The new Hamline Midway Library is more than a building—it’s a community-designed space rooted in connection, creativity, and belonging. As part of Saint Paul Public Library’s Transforming Libraries initiative, public art plays a central role in bringing that vision to life, reflecting the cultures, stories, and identities of the neighborhood.
We’re excited to announce the selected artists whose work will be integrated throughout the library, each bringing a deep connection to Saint Paul, the Hamline Midway neighborhood, and the library itself.
A Community-Led Selection Process
The artists selected for the Hamline Midway Library were chosen through a thoughtful, community-centered process. A selection panel made up of Saint Paul Public Library staff and Hamline Midway community members reviewed submissions, bringing their lived experiences, local knowledge, and deep understanding of the neighborhood into the decision-making process.
This approach reflects the broader vision of the Transforming Libraries initiative: creating spaces with community, not just for community. Panelists considered each artist’s connection to Saint Paul, their commitment to equity and inclusion, and their ability to create work that resonates with the diverse cultures and stories the neighborhood.
The result is a group of artists whose practices are rooted in collaboration, representation, and belonging, ensuring that the four public art projects slated for the new library will feel authentic, meaningful, and truly reflective of the community it serves.
Children’s Area 3D Installation
Sharp Signs & Blackbird Revolt
The artist team of Sharp Signs and Blackbird Revolt will create a dynamic 3D installation for the children’s area.
Led by designer and fabricator Kelsi Sharp, the team is known for creating one-of-a-kind, experiential spaces that blend storytelling, craft, and community input. Their work often transforms environments into engaging spaces that invite exploration.
Their proposal centers on creating a “warm and friendly, inclusive children’s area” that encourages engagement and reflects the surrounding neighborhood.
Blackbird Revolt founder Terresa Hardaway brings deep community ties through her work as a University of Minnesota professor and owner of Black Garnet Books on University Avenue—a vital cultural hub in Midway. Together, the team emphasizes equity, accessibility, and community storytelling in their work, aligning closely with the library’s mission.
Their approach, rooted in collaboration, experimentation, and joy, will help shape a space where young visitors feel welcomed and inspired.
Custom Designed Bike Racks
Lucy Michell
Artist, illustrator, and musician Lucy Michell will design custom bike racks for the new Hamline Midway Library building.
Michell has a deeply personal relationship with Saint Paul Public Library. From childhood storytimes at George Latimer Central Library to studying with friends at Merriam Park and Highland Park libraries, performing music in library spaces, and seeing her own illustrated books in the SPPL collection, libraries have been a constant in her life.
Now a Hamline Midway resident raising her family in the neighborhood, she sees the library as a vital community hub, especially for families and children.
She has been a working artist since 2010, mainly creating child and nature centered illustration and design. Lucy has illustrated children's books, painted murals and stage sets, designed countless T-shirts, band posters, album covers and advertisements. She especially enjoys creating elaborate papier-mache Halloween costumes for her kids. Her bike rack designs will translate that spirit into functional public art, welcoming visitors before they even step inside.
To learn more about Lucy, follow her on Instagram @lucyemichell or head on over to her website at www.lucymichellillustration.com.
Exterior Mural
Rock “CYFI” Martinez & George “EWOK” Thompson
For the library’s exterior mural, artists Rock “CYFI” Martinez and George “EWOK” Thompson will create a bold, visual landmark that reflects the identity and energy of Hamline Midway.
Both artists bring decades of experience in muralism and deep roots in the local and global graffiti and public art scenes. Martinez, an internationally recognized aerosol artist, draws on social, cultural, and environmental histories to create site-specific work, while Thompson’s expressive, color-rich style is grounded in the Twin Cities’ creative community.
Their connection to Hamline Midway is personal and ongoing. Martinez has worked in the area for years and describes daily inspiration from its people, murals, and energy.
For this project, they envision a mural that reflects the role of libraries as spaces of discovery, belonging, and shared knowledge. The result will be a vibrant, story-driven mural that extends the spirit of the library beyond its interior walls.
Interior Wall Art Installation
Shea Maze
Shea Maze will create a custom interior wall installation that blends organic form, cultural storytelling, and sensory experience.
Maze is an interdisciplinary artist whose work draws heavily from the natural world, using materials and processes like woodworking, ceramics, and natural dyes to create abstract, biologically inspired forms. His work emphasizes connection to environment, history, and one another.
His connection to Saint Paul—and to this project—is both personal and generational. With family roots tied to the Rondo neighborhood, and now raising his own children in Saint Paul, Maze brings a deeply rooted perspective on representation, community, and legacy.
He also has a strong relationship with public libraries, having taught art classes in libraries across the metro. These experiences have shaped his understanding of libraries as accessible, community-centered spaces for learning and creativity.
Maze’s artistic approach prioritizes collaboration and responsiveness—considering how people will feel in the presence of the work, and how it reflects those who share the space. His installation will add texture, depth, and a sense of organic movement to the library’s interior, inviting visitors to slow down, observe, and connect.
A Library Shaped by Community
Each of these artists brings not only exceptional creative talent, but also a meaningful connection to Hamline Midway, Saint Paul, and the role libraries play in community life.
Together, their work will help transform the new Hamline Midway Library into a space where art, learning, and belonging intersect—inside and out.
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