At its Dec. 22 meeting, the Fridley City Council unanimously approved a concept proposal for a new public art sculpture at Commons Park by artist Ken McCall.
Fridley launched its public art program in 2024, guided by the then newly formed Public Art Commission, Parks and Recreation Director Mike Maher said. Funding for the program is provided through the nonprofit Fridley Creative Arts Foundation, with an additional partnership with the Creative Flow Arts Center.
Public art has been integrated into the city’s parks and recreation programming, including sculptures and murals. Recent installations include a frog sculpture by Jessica Turtle that was introduced at Moore Lake Park in September 2025.
Maher said upcoming priorities for the Public Art Commission include a utility box art wrap program, a possible sculpture at Springbrook Nature Center, artwork at the Mississippi Street underpass, and a sculpture walk featuring a mix of permanent pieces and art on loan. The commission is also continuing work on the Commons Park concept.
The proposed installation at Commons Park would be located near the shade sails at an open-air plaza on the east side of the park. During the summer, the area is intended to provide seating, circulation and event space, while in winter it would serve as a floodable skating area.
The north side of the plaza includes a circular garden bed, Maher said.
McCall was selected by the city’s Public Art Commission following a request for qualifications and interviews with multiple finalists, Maher said. McCall is based in Idaho and has completed installations across the country.
The commissioned artwork will not exceed $50,000, Maher said, with funding provided by the Fridley Creative Arts Foundation.
Maher said themes that emerged from community input and surveys used to inform McCall’s concept included unity, diversity, history, water and nature.
The proposed sculpture, titled Manoomin — the Ojibwe word for wild rice — reflects those themes. A rendering presented to the council shows wild rice sprouting upward from a pair of hands gesturing toward the sky.
The rendering also depicts two forearms forming the base of the sculpture, engraved with an outline of Rice Creek.
“Those themes of history, themes of that kind of welcoming gesture, themes of water and nature are interwoven into the piece,” Maher said.
The sculpture would stand approximately 12 feet, 4 inches tall, with an adult reaching to just below the wrists, Maher said, referencing a slide shown to the council. The base would measure approximately 6 feet, 6 inches wide.
Maher said McCall summarized the concept’s key elements as the welcoming hands, wild rice, the depiction of Rice Creek, and themes of unity and diversity identified through community engagement.
City staff have also met with representatives from the Native American Community Development Institute, who will develop a proposal for community engagement that includes education on Native culture, art and wild rice. Maher said the celebration is planned as part of Fridley’s annual 49er Day festival, scheduled for July 16–18, 2026.
Maher said McCall’s concept-level budget aligns with the $50,000 funding cap.
During the council discussion, Council Member Luke Cardona asked Maher to confirm the funding source for the sculpture. Maher said the Fridley Creative Arts Foundation will fully fund the project under a three-party agreement signed earlier this year.
Council Member Ryan Evanson asked how residents would be notified about the educational component. Maher said the city will develop the framework with input from the Public Art Commission.
“We would expect kind of a series of … programs, conversations, presentations, kind of leading up to the grand opening of the piece,” Maher said. “The artist himself will be here for that, so you know, we’ll kind of roll that out here over the coming months.”
Evanson also asked whether the city had assurances on delivery timelines, noting that the leopard frog sculpture at Moore Lake Park took longer than expected. Maher said the city established several project milestones based on lessons learned from that project.
“That timeline didn’t seem uncomfortable to him,” Maher said, “and again, there are contractually some timelines built into that agreement.”
Cardona added that the previous delay was partially due to artist Jessica Turtle suffering a broken bone injury.
Maher said McCall will handle the project from start to finish, including both design and fabrication.