St. Louis Park, Golden Valley Now Hosting 'Adam Turman Artventure'

ST. LOUIS PARK, MN — A public art display this summer in St. Louis Park and Golden Valley is designed to celebrate the work of a local artist, while also helping to boost tourism in the area.

"Adam Turman Artventure" began Tuesday and will last until Sept. 6. The event is sponsored by Discover St. Louis Park.

The display features 10 colorful, whimsical characters created by Turman, which are located in places like The Shops at West End, The St. Louis Park Rec Center and Brookview Golf & Lawn Bowling in Golden Valley. Each character reflects its location in some way. For example, the Brookview Golf & Lawn Bowling display features a drawing of Paul Bunyan swinging his axe like a golf club.

The creations are made of aluminum and stand 7 to 8 feet tall, some are standalone, while others are on stakes in the ground.

Turman, who lives in St. Louis Park and has his studio in Golden Valley, has created artwork for some of Minnesota's most iconic brands, like: the Minnesota State Fair, Minnesota Twins, Guthrie Theater, 3M, Duluth Trading Co. and SPAM.

"(Turman) is a very Minnesota institution, so we really wanted to play that up. We think he's a great treasure and we wanted other people to know about him," said Trish Foster, marketing director for Discover St. Louis Park. "He does have a good following, but there also are people who have not heard of him."

Discover St. Louis Park hopes the displays will draw both locals and visitors from other communities.

At each destination, there is a scannable QR code, which takes visitors to each character's specially created webpage. The pages offer facts about the character and details about places to see and things to do in the immediate area. Several local businesses will have special offers in conjunction with the event.

"(The displays) are placed in key areas to drive people to visit those areas," Foster said. "For residents and people from other areas, they can check out the art and scan the code to bring up an overview of the area that shows 'here are all the things around.' They can then go have a bite to eat or go to a park or brewery."

Visitors also will have chances to win prizes by posting pictures on social media of themselves and the characters.

Visitors who can document that they have visited all 10 characters—they can email their 10 selfies to info@discoverstlouispark.com — will be eligible for the grand prize: an overnight "staycation" at a local hotel and gift cards to attractions and dining.

More information about "Adam Turman Artventure" is available online, along with examples and details about each of the characters.