Ngân Huỳnh Transforms St. Paul’s Streetscape with Southeast Asian Storytelling

Ngân Huỳnh ’23 has been selected as one of four artists commissioned by Forecast Public Art to redesign utility boxes throughout downtown St. Paul.

Huỳnh, an illustrator, storyteller, and designer, was chosen from a pool of 123 applicants for the Amped Art project. Assigned four utility boxes near Mears Park and Sibley Tower, Huỳnh created digital illustrations celebrating the rich diversity of Southeast Asian cultures represented in the Twin Cities—drawing from Vietnamese, Khmer, Thai, and Hmong traditions.

Huỳnh’s designs highlight cultural markers such as Tết, Hmong story cloths, the Songkran festival, and Khmer dance, as well as everyday expressions of family and food. Beyond cultural heritage, Huỳnh also wove queer identity into the work through pride-flag color palettes and character interactions meant to spark curiosity and storytelling.

Learn More

• Downtown Saint Paul’s Amped Art
  (forecastpublicart.org)
• Ngân Huỳnh’s social media
  (instagram.com—November 3, 2025)