594 - Lynae Hanson & Madelyn Monzelowsky - Dakota Bound: The Rails That Carried Us
Lynae Hanson and Madelyn Monzelowsky are a mother-daughter artist duo from Bismarck, North Dakota. Lynae, a lifelong artist and former Executive Director of Bismarck Art and Galleries Association, works in acrylics, watercolor, linocut, murals, and more. Madelyn, a stay-at-home mom of three, balances family life with her art, creating watercolors, murals, cake decorating, crochet, and other creative projects. Together, they collaborate on pieces celebrating history, family, and community.
When we first started planning Dakota Bound: The Rails That Carried Us, it felt like we were connecting generations–our own family stories, North Dakota's history, and the people who came before us. For me, my great-grandmother Bertha Henning, was a big inspiration. She cooked for the railway crews as a teen and later ran a cafe in Mohall. She was part of what we like to call the “support crew”, the women whose labor and resilience made settlement possible. Seeing her strength reflected in this mural, alongside my grandson’s fascination with trains and our recent family trip across the state, made the project deeply personal.
The mural itself is a tribute to those women and the settlers who shaped our state. At first glance, you see the train in bold teal and orange, barreling across the wall, with five flags representing English, German, Norwegian, Scottish, and Irish settlers, a nod to both our family heritage and the diversity of North Dakota’s early communities. Three concrete projections extend from the wall, each painted with crops that sustained settlers, while above, a sky of expansive blues and clouds stretches into a sunset inspired by North Dakota’s incredible skies. The year 1889 anchors the piece, marking statehood, while two mother/daughter duos stand strong, reflecting the enduring contributions of women.
The process was a patchwork of short, two-hour sessions, juggling childcare, weather challenges, and even some unpredictable alleyway visitors. We worked in tandem, filling in where the other hesitated. We adapted to concrete grooves, and even learned to drive a lift via FaceTime tutorials! Laughing through it all, painting together transformed what could have been hard work into a joyful collaboration.
We hope viewers take a moment to look closely, noticing the details, the colors, the stories, and to feel the connection between past and present. We also invite you to explore more of our work in places such as local galleries or in the Bismarck Art Alley.