COMMISSIONED INSTALLATIONS The ten pieces of commissioned artwork at Union Depot were created by renowned local, national and international artists. The commissioned works are comprised of large-scale pieces and more approachable pieces—all created to surprise, delight, educate and inspire Union Depot visitors. TWIN WAVES Internationally renowned Pennsylvania native Ray King uses glass, metals, laminating films and other materials to create shifting, dynamic light sculptures that play on concepts of ritual, geometry, technology and color. The two “floating waves in space,” at Union Depot have different personalities by day and by night. At night, the sculptures are illuminated by a computer-controlled system creating an aerial dance of light, color and shadow. By day, natural light and pedestrian movement transform the sculpture’s colors and shape, creating an undulating appearance as if the “front of the station is breathing.” The suspended sculptures, a $200,000 commission, hang in the Head House atrium. TRAINSCAPE Minnesota artists Amy Baur and Brian Bolton of InPlainSight Art studio created a 146-foot ceramic tile and glass prism mural. Trainscape” welcomes visitors in the Carriageway and engages them with the history of Minnesota and Union Depot. Each digitally printed ceramic tile contains a center glass prism to capture and reflect light. “Trainscape” is a $150,000 commission. SIDE TRACK From West Cornwall, Connecticut, Tim Prentice’s delicate and ephemeral wire and metal sculpture was the first major art piece to be installed at Union Depot. It hangs in the newly built Kellogg Entry, where visitors ascend from street level to the historic waiting room. “Side Track”, installed in four 12 X 4 feet sections, is a $200,000 commission. 6 HISTORICAL AND MULTICULTURAL MURALS Ralph Gilbert, a figurative muralist, experienced in painting narratives dealing with diverse cultures and history, completed six separate historic murals for the Waiting Room in late 2014. Topics of the murals include wartime, immigration, orphan train, mail delivery, early settlement and railroad service workers. A $150,000 commission, Gilbert’s murals were chosen from a pool of 69 submissions. INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA ART PLATFORM (IMAP) This commission is organized by Twin Cities-based Northern Lights.mn, and is comprised of a suspended, three dimensional, light animation, 8 1/2 x11 by Jim Campbell (San Francisco), and a participatory story project with custom furniture and Amateur Intelligence Radio (AIR), by Daily tous les jours (Montreal). This $500,000 commission was completed in early 2014. ODE TO MINNESOTA A large collage and resin table, Josie Lewis’ piece features an “all-Minnesota” theme, with a brilliant blue Mississippi River curving through the hundreds of thumb-size images relating to Minnesota history, time, art and culture. This $7,000 commission creates a functional meeting place in Union Depot’s Waiting Room. UNION TABLE Andrew MacGuffie, Noah Keesecker and Peter Haakon Thompson’s “Union Table.” A regulation-size Ping-Pong® table, this creation combines structural steel with artistic elements to present a unique interactive and community art experience. This $13,000 sculpture is equipped with paddles and balls so that any visitors to the Union Depot Waiting Room may enjoy a game, further enhancing the uniqueness of this space. A DREAM OF THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD Lowertown artist Michael Bahl received an $8,000 grant to create mythical “paleo-osteological” creatures that will be displayed in the Concourse. These fantastical creatures have an elaborate story that is unique to the history of Union Depot. TRAIN SEQUENCE Kyle Fokken’s train sequence. This $14,000 commission combines folk-art and toy imagery to create a sequence of three train sculptures for Union Depot’s Waiting Room, depicting a stylized echo of the existing historic terracotta frieze encircling the Waiting Room as well as a look to the future. CAPITAL STORIES Aldo Moroni’s “Capital Stories” is a series of four ceramic sculptures that portray four time periods in St. Paul’s and Union Depot’s history: “Pig’s Eye,” “Jim Hill,” “Cass Gilbert” and “Immigrants.” The sculptures depict development from the original settlement at Pig’s Eye and the railroad days of James J. Hill through the architecture of Cass Gilbert and St. Paul becoming the gateway city for newcomers to this country. Displayed in the concourse, these sculptures were created with an $8,000 public arts grant. OTHER INSTALLATIONS All created by local artists, these colorful artworks add wonder and a sense of playfulness to every Union Depot visit. They’re delightful to look at, engage with and have even turned out to be crowd-pleasing backdrops for selfies and group photos. LITE-BRITE MURAL This larger than life mural lights up Union Depot with over 600,000 Lite-Brite bulbs—making it the largest Lite-Brite in the world, according to Guinness World Records. It took hundreds of volunteers around a month to assemble the Lite-Brite, which stretches 24 feet wide and 9 feet tall. “Forever St. Paul” is lit up within a colorful and bold pattern designed by Ta-coumba T. Aiken, a local Saint Paul artist. This unique art piece started with one big idea and came together thanks to help from the community. The Lite-Brite Mural now hangs in Union Depot’s concourse. SELFIE WALL MURAL This eye-catching mural spans a whopping 80-feet and greets visitors of Union Depot by the entrance in parking lot B near Sibley Street. This bright pop of color completely transformed the parking garage and now provides guests four fun photo backdrops. The mural wall was designed in partnership with marketing and design agency Spot Communications. This unique piece includes a nod to Saint Paul native, F. Scott Fitzgerald, as well as an homage to travel and Minnesota pride. LITTLE FREE LIBRARY The Little Free Library at Union Depot allows travelers and visitors to enjoy a story while waiting or take one for their next adventure. Housed in a creatively designed push-cart train car, it features a rotating selection of books donated by local libraries and the public. In 2018, Little Free Library designated it as a Library of Distinction. Find it on Level 1, either in the Concourse or Head House.
