Project Overview

SERIOUSLY, THE VIKINGS AND ART?

The Minnesota Vikings hired Sports and the Arts (SATA) to curate the art for U.S. Bank Stadium. This process began during the winter of 2015 when SATA held an open call for artists. Though I thought it was a long shot, I put together a portfolio and submitted my screen prints. Nearly 1100 artists applied to be considered for the collection. Of those submissions, 33 artists were selected to create works exclusive to the stadium. And of those 33 artists, only one printmaker was selected (me!).

Above is a video that shows some of the artwork on display during the initial presentation by SATA to the Vikings Organization.
Read more about the selection process and Art Collection here.

WELCOME TO THE TEAM.

In September of 2015 I received a call from Sports and the Arts. They said I had been selected as a stadium artist and were looking to have two designs created and screen printed at 36" x 48". I was extremely excited and honored to be part of the collection. After I hung up the phone, I kind of had an "oh crap" moment as my current studio configuration would not allow me to print at the size. It wasn't a matter of if I could do it, but how I could do it. I knew I would be able to rebuild all of my equipment, but it would take a lot of planning, research, brainpower and assistance. It was time to get to work.

EQUIPMENT PHOTO GALLERY

STARTING FROM SCRATCH.

While still working through building and installing the equipment, it was time to turn my attention to the artwork itself. The commission called for two designs. One design was to focus on U.S. Bank Stadium, while the other was to integrate music and the city of Minneapolis. 

Like every design project, I started with many quick pencil sketches. Its a great way to try different subject matter, compositions and texture without focusing on any details. This is a foundation of good design.

After the sketch process, I moved towards creating digital concepts. This involved getting out in the field to photograph components that would appear in the print. So I grabbed my Nikon and headed downtown. Here I shot several views of the Minneapolis skyline and First Avenue music venue.

Another piece of the design involved making the ink spots. I needed to make the ink spots look like, well, ink spots. In order to do that I splattered India Ink on sheets of paper on my studio floor. Once that dried, I scanned them in at a very high resolution and added them to my composition.

Since the stadium construction was only 50% complete, I could only use digital renderings as inspiration for that piece. Though limiting in ways, it really forced me to study the available imagery and capture the essence of the facility's design.

TWO DESIGNS. TWENTY PRINTS. LET'S GO!

Once the designs were approved and all of the studio equipment was built and installed, it was time to go to work (again). This time it involved actually screen printing the final art. When it came to printing this large, I was like a rookie at training camp. I've screen printed thousands of times, but never at this level. A new set of challenges arose when using such large equipment and paper.

Soon after I dove into the first run, I felt right at home. The biggest key was to take my time, get everything lined up and then print. Its a good thing I have long arms because reaching the top of the press with the 32" squeegee took every bit of my wing span. Once the ink was pulled, I would carry the paper and hang it from binder clips. Learning to "dance" with such large paper was like poetry in motion. Since I was working with limited space, I needed to make sure not to touch the wet ink or dent the paper. Patience and trying to stay calm were key mental aspects of creating perfect prints.

As with all screen print runs, I printed one color at a time on all sheets of paper. After that was completed, I started the process over and printed the next color. Layer by layer I built up the image until the final (key line) layer was printed.

PRODUCTION VIDEOS

PRODUCTION PHOTO GALLERY

FMP CLUB. SUITES. CORRIDORS.

So, where is the art located? The short answer: everywhere. And I'm not referring specifically to my work. A tour through areas of the stadium showed us just how much artwork is on display. Hallways leading to suites felt like art galleries. Each of the six club levels are branded with unique art. The main concourses are given life with large murals, photographs and graphic installations.

With over 20 pieces, I don't know for sure where all of my artwork is located. The original screen prints that I created are installed in some suite level corridors and also privately owned suites. A scaled up version of each of my designs are installed in the entry to the Factory Motor Parts (FMP) Club. The pieces measure nearly 12 ft and are massively impressive!
 

THE VOYAGE BEGINS

Just days prior to the stadium opening, I received a call from Tracie Speca-Ventura (owner at SATA). She said they selected my "Purple Pride" design to be the Inaugural Season Commemorative art piece. Holy crap - what an honor! They issued a limited edition of 3000 giclée prints to be signed and numbered by yours truly. Signing the prints was a marathon event (16 hours!) that I will never forget. The prints were also gold foil stamped with an official U.S. Bank Stadium Inaugural Season logo.

A portion of the prints were distributed to guests attending the "Purple Gala". This was a private black-tie party that the Vikings ownership threw to christen the new stadium. The remaining stock will be distributed by Vikings personnel to recipients of their choice.