Wilder Gateway

As part of my ongoing work for the City of St. Paul I was asked to construct a sculptural gateway for the Wilder Recreation Center playground. The Center is located in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood and houses City Academy High School — the first charter school in the United States. My original commission was to build a gateway arch for the Park, but I soon found the neighborhood wanted to add an informational kiosk for neighborhood information. I decided to add another kiosk to balance the formal composition and to provide an info space for the school. I also wanted the opportunity to work with City Academy students on the project. None of this extra work was funded by the original budget, so I applied for and was awarded a Knight Foundation matching grant which enabled me to do this work. City Academy staff and students designed and installed a wonderful planting bed with flowering vines which will eventually create a "green" column at the Gateway's left leg. It was a joy to work with them! 2017.