MINNEAPOLIS — Part of the vision for U.S. Bank Stadium is creation of a space where family members can enjoy unique experiences together.

Now family ties will help make the venue so unique.

**David Grimsrud** and his daughter, **Holly Grimsrud Mujica**, are two of 34 Minnesota-based artists who have been commissioned to produce works of art for U.S. Bank Stadium.

The local artists' involvement in the establishment of a museum-quality art collection was announced Tuesday by the Vikings and the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, who have a partnership with Sports & The Arts (SATA).

Additional artists may follow, but plans are for the collection to feature more than 500 original pieces, including photography, that will be privately financed but publicly enjoyed.

The father and daughter were commissioned independently and will create separate pieces, but they are likely to spend a significant amount of time together in David Grimsrud's Zumbrota studio.

"This is very exciting to work with Holly on this project," David told Vikings.com. "It's just coincidental that I'm her dad. We applied separately, and they just noticed the last names. We both played a lot of sports. We played (college basketball) at St. Olaf College and were art majors there. That's kind of cool."

Added Holly: "It means a great deal to me. I have been creating artwork since I was young. A commonality my dad and I had were sports and arts. He has been a mentor for me since I was very young. Our selection has been a very special recognition of that."

David credited his participation in sports and the creation of art with boosting his self-esteem. He incorporates experiences from growing up in the print industry and graphic design into "cityscapes using stamp letters and stencil letters and lots of bright color." Since he's retired, the 75-year-old has resumed painting.

While David's love for basketball and art were relayed to Holly, her works are independent and unique. Holly utilizes figures for her narrative painting.

David has degrees from St. Olaf; Minnesota State University, Mankato; and Indiana University. Holly has degrees from St. Olaf and the San Francisco Art Institute. She teaches art with her sister, Erin Grimsrud Paulson at Glacier Hills Elementary School of Arts and Science in Eagan.

"I live in the Cities and work on my planning here, but the big, kind of messy wet work happens (at David's studio), so it'll be nice to see each other's work and kind of the evolution of that and to be able to truly give each other feedback," Holly said. "I'm 30 now and feel a little more validity in the things I see in his work, especially with having traveled to San Francisco, getting my MFA degree and a really diverse perspective and being able to come back and be more of a peer with him. It's really special to be working on this Vikings collection together. We'll see how that evolution continues, working side by side."

The Grimsruds were selected from nearly 1,100 submissions. Artists that were commissioned ranged from Minneapolis College of Art & Design (MCAD) students to professionals with past works acquired by Walker Art Center and Getty Museum.

Vikings Hall of Fame defensive end Carl Eller and official team photographer Andy Kenutis also are among the announced artists.

"It's pretty humbling," Kenutis said before explaining his approach in the moment or in the evolution of a photo with Photoshop.

"It starts with capturing the moment for me, kind of being in the environment and aware of my surroundings and kind of noticing things and then once I see something through the camera, I will try to find the right angle," Kenutis said. "There will be times when I do set up shots purposefully or artistically, but a lot of it is kind of being in the moment because football is so fast and everything happens so quickly where you have to be ready. It's a little of both.

"Football lends itself to a lot of creative opportunities, whether it's the pre-game stuff, the in-game action," Kenutis added. "A lot of what I find more artistic is the pre-game stuff because I have more freedom to move around and get closer to that and the subject and be more creative with the angles."

In addition to the Vikings, the art collection will showcase Minnesota sports and other regional history.

"The team is always focused on ways to celebrate the community and our fans," said Vikings Owner/President Mark Wilf. "Soliciting and funding this collection of art from Minnesotans is another way to connect with the community in a very unique way that not only Vikings fans, but all stadium users, can enjoy. The partnership also continues the theme of utilizing Minnesota companies and individuals throughout the design and construction of U.S. Bank Stadium."

MFSA Chair Michele Kelm-Helgen added: "This partnership provides another avenue to connect Minnesotans with the stadium project. This is a great opportunity to showcase Minnesota artists. The selected artists are incredibly talented and their works will provide another unique feature in U.S. Bank Stadium."

The selected artists include the following (MCAD Students/Graduates in Bold):

NAME | LOCATION | MEDIUM/STYLE
Christopher Aaron Deanes | Minneapolis, MN | Oil Painting
Leslie Barlow | Minneapolis, MN | Oil Painting
Michael Bellotti | Bloomington, MN | Impressionistic Realism
Nick Bensch | Minneapolis, MN | Blurred Fragmented Painting
Joan Bemel Iron Moccasin | Columbus, MN | Pigment Prints
Joe Burns | Minneapolis, MN | Classic Realism, Oil on Canvas
Andrea Carlson | Saint Paul, MN | Mixed Media Sketches
Grady Carlson | Moorehead, MN | Impressionistic Landscapes
Melissa Cooke | Minneapolis, MN | Hyper Realism
Gregory Copeland | Minneapolis, MN | Oil on Canvas Illustration
Carl Eller | Minneapolis, MN | Hand-Built Clay Sculpture (Vikings Alum)
Sandra Felemovicius | Golden Valley, MN | Transparent Paint Layers
Lisa Friedrich | Saint Paul, MN | Gun Powder Stencils
Brian Geihl | Crystal, MN | Digital Illustrations, Hand Screen Printing
Rebekah Glasmann | St. Cloud, MN | Custom-Designed Vikings Shields
Greg Gossel | Minneapolis, MN | Pop Art Mixed Media
Holly Grimsrud | Saint Paul, MN | Large-Scale Die-Cut Sports Figures
Dave Grimsrud | Zumbrota, MN | Acrylic on Canvas
Lynn Hanson | Worthington, MN | Charcoal on Vellum, Mixed Media
Andy Kenutis | Minneapolis, MN | Photography (Vikings Photographer)
James Lundberg | St. Cloud, MN | Custom-Designed Vikings Shields
Shawn McNulty | Minneapolis, MN | Contemporary Paintings on Canvas
Mike Nathe | Oak Grove, MN | Custom-Designed Vikings Helmets
James Penfield | Minneapolis, MN | Loose Abstract Watercolors
David Rathman | Minneapolis, MN | Watercolor and Oil on Paper/Canvas
Peyton Scott Russell | Minneapolis, MN | Large-Scale Graffiti-Style
Nicholas Schleif | Comfrey, MN | Symbols/Letters Image Formation
Michael Shay | Dellwood, MN | Digital Illustrations
Michael Sweere | Minneapolis, MN | Recycled Materials Mosaic Artist
Carolyn Swiszcz | West Saint Paul, MN | Acrylic Paint, Quick Printmaking
Stephen Thomas | Forest Lake, MN | Digital Artist
Steve Wewerka | Saint Paul, MN | Photography
Gary Welton | Minneapolis, MN | Acrylic Oils on Paper and Canvas
Andrew Wykes | Minneapolis, MN | Painterly Realism