It’s not often you have to pass through a metal detector to see art. Maybe I’m just used to the MIA having lax security. But the Vision of Peace is worth seeing, even if you have to concede to underpaid security officer’s requests.
Inside the Ramsey County office (where I have been for jury duty, but I wasn’t paying attention then), a massive white onyx statue stands. It’s made of over 30 pieces of stone that were carved individually, then assembled. It depicts five Native Americans smoking pipes, their smoke rising to form a larger figure. It’s not the most detailed sculpture in the world, but it is the largest onyx sculpture.
There’s more to it than just being large. It actually oscillates back and forth over the course of a day. Every 2.5 hours, it completes its rotating and does another cycle. This serves a few purposes. First, you’d never be able to see the detail work on the back otherwise. Second, this allows the statue to “see out” farther, casting its gaze over a wider area.
The statue was unveiled on May 28, 1936, so yesterday was the 82nd anniversary. But that’s not the only cool artistic thing to see in the county office.
The building itself is interesting. Designed during the Art Deco period, a lot of the functional parts of the building are more art than function or decoration. The elevator doors are almost sculptures, the lights are angular instead of round, the ceiling in the lobby is reflective (making the statue look even better).
In the basement, there’s a bit of history, including the history of the sculpture and the building. There’s also a piece of the 35W bridge that collapsed, which is important to remember, but a little weird to have on display.
Parking is available at curb-side, and it doesn’t take more than 20 minutes to see the sights.
That's Pretty NEET 