In spring 2021, North Dakota Council on the Arts and the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) began a partnership through Arts Across the Prairie - Placemaking in Rural North Dakota, NDCA’s statewide project to bring large-scale public artwork to North Dakota’s eight regions. Bill Panos, NDDOT Director at that time, said “Although people usually associate the NDDOT with license plates, roads and plows, we’re much more." “Creativity is engrained in everything we do – from engineering to design to the way we serve the public. We’re happy to partner with NDCA to make art more accessible to all North Dakotans.”
Jump to 2022, new NDDOT Director Ron Henke and NDCA Executive Director Kim Konikow met to discuss more ideas on how to incorporate art in public locations, such as highway rest stops. Being familiar with Nicole Gagner's colorful "tiny houses," Konikow wondered how one would look on a much larger scale. After an excited conversation, plans were made to install a "Big House" at the I94 eastbound rest area located on the west side of Jamestown.
Nicole Gagner's Website: PainterNicole.com
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North Dakota Council on the Arts is the state agency responsible for the support and development of the arts throughout North Dakota and is funded by the state legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.