Public Art in Duluth

Mosaic art is fascinating to me. I recently posted about four mosaic panels as public art in Lanesboro, MN. There is another huge, mosaic public art display in Duluth. It is a wall of images made with ¾” x ¾” ceramic tiles, using only seven different colors. The mosaic wall is 12 x 590 foot long.

The Lake Place Image Wall is along Duluth’s new Lakewalk…with a boardwalk, and bicycle and scooter lanes.
Another view of the Lake Place Image Wall.

According to the information plaque…the Lake Place Image Wall consists of 1.29 million tiles that were placed on 12”x12” grids. Eight people worked for eight weeks to complete this wall. It was finished in 1990.

A ship image from a photograph.

Sandra and Mark Marino provided the artistic composition and production for this piece. The mosaic images, made from the tiles, are based on photographs from Duluth’s waterfront history. 

A little easier to detect the small, ceramic tiles in this photo.

Duluth’s original lake walk was damaged during four major storms: one in 2017, two in 2018 and one in 2019. Finally the lake walk had to be reconstructed (and improved) and it has now reopened.

Looking towards the lighthouses in Duluth Harbor.

The 590’ mosaic wall is along Duluth’s Lakewalk, as are wonderful vistas of the great Lake Superior, and Duluth’s waterfront.

A view of the Ariel Bridge from a different point on the Duluth Lakewalk.