Redlin Art Center, Watertown, South Dakota
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NGComets
N 44° 53.182 W 097° 03.652
14T E 653135 N 4972156
Wonderful paintings in a great building.
Waymark Code: WMF266
Location: South Dakota, United States
Date Posted: 08/10/2012
Views: 3
Over 150 of Terry Redlin’s original oil paintings hang in the impressive building at the junction of U.S. Highway 212 and Interstate 29 in Watertown, South Dakota.
Designed by Charles Redlin, son of the popular artist, the Redlin Art Center is truly a family project. While Terry Redlin contributed the artwork, it was Charles who planted the seed for the art center 25 years ago. He wanted to preserve and display under one roof his father’s original oil paintings. The young Redlin says it was a hard sell. “I told Dad I wanted him to stop selling his originals. I wanted a place to display them after he was gone.” The elder Redlin, who was living in a home and studio on the shores of Lake Minnetonka in Mound, Minnesota, eventually warmed to the idea, and the project was accelerated so it would be completed, instead, during his lifetime
Initially, the Redlins bought land along Interstate 494 in Minnesota and toyed with the idea of building the Center there; but Charles Redlin had concerns that the urban sprawls in the Minneapolis area would swallow up the intrinsic beauty of the Center. Then they had another idea. “Since South Dakota sent Dad through art school on a scholarship for disabled students, he wanted to build it in Watertown as a gift to the state of South Dakota and the people of Watertown.”Charles handled the design plans and worked tirelessly on all of the intricate details. Rather than one large room filled with paintings, the Redlin Art Center takes a unique approach to displaying Redlin’s work. Visitors can meander down hallways lined with oak railings to view the paintings. The gallery is located on three floors.
The Gallery features Redlin’s original oil paintings – every painting he has done since 1985 is on permanent display within the gallery. In 1999, the Redlin Art Center was informed of an auction featuring 15 of Redlin’s older originals. As the President of the Redlin Art Center Foundation, Charles Redlin felt compelled to purchase these special pieces for the Redlin Art Center. Because Terry Redlin sold almost all of his paintings between the years of 1977 and 1984, the Redlin Art Center had not been able to display original work representing each year of Redlin’s career. With the arrival of the “new” paintings, the Center now has originals dating from 1978 to 1985. These paintings are part of Redlin’s history – each painting tells a story and marks a specific time in the artist’s life and career.
The structure itself is a work of art. The exterior design was inspired by the Egyptian Revival period. With immense Rockville White granite columns reaching 38 feet skyward against the 52,000 square foot brick building, the grandeur of the structure envelopes visitors as they enter the Redlin Art Center. Once inside, the finishes change to polished granite. Rockville White granite was used for more than 9,000 square feet of tile on the main floor. More than 10,000 square feet of Black Galaxy granite from India was used in the Grand Entrance and behind the railings in the Gallery. The walls throughout the Gallery are lined with over 5900 square feet of granite wainscoting - Impala granite from Africa. The granite was selected because of its color – all of the finishes within the Redlin Art Center are gray, black or white so the colors within the original oil paintings become the focal point.
Courtesy of Website.
The "Official Tourism" URL link to the attraction: [Web Link]
The attraction’s own URL: [Web Link]
Hours of Operation:
The Redlin Art Center is Terry Redlin's GIFT to the State of South Dakota and all its visitors. Admission to the Gallery is FREE!
Open Year Round!
Redlin Gallery & Gift Shop Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Summer Holiday Schedule:
Memorial Day: 12 noon - 5 p.m.
Independence Day: CLOSED
Labor Day: 12 noon - 5 p.m.
Holiday Schedule:
The Redlin Art Center is closed on the following holidays:
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
New Year's Eve
New Year's Day
Easter Sunday
Admission Prices:
Free.
Approximate amount of time needed to fully experience the attraction: Half of a day (2-5 hours)
Transportation options to the attraction: Personal Vehicle or Public Transportation
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