CHATFIELD, MN, October 22, 2026 — Hundreds of Chatfield area residents have turned conversations about clean drinking water into two permanent works of public art, and the community is invited to celebrate their creations at two unveiling events.
Created through an artist-in-residence program organized by the Source Water Protection Collaborative, the mosaics will be unveiled at Chatfield City Hall on Monday, October 26, and the Chatfield Center for the Arts on Saturday, November 7. Both receptions are free and open to everyone.
Led by Rochester-based artist Mary Beth Magyar, the project brought together community members of all ages throughout the summer to shape, texture and glaze individual clay tiles depicting the region’s distinctive landscape and the influence it has on drinking water.
“We can’t take for granted that we’ll always have access to safe drinking water, even in Minnesota where fresh water is so plentiful,” said Britta Dornfeld, senior partnership manager at Environmental Initiative, which facilitates the Collaborative. “The choices we make on the land affect the water we drink. Public art gives us a creative way to start those conversations, bring different voices together and encourage people to think about what they can do locally to protect drinking water.”
Magyar — who is an artist, educator, organizer and recipient of the Rochester Mayor’s Medal of Honor for Arts and Cultural Achievement — kicked off the project by gathering community input to shape plans for the two mosaics.
“Chosen Valley,” located at Chatfield City Hall, draws from the building’s art deco details to showcase the local fish and plant life that depend on clean water.
At the Chatfield Center for the Arts, “The Seasons of Chatfield” features a river running through each of the four seasons.
Chatfield residents and those from nearby communities joined Magyar for a series of tile-making events at schools, senior living facilities, libraries, community gatherings and the Fillmore County Fair. These sessions coupled artmaking with conversations about private well testing, nitrate pollution, responsible fertilizer practices, native plantings, natural geology’s impact on drinking water and practical steps to protect drinking water.
“When someone creates a tile that ends up alongside their neighbor’s, the mosaic becomes more than a piece of art. It’s something the community made together,” said Magyar. “Every tile represents someone who contributed. Together, they tell a story about the land and water we all share.”
The community is invited to attend two public unveiling receptions to get a first look at the completed mosaics.
- “Chosen Valley” — Chatfield City Hall: Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in the building’s lower level.
- “The Seasons of Chatfield” — Chatfield Center for the Arts: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at 5 p.m. in the building’s atrium.
The Collaborative hopes to bring similar artist-in-residence projects to additional Minnesota communities in 2027 and 2028. Individuals and organizations interested in supporting future projects can contact Dornfeld, with Environmental Initiative, at bdornfeld@environmental-initiative.org.
This work is made possible in part by Minnesota voters through a legislative appropriation from the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund to the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council. Additional support was provided by the Minnesota Department of Health through the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
About Environmental Initiative
Environmental Initiative is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Minneapolis that catalyzes collaboration across perspectives, power, and systems for social equity and environmental health. Since 1992, Environmental Initiative has brought people together across sectors to turn dialogue into concrete action that improves Minnesota’s air, land and water. For more information, visit environmental-initiative.org.
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