Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Art Exhibit Showcases the Painted Barn
Exhibit of Michele Pope Melina's oil paintings runs August 27-October 26

Chanhassen, MN (Aug. 18) - Reaching back to its rural, agricultural roots as it celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is proud to present an exhibit of paintings showcasing a vanishing American icon - the painted barn.

"The Painted Barn: An Artist's Tribute," a new and exclusive collection of Michele Pope Melina's oil paintings depicting picturesque and cherished old barns in various forms and faded colors, opens Wednesday, Aug. 27, in the Reedy Gallery of the Arboretum's Oswald Visitor Center. This is a premier and exclusive showing of works specifically created by Melina to mark the Arboretum's 50th anniversary and the 100th anniversary of its partner, the Horticultural Research Center.
Melina, of Hanover, Minn., is an award-winning artist whose work evokes 19th and 20th century landscape masters such as George Inness, Sanford Gifford and Eric Sloane. Melina grew up in rural Virginia and retains a deep affection for barns.
"Since my childhood, old barns have made an impression on me. I remember them built to be big and strong and weather any storm. Their purpose was strictly for the need of the farmer, but for most of us, they represented stability and tradition. During their lifetime, many were never changed or altered; they remained constant, reliable," explains Melina.

"The Midwestern barn we Minnesotans know has existed since the late 1880s, but it has been on the wane since the time I began to paint 40 years ago. Now storytellers of the heartland, these beloved old structures are being torn down or just left to return to nature, on their own, with dignity. As our new neighborhoods encroach upon the old farms, we start to notice how precious they seem - until they are inevitably removed. My goal for this exhibition is to encourage viewers to hold onto tradition by sharing stories and memories of our past. This was a special time, this age of barns."
"The Painted Barn" continues through Oct. 26 at the Arboretum's Reedy Gallery.

The Arboretum grounds are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Admission is $7 adults; free for members and ages 15 and younger. The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, the largest public garden in the Upper Midwest and a premier northern arboretum, is part of the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences. It is located nine miles west of I-494 on Highway 5 in Chanhassen. -END-