Dragonfly Mosaic

A wonderful floor mosaic is constructed across the full width of the platform at the Lindberg-Terminal 1 light rail station at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. 

The mosaic is about 30 feet by 45 feet. It depicts a single dragonfly wing, made of dark grey terrazzo with aluminum veins, intersected by a straight line constructed of red-colored natural Minnesota stone. A bright blue stone highlights the tip of the wing.

The piece was designed in 2004 by the artist team Andrea Myklebust and Stanton G Sears. It is one of seven mosaics by team at the airport, including a compass rose, the north star, a 9/11 memorial, and depictions of the stars.

But the dragonfly wing is possibly the most striking of the mosaics. It’s a response to the airfoil-like sculptural elements, designed by the architect of the station, that hang from the ceiling above. The mosaic is a clever juxtaposition of the modern wings above and the wing of a dragonfly, which evolved about 300 million years ago, below. The symbolism of wings at the airport is also not lost.