Twins and Minnesota Ballpark Authority to unveil the newest Target Field public art installation
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – Continuing a ballpark tradition, the Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Ballpark Authority (MBA) today will unveil the newest public art installation at Target Field: A 66-foot-long glass mosaic on the 7th Street side of Target Plaza (near Gate 29) that showcases the themes “All Are Welcome at Target Field” and “Celebrating Our Community’s Rich Diversity.” Designed by the renowned Minneapolis duo of mosaic artist Daniela Bianchini and muralist Kalaka, and comprised of thousands of individual glass pieces, this majestic mural brings 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. “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. “We are very excited about Daniela and Kalaka’s extraordinary work and the vibrancy the new mural adds to the plaza.”
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.
Bianchini and Kalaka were selected from a group of 16 Minnesota-based artists and duos who responded to the Twins’ and MBA’s initial request for proposals in September 2021. Five finalists were chosen to submit a detailed proposal and subsequent interview with a selection committee comprised of select Twins front office and MBA staff, along with an MBA Commissioner representative. Bianchi and Kalaka were awarded the project in November 2021; the design was finalized in January and work on the mosaics began that month. Installation on Target Plaza was completed this week.
A list of other notable Target Field public art installations can be found on the next page.
About Daniela Bianchini
Daniela Bianchini, a native of Córdoba, Argentina, who moved to Minnesota 20 years ago at the age of 19 and fell in love with the state, believes that creativity and art – especially mosaic art – has the potential to bring people together to create amazing things. Daniela has an enthusiasm, passion and excitement for mosaics, a medium she believes brings experiences, places, people and colors together. While she has participated in exhibitions and art shows, Daniela’s goal is to use her artistic passion to create mosaic murals that beautify public spaces, promote the arts and express culture for everyone to enjoy.
About Kalaka
Kalaka – a painter, muralist and illustrator – was born in Chile but, along with his parents, was exiled at an early age to Venezuela. He has a degree in Literature from the Central University of Venezuela, while he studied illustration and graphic art at the Escola de Comic Joso in Barcelona, Spain. Kalaka’s family history within social and political militancy, together with the impact generated by the urban art movement in Barcelona, guided his work towards the urgent and timely intervention of public space; thus, his path to becoming a contemporary muralist. Kalaka’s work can be seen on city walls around the world, including in Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, France, Germany, Mexico, Peru, Spain, the United States and Venezuela. His illustrations have appeared in four published books, two of them for children. Currently, Kalaka is developing art for a book of stories by the Spanish singer and composer Amparo Sánchez, while co-creating public art with the mosaic artist Daniela Bianchini. For more information, please visit elkalaka.com.
MAJOR TARGET FIELD PUBLIC ART INSTALLATIONS
Target Field Exterior
The Wave by Ned Kahn (2010)
Affixed to the Target Plaza side of Ramp B, Ned Kahn’s “The Wave” is a 60-foot tall by 600-foot long cable net structure composed of tens of thousands of baseball card-shaped aluminum elements that sway in the wind. The project, which is illuminated by LED lights, was a collaboration between Kahn and landscape architect Tom Oslund and Associates.
5th Street Murals by Craig David (commissioned by the Minnesota Ballpark Authority; 2010)
Created by St. Paul artist Craig David, the three-paneled porcelain mosaic along Target Field’s 5th Street façade celebrates water and sustainability, baseball and transit. “Sustainability Reborn” is eight feet tall and 24 feet wide, while “A History of Minnesota Baseball” and “Transit Then and Now” are each eight feet by 30 feet.
Twins Legends Statues by Bill Mack (2010, 2011, 2012 and 2017)
Designed by Minneapolis-based sculptor Bill Mack, these statues depict some of the greatest influences in Minnesota Twins history: Rod Carew (2010), Harmon Killebrew (2010), Kirby Puckett (2010), Carl and Eloise Pohlad (2010), Tony Oliva (2011), Kent Hrbek (2012) and Tom Kelly (2017).
Golden Glove (2010) and T.C. (2014) Statues by TivoliToo (2010)
Designed by Twin Cities-based TivoliToo in tribute to Twins’ Gold Glove Award winners past, present and future, Target Plaza’s seven-foot by nine-foot Golden Glove statue near Gate 34 has been a fan-favorite photo spot since the ballpark opened in 2010. In 2014, the five-foot-tall statue of beloved Twins mascot T.C. was unveiled on the Plaza’s Gate 29 side.
Target Field Station (2014)
Northstar by Al Price (funded by the Northstar project, managed by the Minnesota Ballpark Authority)
Arizona artist Al Price used stainless steel grilles to create a star shape on the ceiling of Target Field Station. The configuration is based on moiré patterns: when two patterns overlap to create a third that changes as the viewer’s, or pattern’s, position changes.
CityGlyphs by Craig David (commissioned by the Minnesota Ballpark Authority)
The Amphitheater’s seating walls are adorned by three murals showcasing the themes Transit, Sustainability and Gathering; each features universal icons in a contemporary design based on ancient petroglyphs. The concept was created by Craig David in collaboration with team artists Jennifer David and Alan Svoboda.
Curve Ball Fountain by Zoran Mojsilov (commissioned by the Minnesota Ballpark Authority)
Created by Minneapolis sculptor Zoran Mojsilov out granite and stainless steel, this 10-foot by 25-foot by 25-foot water fountain is complemented by marble stones salvaged from the 1890 Metropolitan Building, considered Minneapolis’ first skyscraper.
Custom Bike Loops by Greg Ingraham (commissioned by the Minnesota Ballpark Authority)
Designed by local artist and landscape architect Greg Ingraham, these custom bicycle racks double as transit- and baseball-themed art around Target Field Station.
Truly On Deck (2018)
Twins City by Mary Lim
A designer within Populous Activate, Mary Lim’s “Twins City” spans the walls inside Truly On Deck’s glass elevator shaft and combines the dual nature of Minneapolis and St. Paul into one landscape in celebration of the Twins brand and community.
Northern Lights by Adam Turman
“Northern Lights” by Minneapolis-based illustrator Adam Turman uses its namesake nature light show, along with oversize evergreen trees, to dominate the background of Truly On Deck’s two-story mural celebrating Twins and National Baseball Hall of Famers Bert Blyleven, Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew and Kirby Puckett, along with the club’s 1987 and 1991 World Series championships.
Pennant and Opening Day by Forrest Wozniak
Forrest Wozniak, a Minneapolis native and lifelong Twins fan, painted the iconic “Opening Day” on the Main Concourse adjacent to Truly On Deck’s entrance, along with “Pennant,” which brings the joy of victory to the restaurant’s main stairwell.
5,278 Swings by Jenny Zannata
Twin Cities native Jenny Zannata, who specializes in crating unique visual experiences that come to life in unexpected ways, did just that with “5,728 Swings.” Using the barrels of as many bats as in the name – some blue, some red and some tan – Zannata created a two-paneled piece that, on one wall, has a three-dimensional representation of the Twins’ iconic “TC” mark and, on the other, a 3D version of the Major League Baseball logo.