12 July 2023
Rice Park unveiled on Wednesday the last part of its redesign.
Undated courtesy photo, circa July 2023, of artist Jeff Bartlett, who created LightWave, an animated LED light installation now in place in Rice Park in downtown St. Paul. (Courtesy of St. Paul Parks Conservancy)
A new light display will include color changing LED light strings attached to metal plates around the inside and outside of the bench on the fountain in the middle of the park.
Minneapolis-based lighting designer Jeff Bartlett has previously developed similar experiences around the Twin Cities including the Landmark Center and has worked as a lighting designer and production designer for various theaters.
“I first imagined animating the Rice Park Fountain with light, especially during months when it has no water,” Bartlett said in a statement. “The metalwork design incorporates images from water and plant life, central components of the Rice Park landscape, and draws upon historical influences notably Art Nouveau.”
The fountain is called “The Source,” a nod to the importance of rivers in civilizations and features a statue by Minnesotan Alonzo Hauser and is of a young woman dancing.
The Rice Park Revitalization effort was a redesign for the park that started in 2018.
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