About the art
When the remodeled St. Louis Park Library opened in 2002, an exposed brick pillar presented a great blank slate for art. The library wanted the piece to fit the architectural style of the building and connect to the location, and local artist Denise S. Tennen delivered on both fronts. An architect by training and sculptor by trade, Tennen’s art installation echoes the library’s Prairie School architecture, with ceramic tiles patterned into a geometric oak grid. Meanwhile, the images of trees and leaves honor the landscapes of Minnesota, from the oak savanna that the first settlers saw to the dense trees of the Big Woods to the tree-lined waters of Minnehaha Creek.
Artist statement
“The major south east, and west windows of the library draw our attention to beautiful trees. Likewise this project is a celebration of the trees and the natural landscape, past and present, of this place we call home.”
Funding: Hennepin County Library One Percent for Art program
Photos
