Kelpies Creator Andy Scott Unveils New Minnesota Sculpture

A giant steel sculpture of a loon, commissioned by Minnesota United owner Bill McGuire, has been installed outside the club’s new stadium in St Paul. The loon, Minnesota’s state bird, is a black and white, duck-like creature characterized by its piercing red eyes, and also serves as the team’s mascot. The artwork may appear familiar to Scottish viewers as it was conceived by the artist responsible for the Kelpies. Andy Scott and Chris Dyson initially met nearly two decades ago in Maryhill, Glasgow, having both attended the Glasgow School of Art. Scott subsequently established his own sculptural studio, while Dyson pursued thermal engineering and founded a fabrication company. With their studios located next to each other, Dyson assisted Scott on his career’s most significant undertaking, the Kelpies. These two equine sculptures, each standing 100 feet tall and weighing 300 tonnes, were inspired by the heavy horses historically used to pull barges along canals. A decade after the Kelpies were unveiled in Falkirk, both Scott and Dyson had moved to the United States, again sharing studio premises, this time in Los Angeles. When Scott received the Minneapolis commission, he approached Chris and his wife Emily Womack, also a Glasgow School of Art alumna, and their fabrication company, Dyson and Womack. Andy Scott remarked, “You’re going to think this is a bit daft, but the only thing I knew about the loon back then was that it had been sampled on various dance tracks I used to listen to back in the Sub Club in Glasgow in the early 90s.” Following extensive research into the bird and its significance to Minnesota, Scott developed a design and enlisted Chris and Emily to construct it, employing the identical shipbuilding techniques utilized for the Kelpies. Chris Dyson commented on the process, stating, “There’s an element of trust about translating ideas to the scale you see now.” He added, “We used modern process of scanning to envisage that scale. But there’s no technology which will allow you to create that scale. It has to be done by hand.” Andy Scott expressed his satisfaction, saying, “I sometimes feel like I’m the last dinosaur in town but I’m pleased to see there are clients still out there who appreciate that bespoke hand crafted element.” He described the experience of seeing the work in progress: “When I walked into that great big workshop it was like seeing the millennium falcon taking shape. People were gobsmacked.” The subsequent task involved assembling all 65 steel components on-site in St Paul. Named “The Calling,” the sculpture stands 11 metres (36 feet) high with a wingspan of 30 metres (98 feet). While smaller than the Kelpies, it nonetheless significantly impacted the St Paul community. Chris Dyson recounted the on-site assembly, stating, “We spent 10 days on site.” He observed the public’s engagement: “Some people came daily; they brought deckchairs and watched the sculpture take shape. First the wings and then the head of the loon and then it was pretty clear what it was.” The Midway neighborhood, home to Allianz Field, has experienced a challenging period in recent years. It was a central location for protests following the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man, during an arrest by Minneapolis police. Dan Wade, a resident of the neighborhood and a supporter of the football club and its expanding array of sculptural commissions, commented, “It’s an area which falls between so many different sections of Minneapolis St Paul.” He further described it as “very transitional for good and for bad.” Wade noted, “In 2018/2019 the area was starting to develop; it was growing rapidly and then Covid hit.” He added, “With the development of the stadium, a lot of people are holding onto their property, waiting for the value to go up and in doing so, are limiting the development of the area. But as the stadium develops, I think we’ll see that change.” However, some remain unconvinced. Fox Willis, an artist residing in the area for five years, expressed her view: “From an art perspective the piece is honestly underwhelming.” She elaborated, “I understand what it’s meant to convey. The posture of the Loon is defensive and intimidating. It is meant to be a warning to challenging soccer teams. The way the piece is put together in metal is indicative of the strength of the team. The way the air flows through the pieces of metal that compose the figure is provocative in that it could be seen as the team being light on their feet and fast. I understand it. I get it. It’s been done. *Yawn*.” Willis continued with a social critique: “From a social perspective – as a poor community member who is lucky enough to have a stable living situation, who is passionate about housing and hunger justice – I am honestly appalled.” She added, “No offense to the artist- but if this sculpture was really to better the community – the commissioner would have found a local Midway artist to design it. He would have put money back into the community that he is claiming to ‘make better’.” Andy Scott, who has created approximately 90 pieces of public art, acknowledged this type of criticism as familiar. He stated, “With public art – you’re never going to please all the people all the time.” Scott added, “But as an artist I try. I aim for a wide-ranging appeal. I leave it to others to do the abstract and esoteric stuff.” Scott noted, “So far the response to The Calling has been overwhelmingly positive.” He continued, “Some are making good observations about the city and how it needs help in other directions but they’re putting it in the context that was intended that it’s about enhancing that environment and other social issues aren’t really the remit of the artist so let’s see it as a catalyst for onward improvement.” He concluded by drawing a comparison: “It does have some parallels with Falkirk in terms of that objective to regenerate and we’re proud to have been a part of that. It looks like it’s always been there, and always will be.”