The Tunnels in Northfield

There was a major street renovation in our town recently. The intersection by the high school and middle school was transformed into a round-about, and four tunnels were added for pedestrians and bicyclists to use to avoid crossing the busy intersection. In the beginning, I wondered how much sense it made since it was costly. But now that it is completed, and working smoothly, I do like the results.

A future section of the Mill Towns State Trail will run through one of the tunnels.

To top it off, the city included monies for a public art display in the tunnels. There were bids for the job… muralists (artist’s self-identifier) had to submit their work and be chosen. For this public art display, Adam Tuman was the chosen artist. 

The muralist: Adam Turman.

We have seen his work before. Several years ago, our son hired Adam to paint a beautiful mural on the outside wall of his office building in Uptown, Minneapolis. The mural included scenes of the uptown area (where the office is located) and signs of technology (the business). 

Mural of the Uptown area on our son’s office building, in Uptown.
Another section of the cityscape view on the office building.

I also saw an exhibit of Adam Turman’s artwork at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona, MN.

Now, here he is in Northfield, painting beautiful, illustrated works to highlight our town and its surrounding area.

Bridge over the Cannon River in downtown Northfield.

The other day we went to see how the tunnels were progressing and Adam was working. We introduced ourselves and struck up a conversation with him. Adam was very friendly and engaging and we were so glad to meet him. Of course, he remembered doing the mural for our son. We are thrilled Adam was chosen to do this public art display in Northfield. He has almost completed his work on the four tunnels. 

Ruins of an old mill in Dundas, MN.

The colors are vibrant.

Bright colors.

The themes so apropos to our area.

Hidden Falls in Nerstrand Big Woods State Park.

The painting so artistically appealing.

Prairie cone flowers.
I love the added touch; a bee.

You get a sense of being a part of something big as you walk through the tunnels.

This woodpecker scene is still a work in progress.

There will be 16 scenes representing four sections when he is through with this project: Cannon River, Nerstrand Big Woods, Prairie, and Oak Savannah.

Kayaks on the Cannon.
An up-close snipit.
Trout Lilies.
A barred owl.
A chickadee.

Adam Turman does amazing work, and it is definitely worth a trip to see these tunnels in Northfield.

Adam’s signature.

Additional Photos from GSMNP

The bud of the rhododendron. There were many rhododendron trees in GSMNP.
A rhododendron blossoming.
A rhododendron bloom.
Another photographer spotted this funky mushroom.
These stunning green leaves caught my attention.
Tangled, exposed tree roots create a fun pattern.
An interesting tree root; forming an arch above ground and over a rock, then continues on.
A beautiful butterfly.
Beautiful, curvy roads throughout the park.
And a few beautiful, old tunnels on the park road, made from stone, with trees growing on top.
A portion of the Appalachian Trail goes through the GSMNP.
A pop of color along a trail.
A friend of mine is always spotting painted rocks. I spotted this one on a hike so I took a picture.