Loon lands at Allianz Field

We can’t let this [sculpture] be the only thing that happens here in this Hamline-Midway neighborhood. We have to make sure that we have a thriving community and a thriving neighborhood and a thriving business corner here that augments and compliments this wonderful investment.”

Senator Sandy Pappas

‘The Calling’ comes to us at an important time, and it’s a time right now where we’re called to think about our world. We’re called to think about our city. We’re even called to think about this block that we stand on right now differently than we have before.”

Mayor Carter

Audio

Loon lands at Allianz Field_Matthew Johnson.mp3

“This is the area that I grew up. This is the area that drives Midway and Snelling-University. It’s good to have something that represents and a part of the community,” remarked District 65A Representative Samakab Hussein during the unveiling of “The Calling” on Oct. 17, 2024.
Minnesota United FC owner Bill McGuire and community leaders were present to officially unveil the giant loon sculpture at the corner of University and Snelling avenues. Over 5,000 stainless steel feathers adorn the loon that stands 32.5 feet tall with an 89-foot wingspan. “The Calling” project was funded by the William and Nadine McGuire Family Foundation with the help of the Minnesota State Arts Council and Snelling Midway Redevelopment.
Other local leaders present were State Senators Sandy Pappas (District 65) and Foung Hawj (District 67). Joining Hussein from the Minnesota House were Leon M. Lillie (44B), Ethan Cha (47B), and Kaohly Vang Her (64A). St. Paul Council members Anika Bowie (Ward 1) and Mitra Jalali (Ward 4) were both present, along with Mayor Melvin Carter.
Mayor Carter reflected, “As we think about just the phrase ‘Minnesota united’ that is the calling that this block, that this parcel of land represents.” He added, “’The Calling’ comes to us at an important time, and it’s a time right now where we’re called to think about our world. We’re called to think about our city. We’re even called to think about this block that we stand on right now differently than we have before.”
Senator Pappas also emphasized the surrounding neighborhood: “We can’t let this [sculpture] be the only thing that happens here in this Hamline-Midway neighborhood. We have to make sure that we have a thriving community and a thriving neighborhood and a thriving business corner here that augments and compliments this wonderful investment.”

International Artist Andy Scott
McGuire said that after he and then Mayor Chris Coleman had discussed the bus barn site around 2014-2015, he met with Senator Lillie and Representative Hawj about including public art in the development. McGuire and his team were impressed by The Kelpies, a metal sculpture of two large horse heads in Falkirk, Scotland. The artist was Andy Scott. Scott would join McGuire on Zoom meetings. These later included Minnesota-based Mortenson Construction, who laid the foundations and executed the landscaping around the sculpture.
Scott recounted, “I looked at a wider subject matter and come up with the notion of the loon as being representative of the state, and by coincidence, I know now is also the emblem of the soccer team.”
McGuire echoed this: “We did not tell him what the sculpture would be, but said, ‘What could you do? What would you envision that would capture Minnesota?’” McGuire added, “Serendipity: it came out a loon.”
Minnesota United CEO Shari Ballard said, “I think that, from a club perspective, our mission and very genuine focus for the club is to use the platform that is soccer to try to bring people together and inspire and unite the community. While this is not a club initiative, this is very much a Bill-and-Nadine-McGuire initiative, it still has the same thread to it: really trying to use the background that is soccer, and in this case use art as a way to bring the community together and inspire people.”
Before Scott came to Minnesota to oversee the assembly of “The Calling,” he and his wife visited in February. Scott spoke of Saint Paul, “In some ways, it reminded me of Glasgow. The people were super friendly everywhere we went. It was like, ‘Oh, what brings you here?’ and ‘Why you in town?’”

Design, build, tear down, reassemble
Chris Dyson grew up in Scotland and first met Scott there. After they met in Glasgow, both took separate journeys to get to their current homes in Los Angeles. Dyson and Emily Womack now run Dyson-Womack, a company that assists with design and installation of public art. Scott brought drawings and a one-third scale model to Dyson-Womack. Together, Scott, Dyson-Womack, and Nous Engineering worked out the logistics of building, breaking the sculpture into separate pieces, and fitting them on 12 flatbed trucks that traveled from LA to Minnesota.
Dyson said that what struck him was the scale. He stated, “It’s testament to all the people involved, and it’s only as good as the team.... When you do look at these large projects, just to think about the amount of hands and thought and years of time that’s gone towards something of that size is really, really impressive. And I think sometimes we can lose sight that it’s actually individuals, people, workers, that are turning up every day and giving it their all.”
Mayor Carter agreed: “I got a chance to come out here the day it was being assembled here on site, and those crane operators ... it was really a sight to behold. The level of precision that it requires to pick up these giant pieces and put them down and get them placed right in the right spot was really something to behold.”

You cannot please everyone
Scott said, “I don’t make abstract pieces.” He explained, “It’s public, and like anything else in the public realm, you can’t please all of the people all of the time. And I do my very, very best as an artist. I’m very conscious that it’s going to be seen by the widest possible audience. I deliberately make work which is approachable and can be understood by the widest audience of any of any locality.”
Dyson likens a city’s collection of public art to a collection of books in a library. “Public art should be a representation of all of its people, and there’s going to be things that you don’t like in that library and things that you like. But if you actively search out what’s in that library, or through the example of a public art, you’re going to find something that does interest you and does engage you.”

PK’s Place
Another addition to the United Village area intends to engage the public in a different way. On June 20, 2024, PK’s Place, a 16,000-square-foot playground, opened on the east side of the stadium. The playground is a gift from the William and Nadine McGuire Family Foundation and the Minnesota United Football Club. Named after the club’s loon mascot PK, PK’s Place has 25 different activities intended to engage the minds of bodies of all kinds of children.
Odilia Pérez is from Guatemala whose first language is Mam, a Mayan language. She and her family are not Minnesota United fans but live a couple blocks away. She and her children come “three times a week here because this place is beautiful. My children love this park.”
Both PK’s Place and The Calling are open to the public from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.