HIM IS THAT HE IS MOVING.

HE IS ON A MOTORIZED PEDESTAL, AND HE HAS MOVED SINCE 1936 WHEN THEY UNVEILED HIM.

SO WHEN THEY ASKED HIM TO DO THIS STATUE FOUR THIS AREA, HE SAID I WILL NOT DO A STATUE WITH REFERENCE TO WAR.

I WOULD RATHER DO A STATUE WITH REFERENCE TO PEACE.

>> MILLIS DESIGNED VISION OF PEACE AROUND A MEMORY OF A TRIP TO A RESERVATION IN OKLAHOMA.

HE SAW FIVE PEOPLE SHARING A PEACE PIPE.

OUT OF THE SMOKE RISING THE STEREOTYPICAL GOD OF PEACE.

DR. JANE BLOCKER TEACHES ART HISTORY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA AND ASKS HER STUDENTS TO CONSIDER WORKS OF ART FOR THEIR VISUAL PROPERTIES, HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND HOW THEY CAME TO BE IN THE WORLD.

>> THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF HOW THINGS COME INTO BEING.

HOW DID THIS THING GET MADE, RIGHT.

I MEAN IT REALLY IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF SORT OF THE OLD BOYS' NETWORK.

THE ARCHITECTS SAID WE'VE GOT THIS HUGE AT RIUM, WE NEED TO FILL IT WITH ART.

WHOM DO WE KNOW WE CAN CALL AND THEY TRY TO CALL PAUL MANSHIP AND SAY YOU'RE A PROMINENT LOCAL SCULPTOR, WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO SOMETHING FOR US AND HE'S, NO, I'M BUSY, SCULPTING SOMETHING FOR ROCKEFELLER CENTER RIGHT NOW, DON'T HAVE TIME FOR YOU.

AND ONE OF THEM SAYS I SAW THIS SWEDISH SCULPTOR, LET'S CALL HIM UP.

AND THAT IS THE EXTENT OF THE PROCESS OF VETTING OF THE SCULPTOR.

>> MILLIS PRIVATELY VOICED ADMIRATION OF FASCIST LEADERS LIKE HITLER AND MUSSOLINI RISING IN POWER IN THE '30s.

VISION OF PEACE HAS BEEN THE CENTER OF MANY CONTROVERSIES IN ITS TIME.

MANY WHITE MINNESOTANS WERE OUTRAGED IT FEATURED NATIVE AMERICANS IN A GOVERNMENT BUILDING.

TWO YEARS EARLIER CONGRESS ENACTED THE INDIAN REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1934 WHICH SOUGHT TO GIVE TRIBES MORE CONTROL THEIR LANDS AND GOVERNANCE AND WAS ITSELF CONTROVERSIAL FOR TRIBES AND THE BROADER PUBLIC.

TODAY VISION OF PEACE IS CONTROVERSIAL FOR ITS USE OF STEREOTYPE AND FANTASY.

>> THERE ARE A VARIETY OF IDEAS ABOUT HOW ART OF THE PAST THAT IS IN THE PRESENT MOMENT CONTROVERSIAL, HOW THAT ART SHOULD BE LOOKED AT OR DEALT WITH.

THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT SAY WE MUST KEEP IT AND PRESERVE IT EVEN IF ONLY AS EVIDENCE.

THERE ARE OTHERS WHO SAY, NO, WE SHOULDN'T LEAVE THEM THERE BECAUSE IT'S SO PAINFUL AND TRAUMATIC FOR PEOPLE TO SEE THAT, THEY SHOULD ALL BE TAKEN DOWN.

THERE ARE OTHER WHO'S SAY, WELL, THEY SHOULD BE TAKEN DOWN BUT THEY SHOULD BE PUT IN MUSEUMS LIKE THIS ONE.

>> AT THE WISEMAN ART MUSEUM CURATE CURATOR DR. KENDRA RECENTLY WORKED WITH PUEBLO ARTIST VIRGIL ON THORISTO, ANOTHER APPROACH TO NATIVE STORYTELLING, NATIVE FUTURISM.

ON THORIS BLENDS SCIENCE FICTION WITH HISTORICAL EVENTS LIKE THE PUEBLO REINVESTMENT OF 1880.

>> THESE ARE FUTURISTIC FIGURES AND HE MODELS THEM AFTER FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS.

SO I FAMILIAR WORK IS MADE IN THE ROQUE STYLE AND HIGHLIGHTING THIS CHARACTER TAHU WHO BECAME BLINDED BUT CONTINUED TO FIGHT IN THE PUEBLO REVOLT.

AND IT'S REALLY ABOUT THE FUTURE THAT INDIGENOUS WOMEN ARE GUIDING THEIR COMMUNITY TOWARDS AND LEADING THEM.

>> STORYTELLING AND MYTHOLOGY ARE CENTRAL TO ON THORIS' WORK BUT THE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE TO DR. GREENDEER IS THE PERSONAL CONNECTION TO THE CULTURE BEING REPRESENTED.

AND ALL OF THIS BEGS THE QUESTION, HAVE WE GOTTEN BETTER AT COMMISSIONING ART?

>> I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE GOTTEN MUCH BETTER AT IT.

BUT I THINK AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT BETTER OF RECOGNIZING WHAT IS APPROPRIATIVE AND RECOGNIZING THE IDENTITY THAT ARTISTS AVE AND OW THAT INFORMS THEIR PRACTICE.

WE IN THE CONTEMPORARY NATIVE ART FIELD ARE STILL TRYING TO REPAIR THAT RECOGNITION OF LIKE THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER SOVEREIGN NATIONS WITHIN THAT SCOPE AND THAT WE ALL HAVE A DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING OF PLACE OR COME FROM VERY DIFFERENT PLACES, AND OUR VIEWPOINTS ARE STILL JUST AS IMPORTANT TO THAT STORY OF NATIVE ART.

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