John Rood was a gifted sculptor of wood, marble, and with the torch. A client of Charlie Bellows, Rood’s death became the inspiration of the Best & Flanagan art collection. Bellows, partner from 1946-1993, worked with the Art Lending Gallery, now the Groveland Gallery, to build on the Rood cornerstone and acquire works from Minnesota and other Midwestern artists, in diverse media. 

The genesis of the collection, in 1974, coincided with the firm’s move from the First National Bank Building to the brand new, landmark IDS Center. The move symbolized a new start in the modern era and matched the optimism of Best & Flanagan’s flourishing business.

Artists represented in the collection include Cameron Booth, Peter Busa, Eric Austen Erickson, Theresa Handy, Mike Lynch, and Carl Oltvedt. Collected media includes oil and acrylic paintings, ink and pastel drawings, lithographs and photographs, prints and watercolors.

We are excited to announce the addition of “Tomorrow: Twin Cities” by seangarrison to our collection as an expression of who we are as a firm and a reminder of our commitment to the community. Sean G. Phillips (seangarrison) is a writer and abstract painter whose paintings and prose reflect the various aspects of the African American existence and experience in America. “Tomorrow: Twin Cities” is one of eight panels from the Heaven or Hell  live painting experience on August 13, 2021, and captures the emotion of possibility for our tomorrows to be better than our yesterdays.

The collection continues to grow, and provides a personal touch to our high-quality law practice.