the mississippi

by Vernal Bogren Swift

Vernal Bogren Swift’s relationship with the Mississippi begins at a little creek that runs through her farm in Bovey, Minnesota, before joining the river a few miles beyond. But the story of the Mississippi she brings to life in this lively work stretches back into deep time, before the river was born. Ice, fossils, and limestone bedrock precede the arrival of ancient creatures, Sandhill Cranes and Paddlefish—the oldest surviving species in North America, which Bogren Swift ate growing up in the Missouri Ozarks. The artist drew from multiple influences to create her artwork, from the personal to the historical.