Dating all the way back to 2004, artists come together every January through February to display creative art experiences that can withstand unpredictable winter weather conditions on a frozen Lake Harriet. Inspired by pop-up ice fishing houses, artists use this temporary setup in the art shanty ‘village’ as a way to interact with the community and show off their art.
Water Resources Center’s Bailey Tangen, Anna Cates, and many other soil enthusiasts, including A. Marcelle Lewandowski, spent a total of four weekends out in the cold on a frozen Lake Harriet displaying their shanty, titled Temporarily not Soil.
The shanty’s name comes from a phrase by the soil scientist Dr. Francis D. Hole: T.N.S., meaning ‘Temporarily Not Soil.’ As Hole put it, as long as we are alive, we are using nutrients that ultimately come from the soil. We are only temporarily not soil - human extensions of it.
“It was especially meaningful to be part of the community during this time, when the city was under a lot of stress,” stated one of the shanty artists, Water Resources Center’s Extension Educator, Bailey Tangen. “People needed joy and connection more than ever and this was one place that people felt safe to show up as themselves, connect with the community, and share joy.”
This shanty integrated art and science communication and served as a fun, immersive learning experience for visitors. When visiting the shanty, viewers were “shrunken down” to the size of a microorganism and explored roots, microbes, invertebrates, and soil as if they truly were living in the soil. This experience was often referred to as “meeting your neighbors” by the shanty building team.
In this exhibit, visitors would learn about their ‘neighbors’ (soil organisms) below ground, and soil hydrometers: soil particle size (texture) and the diversity of soil color. These soils explored by visitors are some of the most impacted by humans but basic data and knowledge on urban soils are still lacking. Some of the urban soil survey team members contributed to the shanty and helped construct the ideas. They included elements that showed human impacts, such as coins found on the ground, a can that had not been recycled, and an intentionally planted carrot. Outside the shanty, visitors would get to draw with crayons made from soil and see four soils from different regions across MN.
As visitors exited the shanty, they came face-to-face with one of the most important soil organisms and engineers - themselves. The main goal for shanty-goers was to enjoy experiencing the wild, wacky world of soil through mild absurdity, but also draw attention to ecological literacy and the concept that we shape land and land shapes us. At its core, the shanty explores connection to land and the idea that we shape land and land shapes us - an idea captured in Aldo Leopold’s line, "When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect."
Tangen first had this idea after visiting the Art Shanty Projects in January 2025. After thoughtfully putting the idea together with the help of a team of soil enthusiasts, they spent much of this past fall building the shanty for the 2026 show. From working late nights and weekends, they gathered many different materials to put together the eight-foot by 12-foot soil house and build the experience of entering the soil.
“We’re not professional artists,” said Tangen. “We are just people who love soil and are excited to tell the world about it.”
Visit Temporarily not Soil at the Carnegie Art Center in Mankato, Minnesota from March 20 - April 4.