Northfield, Minnesota celebrated its 150th anniversary as a city in 2005. To pay tribute to this milestone, the city’s Streetscape Task Force spearheaded the Fifth and Water Street Project, a renovation of the riverfront.

In response to the project, Sculptor Ray Jacobson proposed an idea for a new sculpture to commemorate the city’s long-standing milling history. Receiving proposal approval and initial funding from the Sesquicentennial Committee, he met with an architect to determine a location for the sculpture.

Jacobson and fundraiser Catherine McBride of Vincent and McBride, Inc. named the location on the banks of the Cannon River the Sesquicentennial Legacy Plaza. Although it would take three years to create Harvest, and to prepare the Legacy Plaza site, the entire community agreed that the resulting masterpiecewas worth the wait.

Harvest chronicles the creation of Ray Jacobson’s sculpture of the same title. From the initial drawings to the final installation on the riverfront, the film reveals every step required to craft the three thousand pound, bronze sculpture.

The screen production shows how the artist’s passion and vision are complemented by the work of highly-skilled art foundry staff and by the commitment and support of the entire Northfield community.

Harvest will be of particular interest to artists, sculpture students and any community planning to commission public art.

Paul Krause, a long-time resident of Northfield, has created a variety of documentaries about the artistic life of his community including the recently released The Garden of Quiet Listening: The Japanese Style Garden as a Work of Art in Progress. The film featured the Japanese style garden located on the campus of Carleton College. It was recognized by the Journal of Japanese Gardening as the most outstanding film of its type and has found acceptance by Japanese gardeners world-wide.

Music for Harvest was created and performed by Mr. Krause.