Client: City of Bloomington, MN

Overview

For the South Loop District in Bloomington, MN artist Donald Lipski created a larger than life songbird, the American Goldfinch, that can be found perched atop a new sign welcoming all to the South Loop District. The songbird is a nod to the neighboring Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, home to many migrating birds as well as birdwatchers who travel to see a variety of species, including the American Goldfinch represented in Lipski’s final sculpture. The songbird also represents other forms of migration and travel via the nearby MSP International Airport as well as immigration which helps to increase and to diversify Bloomington’s population.

Goals

The goal for this project was to create a welcoming sign for the South Loop District that celebrates the community. Community members contributed to the project by casting their votes for the songbird they'd like to see featured perched atop the sign. With the help of experts at the neighboring Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Lipski suggested 10 different songbirds, and the public cast their votes with the American Goldfinch as the winner.

Process

Public Art Services was invited by artist Donald Lipski to oversee the design, engineering, fabrication and installation for this project. Collaborative partners include: Elmendorf/Geurts, Christopher Collins, and the FAST Corporation.