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Neighbors rally behind St. Paul woman, her boulevard art
Iris Logan has lived in the Hamline-Midway neighborhood for 30 years, creating art for her yard and boulevard.
ST PAUL, Minn. — Art installations can make you feel something.
Long-time St. Paul resident Iris Logan said on Monday that she’s hoping her art can make others feel something, too.
“I love it, and I hope when people pass by, they can get a sense of peace,” Logan said, referring to the art in her front yard and boulevard. “Not thinking that it’s junky or whatever. If it is to them, I would apologize.”
For the past 30 years, Logan said she’s been working on adorning her yard. She’s filled it with sculptures of rocks encapsulated in wiring, as well as bigger pieces of mosaics. She puts mosaics on bigger pieces of rocks — her favorite medium — as she said it brings her closer to nature.
Just on her front yard alone, she’s got bright pops of color: a teal mosaic bird she calls “Big Bird”; a rock that shows a mosaic scenery of a tree on a hill. Lots and lots of birds — another favorite of hers. She also has a sculpture of a woman with long, beaded hair and a delightful smile, who she calls “Hope.”
All the intricate glimmer her pieces bring has been a culmination of her work for three decades. She said it’s brought her so much joy, and knows that neighbors, even strangers, have found joy in walking past.
So, it came as a surprise a few weeks ago when a city employee told her she needed to get rid of her art in her boulevard.
“He waved his hand and he says, ‘I want it gone. I want the pots gone, the driftwood, the rocks; I want it gone,'” she said. “I said, ‘Wait a minute! I’m not getting rid of my stuff!’ and he says, ‘It’s a complaint.'”
She said she decided to wait until official communication from the city. Then, a few days after the encounter, she received a letter that cited city code, asking her to remove the items in her boulevard.
She said she immediately appealed at the encouragement of her daughters as well as her neighbors. She also received help from her neighbors to clear the boulevard. However, when it came to the bigger rocks there, she had a realization.
“I put it in 30 years ago; I was younger then,” she said. “I couldn’t move the rocks like I could before. I got so nervous and stressed, I didn’t know what to do.”
The neighbors around her, having heard about this, filed a petition.
“I think one of the biggest problems that we have in St. Paul is neighbors wanting to reconnect after a really tumultuous couple of years,” Justin Lewandowski said. “Mrs. Iris’ garden for the last 30 years, has brought people together. It’s beautified our neighborhood and it’s made our community stronger.”
Lewandowski, who is the community organizer for the Hamline-Midway Coalition said the petition had over 600 signatures, and they’ve sent it to Ward 4 City Council Member Mitra Jalali’s office.
Jalali’s office declined to comment, citing pending discussion and results of the appeal hearing regarding the issue, scheduled for Dec. 6.
Lewandowski said they’re hoping to get Logan a longer extension period of six months, so they can all work to figure out how they can best follow the rules but honor Logan’s work and legacy at the same time.
“I love my neighborhood and then I had to get a grip because they singled me out,” Logan said. “And I just didn’t want to do anymore. It broke my spirit, but then, I cannot allow that to happen.”
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