Prairie Potholes

MSP Terminal 1, Gallery C1
March 5, 2024 - March 1, 2025

In 2019 Kelly Munson’s family relocated to Mankato, Minnesota. On a warm summer day, she went in search of an area lake appropriate for swimming and was shocked to find most of them a vibrant shade of green with cautions from locals about recreating in the water. As a Master of Arts candidate at Mankato State, Munson dug into water quality issues in Southern Minnesota and learned that the lakes in this portion of the state are very special and often impaired. Because the glaciers that made so many of Minnesota’s lakes stopped just short of Mankato, the lakes there are not as deep as in Northern Minnesota. Often referred to as “prairie potholes,” they are mere shavings into the landscape, some just five or six feet deep despite their large surface area. Due to their lack of depth, they are not able to absorb runoff as effectively as deeper lakes.

In an effort to educate and to communicate their fragility, Munson crafted each lake at scale (both depth and width) out of porcelain. The effect is an installation meant to encourage care and understanding of a delicate and shallow ecosystem. Reminiscent of fossils and bones, the lake forms are precious objects that encourage landowners and lake lovers alike to tread lightly with these “prairie potholes.”

To learn more about the artist, visit KellyMunson.com.