168. The Mni Mural

The Mankato Flood Wall Mural, Mni Mural, was dedicated on August 24, 2016.  It is named The Mni Mural as “Mni” means “water” in the Dakota language.  This mural celebrates the river located behind the flood wall, imagining how it might have looked before human settlement.  The natural river scene is bookended by images of fish native to the Minnesota River.  The full mural stretches more than 500 feet.

Members of the CityArt committee and a group of local artists worked with Mankato city staff and the US Army Corps of Engineer since September 2015 to determine the feasibility of a mural, in response to frequent requests from community members. Once permission was granted, a community fundraising effort raised more than $20,000 in less than three months. 

Work began in July 2016 and lasted approximately two months.