Eden Prairie, MN (October 6, 2015) – After launching a partnership in January 2015 with Sports & The Arts (SATA) to create a one-of-a-kind, museum-quality art collection within U.S. Bank Stadium, the Minnesota Vikings and the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA) announced today the names of 34 local artists who have been commissioned for the project.

Selected from nearly 1,100 submissions, the artists range in expertise from Minneapolis College of Art & Design (MCAD) students to professionals with past works acquired by the Walker Art Center and Getty Museum. The group, which also includes a former Vikings player and a father-daughter combination, will contribute to a privately-funded collection that will encompass more than 500 original artworks (including photography) and showcase not only the Vikings, but also Minnesota sports and other regional history. Several more local artists are in discussions with the Vikings and SATA and are expected to join the list in the future.

"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."

"This partnership provides another avenue to connect Minnesotans with the stadium project," said MSFA Chair Michele Kelm-Helgen. "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

About Sports & The Arts

Sports & The Arts, established in 1993, is a full turn-key service, offering creative development, framing and professional installation of gallery quality art, photography and graphic wall treatments. Sports & The Arts drives the vision, development and implementation of large-scale installations within sports and entertainment venues and creates unique fan experiences for each client. Sports & The Arts previous projects include Levi's Stadium in San Francisco, CA; Marlins Park in Miami, FL; Amway Center in Orlando, FL; Prudential Center in Newark, NJ; and the new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY. Sports & The Arts is a member of the Women-Owned Small Business Association.