Title: The Great Northern 4-8-4 Mountain Class
Artist: Stanton Sears & Andrea Myklebust
Material: Cast concrete, carved granite and bronze
A block of granite carved (6' 8" x 6’ 8” x 1' 9") into the form of a Great Northern locomotive drive wheel installed on the south platform, and seven low-relief precast decorative panels of a variety of wheel images installed with a bronze of stacked wheel and rim shapes on the north platform.
Low-relief pre-cast concrete panels
Carved granite locomotive drive wheel
Bronze of stacked wheel and rim shapes
Historically, the Union Depot area has been a hub of industrial and commercial activity with various modes of transporting goods, products and people. The artwork at this station, Westgate Station and Raymond Avenue Station represent that history through carved wheels of the vehicles that helped create St. Paul. Union Depot Station has one carved granite sculpture of a drive wheel of a Great Northern 4-8-4 steam engine. On the walls of the utility rooms are low-relief sculpted panels of various wheels of vehicles that had most likely frequented this neighborhood over the years. One lamppost is wrapped by a seven-foot tall bronze sculpture of stacked wheel and rim shapes, representing the many modes of wheel transport in St. Paul's history.
Andrea Myklebust and Stanton Sears are a husband-and-wife team that has worked collaboratively since 1993 and have created more than 70 large-scale public art projects for sites across the United States. They have many pieces throughout the Twin Cities area. Including popular mosaics at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport.
Myklebust and Sears create context-driven sculptural works which are made meaningful by reflecting the natural and cultural histories of their sites. They use many materials including stone, metal and terrazzo with many of their pieces incorporating lighting elements.
Terrazzo floor at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport by Myklebust and Sears
The artists worked directly with the station designers to integrate the art into the station. The artists met with the community to discuss and share direction of the public art. These concept drawings were created to share with station designers and the public.
