Downtown Bemidji Comes Alive With New Wildlife Sculptures

Crews with the Bemidji Sculpture Walk were putting the finishing touches on the new art pieces in the downtown area over the weekend. Despite the rain and cooler weather, many residents were taking a stroll to see the neighborhood come alive.

Now that the most of the 24 pieces of art have been installed, area artists are celebrating their newest additions to the town. Four of the featured artists are from the Bemidji area, including Tim Nelsen, who is excited to be apart of it for the seventh year in a row.

A giant squid, porcupine and a seahorse are just some of the wildlife that can be seen around the downtown area. Nelsen says his work is usually lighthearted, like a guppy called “Mr. Pudge.”

Over the weekend, some residents were out enjoying the art despite the weather conditions. Mary Therese hasn’t spotted any new ones quite yet, but was looking forward to it.

Nicholas White stopped to snap a photo of a fox called “Tranquility.” He said so far he’s noticed that some of the pieces are a little more upbeat than last year’s work.

Matt Faver lives close by and is happy to see that the tradition continues.

Now 17 years in the running, the sculpture walk cements Bemidji’s place as an art and cultural hub.

The Bemidji Sculpture Walk will be issuing an interactive map on its website for people to see where the new and returning art pieces are located.