“Better Angels” Public Art in Saint Paul

Better Angels, sadly, has suffered storm damage and has been removed indefinitely. Check Milligan Studios website for more information.

“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” -Abraham Lincoln

Landmark Plaza June 15 through August 17, 2020

This inspirational art installation will be comprised of several hundred pinwheels in shades of blue and white, re-engineered to resemble angel wings, and strung on horizontal steel wires for movement in the wind. When seen as a whole, the work creates the illusion of a pair of giant wings made of sky. Visitors can enter the arched structure, which creates a “cloud tunnel,” to experience the moving wings. Selfies from either side of the structure are encouraged and can be posted on social media with the hashtag #BetterAngelsSt.Paul.

The piece evokes President Lincoln’s first inaugural address when he spoke to a divided nation and asked all to embrace their “better angels” and join together as a country.

The “Better Angels” art installation is the creation of Alan Milligan and Dr. Nicole Mary Milligan, owners of Milligan Studios, and is sponsored by the St. Paul Downtown Alliance, the Rice Park Association, and Landmark Center.