Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Art Gateway dedication is Aug. 1

On Sunday, Aug. 1, the City of Minneapolis will dedicate a new and unique neighborhood art gateway in the Marcy Holmes neighborhood. What makes this gateway unique is the open-air art exhibit that includes 23 historic homes and landmarks in the neighborhood, recreated as miniature bronze sculptures. The neighborhood gateway was created by sculptor Aldo Moroni and is intended to capture some of the past and present history of the neighborhood.

The dedication is scheduled for:

The dedication will feature a performance by local musician Dan Turpenine and refreshments will be served.

The Marcy-Holmes Gateway Project was commissioned by the City of Minneapolis Minneapolis Public Works. It is one of 16 other neighborhood gateways commissioned by the Art in Public Places Program that have been dedicated in the past 14 years. Two other gateways will be dedicated later this year at Seward and Hawthorne neighborhoods.

Moroni is best known for his fanciful, off-kilter depictions of buildings and landscapes. For this project, he traveled through Marcy-Holmes, carving community buildings in wax. Later, he transformed the wax models into bronze and they rest on 23 brick columns, each approximately 50 inches in height, to form Sixth Avenue Stroll, the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood Gateway.

Moroni was selected from among 22 applicants. His past commissions include pieces for the Ninth District Federal Reserve Bank, Theatre de le Jeune Lune and the Hiawatha Light Rail Transit program. Moroni and the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood worked closely with local author Penny Petersen and her publication, Hiding in Plain Sight, to choose the 23 landmarks included in the project. They range from the Fisk House on 5th Street, to Florence Court on the border of Dinky Town, to the River Gorge of the Mississippi. A self-guided tour flier of all 23 artworks and landmarks will be available at the dedication.

For more information about the dedication, call the Art in Public Places program at (612) 673-3006.

July 28, 2004

Published Jul. 27, 2004