Dino Park Wayfinding Project

2020–2021

Staples, MN

Dino Park in Staples, Minnesota — named for its beloved dinosaur sculpture — had long been a destination just out of reach. For senior residents at the Lakewood Care Center, a crosswalk away from the park, getting there meant navigating a stretch of Prairie Avenue NE without accessible infrastructure: no curb ramps, no paved walkways, no dedicated pedestrian signal. The park was visible. It just wasn't reachable.

The Safe Walk to Dino Park project grew out of a determination to change that — and to do more than install concrete. Lakewood Health System partnered with multi-disciplinary visual artist Heidi Jeub and graphic designer Peg Churchwell to transform the crossing into a work of public art, one that would slow traffic, signal welcome, and reflect the community that crosses it.

Community Design Process

Rather than arriving with a finished concept, Heidi and Peg brought the project to the people who would use it most. Children at Magic Forest Daycare painted and experimented with color and geometric form. Care center residents contributed their own mark-making and ideas. Community members joined pop-up art events at the Staples Area Farmers Market in June 2021, picking up brushes and contributing drawings that fed directly into the final design. More than 50 people helped shape the artwork before a single stroke of roadway paint was applied.

"This project pushed me to think past the final product. Knowing we were using art as a way to change behavior, it became a challenge to get community input during the pandemic, skip the community meetings that many projects entail, and take our time to engage with people to both inform and inspire."

— Heidi Jeub, Artist

Process

The project unfolded in two phases. First, the City of Staples Public Works relocated the crosswalk and constructed a fully accessible mid-block crossing on Prairie Avenue NE — complete with curb ramps, pedestrian-activated solar-powered signals, and more than 350 feet of new sidewalk. Then, in late August 2021, artists and volunteers took to the pavement together, painting a bold geometric design in red, orange, yellow, green, and blue — drawn directly from the artwork created by kids, elders, and neighbors over the months prior.

For the seniors at Lakewood Care Center, the park is finally, fully, theirs to reach. And for the community that painted it together, the crosswalk stands as proof that public art and public health are not separate conversations.

The project drew support from across the region. Funding came from the Five Wings Arts Council through an Arts Based Community Development grant, State Farm's Good Neighbor Citizenship program, MDU Resources Foundation – Knife River, Sourcewell Community Match Fund, and Morrison Todd Wadena SHIP — together totaling more than $30,000. The City of Staples contributed infrastructure and coordination throughout. The project was covered by Lakeland PBS, the Brainerd Dispatch, the Five Wings Regional Arts Council e-newsletter, and the Lakewood Health System Good Health blog.