NEW ULM ‹ Four locally-made sculptures will be unveiled at 1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1 at the new Watonwon County Library in St. James. After a long search and many suggestions, Minnesota Valley Lutheran art instructor and sculptor Jason Jasperson was chosen to do the work, according to the Friends of the St. James Library. Jasperson created four sculptures that were made at Artstone Company in New Ulm. They were installed at the library earlier this week. The pieces feature people with New Ulm roots.
A life size work depicts a grandfather and grandson, made from photos of retired artist Bill Tacke, formerly of New Ulm (who now lives in the Seattle area) and Jasperson¹s son Teddy. His daughter Maida is also depicted on one of the sculptures. Another piece depicting a young lady reading is a rendition of 2007 MVL graduate Maggie Gleason.
Jasperson recently completed a 30-foot high sculpture of St. Anthony that will be installed at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll, Iowa.

His work has appeared at The Carnegie Art Center and Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, The Albert Lea Art Center and at the Kiesling House, New Ulm.
The Martin Luther College seminary lobby features a painting by Jasperson. It depicts Martin Luther, Martin Chemnitz, and CFW Walther. He has taught art at MVL since 2001. Construction of two new art classrooms recently tripled the size of the MVL art department. “I’m thankful and pleased with all the art support we have at MVL,” Jasperson explained. He earned an Associate of Arts degree from Bethany Lutheran College in 1997 and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2000. Jasperson studied under sculptor Paul Granlund at Gustavus Adolphus College for a semester.