Artist Inkpa Mani Thinks First selected to create new public art at Water Works

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and City of Minneapolis are excited to announce that Inkpa Mani Thinks First has been selected to design and fabricate new public artwork at Water Works!

The artwork will celebrate the histories, languages, and vibrant cultures of Indigenous and Dakhóta people and honor the two nearby sacred Dakhóta sites: Owámniyomni (St. Anthony Falls) and Wanáǧi Wíta (Spirit Island).

Inka Mani Thinks First (Facebook/Instagram) was selected by an independent panel of community members, artists, and arts and design professionals convened by the City of Minneapolis Art in Public Places program, which is funding the project.

Use the link below to take an online survey that will help the design process for the new artwork.

Water Works Public Art Survey

For more information, contact Ann Godfrey with the City of Minneapolis.

About Water Works

Water Works at Mill Ruins Park overlooks Owámniyomni (St. Anthony Falls) and the Stone Arch Bridge. The three-acre project opened in 2021 and was created through a partnership between the MPRB and Minneapolis Parks Foundation.

It includes a two-story park pavilion (425 West River Parkway) that’s home to Owámni, an Indigenous restaurant, along with a public meeting room, public bathrooms, water fountains and a welcome desk with park information. The outdoor park grounds feature ample public seating, green space and native plants, gas fire pits, a playground, and trail connections.

Water Works is designed to reveal layers of untold stories, in acknowledgement of the location as both a spiritual place that has shaped cultural and economic connections for Indigenous people and immigrants, and as the birthplace of Minneapolis’ milling history. Carefully excavated remnants from three long-buried riverfront mills are incorporated throughout the park and pavilion.

Park hours are 6 am-midnight. The pavilion is open daily 11 am-9 pm.