December 2020
01 December 2020
Thursday, December 3, 2020 – 8:00pm
Watch the movie on YouTube at the link below
Cost: absolutely FREE
Panel Discussion on Zoom at 8pm CDT
Casket Cinema continues a season of pandemic cinema with a virtual screening of a documentary filmed in MN and South Dakota, “THE DAKOTA 38”.
Filmed in 2008, finished in 2012, it follows a group of Native Americans on horseback as they journey 330 miles from South Dakota to Mankato. The viewer and the riders are lead by on this vision quest by own...
30 November 2020
On Friday, Nov. 13, the Minneapolis City Council voted against the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District’s interest for the property development on 2301 California St. NE. It was disheartening as the vote was 12 to 1 with only one council member (Lisa Goodman, who is not from Northeast) voting against the development.
Here lies truth from 2301 California St protest
The fight has awakened a resolve to find multiple ways to accomplish the goal of preserving the Arts District. The fight has strengthened...
30 November 2020
Thursday, November 19 was a lot of fun, as Give to the Max Day generated approximately $6,600 for the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. We gave away two Water Taxi experiences, to Mark Jones and Larry & Patti Rogacki, as prize incentives for donating during two time periods at a certain level.
Suzann Beck Last Rose of Summer
Thanks to the following people, some off-line and a few anonymous, we raised in excess of our $2,500 goal which was matched by Mike Venne-witz in honor of State Representative...
30 November 2020
Curators are hard at work putting the finishing touches on plans for two exhibits that will be mounted at the MSP International Airport in mid-January. The “Arts@MSP exhibits, featuring Northeast artists, will be on display through 2021. Applicant notifications will be sent soon.
The Arts@MSP program is sponsored by the Airport Foundation MSP, in partnership with the Metropolitan Airports Commission. Hundreds of artwork images were submitted for a slide show that will soon be available online. Thanks...
November 2020
15 November 2020
Support Northeast Minneapolis Arts District on Give to the Max Day (or before) and your contribution will be matched!
Mike Vennewitz, in honor of State Representative Diane Loeffler, has challenged the Arts District to raise $2,500 that he will match. Every contribution up to $2,500 logged in by noon on Thursday, Nov. 19 will be doubled.
Rep. Loeffler was a joyful art buyer and giver, and she recognized the policy work needed to preserve and expand space for people of all backgrounds and skills to...
08 November 2020
The fight goes on! The 2301 California St. NE development is currently in process until Friday Nov. 13th when the city council will decide whether they will deny the zoning change that will stop the project or NOT and let the project go forward. We still have a chance to stop this project and others like in the future. Your voice and energy is needed this week.
While we support affordable housing in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District, such housing should not be substandard or hazardous and should...
08 November 2020
The Developer Graveyard Art Happening
Wednesday, November 11th at High Noon
at California Building
Masks required
You are Invited
The artists and neighbors of the NE Minneapolis Arts District are going to create The Developer Graveyard Art Happening at the 2301 California St NE site. We are looking to create tons of art gravestones at the site. The Arts District wants to empower artists and community members to lay this thing to rest. Bring pre-made (left over from Halloween painted grey with black...
01 November 2020
Rosalux is excited to announce an open call for submissions for our annual Open Door exhibition which will launch on December 8th of this year. Due to the COVID Pandemic, we will be hosting this year’s exhibition online as part of our Home-Works series and as an exhibition in print. Open Door is an exciting opportunity for artists outside the collective to share their work with our audience and become a part of our community. Because of the new exhibition format submissions will be free this...
01 November 2020
By Margo Ashmore
Support the Arts District on Give to the Max Day
“The best thing about Northeast is its eclectic vibe …[it’s where] old and new Minneapolis meet. The southern portion … is filled with dive bars … around for decades, award-winning new restaurants, breweries and art studios galore that come even more alive during the annual Art-a-Whirl studio tour…The Arts District is a highly walkable area within it … that offers a little of everything that makes greater Northeast the neighborhood...
29 October 2020
By Josh Blanc
The current development proposal by LS Black Developers at 2301 California Street is an brazen attempt to take existing I-1 industrial land and turn it into an “affordable mixed use housing”. This type of housing will not help people currently living in tents in the parks. The developers thinly disguise their proposal by offering the minimum production space to appease the arts community. They have not reached out to the arts community to even ask who we are and what we...
