Our Built Environment | Angela St. Vrain

Our Built Environment is an installation that uses construction and home-improvement materials to create an artificial lake setting inside a gallery. Linoleum tile, 2x4 studs, and faux brick are used to make maps of parks, communities, and homes. The work explores themes of privacy, public access, and temporality, particularly from the viewpoint of a renter living in an urban area.

Bio: Angela St. Vrain (she/her) is a sculptor and installation artist based in Minneapolis. Her work is inspired by living in rental apartments, the moving process, and public and private borders. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, she received a BFA in Sculpture from University of Louisville in 2016. Since moving to Minnesota, she has completed residencies at Second Shift Studio Space in St. Paul and Franconia Sculpture Park in Shafer, along with receiving a MFA in Visual Studies from Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2023.

Artist Statement: From one home to the next, apartment dwellers and renters lack control over their personal spaces. It is not only the home itself that defines the living experience, but the quality of life is greatly affected by secondary forces. Landlords, neighbors, greenspace, access, and privacy are factors that will significantly affect the perceived value of a living experience. These conditions are fluid and will leave residents in a state of flux, constantly questioning if they want to – or are even able to – leave or stay. Based on real floor plans of homes, along with maps of parks and communities, St. Vrain builds large installations out of construction and home-improvement materials. 2x4 studs, linoleum tile, and faux brick are used to represent these often temporary, semi-private and semi-public spaces.

Presented concurrently with Light Over Boundary | Allegra Lockstadt.

Gallery Hours:
The Silverwood Park Gallery is free to the public and open daily from 9 am - 5 pm. Call 763-694-2091 or email eileen.cohen@threeriversparks.org for more information.

Image: Map of Silver Lake (detail), linoleum tile, 23’6” x 18'6”, 2025