New artwork representing community goes on display at St. Paul City Hall, Ramsey County Courthouse building

New artwork was unveiled Wednesday inside the council chambers of the St. Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse.

After concerns from the public that the original murals from the 1930s were not welcoming to women and people of color, St. Paul and Ramsey County launched a new project.

It developed a contemporary community-based artwork for four new murals in the council chambers.

"The artists created new work that designed to celebrate our community but through the lens of different perspectives," Chad Roberts, President of the Ramsey County Historical Society, said. "The reactions of the art has been overwhelming. We’ve had people well up with tears we’ve had folks everybody coming up and saying, ‘This is amazing, this is fantastic.’"

Emily Donovan is one of the artists who has her work on display.

"It’s very exciting," Donovan said. "I think it’s really important to have something that’s inspirational, especially within a setting where public policy is being made. For my piece, I hope they can see the different ways people come together as a community."

The new murals covered the old art in the council chambers. The original artwork has been preserved and may be uncovered in the future.

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