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Call For Proposals

Rochester Art Center is seeking proposals for three temporary outdoor, site-specific art installations at three locations along the trails near downtown Rochester as part of the Art4Trails program. One proposal for each site will be selected and the artist will be awarded $3,000 per site.

 

Artwork will be installed between June 1 and June 20, 2027. Applications open October 1, 2026, and are due by November 15, 2026 at 11:45 pm (CST).

 

Rochester Park and Trail System

The Rochester trails provide a convenient way to do activities such as inline-skating, biking, running and walking – either for getting to work and back or simply for recreation and exercise. Rochester has 85+ miles of trails available for pedestrians, bikers, wheelchairs and strollers. Art4Trails site locations for temporary sculptures can be found here. They are:

  • Silver Lake Park (by the old fire station)

  • Slatterly Park

  • River Landing (near the waterfall sculpture at the end of 3rd St SE)

 

Eligibility

Artists 18 years of age or older living in Minnesota and neighboring states are invited to submit proposals individually or collaboratively. Students who do not meet the age requirement can participate by having a teacher or guardian sponsor a proposal. Priority will be given to artists who have never been chosen to receive an Art4Trails award before. Artists who currently have sculptures installed on the trail are not eligible to participate this year. 

 

Selection Criteria

Proposals will be judged based on artistic merit as evidenced by representation of past work, the proposal itself, and other supporting materials. A selection committee consisting of working artists, curators, arts professionals and a representative of the Parks and Recreation Department will review and select proposals.

 

Unveiling Event

An unveiling event is planned for June 27, 2027.

​2026 Art4Trails Installations​

 

 

Sunburst by Patricia Stephens

Located at River Landing: Behind the Government Center, across the river on the bike trail near 99 3rd St SE, Rochester, MN 55904 | Map Link

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“Going outside after days of gloomy weather, you look up into the sunshine. Eyes and arms raised, you take in the sunshine. In doing so, you become one with the universe. This sculpture is my interpretation of how we are all part of the world we share.” - Pat Stephens

 

Patricia Stephens is from Chicago, Illinois. She graduated with a BFA from Northeastern Illinois University with specialties in ceramics, metalsmithing, and sculpture and is a first-year MFA student at MCAD with an emphasis in Public Art and Collage. Her sculptures have been displayed at the Chicago Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit and Outdoor Environmental Projects in Beijing China.

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The Third Space by Olivia Mulvey Morawiecki

Located in Mayo Park: Behind Rochester Art Center near the pedestrian bridge that leads to 6th Ave SE | Map Link

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Olivia Mulvey Morawiecki is a Minnesota-based artist whose practice merges sound, sculpture, and community engagement to create interactive public works. Her installations invite audiences into spaces of collective reflection, healing, and resilience.

 

Working with natural materials, tuned chimes, and participatory design, Olivia builds site-responsive environments that foster both solace and play. She carries a relentless curiosity into her practice, paired with the practical discipline to translate complex ideas into grounded, community-rooted experiences.

 

In collaboration with stakeholders, neighbors, and partners, Olivia works to create public works that balance vision with feasibility and feel genuinely held by the communities they serve.

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Under Her Wings by Judd Nelson

Located in the Slatterly Park​ Arts District near the playground, 950 11th Ave SE, Rochester, MN 55904 | Map Link

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Under Her Wings depicts a family of three egrets, a mother and her two young, gathered in a quiet moment of protection and care. The birds are formed from 16-gauge steel, shaped through hammering and hot forging to capture their graceful forms and subtle movement. Each figure is carefully positioned and permanently welded to a heavy steel base plate, ensuring both structural integrity and a sense of grounded presence.

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Raised in Minnesota, Judd Nelson finds ongoing inspiration in the outdoors, observing wildlife and engaging with the region’s varied landscapes. He began welding at age 15 and was accepted into his first juried exhibition by 17. He earned an Art Education degree from the University of Minnesota with an emphasis on metal sculpture.

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After college, Judd taught on a Sioux reservation in South Dakota and later in public schools in Boise, Idaho. Teaching remains central to his practice, including recent years leading Teen Welding at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts. For 14 years, Judd worked on the nationally broadcast PBS series Hometime as lead builder, collaborating both on and off camera. Summers are spent in Grand Marais, where he maintains a sculpture studio and teaches at the Art Colony.

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Acknowledgements

Thank you to our generous volunteers: Molly Althoff, Jaclyn June Johnson, Patrick Keane, Mary Ellen Landwehr, Mike Nigbur, Anthony Rostvold, Jacob Smithburg and Gloria Torres-Herbeck.


Thank you to Rochester Parks & Recreation for continued support. Thank you to our friends at We Bike Rochester for supporting this project.

Art4Trails Sculptures | Permanent

"Playtime" by Jamie Weinfurter

7th Street NE Near Silver Lake

"Drinking Sunshine" by Craig Snyder

Bear Creek Park

"Unbroken" by Katya Roberts

Mayo Park

"The Send Off" by Sebastien Richer

3rd Ave SE Near Government Center

"Biking Bunny" by Richard Brubaker

Soldier's Field Park near Castle Park

"Nautilus" by Kristopher Tiffany

Rochester Art Center back patio

"Tractor Cat" by Richard Brubaker

Roy Sutherland Playground

"The Artist" by Richard Brubaker

Rochester Art Center

"Untitled" by Hugh Butt

Mayo Park East

"Pyramide" by Sebastien Richer

Kings Run Area

"Phoenix Rising" by Richard Brubaker

Soldier's Field

"Sunrise, Sunset" by Richard Brubaker

Mayo Park East

"Flathead" by Andy Arend

Kutzky Park

"Perfect Canoe" by Sebastien Richer

Mayo Park East

Past Art4Trails Sculptures

"Nidum" by Jon Kamrath

River Landing

"Alchemist" by Bobby Marines

Mayo Park East

"Loom" by Jamie Weinfurter

Mayo Park East

"Fantastical Fruit" by Amarama Vercnocke

Mayo Park East

"Reclaim" by Mary Beth Magyar

Mayo Park East

"Rudbeckia" by Tim Adams

Silver Lake Fire Station

"Huldufolk (Elf) House" by Jerry Carlson

Slatterly Park

"Golden Spirit" by Victor Yepez

Slatterly Park

"Heron" by Judd Nelson

River Landing

"Letting Go" by Judd Nelson

River Landing

"Cyclist" by Victor Yepez

River Landing

"Yield" by Zoe Cinel & Eric Anderson

Bear Creek Park

"Blast From the Past" by Peter Segar

Silver Lake Fire Station

"Greeting Tower" by Sunghee Min

River Landing

"Variations on a Circle of Fifths" by Isaac Kidder

Slatterly Park

"Spark of Magic" by Sunghee Min

Silver Lake Fire Station

"Reluctant Swimmer" by Simon Huelsbeck

River Landing

"Bicycle Tree" by Joshua Schroeder

Silver Lake Fire Station

"Portal Paraboloid" by Greg Mueller

Mayo Park East

"Meandering Connections" by Ryan & James Pederson

Silver Lake Fire Station

Artist Talks

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