About the Walldogs on Nicollet Project

The Walldogs are coming to Nicollet Avenue and it will never look the same again.  The Walldogs on Nicollet project is an innovative effort by the Lyndale and Kingfield Neighborhood Associations to use public art to build community and recast a major commercial corridor. 

The purpose of Walldogs on Nicollet is to harness the energy and talent of the artists, volunteers, and community members to create visually stunning pieces of public art that help create a safe and welcoming environment along the Nicollet corridor.  This gift from the artists will provide the neighborhoods with lasting pieces of public art and with a vehicle for harnessing the energy in our community by building connections between the people along the Nicollet corridor.  A corridor whose health is vital to the health and safety of both neighborhoods. 

The Walldogs on Nicollet project will involve local and national artists who will come together to paint ten murals on eight sites in four days along Nicollet Avenue from Lake Street to 46th Street in the Lyndale and Kingfield Neighborhoods during July 2008. 

A little history on the project, Walldogs are a nickname for the sign painters who use to travel from town to town painting murals.  Over the past few years communities around the country have been organizing Walldog meets. 

The meets involve artists from the host community and from around the country coming into a town to paint a series of murals over a four day weekend.  The reason they’re able to paint so many murals so quickly is because so many artists and community members are willing to pitch in and help out.  If you’d like to see examples of work from other Walldogs meets check out www.letterville.com and look for meet names with Walldogs in them. 

An integral part of the Walldogs experience is how community members are involved in every aspect of the project.  There are a number of ways for people to get involved in this project.  Right now we’re looking for volunteers to help paint the murals, plan for next summer, and help out at this year’s events.  If you’re interested in volunteering

General questions regarding the Walldogs on Nicolletproject can be addressed to Mark Hinds at mark@lyndale.org /612.824.9402 x16.