Meet the Artist

Mary Jane Mansfield is an Icelandic - American artist, mother and public art manager living and working in the Twin Cities. Her world is one of creative drawing and sculptural explorations with water and electricity. Whimsical, lighthearted and sometimes serious reflections on family, life, love, desire and dreams are at the heart of it all.

Currently she is exploring visual composition, and contemplation surrounding origins of trauma, the transfer of energy and the illusion of space between us. Sound and vibration are critical elements in this work as they mirror the ripple effects of trauma as it moves from the shelter of home to violence in the community. The research portion of this new work lies in pairing her historical practice of utilizing water and electricity with magnetohydrodynamics.

Her creative work has been recognized with awards from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council; Next Step Fund, Forecast Public Art; Making it Public, MN State Art Board; Artist Initiative Grant, an NEA Open Studio Fellowship from Franconia Sculpture Park and a Minneapolis Institute of Arts commission for public art at the Centennial Celebration of 1983.