Joe O’Connell (1927-1995) was a Minnesota-based printmaker, photographer, and sculptor, creating more than 100 large-scale works in wood, metal, and stone during his career. He spent more than 35 years as a professor of art and artist-in-residence at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University.
Since his death in 1995, the College of St. Benedict has been the home of the Joe O’Connell Collection – housing many original pieces, along with negatives, plates, molds, sketches and personal correspondence. Approximately 25 prints and sculptures are on permanent display across the central Minnesota campus.
In 1976, the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis commissioned a sculpture for the atrium of their 1951 Long & Thorshov building, after a bequest from the estate of longtime member, Helen E. Blaisdell. The sculpture was designed and created by Joe O’Connell and installed in 1978.
The sculpture itself was an 8-panel relief, carved in mahogany and embellished with forged iron. At the time, the sculptural motifs sought to express the essential spirit of Unitarian-Universalism; incorporating ecclesiastical imagery from a variety of faith traditions.
Shortly after installation, two of the panels bearing the first line of a sonnet by Gerald Manley Hopkins were damaged by vandals. The damaged panels were removed, and the remaining six panels hung in the building’s foyer for more than 40 years. The fate of the damaged panels was unknown.
The sculpture itself was an 8-panel relief, carved in mahogany and embellished with forged iron. At the time, the sculptural motifs sought to express the essential spirit of Unitarian-Universalism; incorporating ecclesiastical imagery from a variety of faith traditions.
Shortly after installation, two of the panels bearing the first line of a sonnet by Gerald Manley Hopkins were damaged by vandals. The damaged panels were removed, and the remaining six panels hung in the building’s foyer for more than 40 years. The fate of the damaged panels was unknown.
Fast-forward to the Doors Open Minneapolis tour of the First Unitarian Society building in April, 2026:
Furniture-maker and St. John’s alumnus, Willie Willette stopped in to see the sculpture, as he had many times before. As Mr. Willette described, “It is one of my favorite sculptures, by one of my favorite artists. Any time I was in the [Lowry Hill] neighborhood, I tried to visit.”
In this instance, Mr. Willette was surprised to discover that the sculpture had been removed. Willie quickly got in touch with the Facilities Manager at the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis and learned that the sculpture had been removed and put into on-site storage after the members had begun reassessing the art programme across the building. There were no plans to return the sculpture to public display.
Furniture-maker and St. John’s alumnus, Willie Willette stopped in to see the sculpture, as he had many times before. As Mr. Willette described, “It is one of my favorite sculptures, by one of my favorite artists. Any time I was in the [Lowry Hill] neighborhood, I tried to visit.”
In this instance, Mr. Willette was surprised to discover that the sculpture had been removed. Willie quickly got in touch with the Facilities Manager at the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis and learned that the sculpture had been removed and put into on-site storage after the members had begun reassessing the art programme across the building. There were no plans to return the sculpture to public display.
Wasting no time, Willie Willette put his preservationist hat on – he is also a Docomomo US/MN board member – and got in touch with the archivist of the Joe O’Connell Collection at the College of St. Benedict.
Mr. Willette is no stranger to repatriating O'Connell works to the College of St. Benedict. After the 2005 closure of Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church in tiny Delavan, MN, he and his family arranged for the donation of an O'Connell stature of Saint Isidor to be displayed in the Benedicta Arts Center at the college – one of the buildings where Joe O'Connell worked and taught. Indeed, the transfer of the Saint Isidor statue was a deeply personal project – the statue had been commissioned by Mr. Willette's father's family for their home church in Delavan.
After connecting the two parties in May 2026, the Board of Trustees at First Unitarian Society unanimously agreed during their June meeting, to donate the O’Connell sculpture to the College of St. Benedict on the condition that it would be permanently and predominately displayed on the campus.
But what of the missing, vandalized panels?
It turns out – according to Becky Pflueger, the Gallery Manager at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University – the damaged panels were returned to Joe O’Connell to repair. “After the restoration was completed, the First Unitarian Board [of Trustees] ultimately decided not to reinstall the panels, and they have remained at CSB ever since… originally displayed in Sister Colman’s office, a former CSB president and a strong champion of the arts on our campus. After her retirement, the panels were installed on a wall outside the Institutional Advancement and Admission offices in the Schoenecker Building.”
Last week – in coordination with First Unitarian Society, the College of Saint Benedict and Joe O’Connell’s children – Willie Willette personally delivered this favorite piece of sculpture back to the curators at the Joe O’Connell collection, where it will be cleaned and reunited with the restored panels. The full sculpture is set to welcome new students to the College of St. Benedict for generations to come.
Mr. Willette is no stranger to repatriating O'Connell works to the College of St. Benedict. After the 2005 closure of Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church in tiny Delavan, MN, he and his family arranged for the donation of an O'Connell stature of Saint Isidor to be displayed in the Benedicta Arts Center at the college – one of the buildings where Joe O'Connell worked and taught. Indeed, the transfer of the Saint Isidor statue was a deeply personal project – the statue had been commissioned by Mr. Willette's father's family for their home church in Delavan.
After connecting the two parties in May 2026, the Board of Trustees at First Unitarian Society unanimously agreed during their June meeting, to donate the O’Connell sculpture to the College of St. Benedict on the condition that it would be permanently and predominately displayed on the campus.
But what of the missing, vandalized panels?
It turns out – according to Becky Pflueger, the Gallery Manager at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University – the damaged panels were returned to Joe O’Connell to repair. “After the restoration was completed, the First Unitarian Board [of Trustees] ultimately decided not to reinstall the panels, and they have remained at CSB ever since… originally displayed in Sister Colman’s office, a former CSB president and a strong champion of the arts on our campus. After her retirement, the panels were installed on a wall outside the Institutional Advancement and Admission offices in the Schoenecker Building.”
Last week – in coordination with First Unitarian Society, the College of Saint Benedict and Joe O’Connell’s children – Willie Willette personally delivered this favorite piece of sculpture back to the curators at the Joe O’Connell collection, where it will be cleaned and reunited with the restored panels. The full sculpture is set to welcome new students to the College of St. Benedict for generations to come.
Read more about the sculpture, “Panel for Wall, 1978”
Read More about Joe O’Connell and the Joe O’Connell Collection
Read More about Joe O’Connell and the Joe O’Connell Collection
Check back to this page for updates on the reinstallation!
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