Mission
To foster an inclusive community to create and contemplate contemporary art inspired by nature and our ever-evolving world.
Values & Vision
Values
Franconia Sculpture Park is:
Contemporary
Bold
Inclusive
Local and Global
Vision
We aim to be a national model for how a contemporary outdoor art museum can engage and collaborate with the community.
We cultivate critical dialogue between artists and audiences; support artists through the production and presentation of new, experimental work; and educate artists and audiences of tomorrow. Franconia applies creative solutions to topical issues through the vehicle of contemporary sculpture, land art, performance and social practice. We create bold programming that is ambitious, innovative, and that is responsive to the wants and needs of artists and our community.
Strategic Plan: 2021-2023
Click here to view Franconia’s Strategic Plan: 2021-2023
About Franconia Sculpture Park
Franconia Sculpture Park is the pre-eminent, artist-centered sculpture park in the Midwest. Founded in 1996, Franconia provides physically and intellectually wide-open spaces that inspire new ways of thinking through access to contemporary sculpture, installation, and land art. Located in the scenic St. Croix River Valley of Minnesota, Franconia operates a 50-acre outdoor museum, active artist residency program, and a depth and breadth of community arts programming for a diverse and engaged public.
We believe that art has the power to change the world. We cultivate critical dialogue between artists and audiences; support artists through the production and presentation of new, experimental work; and educate artists and audiences of tomorrow. Franconia applies creative solutions to the problems of today and tomorrow through the vehicle of contemporary sculpture. We create bold programming that is ambitious, innovative, and that is responsive to the wants and needs of artists and our community. Moreover, Franconia aims to create a welcoming, inviting space for all visitors to learn more about art, the environment, and the changing world we live in.
April 5, 2024 – Franconia Spring Updates
Click here to view spring updates about Franconia’s 2024 Residency Programs, gallery exhibitions, fundraising, and more from Executive Director Alex Legeros.
Where is Franconia?
Franconia Sculpture Park is located in East Central Minnesota, in the Saint Croix River Valley. Minnesota is uniquely positioned at the intersection of four distinct biomes: Tallgrass Aspen Parkland in the far northeast, Prairie Grassland to the west, Coniferous Forest to the north, and Deciduous Forest to the south. Franconia sits amidst the boundary of deciduous and coniferous forests, on a cultivated prairie grassland.
The Saint Croix River defines much of the contemporary political border between western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota before it meets the Mississippi River and was essential to the vast trading network that spanned much of the North American continent. European colonizers built upon these systems, establishing trading posts, military forts, and towns on rivers. Franconia Sculpture Park takes its name from an 1858 settlement on the Saint Croix River named Franconia. German, Irish, and many Scandanavian immigrants settled on land freshly wrested from the Dakota and other indigenous people. Many of the towns along Highway 8 have sister cities in Sweden, a testament to the longstanding relationship between immigrant communities and the home countries of their ancestors.
Minnesota became a state in 1858 and takes its name from the Dakota, Mni Sota Makoce, translated as “cloudy waters.” The park is built upon the unceded land of the Wahpekute, part of the Dakota Oyate, whose shared territory stretches across much of the middle of the North American continent. After the 1862 U.S. – Dakota War Dakota people were forced from the state of Minnesota, a ruling which affected Ho-Chunk, Ojibwe, and other indigenous people as well. The ruling that makes it illegal for Dakota people to inhabit the state remains on the law books today, but the Dakota and many other indigenous peoples continue to call Minnesota home. The Twin Cities Metro area is home to one of the largest and most diverse urban indigenous populations in the United States. We at Franconia stand in solidarity with Dakota, Ojibwe, and all indigenous peoples of North American and beyond.
