Mill City in Bloom: New Public Art Coming to 800 Washington Avenue

Excerpt from the October 15 DMNA e-newsletter

The Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association (DMNA), in collaboration with Sherman Associates, is moving forward with Mill City in Bloom, a new public art installation at 800 Washington Avenue S. The project has received City approvals and will be installed by Blackbird Revolt, Sharp Sign Co. and local artist Tiana Nguyen, with financial support from Sherman Associates. The project has its roots in a community conversation that began last year. In 2025, the DMNA Land Use Committee conducted an Interim Use Survey asking residents and other downtown stakeholders what they would like to see happen at the vacant 800 Washington Avenue property while it awaits future redevelopment. More than 200 people responded, with residents making up the largest group of participants. The survey showed significant interest in finding ways to make better use of the property in the interim. Among the ideas receiving support were green space, a native pollinator garden, pop-up markets and food trucks, community gardens, and public art installations. Following the survey, Mill City Farmers Market and Sherman Associates reached out to the DMNA to explore how the community feedback might be translated into an achievable interim project for the site. Those conversations ultimately led to the idea for Mill City in Bloom. Mill City Farmers Market became an important partner in the project, helping connect the project team with local artists and assisting with additional community engagement around the initial design concept earlier this summer. Mill City in Bloom celebrates Minneapolis as a place where nature, culture and community grow together. Inspired by the Mississippi River, urban gardens, music, public spaces and neighborhood life, the installation will feature colorful botanical imagery, pollinators, local landmarks, musical elements and thriving landscapes. At the heart of the artwork is a simple message: “We Love Our City.”