The public artwork, ‘Letterdance,’ was created to reflect and enhance the internationally diverse community of Minnesota State University in Mankato. The three suspended art installations visually integrate functional architectural elements of the building and provide strong orientation points.

The sculptural installation for the student lounge includes colored and stainless steel cables holding an array of small-scale images — letters of different alphabets of the languages spoken at the University, numerals, and translucent glasslike strips that reflect the floor design. Colored cables embellished with arrowheads serve as dimension lines of this ‘animated architectural drawing.’ The bronze inserts for the terrazzo floor further complement the space.

The corridor’s sculptural composition is based on the same artistic concept, but adjusted to a different spatial environment. Stainless cables of the composition visually interplay with the lines of the track field and incorporate the text of the University’s sport song.

The wall-mounted sculpture for the South entrance forms the abbreviation ‘MSU’ and is created through repetition of the words ‘Minnesota,’ ‘State,’ and ‘University.’