Acrylic on canvas triptych celebrating the life of Ruth Nomura Tanbara. Tanbara was a central figure in the Twin Cities’ Japanese-American community for more than four decades, serving as St. Paul’s YWCA adult education director and international program director from 1942-1972 and helping to found the St. Paul-Nagasaki Sister City Committee. During World War II, Tanbara helped more than 100 Japanese American evacuees of West coast internment camps find homes in the Twin Cities. The commemorative artwork was made by HIRO in 2005.

For details, view the triptych in our online collections database.

Plastic hard hat worn by Mike Noonan, CEO of Portable Barge Service, Inc., during the reconstruction of the I35-W Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis following its collapse in August of 2007. The hat bears 15 stickers associated with projects in which Portable Barge Service, Inc. participated.

For details, view the hat in our online collections database.

Sculpture carved in 2002 by artist Perry Carlson from Minnesota oak acquired at Buburl’s on Highway 36 near Stillwater, Minnesota.   To carve the sculpture, Carlson used a Stihl brand chainsaw, chisels, a power sander, and other implements.  The bear holds a removable sign made of kiln-dried wood. Its eyes are marbles, and the entire piece is sealed with Spar brand urethane.

For details, view the sculpture in our online collections database.

Birch bark makak (basket) with floral embroidery made by Rebecca LaFromboise of Redby, Minnesota.  The basket is assembled with basswood (linden) lacing. The exterior edging consists of four evenly spaced birch bark triangles laced to the rim and secured under wood strip reinforcements. The front wall face of the basket is decorated with a floral motif featuring a three-petal flower, one leaf and three curled stem extensions. The motif is embroidered with dyed porcupine quills in shades of red, yellow, light green and dark green.

A card in the basket includes this statement by the artist:

When our Ojibwe ancestor’s [sic] came out of The Big Woods [of] Minnesota and Wisconsin 250 years ago and migrated west onto the Northern Plains of the Dakota’s, they brought with them the ancient art form of birchbark work. These decorative baskets were used for utilitarian purposes. The bark is white birch, the rim is made of ash, and the twine is bass wood fiber. We call these baskets Wigizi Mokok (Birchbark baskets). I and my family are Chippewa from the Turtle MT. Band and reside in Dunseith, N.D. at the heart of Turtle Island, enjoy Megwetch (Thank You).

For details, view the makak in our online collections database.

T.C. Bear bobblehead doll manufactured in 2008. T.C. Bear, introduced in 2000, is the mascot of the Minnesota Twins baseball team, whose season starts today (April 6, 2012).

Coffee pot sculpture by Minneapolis-based artist Carolyn Halliday, 2001.  The sculpture is made of knitted copper and silver wire with birch bark inserts.  Small glass beads in shades of green, tan and brown accent the pot’s handle and top.  The separable lid also has bead accents and a birch bark insert.  Lacquer has been applied to stiffen the pot’s shape.

Ceramic plate made by St. Paul artist Kirk Lyttle, 2008.

28-piece plastic baking set includes cake candies, eggs, butter, chocolate chips, cake mixes, milk, measuring spoons, a spatula, a mixing bowl, a mixing spoon, and more. Manufactured for General Mills, Incorporated of Minneapolis, Minnesota by Creative Designs International, Limited, Feasterville, Pennsylvania. Made in China; copyright 2005.

For more details, view the baking set in our online collections catalog.

Folding chair used at the 2008 Republican National Convention held in St. Paul at the Xcel Energy Center.  The chair has a steel frame and a padded red seat and back. An adhesive label affixed to its top back reads “Kentucky.”

Glass vessel created by Minnesota artist Douglas Becker in 2005.  The shape of the vessel suggests a strawberry, with clusters of white and pink glass nodules on the surface and additional glass and copper pieces forming a leafy top.