Artists chosen to install works at Union Depot

Posted at 3:35 PM on August 7, 2012 by Marianne Combs (2 Comments)
Filed under: Architecture, Media, Public Art, Sculpture

The board of the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority has approved the selection of four public art commissions at Union Depot. They are as follows:

• Amy Baur and Brian Boldon of In Plain Sight Art Studio (Minneapolis, Minn.) have been selected to produce a work of art in the carriageway of Union Depot, which will serve as a primary drop off site for those arriving at Union Depot by auto, taxi or accessible transportation services. The artists will use multi-layered digital imagery on ceramic tile and glass to create a mural along the blank 170-foot long wall to welcome the public and engage them in history of the site. ($150,000 commission)

• Ray King (Philadelphia, Penn.) has been selected to create a suspended sculpture in the Great Hall Atrium, which will be visible from the depot's front plaza and from inside the Great Hall. King uses materials such as glass, metals and laminating films to create luminous sculptures that animate the architectural environment. ($200,000 commission)

• Tim Prentice (West Cornwall, Conn.) will create a suspended kinetic sculpture in the newly built Kellogg Entry, where transit riders will ascend from street level to the train deck and historic waiting room. ($200,000 commission)

• Steve Dietz of Northern Lights.mn (Minneapolis, Minn.) will work with a team of artists to create a series of multimedia installations throughout the Union Depot. Dietz is the founder of Northern Spark and previously the Walker Art Center's new media program. ($500,000 commission)

According to Josh Collins, Public Art Administrator for the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority, the RCRRA is investing approximately $1.25 million towards public art at the renovated Union Depot, with 80 percent ($1 million) of those dollars coming from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

The four commissions make up about 85 percent of the overall public art program budget. The RCRRA plans to issue another Call to Artists in the coming months to engage additional artists in projects at Union Depot.

The winning projects were selected from 156 applications by a review panel of artists, art professionals, historic preservationists, project partners and community representatives.

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Comments (2)

I am surprised and a bit saddened 50% of the artists are from other parts of the country...

Posted by Erin Sayer | August 7, 2012 4:06 PM

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I am saddened that nothing was chosen from the Lowertown area or even Saint Paul. With so many artists living in the area this would have been the ultimate spot to showcase local art.

Posted by Amy S. | August 7, 2012 4:31 PM

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