Sculptures in St. Paul honor migration and cultural diversity
After years of delays caused by the pandemic, a trio of towering sculptures blending birds, homes and the neighborhood's diversity has taken flight in St. Paul.
"We did a lot of brainstorming on the theme of migration and started getting a little silly thinking about birds migrating back and forth and people migrating back and forth," said artist Gail Katz-James.
Katz-James and Chistoperaaron Deanes started the project in 2019, envisioning a whimsical yet meaningful tribute to both human and avian migration.
Now complete, the three sculptures stand nearly 10 feet tall at the intersection of West Wheelock Parkway and Nebraska Street.
"We're in a cohort of artists that were selected in 2019 to make five different artworks along Wheelock," said Katz-James. "It's taken a while to get the projects finished because of the pandemic."
The artwork is called "Flock of Houses." Each house is topped with sculpted wings and adorned with native Minnesotan birds — a loon, a blue heron and an eagle — representing the natural rhythm of migration.
"There are different cultures of people that you can find in each one of the houses. I've painted different cultures eating their traditional family meals. There's an African American family, Asian family and Hispanic family," said Deanes, who is the director of ROHO Collective.
Now that it's been erected, the artists hope it will be a mainstay for families to play near and enjoy.
"What I believe that public art is all about is that anyone can encounter it and enjoy it," said Katz-James.
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