The Controversy Surrounding Iris Logan’s Stone Tapestry in St. Paul
An iconic stone tapestry by Iris Logan faces city scrutiny, clashing with safety regulations. Defending her 30-year art, her resilience sparks community support and a petition as the city council deliberates the balance between expression and rules, shaping community identity.
By Beth Snider · December 6, 2023
In the heart of St. Paul, on Sherburne Avenue, a unique stone tapestry has been growing for over 30 years. This artistic installation, created by 70-year-old Iris Logan, has become a local landmark. However, it has also caught the attention of the St. Paul Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI), leading to a clash between community art and city regulations.
Logan, a former cotton sharecropper from Mississippi, began her stone tapestry as a response to a city road repair project that exposed the roots of her boulevard tree. Over the years, she added bricks, dirt, flowers, and stones, transforming the space into a vibrant display of community art. However, the city has recently issued a notice, recommending that Logan clean up the boulevard items by Dec. 22. The items cited by a DSI inspector include planters, wood, metal cans, large rocks, and miscellaneous debris.
Logan, who has never received a complaint about her installation, was taken aback by the city’s decision. She believes that her decorative bench and other installations do not obstruct city vehicles or plow trucks. In response to the city’s abatement order, Logan has written a six-page appeal, expressing her concerns and defending her right to maintain her stone artwork. The city’s decision has also impacted 16 other residents on Sherburne Avenue, who received letters from DSI instructing them to remove potted plants from the boulevard.
Despite the ongoing dispute, Logan remains committed to her community art project. She continues to remove stones and decorative driftwood by hand while preparing to hire an attorney if necessary.
In early November, a petition in support of Logan drew 150 signatures “in just a few hours,” according to a written statement from Justin Lewandowski, a community organizer with the Hamline-Midway Coalition. Lewandowski, who lives within walking distance of Iris, said the discontent speaks to a larger issue of communication with City Hall and the city’s neighborhood services. He’s hopeful the council will soon clarify rules around portable planters in boulevards.
“Given the boulevard art has been in place for close to 30 years without prior issues, we ask for consideration of a grandfathering provision that would exempt Iris’s boulevard from certain regulations,” reads the petition. “The quick support from our neighbors has been a clear signal of how much this art means to our community. It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about our identity and how we, as residents, engage with each other and with city policy.”
Some city officials on Tuesday predicted that the December discussion with the city council might touch on whether to offer Logan more time to remove her boulevard stones, likely until after spring thaw. Logan hopes they’re right. “I said to that (hearing officer), don’t you know once the snow falls, the rock freezes to the ground?” said Logan, appearing both resigned and resolute in front of the remaining stones in her boulevard. “This shall pass. I’m over it,” she said, adding later: “I’m going to the City Hall meeting.”