– Jenean Gilmer, May 2021
Links:
https://www.mnopedia.org/land-water-and-language-dakota-minnesota-s-first-people
https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/biomes/index.html
http://bdotememorymap.org/point/mississippi-river/
https://dakotawicohan.org/dakota-of-minnesota-history/
https://decolonialatlas.wordpress.com/2018/01/20/minneapolis-st-paul-in-dakota-and-ojibwe/
https://editions.lib.umn.edu/openrivers/article/where-we-stand/
https://www.usdakotawar.org/history/dakota-homeland/oceti-%C5%A1akowi%C5%8B-seven-council-fires
https://forgottenminnesota.com/forgotten-minnesota/2020/3/historic-franconia
http://npshistory.com/publications/sacn/nr-franconia-hd.pdf
http://stcroixscenicbyway.org/PDF/109%20Immigrant%20Trail%20District.pdf
Franconia Sculpture Park Staff
Alex Legeros
Executive Director
Michael Legan
Site Manager & Lead Preparator
Sarah Buezis
Education & Programs Manager
Alyssa Auten
Community Liaison
Jane Borstad
Manager of Marketing & Design
Heather Mashuga
Rental Events Manager
Financial Accountability
Every charitable contribution to Franconia achieves its intended purpose. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, financial accountability is our highest priority. We maintain integrity, efficiency and transparency in our financial practices. Financial records, policies and procedures are audited annually by an independent accounting firm. Oversight is provided by Franconia’s Board of Directors, Finance Committee, and staff. We adhere to the Donor’s Bill of Rights and are accredited by the Charities Review Council.
Through extensive documentation and annual reporting, Franconia Sculpture Park has been recognized by independent nonprofit accountability leaders for our deep commitment to nonprofit transparency and accountability. Franconia meets the Charities Review Council’s Accountability Standards® and has earned the GuideStar Exchange’s Gold Participation Level. Franconia’s organizational profiles are available on smartgivers.org and guidestar.org.
Financials and Annual Reports
Please click here to access Franconia Sculpture Park’s 2023 Annual Report.
Please click here to access Franconia Sculpture Park’s 2022 Annual Report.
Please click here to access Franconia Sculpture Park’s 2021 Annual Report.
Please click here to access Franconia Sculpture Park’s 2020 Annual Report.
Please click here to access Franconia Sculpture Park’s 2019 Annual Report.
Please click here to access Franconia Sculpture Park’s 2017 Annual Report.
Please click here to access Franconia Sculpture Park’s 2016 Annual Report
Please click here to access Franconia Sculpture Park’s 2018 IRS 990 Form.
Please click here to access Franconia Sculpture Park’s 2017 IRS 990 Form.
Please click here to access Franconia Sculpture Park’s 2016 IRS 990 Form.
Accessibility Statement
Franconia is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. Franconia strictly prohibits and does not t0lerate discrimination against employees, applicants, or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender (includes gender nonconformity and status as a transgender or transsexual individual), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed servies, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, membership or activity in a local commission, familial status,or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. All Franconia employees, other workers, and representatives are prohibited from engaging in, encouraging, and aiding in unlawful discrimination. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring training, promotion, discipline, compensation, benefits, and termination of employment.
Franconia complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as amended by the ADA Amendments Act, the Minnesota Human Rights Act, and all applicable state or local law. Consistent with those requirements, Franconia will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability if such accommodation would allow the individual to perform the essential functions of the job, unless doing so would create a undue hardship. If you believe you need an accommodation, refer any such request to the Executive Director. Franconia will also, where appropriate, provide reasonable accommodations for an employee’s religious beliefs or practices.
Franconia Sculpture Park provides golf cars for visitors and patrons with mobility impairments. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the East Central Regional Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Thank you!
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
| Stacy O’Reilly, Chair CEO, Plunkett’s Pest Control |
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| Rosie Kellogg, Treasurer Finance & Facilities Director, Hiawatha Academies |
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| Sheila Mozayeny-Hale Interior Designer, LSE Architects |
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Susan Clayton Administrator & Curator, Al’s Center Saloon & Alan Honn Glass |
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| Heather Rutledge Executive Director, ArtReach St. Croix |
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| Nora Kaitfors Senior Associate General Counsel, UnitedHealthcare |
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| Meena Mangalvedhekar Consultant, deepSEE |
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| Beth McGuire Vice President of Marketing & Communications, UnitedHealthcare |
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| Kevin Riach Lawyer, Fredrikson & Byron |
Location
29836 St. Croix Trail
Shafer, MN 55074
Franconia Sculpture Park resides on the ancestral Dakota lands of the Wahpekute in Mni Sota Makoce, along the St. Croix River which also holds significance by the Ojibwe and other Native peoples. We recognize, support and advocate for all Native nations and will actively center Native voices in our work.
Hours
The grounds of Franconia Sculpture Park are open 365 days a year from 8am-8pm.
The Franconia Commons building is open:
Apr. 15 – Nov. 14:
Closed Mondays
Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm
Nov. 15 – Apr. 14: Friday-Sunday, 10am-4pm
Closed on National Holidays
Parking
Learn the differences between land art, public art, and sculpture!