Download a photo of Nicole Zempel.
Download a photo of Madison's light sculpture.
Download a photo of Dean Johnson.
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — Pioneer PBS’s Postcards program will feature stories of Granite Falls’ wild mushroom maven Nicole Zempel, Madison’s new “Biome” public art sculpture and Sunburg’s craftsman Dean Johnson on Thursday, February 4 at 7 p.m. The episode will be rebroadcast on Sunday, February 7 at 7:30 p.m. and on Monday, February 8 at 1:30 p.m. The stories will also be available for online viewing through the station’s website: www.pioneer.org/postcards.
Nicole Zempel is an eloquent champion of the fact that fungi are integral to the development of life on Earth. Neither land, plants nor terrestrial animals would exist without them. Zempel goes on daily searches for mushrooms and plants in the woods and prairies of the Upper Minnesota River Valley. She takes spectacular photos which she shares to social media and has turned “spore prints” into an art form. “The woods have shown me a lot about myself and it's been a really wonderful experience,” Zempel said. “And I feel like I have a message to share with others of things that I've learned.”
Madison's new lighted sculpture at the intersection of highways 40 and 75 is an homage to the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Designed and created by Webster City, Iowa landscape architect Tim Adams, the spiral weathered steel structure is meant to be walked through to experience the actual size of the plants that once dominated the local landscape. The “Biome” was paid for by a community fundraising effort and by a legacy grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council. “A teacher can bring a third grade class here and they can see how tall those plants would have been 200 years ago and it will hopefully generate some kind of intrigue,” Adams said.
66-year-old master craftsman Dean Johnson of Sunburg has been working on artistic projects with wood, stone, bone and antler since he was in high school. “What I like about woodworking is just what you can come up with,” Johnson said. “Sometimes I go to bed at night and I start thinking of what I could possibly make.”
About Postcards
The award-winning Postcards is produced by Dana Conroy with videography and editing by Kristofor Gieske and Ben Dempcy. The program is made possible by contributions from the voters of Minnesota through a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Production sponsors for the program include Shalom Hill Farm, Explore Alexandria Tourism and the Lake Region Arts Council.
About Pioneer PBS
Established in 1966, Pioneer PBS is an award-winning, viewer-supported television station dedicated to sharing local stories of the region with the world. For more information visit: www.pioneer.org.
