One of the joys of a home Minnesota Twins game is experiencing the baseball-themed Target Field public art. This year’s debut: A 66-foot-long glass mosaic on the Seventh Street side of Target Plaza.
The mosaic, shown above, showcases the themes “All Are Welcome at Target Field” and “Celebrating Our Community’s Rich Diversity.” Designed by the Minneapolis duo of mosaic artist Daniela Bianchini and muralist Kalaka, and comprised of thousands of individual glass pieces, this mural is designed to bring many of Minnesota’s cultures and communities together in a colorful expression of unity.
“Of the many things that make Target Field special, our ongoing celebration of public art is one for which the Twins organization is especially proud,” said club President & CEO Dave St. Peter via press release. “From the 5th Street façade to Target Plaza on 7th, inside the ballpark and out, these works represent our game, our team and our community in ways as unique as the artists themselves. Target Field is for everyone, and we are thrilled that our ballpark’s ‘front porch’ will now celebrate the wonderful diversity of our city, state and region – not just on game day, but every day. We are grateful to our partners with the MBA, and applaud Daniela and Kalaka for their amazing vision, energy and talent.”
“When we started designing Target Field, we focused on both building seamless connections to downtown Minneapolis and the North Loop, and creating quality spaces outside the gates to attract people to the ballpark throughout the year,” said MBA Executive Director Dan Kenney via press release. “We are very excited about Daniela and Kalaka’s extraordinary work and the vibrancy the new mural adds to the plaza.”
According to a team press release, “the mosaic mural is as varied and special as the people it represents. Bianchini and Kalaka’s art depicts an inclusive group of fans entering Target Field, with diversity in colors, ethnicities, ages, genders, even vegetation and animals. The artists’ intent is for everyone walking by the mural and into Target Field to feel represented, to have a sense of belonging and of welcome. The piece is bookended on the ballpark side by a sun to symbolize the hope for a bright future and, on the far plaza side, by an individual waving to showcase an open invitation for others to join.”
Target Field public art installations over the years have included various statues of Twins greats (Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew, Kirby Puckett, Carl and Eloise Pohlad, Tony Oliva, Kent Hrbek and Tom Kelly) and The Wave by Ned Kahn–those cool baseball card-shaped aluminum elements affixed to the Target Plaza side of Ramp B that ripple in the wind, among other notable works.
Photo courtesy Minnesota Twins.
