Slow Down for Art..another cool traffic calming project from the neighborhood that brought you "Paint the Pavement"

Last night, driving on Thomas Avenue in my Hamline-Midway neighborhood, I started noticing all of these random signs posted in the boulevards. I thought they were some interesting art project, perhaps sponsored by J&S coffee shop. Then I saw the Pioneer Press today and learned that they are part of a traffic calming effort devised by local artist Steven Woodward and coordinated with the Department of Public Works. From the article:

"Woodward said he chose images that are meant to convey — in a matter of seconds — the following information: People live here. These are people's homes. You should slow down...For example, a series of the signs is of a mother and child — an image he said should obviously evoke a sense of serenity and safety in drivers' minds. "You see a mother and child. What says protectiveness better than that?" he asked."

Check out the signs on Hamline Avenue between Charles and Blair and on Thomas Avenue between Pascal and Griggs. And while you're at it, check out the Paint the Pavement projects in our neighborhood too.

Images Copyright © by Steven Woodward. Read more here.

Drinking, Sidewalk Writing, and Spelling

I'm tying together two rather unrelated items in today's post, but since they both involve words, I feel OK about it. In my younger years, bar trivia was perhaps the best way to use your intellect while quaffing a beer or cocktail. Now it seems that the folks at the 331 Club in Minneapolis are going to host the Second Drunken Spelling Bee (which they are now billing as the "Grown Up Spelling Bee.") I actually followed the results of the first one back in early February and read with amusement the winner's chronicles on her blog. Spelling multi-syllabic words after requisite inter-round drinks is a serious feat--especially in this age of spellcheck. Even though I'm way too old and maternal for an event like this, I'm amused by the concept and expect that in America's most literate city, our winners could go national!

A less intoxicating event is going on here in St. Paul. Public Art Saint Paul and Saint Paul’s Department of Public Works are looking for residents to enter a sidewalk poetry contest – “Everyday Poems for City Sidewalk.” The project will permanently install short poems on city sidewalks. Up to 20 contest winners will receive $150 and citywide honor for their work. Submissions due by April 25. Information and guidelines are at: www.everydaysidewalk.org

So find your inner poet and be memorialized!

Image: Lauren Sanford.

Start Seeing Art

Thanks to Metroblogging Twin Cities for highlighting Start Seeing Art, a great interactive website with a map and linked photos identifying public art all over the Twin Cities metro area. You can contribute to the website by helping to identify unknown artwork. And it's more free cool stuff to check out on your next drive to wherever in the metro.

image: Stella Salon mural in Columbia Heights by John Grider.

Minneapolis has an official Artist in Residence

I stumbled on this the other day and thought it was really cool. The Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development Department hired Seitu Jones as the city's Artist in Residence for a 12-14 month term that started last year. His job is to design public art for the city's major transit corridors. I'm not sure if any of his design ideas have been implemented yet, but you can check them out in this presentation, here.

Image: Larry Kanfer.

Minneapolis' Own Maya Lin

Many of you may know this already, but if you don't let me share a little, tucked away urban secret. If you head to the Ameriprise building at 901 Third Avenue South in downtown Minneapolis you can check out a vintage Maya Lin (of Vietnam Veteran's Memorial fame) installation. It is called "the character of a hill, under glass" and is a winter garden in the lobby of this office building. It was built in 2000. The most defining feature is the wall of water that flows down the exterior windows into a pond--all of which freezes this time of year. It's always a treat to find an artistic treasure in an unexpected place.
Images: Stanford University.

Two Great Things that Go Great Together = Art + Parks

Back in the tepid fall, we took a little trip to the suburbs, Eagan to be exact, to visit the Caponi Art Park. The park is located on retired Macalester College arts professor and accomplished sculptor Anthony Caponi's property (along with his home and his studio.) There are wonderful sculptures tucked into the woods and along hillsides that turn a walk into a surprise scavenger hunt. In a 2006 interview with MPR, Professor Caponi sums up quite nicely what is so wonderful about this combination:

"I believe that's what's missing in most exhibits is the sense of discovery," Caponi says.

We haven't visited Western Sculpture Park the lesser-known sculpture garden of the Twin Cities. I've driven by it many times, amazed that it is there, and wonder how many other people never knew that it existed. It's just west of the State Capitol complex, off of Marion Avenue, in St. Paul. This link will take you to a handy guide to the park.

Image: http://www.mnsinfonia.org/images/camponi.jpg

Buses, Trains, and Art?

When the Hiawatha line was in the midst of construction, Metro Transit launched its first foray into public art. But there doesn't seem to be any sort of on-going effort to bring artistic design to the transit system. I know, I know. Folks are probably thinking that the last thing our cash-strapped transit agency needs to do is spend money on public art, but take a look at some of these incredible examples in other parts of the country and think of how cool your bus/light rail stop and vehicles could be!

No surprise that New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority has an amazing public art program--ranging from poetry on subway cars, murals and mosiacs in stations, and even a sponsored performing arts series!


TRI-MET, the transit operator in Portland, OR, also has a great public art program that's focused on "celebrating the contributions of public transportation and recognizing the cultural richness in the region."


Dallas, Texas, which is a southern mecca for art to begin with, has also done it up when it comes to the DART system. Not only do they have art at 38 stations, they've also got this high-tech online tourbook that shows you the art at each station.


Los Angeles, despite rumors of being the place where residents love cars more than anything else, has invested heavily in the public art in the Metro system. They sponsor free art tours and have a free art guide if you want to take the tours yourself.

All images taken from the respective transit agency's public art websites.

Sculptures, Murals, Mosiacs, Oh My!

We went to the University UNITED annual awards ceremony the other night and learned about a really cool organization called FORECAST Public Artworks. While they've got a national following, they do amazing things here in the Twin Cities. Each year they commission 8 - 10 to MN artists to create public artworks. They've also been focused specifically on bringing public art to University Avenue in St. Paul. Take a look at some of the funky pieces they've commissioned in the past.

Red Alert
Al Wadzinski, 2003
Goodwill Easter Seals, University @ Cromwell

Out of the Woods
Marica McEachron, 2002
Episcopal Homes, University @ Fairview

Forged Roots
Lisa Elias, 2004
Security Building, Raymond @ University

All Images from FORECAST Public Artworks