The PopUp Park at Minneapolis Institute of Arts comes to life

Well, 8 months has gone by since I was first approached by the MIA to create a installation piece in the front lobby of the museum.  How those months have flown by!  With many many meetings, revisions of concept, and a steep learning curve into the world of fake tropical plants and astroturf, I am pleased that the PopUP Park at the museum is getting lots of great use out of it.  Having all this fun color in the lobby really has warmed up the space and love how the Stella upstairs really seems to pop off the wall between the colors in the lobby and the painting.  To show some of the progress and overall project thru pics, here are a few for you to see how the park came to be!  These first few are from the opening night on the 19th of January.

Right before opening night

Opening night fun!

Wonderful turnout for opening night

More peeps!

First concepts 

First concepts

Then picking out the plants

Revised drawing

Fairly finalized layout

Couldn't have done the park without Al fabricating the mounds

Before

AFTER!
Yes, I do see you hiding in the corner Mom and Dad!   Great to see them come all the way from North Dakota!

My aunt Deb and uncle Steve

Great time in India!

Well, it is hard to believe that my Indian adventure has come and gone, but I can easily tell you that I had an experience of a lifetime!  From the warm hospitality of everyone on campus at IIT Bombay, to the atmosphere at Techfest, the trip was one that i will never forget.  Of course the main people I must thank include Anthony from Art for After Hours, whom I am one of their artists and was brought on board for this project.  I also am grateful to Rajat, Animesh, Anish, Aseem, Palash, Julian and everyone else that I forgot to mention!  There are way too many memories to start writing a book here, so I will let the photos speak for themselves :)

Finished large mural - 96ft x 15ft

Finished small mural - 25ft x 15ft

On my morning walk to work ;)

The artists from CreatOne.  Worked on Graffiti mural next to my piece

My trusty assistant Julian Fernandes!  He helped make the small mural come to life!