Three bronze bears now anchor a seating area outside Allianz Field, adding a new work to the public-art collection taking shape in St. Paul's Midway neighborhood. Scottish sculptor Andy Scott and Dr. Bill McGuire unveiled the set, named the ButterBears, this week outside Midway Diner and Picco Pizza and Gelateria, between the stadium and the United Village hotel still under construction.
The mama bear stands nine feet tall and weighs more than two tons; each cub weighs more than 500 pounds, according to Pioneer Press. The bears carry patterns based on 11 butterfly species native to Minnesota. The newspaper reported that the motif reflects McGuire's conservation work and that he helped choose the species represented.
McGuire, a Minnesota United team owner turned United Village developer, commissioned the sculpture and gave it its name. The Pioneer Press reported that Scott proposed adding butterflies, while architect and project manager Hanneke Scott-van Wel selected the species and checked her choices with McGuire. Scott described the work as intended for a younger audience, with lighter subject matter than some of his other sculptures.
From a Los Angeles Studio to St. Paul
Scott designed the bears at his Los Angeles studio; they were cast at a foundry in Scotland and shipped to the Twin Cities for installation. The Pioneer Press reports that Scott has made roughly 10 trips to the Twin Cities over the past three years or more for public-art installations. He returned to Midway Diner this week for breakfast with McGuire before the unveiling.
This isn't Scott and McGuire's first collaboration in the area. In October 2024, Scott installed The Calling, a massive stainless steel loon sculpture, at the southeast corner of Snelling and University avenues. Published accounts differ on the loon's exact size — the Pioneer Press has described it as a 32-foot-tall sculpture with an 89-foot wingspan, while KSTP reported it at nearly 90 feet wide and 33 feet high and weighing approximately 25 tons, and Scott's own studio lists it as 30 feet high with a 90-foot wingspan on Andy Scott Sculptor's website.
A College Connection Sparked by a Loon
The Calling also opened the door to another nearby commission. McGuire's connection to Scott through Minnesota United FC's loon sculpture led him to introduce the artist to Macalester College, according to Macalester College. The result was Coo, a Scottish Highland cow sculpture made from Corten steel that the college unveiled in October, standing in front of Macalester's Leonard Center after students and alumni chose the Highland cow motif in 2024 to replace the Mac the Scot mascot.
Coo's exact dimensions are also reported differently depending on the source: Macalester's own account describes the sculpture as twelve feet tall and says it weighs two and a half tons, while the Pioneer Press reported it at 10 feet tall and 15 feet long. The college's account adds that Coo was commissioned and gifted by The Justin and Jansel Kelly Family Foundation to honor Macalester's faculty, and that Scott built it by hand in his Los Angeles studio over about six months without the use of computer models.
A Sculptor Known for Going Colossal
Scott's reputation for large-scale public art extends well beyond Minnesota. He's also the creator of The Kelpies, two steel horse-head sculptures located between Falkirk and Grangemouth near the River Carron in Scotland, each roughly 100 feet tall. Still, Scott has said that while most of his work is public and outdoors, most of his installations aren't on that colossal scale — and he's said he hopes to work on another public art commission in the Twin Cities area.
McGuire's taste for art tied to his developments shows up elsewhere at Allianz Field too. He also commissioned artist Jim Sanborn to create Omnis, a bronze sculpture that displays 18 milestones in soccer history written out in 42 languages, according to the Star Tribune. As Twin Cities Business has reported, McGuire is spending about $170 million to build two restaurants, an office building and a hotel as part of United Village, and he's incorporating distinctive art throughout the project.
More Development Ahead in the Midway
The ButterBears arrive as McGuire continues expanding his footprint in the Midway. He has closed on the purchase of the former CVS property, an empty lot at the northwest corner of Snelling and University avenues, a deal that may enable future residential and retail development, per the Pioneer Press. The United Village office building and hotel remain under construction nearby, suggesting the bronze bears won't be the last art installation to greet visitors in this corner of St. Paul.
How the Bears Fit the City's Plans
The ButterBears seating area is part of a broader vision for the site: the City of Saint Paul says its plan aims to create a walkable neighborhood, activate public open spaces and welcome a mix of uses. The city's project page describes a planned first phase with a sculpture garden, hotel, office building, two restaurant pavilions and new open spaces, with a start anticipated in late 2023 to early 2024. That page describes the planned scope and timing, but does not establish which elements have since been completed or remain in progress.
