Aardvark in the Park Festival – July 27th, 2019

Aardvark in the Park

Saturday, July 27th, noon – 4 pm

Western Sculpture Park

located at 387 Marion St, St Paul, MN 55103

On July 27th, 2019 — Public Art Saint Paul hosted this environmental arts festival celebrating our ecosystem and the beings we cohabitate with for our first ever Aardvark in the Park Festival! We hosted 10 workshops and artist-led experiences, the unveiling of a new public sculpture, 12 music and poetry performances, 3 local food trucks, 30 amazing volunteers, 70 practicing artists and performers and, of course, a dunk tank for some fun in the sun!

 


Aardvark in the Park was a wonderful opportunity to bring artists of all mediums together in celebration. We were honored to have artist duo Beatrix Jar hosted their audio playground in which participants can play with sound toys and objects, creating a new form of music. Mosaic artist Lori Green hosted invited participants to collaborate on mosaic benches that will be incorporated later into the Playspace designed by our City Artist, Aaron Dysart, Sieng Lee, and Bianca Pettis. Artists Ashley Oneil Prado and Sarah White hosted an experiential art piece, inviting community members to envision what they want the community to be. Indigenous Roots center and artists collective hosted a pinata making workshop as well as designed a Jungle Scape for participants to learn about ecosystems and create their own.

It was most celebratory to have three of our local food trucks,  Que Tal, Accolades, and Expression of love lined up with an array of treats for attendees to enjoy. In an effort to make this event most accessible, we distributed food truck coupons to affordable and public housing communities, as well as nonprofits working with low-income families and immigrant communities. We believe firmly in the importance of food as a tool to bring the community together, and the voucher program was a great way to support our local food vendors and allow our families to have access to food during the event.

Thank you to everyone who attended Aardvark in the Park Festival. It really was a day of celebration, joy, and warmth. Kids were eating ice cream, friends were dancing, minds were creating. To have all of that creativity and interaction amongst the 11 sculptures at Western Sculpture Park was a surreal experience. Many attendees came asking the staff if we could host it every month, if only!

 

Aardvark in the Park Festival is supported by generous grants from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Saint Paul Cultural Star, and the Ecolab, River Road, Lilly, Travelers, and Trillium Foundations. This activity is also made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.