8/12/2008:
The son of a well-known Norwegian sculptor, Paul Fjelde (Fell-dee) was born on this date, August 12, 1892. In 1887 Paul’s father, Jacob Fjelde, had moved the family to Minnesota. Opening one of the first studios in Minneapolis, his father enjoyed a brief but highly successful career in the city. Following Jacob’s death in 1896, Paul’s mother moved the Fjelde family to a small homestead 45 miles northeast of Bismarck near Wing, North Dakota.
Fjelde followed in his father’s footsteps and his considerable talent earned Paul many sculpting commissions around the country. His busts and statues are located in parks throughout the Twin Cities, at the Federal Street Building in Boston, and his bust of Charles Lindbergh sits in the airport terminal at Lindbergh Field in San Diego. Although Fjelde attended some of the most prestigious art schools in the world and achieved international fame as a sculptor his art career first blossomed in North Dakota.
In 1911, the Fjelde family moved to Valley City for Paul’s sisters, Margaret and Astrid, to study music at the Normal School. Paul enrolled at Valley City State as well, and his abilities as a sculptor soon caught the attention of the school’s supervisor of art, Miss Mary G. Deem. Miss Deem saw great potential in Fjelde’s crude work. Believing that the young artist would excel with further study, she encouraged Fjelde to move to Chicago and study under the famous sculptor Lorado Taft. Fjelde’s sculpting ability improved dramatically in Chicago, where he assisted Taft in the creation of Chicago’s famous “Fountain of Time.” After leaving Chicago, Fjelde continued to perfect his craft, studying at respected art schools in Minneapolis, New York City, Copenhagen and Paris.
Perhaps fittingly, Paul Fjelde’s first major commission came from the state in which he first began sculpting. In celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Norwegian Constitution in 1914, a group of Norwegian North Dakotan’s, lead by Governor Louis B. Hanna, made plans to present a bust of Abraham Lincoln to the people of Norway, and commissioned Paul Fjelde to sculpt the work. Dedicated on July 4, 1914, the bust still stands to this day in Oslo’s Frogner Park. Fjelde donated the original plaster cast from which the bronze bust was made to Valley City State Normal School in 1919, in recognition of the great impact the school had in launching his career.
Paul Fjelde passed away on May 3, 1984 at the age of 91; a world renowned artist, who first made his start on the windswept plains of North Dakota.
Sources"Arts at Mpl: Jacob Fjelde", Hennepin County Library http://www.mpls.lib.mn.us/arts.asp (accessed July 11, 2008).
Collin, Rick, "Working Plan for the Lincoln Bicentennial in North Dakota: November 2007", The State Historical Society of North Dakota, etc. http://www.nd.gov/hist/LincolnFinalWorkPlan11_07.pdf (accessed July 9, 2008).
Nemenoff, Ben, "Fjelde, Paul", North Dakota Council on the Arts http://www.nd.gov/arts/artist_archive/F/Fjelde_Paul.htm (accessed July 9, 2008).
"Paul Fjelde", VCSU Alumni Association http://alumni.vcsu.edu/awards/vp.htm?p=106|&inf=244|#244 (accessed November 13, 2007).
Welsh, Donald H. "Lincoln Bust Has Interesting History." In Cornerstones: A Centennial History of Valley City State University 1890-1990, 97-98. Valley City, ND: Valley City Times - Record, 1990.