Dragonfly Mosaic – Saint Paul, Minnesota - Atlas Obscura

Dragonfly Mosaic

Thousands of people walk over this fantastic work of art every day, but how many notice it? 

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A wonderful floor mosaic is constructed across the full width of the platform at the Lindberg-Terminal 1 light rail station at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. 

The mosaic is about 30 feet by 45 feet. It depicts a single dragonfly wing, made of dark grey terrazzo with aluminum veins, intersected by a straight line constructed of red-colored natural Minnesota stone. A bright blue stone highlights the tip of the wing.

The piece was designed in 2004 by the artist team Andrea Myklebust and Stanton G Sears. It is one of seven mosaics by team at the airport, including a compass rose, the north star, a 9/11 memorial, and depictions of the stars.

But the dragonfly wing is possibly the most striking of the mosaics. It’s a response to the airfoil-like sculptural elements, designed by the architect of the station, that hang from the ceiling above. The mosaic is a clever juxtaposition of the modern wings above and the wing of a dragonfly, which evolved about 300 million years ago, below. The symbolism of wings at the airport is also not lost.

Know Before You Go

The station is on the blue line on the light rail system.

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