3D Steel Butterflies, Mural Will Adorn The Side Of New Apartments
The votes have been counted and two local artists have won the competition to create large artworks on the railroad track side of Intersect, the new apartment tower under construction on North 2nd Street behind lululemon.
Over the winter, the building’s developer, CROWE Companies, conducted an Art Call and allowed the community to vote among the finalists for a large mural on a 15-foot retaining wall along the bike path as well as a “living green wall” featuring plants and other artistic features along the ramp that cyclists will use to enter and exit the path.
Mari Bebel, a welder/fabricator who lives in the North Loop, came up with the winning green wall entry. According to a release from CROWE, the 3D steel butterflies in her design represent the rebirth of this neighborhood. “In time, everyone seeing the butterflies will know they’ve arrived in the North Loop!” the company wrote.
The winning mural design is from Aleisha Nelson who splits her time between Minneapolis and San Francisco. “She wanted to create something that embodied the many different characteristics of the North Loop area – bike rides along the river, the Minneapolis skyline always showing off in the distance, the many retail stores, workout studios, coffee shops, breweries, bars, and restaurants lining the streets, the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes, and of course the historic Grain Belt Beer sign that you see every time you cross the Hennepin Avenue Bridge,” the company said.
The two artworks are expected to be complete by late this summer.
By Mike Binkley, North Loop volunteer