MCAD: A Key Influence in the Legacy of Pioneering Painter Orabel Thortvedt | Minneapolis College of Art and Design

MCAD: A Key Influence in the Legacy of Pioneering Painter Orabel Thortvedt

April 11, 2025
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Orabel Thortvedt with painting of her grandfather

The artistic legacies of Annie Stein and Orabel Thortvedt, two pioneering women artists of the Red River Valley, have gained renewed recognition in recent years.

Thortvedt’s journey, in particular, was significantly shaped by her education at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, where she refined her techniques, studied under accomplished artists, and expanded her artistic repertoire.

During her time in Minneapolis, Thortvedt painted commissioned portraits for high-profile clients and exhibited her work at the Minnesota State Fair in 1934. After her parents’ deaths, Thortvedt took over the role as family historian, leading her to contribute both to the visual arts and historical preservation.

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The Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) acknowledges it is located on traditional, ancestral, and contemporary lands of Indigenous people. This is the ancestral homeland of the Dakota and Ojibwe people, who were forcibly exiled from the land because of aggressive and persistent settler colonialism. We recognize that this place has a complex and layered history. As a community dedicated to creativity, MCAD is committed to ongoing efforts to support and advocate for American Indian Nations and peoples.


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