—Bob Dylan, 1963
"11 Outlined Epitaphs"
—Bob Dylan, 1963
"11 Outlined Epitaphs"
A look back at what we accomplished—with your help—in 2021.
The Hibbing Dylan Project is a non-profit organization made up of volunteers, dedicated to creating a public work of art in Bob Dylan’s hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota. This inspirational space pays tribute to the body of work spanning Bob Dylan’s career, which ultimately led to him being named as the Nobel Laureate in Literature for 2016.
In Bob Dylan’s Nobel Lecture to the Swedish Academy, he mentioned how he “got to wondering exactly how my songs related to literature” and then proceeded to connect it back to the lessons and experiences he had as a teenager at Hibbing High School. He said, “I had the principles and sensibilities and an informed view of the world. And I had had that for a while. Learned it all in grammar school.”
Our intention is to create a space for people to sit and “get to wondering” about the many ways Bob Dylan’s musical career has influenced their lives. Truly, the line connecting Bob Dylan’s education and life in Hibbing to where he is in life today is much shorter than anyone ever imagined.
This public work of art gives Hibbing High School students a place to aspire to continue the songwriting tradition that started long before Robert Zimmerman became Bob Dylan. It is an open-air space fostering the arts by providing a platform for poetry and theatrical readings, as well as solo and small group musical performances.
It is a destination for passionate Dylan fans making the pilgrimage to Hibbing, hoping to gain a deeper sense of understanding of the man and his works.
The Bob Dylan Tribute was constructed along Bob Dylan Drive, the Seventh Avenue East side of Hibbing High School in 2021. It features a bronze chair, set against a steel backdrop etched with lyrics from Bob Dylan’s songs.
The street side of the wall was constructed of the same brick and stone as the high school and complements the building’s architecture.
The bronze chair sits in the plaza’s center and faces the school as an open invitation for students to dream, wonder and aspire to carry on the tradition Dylan started in Hibbing. Eventually, someone will have to fill that chair—who will carry on Dylan’s legacy?
This tribute also serves as a small open-air stage and amphitheater for students and teachers to utilize. Hibbing Dylan Project’s intention is to create an educational space for poetry readings, speeches, and choir and band performances.
Monetary donations of any amount will help support the creation of educational and inspirational opportunities. All donations are tax-deductible. Follow this link, or you may mail a check to:
Hibbing Dylan Project
PO Box 61
Hibbing, MN 55746
Checks may be made payable to Hibbing Dylan Project.
The Hibbing Dylan Project's mission is to create a public work of art celebrating Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan and to provide educational and inspirational opportunities.
Hibbing, Minnesota
