Thank you everyone for your interest and votes in our INTERSECT art call, we received amazing community participation from artists and voters. The votes have been tallied and we are excited, and proud, to share the winning art submissions and the artists with you! The art installations will be completed late Summer 2023. Keep an eye out for INTERSECT updates on our website and make sure to stop by to see the INTERSECT and the art!
Bike Ramp Winner
Aleisha Nelson
Aleisha Nelson is a self-taught artist from Shoreview, Minnesota who specializes in unique patterned map artwork and location-inspired designs. She splits her time between Minneapolis, MN and San Francisco, CA working on commissioned art projects for universities, businesses, and individuals. Aleisha spends a lot of time in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis, which is one reason she was particularly interested in submitting a design to be considered for this mural project. While designing her artwork submission, 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. As someone who specializes in map designs, she also wanted to be sure to include a map of the North Loop neighborhood - highlighting its proximity to the Mississippi River, Nicollet Island, and Target Field.
Green Wall Winner
Mari Bebel
Mari Bebel is a local artist and fabricator. She was born and raised in Minnesota and currently resides in the North Loop. Her career started after attending Dunwoody School of Technology. After graduating for welding, she continued to work as professional welder for many years. During those years, her love for creating and building continued to grow, while experimenting with various mediums including metal work. She now combines her artistic ability and fabrication skills to create unique works of art. She enjoys creating vibrant and playful art, finding inspiration in retro color schemes, patterns, and her surroundings. The butterflies in her design represent the rebirth of the North Loop. Butterflies, particularly monarchs are a fixture of Minnesota gardens, which tie into the overall theme of the green wall and green roof of this project. The design intends to bring the project scope and the spirit of the North Loop together, with the goal of it becoming a life of its own. In time, everyone seeing the butterflies will know they’ve arrived in the North Loop!
