Tucked away in a quiet corner of Blandin Foundation, a chair sits under Charles Blandin’s own antique, crystalline chandelier, placed as a reminder of his lifetime of achievements, his papermill, and the foundation that bears his name. In his life, Blandin was known for his generosity toward bettering his community in the Grand Rapids area. To continue his work posthumously, he requested in his will that all profits from Blandin Paper Company be put into a foundation to fund community needs. Since then, Blandin Foundation has grown as a beacon of hope for a brighter future for all rural Minnesotans. In 2022, the foundation hired Widseth to redesign and renovate their office. They are dedicated to honoring Charles Blandin’s legacy and generosity, not only through the celebration of his life and the historical preservation of his organizations, but by making connections with cultural identities and ideologies.
Inside Blandin Foundation, an interactive display teaches visitors about the man behind the name, as well as how his papermill and the foundation were formed. As a nonprofit organization whose mission is to connect communities in rural Minnesota and Native nations, Blandin Foundation believes that equity and diversity will change rural Minnesota for the better. They wanted to express their movement through the design of their building, bringing in the outside world while also giving homage to the eponymous Blandin.
Having a distinct, angular structure left ample opportunities to showcase the nature and culture in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Every space inside is artistically utilized, from the floors to the ceilings. The walls of the hallways and ancillary spaces are all decorated in some capacity. The top floor walls have a black-and-white map of the Mississippi River spanning the entire hallway, while the middle floor walls sport an in-color map of the Iron Range cities. Similar to these maps, there is a “memory graph” from 1937 depicting Grand Rapids in 1887, featuring hand-drawn deer, moose, and trees, along with a boat, the Mississippi River, streets, and landmarks. Following Widseth’s master plan, Blandin Foundation is commissioning local artists to decorate two more of their walls, one with a traditional log stack and the other with a felt-based design in their atrium.
The foundation is especially supportive of Indigenous people, art, and ideologies, which is why the interior design focuses strongly on natural textures, colors, and feelings, as well as using their newly built art gallery to display the works of local Indigenous artists. A river trail works as a transitionary design to welcome the outside world in, running around the exterior building and in through the door. From there, water accents are found throughout the building, like the entrance’s ceiling, light fixtures, and the bright blue furniture and floors. Nature takes over in the atrium with an abstract style, including a mossy green carpet, a large planter, and a pebble trail that guides visitors’ way. Along with all the woody references to the Blandin Paper Company—such as an acoustic ceiling hanging in the shape of abstract logs and a conference table that resembles a tree—the inside exhibits many natural resources from outside.
With the help of Widseth’s interior design team, Blandin Foundation now resides in a building full of nature and inspiration, celebrating the legacy that Charles Blandin left behind and the culture they lift up.