October 2020
02 October 2020
Bottineau Neighborhood Association (BNA) has a long history of support for building new affordable housing, so it apparently caught developers and Council Member Steve Fletcher off guard to hear opposition to the latest proposal for housing at 2301 California Street NE. The issues germane to the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District are these:
23rd & California St NE LS Black Proposed building
1. Inadequate production space. The building, which promises 164 units of multi-bedroom housing...
02 October 2020
by City Councilman Kevin Reich
Last December, the City of Minneapolis celebrated the life and contributions of a beloved and iconic artist with a resolution honoring our own Aldo Moroni. This week we mourn Aldo’s passing. Much more than just a great artist, he was a consummate community builder. He saw everyone as his neighbor, and he centered his neighbors in all of his work from the smallest bronze replica of a landmark building to ambitiously sprawling civilizations; likewise, he centered...
01 October 2020
Down with Soulless Gifting – Support the Stand With Artists Project (SWAP) ACW Registry
by Barbara Bridges
Community: a feeling of connectedness with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. You may be a member of many communities related to faith, school, work, social action, gardening and family. The Northeast Minneapolis based global non-profit, Art to Change the World, bonds its community with the belief that art CAN and DOES change the world. We are currently challenged...
01 October 2020
by Dougie Padilla
so, do you remember
back in the olden times, like
maybe fifteen years ago
when aldo grew up and destroyed
most all the civilizations of babylon,
grew them out of bag after bag of clay,
created endless small ancient buildings and towns,
labored long ecstatic hours/days/months,
all in his studio/gallery in the california building
in northeast back in was it the zeros?
well, me, i remember him,
mad as a hatter, dressed all babylonian,
tromping thru his enormous earthen
creation of...
28 September 2020
OPENING RECEPTION: Friday, September 11, 7-9 pm at the Gallery Factory, with safety precautions in place. Link to Facebook event here.
GALLERY HOURS: September 11 – October 10, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 12-5 pm or by appointment (612-743-6664) with safety precautions (see below). Find directions and a map on our website here.
Note: In light of safety concerns, we will be practicing social distancing, limiting to ten people in the gallery at one time, supplying masks to those who do not have...
26 September 2020
Artist Kyle Fokken
The Northeast Minneapolis Arts District is thrilled with the enthusiastic response to our Call for Artwork for our year-long exhibits, scheduled to launch at MSP International Airport in January 2021. 70 artists submitted work for consideration on the Passages theme, and more than 40 for The Art of Abstraction. The curatorial process, choosing from these submissions, is now underway. In addition, there will be more than 500 images in the looping Slide Show. This is a great opportunity...
24 September 2020
Adapted from the newsletter of Eat My Words Bookstore
This collection of books comes mainly from the depths of an old friend’s uncle’s house. From deep within the basement, shrouded in dust, these writings are about the colossal failure and small successes of the American Reconstruction Era. Titles such as An American Crisis, From Blood Shirt to Full Dinner Pail, and The Avenger Takes His Place all have an ominous ring to them. I don’t remember much about the Reconstruction Era from history class;...
19 September 2020
Creative CityMaking (CCM) is proud to support CCM artist Witt Siasoco and the Carry on Homes team (and winners of the Creative City Challenge) to extend their programming for the 2020 Census. CCM funding supported the team’s September events in Northeast Minneapolis, where they engaged community members about the importance of completing the 2020 Census. Updated NEWS a federal judge U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh overturned the attempt to cut off the Census, so now they have until Oct. 31 to...
13 September 2020
The City’s new facility for Solid Waste & Recycling services in Northeast Minneapolis Arts District is also home to “Collection Point,” a new public artwork. To celebrate, the City is holding an art supply donation event.
“Collection Point” was recently completed and installed at the southeast corner of the East Side Storage and Maintenance Facility, at 351 26th Ave NE. Inspired by the many seen and unseen collections within Northeast, artist Randy Walker designed and assembled this...
September 2020
30 August 2020
The Northeast Minneapolis Arts District has arranged for a group of exhibits at the Minneapolis / St. Paul International Airport. All eligible artists may apply to the unjuried Slide Show as well as one of the curated exhibits (Passages OR The Art of Abstraction).
These exhibits will introduce the traveling public to the many artists of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District and the wealth of thought-provoking and memorable visual art being created here. In addition to showcasing artists’ best work,...
30 August 2020
by Mike Madison
Mary Johnson’s whimsical sculptures can be seen from blocks away. Her most recent installation, “Lizard Lounge,” has a new permanent home at East Side Neighborhood Services (ESNS), 1700 Second St. NE.
“I started and completed it in 2008, but I’ve worked on it several times, most recently last week. It’s based on 1950s roadside attractions—they always had a catchy name. It’s made with stucco. The materials are all genuine to what a 1950s roadside attraction would...
