Panel debates where to hang historically inaccurate art in Capitol

A painting by Douglas Volk
Many people have raised concerns about the historical accuracy of some of the current Capitol paintings, including "Father Hennepin Discovering the Falls of St. Anthony" by Douglas Volk.
Courtesy Minnesota Historical Society

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If a painting that depicts a historical event is inaccurate, should it hang in a prominent place in the Minnesota State Capitol?

That's one of the questions being discussed by a special committee. It was formed to determine where to place works of art inside the renovated Capitol building when it reopens in 2017.

MPR's Phil Picardi spoke with two members of the committee: Anton Treuer, a professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University and the author of 14 books, and Dean Urdahl, a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives and the author of several books of historical fiction centered on the Dakota conflict of 1862.

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