I have always been drawn to things that seem to be out of place — they almost always have more depth to them. The first time I visited Winona, the whole city seemed out of place, I felt like nature had been interrupted by a city. This place has gorgeous bluffs and a pretty well-known river, then there is this city. By no means is this city an eye-sore, it has a very cozy vibe with its classic brick buildings and ancient houses, all of this beautifully contradicts what nature had intended. Now that I have lived here for some time, I have discovered an art museum that gives me that same feeling of there being something there that is not supposed to be there.
As you approach the museum, you see a building that looks mildly weathered, but still looks nicer than most other buildings in Winona. When you enter, it becomes more than apparent that you are in a place to admire art. Once you get past the reception desk, you are immediately met with paintings, sculptures, and photographs that are both beautiful but yet so generic, nothing really stands out. Honestly the first thing that really caught my eye was the view of the river from the windows. Leaving the windows, I ventured deeper into the museum in search of noteworthy pieces of art. Eventually, I came to a room closed off by glass doors. This immediately piqued my interest with curiosity. Pushing through the doors, I was thrown off by an array of expensive works of art. Art that should not be in Winona of all places. After leaving this room of misplaced art, I found another room with a glass door, which, of course, I had to enter. This room, like the last, had amazing pieces of art that also seemed as though they should not be in Winona. As I walked around, I was immediately drawn to this one oil painting that seemingly gave off a warm orange-ish glow; it was Rainbow Falls.
Once I returned back to my dorm that night, I looked up the painting and tried finding the origin of inspiration. After doing a little research, I found photographs of Rainbow Falls and compared them to its painting. These photos helped me to appreciate the painting so much more, and everything about the painting suddenly came to life and became so real to me. The painting seemed to have taken place at either dawn or dusk. I was able to see the dampness of the rocks and how the trees pierced the sky. The waterfall seemed to trickle into a calm body of water, and the mist of the falls gave me a sensation of moist air. The stone walls of the crevice made the painting feel massive, making this mystical scene more appealing. The more I stared at the painting, the more it came to life.
While I did my research of the painting and photographs of the area today, I noticed the bridges and hiking paths that were added to the area. These added features stood out, and one could tell that they did not belong there, but the bridges and paths make the area better because they allow for others to enjoy it. It reminded me of a trip I took in the summer of 2017. My two sisters had a lacrosse tournament in Vail, Colorado, which is a city right in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. Vail, to me, was like Winona; it is this incredibly beautiful place in nature that somehow housed a city. Sitting on the sidelines watching a game of lacrosse while the mountain peaks stood in the background was one of the more enjoyable experiences of the trip. One of my best friends was up there as well for a guys’ lacrosse tournament and invited me to play with them; it was probably the greatest game I had ever played, despite the fact the lack of oxygen made it impossible to run. One day while the girls were at their games, my father and I decided to hike up one of the ski slopes. After walking in a zig-zag pattern up the run for nearly five hours, we finally reached the snowy peak. We took our photos, made some snowmen, and stopped to take in the view. The peaks that poked the sky around us were a beautiful sight to see and the city below looked unnatural. The way the city contrasted what was natural made the area even more appealing to the eye.
Later in our trip, the girls’ team and families went on a well anticipated white-water rapids ride that went through the city of Vail and offered great views of the mountains and rich folks’ backyards. The crevice and small falls in the painting reminded me of an attraction we visited on the last day of the trip. Our family and one other went on a hike up to Hanging Lake. This is a naturally formed small lake (I would say pond) that was about 2 miles up the side of a steep mountain. The crystal-clear lake, the falls that filled and drained the lake, and the scenery had to be some the coolest sights I have ever seen.
Looking into the historical background of the painting, I found the artist, James Hope, had lived a very standout life. Hope was a self-taught artist born in Scotland in the year 1818. After his mother’s death, he and his father migrated to Canada. Hope was orphaned at age 14 following his father’s death in 1831. Later that year, James Hope left home and went to Fairhaven, Vermont. There, he became an apprentice to a wagon-maker. By the 1850s, Hope was married and was supporting his family by teaching both painting and drawing at Castleton Seminary in Castleton, Vermont. James Hope was very fond of creating pieces of art based off landscape; in fact, while he served as a captain in the Second Vermont Regiment during the Civil War, he was known for doing sketches of the battlefield on the spot or by memory. Later, his sketches were used as inspirations for some well-known oil paintings, both by himself and other artists. In 1872, about a year after the completion of this painting, James Hope established a studio in Watkins Glen, New York. For roughly 20 years, he would travel to the studio for the winter and then return home to Castleton for the summer. James Hope passed away in 1892, in Watkins Glen, New York.
In Winona, if you stay here long enough, you will discover the bluffs have been broken into by foot-trails leading to the top which gives way to beautiful views. The main trail that most people travel up leads to the beautiful views. However, better views are kept secret by those who know how to find them, though some you have to find on your own. A few of the off-the-beaten-trail paths lead to areas where you can even camp out. I often find that there are low hanging clouds early in the morning here. If you are at the top of the bluffs early enough in the morning, you can see the top side of clouds, making the area look like a fluffy white lake. Down at the banks of the Mississippi River, there are areas to camp and places to have a get-together with friends. The small islands that dot the river offer great places to fish and swim. The two lakes that sit at the foot of the bluffs and are a popular attraction to the locals that allow for paddle boarding in the summer and ice-skating in the winter. But, the city of Winona stands out among what is natural and what was here first.
Like the paths and the bridges at Rainbow Falls, much of what is in Winona is not natural. The paths that wind up the bluffs are stomped in by man. Many of the outlooks are platforms made to make views easier to enjoy. The famous Sugar Loaf was carved out by miners. The Mississippi is damned up to control water levels and slow down the current. The two lakes that sit at the foot of the bluffs are just holes that were dug.
After dedicating some time and thought, I discovered why this painting stood out. It contradicted the other paintings in terms of beauty. The best things in life are interrupted by something that stands out. I find that those things are more intriguing and worthwhile to look at. That is why I was drawn to this city, and why I was drawn to this museum, and drawn to those rooms, and drawn to this painting. They all stood out.