29 August 2020
by Margo Ashmore
The Northeast Minneapolis Arts District hosts “Art/Include/Act,” a virtual PechaKucha event. It’s Sunday, September 13, 2020, 7 p.m. via Zoom.
Artists are making news for helping express and heal recent and historical trauma. But bringing communities together through arts is a time-honored practice. “Art/Include/Act” looks at the social practice of involving community members’ voices through collaborative art-making. Visual and/or performing arts, temporary or permanent.
PechaKuchas...
28 August 2020
Written by Rosalux Gallery
Rosalux Gallery has done a series of articles about their artists called Quarantine Confidential. The articles touch upon challenges, funny moments, and reveal what artists do during these challenging times with their creative minds. Thank you, Rosalux Gallery and the artists, for sharing these interviews with the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District.
Quarantine Confidential: Hend Al-Mansour
What’s your favorite disaster movie?
The title is “Between Heaven and Earth,” a...
26 August 2020
by Margo Ashmore
The deadline for submitting artwork to be considered for the Northeast Calendar is fast approaching; September 10. The Northeast Community Development Corporation (NECDC) coordinates the Northeast Calendar, and is soliciting images that represent the 14 Northeast neighborhoods.
New guidelines this year: An image may represent a neighborhood simply due to the artist living or working in that neighborhood. It does not have to be a landmark. All mediums welcome. “We’re looking...
06 August 2020
“Isn’t it ironic that ‘2020’ often refers to seeing things more clearly? Well, this year has certainly done that. 2020 has grabbed us by the shoulders and given the world a much needed shake. First, a global quarantine forced humankind to break from the normal routine of ‘commute, consume, repeat.’ Shocking at first, but in hindsight, it’s become clear that we don’t need to live that way — something Mother Nature has been begging us to realize for decades. And then,...
August 2020
06 August 2020
“Isn’t it ironic that ‘2020’ often refers to seeing things more clearly? Well, this year has certainly done that. 2020 has grabbed us by the shoulders and given the world a much needed shake. First, a global quarantine forced humankind to break from the normal routine of ‘commute, consume, repeat.’ Shocking at first, but in hindsight, it’s become clear that we don’t need to live that way — something Mother Nature has been begging us to realize for decades. And then,...
31 July 2020
Online submissions open August 15 for three Northeast Minneapolis Arts District exhibit opportunities at MSP International Airport.
Arts@MSP Program awarded the proposal sent by Arts District board member Leslie Palmer-Ross and Exhibit Coordinator Denise Tennen. Work will be on display January through December of 2021.
“Visitors to the airport may have lots of time to take in the exhibits while they wait for flights. This is a great way to invite them to include the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District...
31 July 2020
by Josh Blanc
Since its inception in 2012, the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District e-newsletter has published 100 editions. About a dozen writers, poets and reporters have contributed material about artists and their experiences in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. More than 240 individuals or institutions have been mentioned or profiled.
The goal has been to get the broadest perspective on what artists create, build and think about. For example, in September 2017, Aldo Moroni wrote about...
21 July 2020
The first three works of the Social Justice Billboard Project are up! You can see the artworks by William Ransom, Peyton Scott Russell and Melodee Strong on our Instagram and Facebook, or in person at the vigil site on 38th Street and Chicago Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN.
A big thank you to all who have supported the Project so far by donating or sharing the information with their communities. Because of your help and generosity, the SJBP GoFundMe has raised over $12,000, enough for a year-long payment...
21 July 2020
Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association’s 10×10 Online Shop will will be launched to the public Saturday, Sept. 26 at 5 p.m. This virtual event will serve as both a fundraiser for NEMAA as well as a promotional and sales opportunity for NEMAA artists who donate work.
Deadline September 16, 2020. Artists may donate work through September 16, and those who donate before August 16 get first priority to appear in publicity.
All artworks will be available for purchase for $35.00, proceeds to benefit NEMAA....
20 July 2020
We welcome Michelle Woster to the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District Board. She brings a voice of the theater community. Since 2018, Michelle has been the managing director of Theater Latté Da, the entity that owns The Ritz Theater.
Before that, Michelle served as the managing director of Ten Thousand Things Theater, where she worked for ten years with the company’s small staff and board to grow this locally-recognized treasure into a leader on the national theater scene. She has also held senior...
