November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 40

and Play
Infusing
How birds inspired St. Paul, Minnesota's newly
transformed Western Sculpture Park
By Teresa Morrissey
I
n the historic Rondo neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota, a new
art-driven playground now serves as a symbol of hope and joy to children
and families who reside there. Constructed during the height of the coronavirus
(COVID-19) pandemic, the recently transformed Western Sculpture
Park is a space the surrounding community has cherished and frequented
for years. The new design features bright colors, a flourishing maple tree, new
playground equipment - and most notable of all, three large sculptures of
" Birds at Play. " At the community dedication of the new play space, a thirteenyear-old
boy who lives along the park stated, " This just makes me feel happy. "
Nestled between apartment
buildings that are home to many
immigrant
and
refugee
families
from Mexico, Somalia, South African
nations and Southeast Asia,
Western Sculpture Park has traditionally
been a place for residents of
all ages to gather and play. But after
years of use, the park - in particular
the 26-year-old play area - was
overdue for an update. Owned by
40 Parks & Recreation | NOVEMBER 2 0 2 1
the City of Saint Paul, renovations
at Western Sculpture Park came to
fruition through a two-year collaboration
between the city and Public
Art Saint Paul, a nonprofit organization
that has curated sculptures
for this park since 1998, along with
infusing artistic flair, inspiration
and imagination into public places
throughout the community.
Art increasingly has been used
| PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
in parks to create deeper and more
meaningful connections between
communities and public spaces.
Incorporating art into seemingly
unexpected places can create a site
that
is meaningful and personal
while connecting park visitors to
one another.
An Artistic Vision
Comes Into Play
" We had our eye on the playground
for a while, so when Saint Paul Parks
and Recreation reached out about
breathing new life into the space, we
jumped at the opportunity, " says Bianca
Pettis, the artist behind the concept
for " Birds at Play. " Pettis worked
closely with Aaron Dysart and Sieng
Lee from Public Art Saint Paul to reenvision
the
former
playground,

November 2021 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2021 - Parks & Recreation

November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - Intro
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - Cover1
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - Cover2
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 1
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 2
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 3
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 4
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 5
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 6
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 7
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 8
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 9
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 10
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 11
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 12
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 13
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 14
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 15
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 16
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 17
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 18
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 19
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 20
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 21
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 22
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 23
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 24
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 25
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 26
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 27
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 28
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 29
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 30
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 31
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 32
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 33
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 34
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 35
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 36
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 37
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 38
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 39
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 40
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 41
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 42
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 43
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 44
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 45
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 46
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 47
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 48
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 49
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 50
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 51
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 52
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 53
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 54
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 55
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 56
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - Cover3
November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - Cover4
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https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2021
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