Amy Lu's View

I attempted to participate in a cultural phenomenon today. 

I failed.

My goal was to see the “Beyond Walls” art project at Boom Island Park in Minneapolis, a 12,500-square-foot land art mural by Franco-Swiss artist Saype. Posts about the mural kept popping up on Facebook and Instagram, and my co-workers were talking about it, and Boom Island is rather close to our house, so it seemed like a good outing for a gorgeous Friday afternoon when I was looking for a little adventure without traveling too far.

So I put on sensible shoes and a baseball cap, grabbed a water bottle, and headed out. I parked at another little park about a mile and a half from Boom Island, because I wanted to get some walking in. Of course I wasn’t completely confident that I would actually find Boom Island Park, even though I’ve been by it a thousand times and even in it at least once, because I know myself. But before too long I actually made it to the park. 

Success! So I started walking…and walking..and walking. 

No mural. 

I backtracked. I walked into the park again, this time on the other side of the field where I thought the mural would be. 

No mural. 

Doubt crept in. Was I actually in the right park? Was there another part of the park where the mural would be?

Eventually I got brave and asked another park goer who was walking a very nice dog if she knew where the mural was. She did indeed–or at least she knew where it HAD been. Recent rain had washed it away. 

Well damn. 

Yes, I knew the mural was intentionally temporary, but I thought as it had only been created a week ago, and everything I read said it should last three weeks to a couple of months, it would still be there. I guess SHOULD was the operative word, and I should have realized that we’ve had a lot of rain since it was created. 

Actually, I wasn’t that disappointed or annoyed. I was enjoying a beautiful day outside and the mural inspired me to visit a park that I normally wouldn’t make time to visit. My walk also took me through the relatively new Graco Park which I’ve never checked out (I used to run through that area when I did “long runs” which I haven’t done for a couple of years and I have some feels about that. I’ll note that it was a good emotional/psychological step for me to revisit a place I used to run and now “just” walk and to confront and somewhat accept that change).

 It would have been much more frustrating if the mural had been there and I had somehow just not been able to find it (a very real possibility for me). I appreciated the clarity of knowing that I hadn’t just been unable to find it. My only note is that Minneapolis should update its website to say the mural has washed away. Social media content creators also need to get on it and inform folks.  

So my little expedition wasn’t a failure afterall–just an experience that was not what I originally planed on. And it’s beyond corny to say this, but being able to see that and being slightly flexible with my expectations is beyond a win (even if a small one) for me.