A Dell Rapids graduate had a significant role in the new Corn Palace mural designs. Chloe Solberg, a sophomore at Dakota Wesleyan University, was part of a team from DWU’s Digital Media and Design department that helped design nine different murals for the Corn Palace in Mitchell. The new murals will be made out of corn and grain and will be installed this summer and fall. The designs were announced about a month ago.
Solberg, a Graphic Design major, just completed her freshman year at Dakota Wesleyan this past spring. During her freshman year, she did work study for Digital Media and Design Professor Kyle Herges. During her work study, she created sports posters, homecoming t-shirt designs, and club organization posters.
“I really loved being a part of the work study because he (Herges) put me right into Graphic Design projects that really exposed me to experiences I needed as a freshman to set myself apart from my peers,” said Solberg.
The other big project that Professor Herges assigned to Solberg was working on the Corn Palace murals. Solberg helped create three of the designs on the computer, Mt Rushmore, Iwo Jima, and Saluting Half-staff with the Sunset. Along with digitally working on those designs, Solberg also helped to other students, Isabelle Barraza and Liam LaFrance, by applying the big 10-foot by 30-foot designs on the mural paper.
“I helped grid out the designs and draw out some of the designs. IT was quite a big project, and it took a few months, but in the end when we were all done, we were so satisfied with our outcome. I hope our designs can hit home with our veterans, because we were very honored to take on this project to represent our country and veterans. I cannot wait to see them up outside the Corn Palace, and I hope the Dell Rapids community can take a drive to Mitchell to see my designs!” Solberg said.
Solberg was also involved in other campus activities. She’s involved as a Student Ambassador and campus ministries such as Monday Night Freshmen Ministry, Thursday Campus Chapel, and Worship Under the Stars.