20 July 2020
Inspired by the Walker Art Center’s Painter Painter exhibition in 2013, and the “epic conversation” they enjoyed afterward, Kolman & Pryor Gallery co-owner, Patrick Pryor, and gallery artist, Betsy Ruth Byers, have co-curated a follow-up exhibition featuring new work by four Minnesota artists, Samuel Bjorgum, Regan Golden, James Holmberg, and Syed Hosain. The exhibition, Four Painters, opens September 12 and runs through October 31. Visitors can view the show in person at the gallery on Saturdays,...
July 2020
29 June 2020
Compiled by Josh Blanc
The murder of George Floyd has marked a new consciousness in Minneapolis and beyond. Artists from the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District with different vantage points, and who have been working on issues of equality and justice for many years, are engaging on the front lines in this transformative moment.
#creativesaftercurfew by Leslie Barlow
Using the hashtag #creativesaftercurfew, Leslie Barlow and about two dozen other predominantly BIPOC (Black/indigenous/people of color)...
29 June 2020
Co-op Art: Corn, by Charles Lyon
Eastside Food Co-op introduces Creative Feed, a new way to bring even more local art to Central Avenue and to support the community of artists who call Northeast Minneapolis home. Eastside Food Coop is opening windows, walls, and walkways to the artists of Northeast.
Proposals are requested from Minneapolis visual artists for temporary, two-dimensional public artwork centered on themes of food, healing, nature, justice, community and solidarity. Proposals can include...
29 June 2020
by Mark Peterson
Northeast artist Kao Lee Thao was one of twenty selected to design and decorate nearly seven-foot-high fiberglass rose statues, all of which will be displayed in outdoor spaces throughout Roseville from July 1 to October 31, as part of the “Roseville in Bloom” public art project.
Hmong Story Cloth Kao Lee Thao
Thao is also one of five artists selected to create a mural on glass for Minneapolis’s new Public Services Building, set for completion this year. The mural will reflect...
29 June 2020
According to 250 community members who responded to the Northeaster online survey conducted May 6 to June 15, local arts ranked high among things to do.
The most popular entertainment venues visited in the previous twelve months were movie theaters (74%), bars and clubs (65%) for Northeaster readers surveyed, followed closely by live performing arts and art museums (64% each). More than half (54%) reported visiting one or more art studios. A variety of other activities were offered, including attending...
28 June 2020
To provide cheer and inspire community every day of the year, the Northeast Calendar returns for 2021. Artists of all mediums are welcome to submit images representing each of Northeast’s 14 neighborhoods, by September 10, 2020.
A total of $3,000 will be awarded, $200 per image with one image as the cover, at $400. The calendars will be distributed free through sponsoring businesses in December.
Northeast Community Development Corporation coordinates the calendar, and expresses a preference for active,...
28 June 2020
Community members are welcome to reserve virtual ‘office hour’ time with the City of Minneapolis’ Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy team. “Once someone inquires, we can provide our phone number for a one-on-one call. We don’t have all the answers but can help people/businesses/organizations think through their issues and direct them to good resources,” said Brenda Kayzar.
Reservations are required. Upcoming dates and contact information:
For meetings with Gulgun Kayim, Director of Arts, Culture...
June 2020
31 May 2020
Two poems by Eyenga Bokamba.
Our city is on fire. Our hearts are broken.
Painting titles part II.
This is a recitation of painting titles for a healing world. Pictured behind me: “Meditation on Silence” created in 2010. #blacklivesmatter #justiceforgeorgefloyd #heal #create #speak
“These poems were constructed from titles of paintings the artist created over the past 11 years while basing her studio practice in NE Minneapolis.”
Eyenga Bokamba’s Instagram
www.eyengabokambapaintings.com
30 May 2020
Jeff Lohaus riding his sculpture outside his studio Photo by: Foster Willey
Inside Jeff Lohaus’s studio Photo by: Foster Willey
Sculptor and painter Jeff Lohaus died suddenly over Memorial weekend.
Lohaus once sold miniature sculptures of a pierogi on a fork, fundraising for a larger installation surrounded by words in several languages to celebrate the many cultures that have foods similar to the Polish or Ukrainian pierogi.
Fellow artist Jack Pavlik said on Facebook “I knew Jeff in...
29 May 2020
by Josh Blanc
At the new playground beyond Sheridan Memorial Park, you’ll encounter the first actual climbing boulders in the city not made of plastic, and other sculptures by Zoran Mojsilov. Before you get there, visible from the Broadway Bridge or walking to the river end of 13th Avenue, you’ll see Zoran’s outdoor studio. It’s a place where the public is invited to watch him work and a gift by the artist to the community—art enjoyment for those who can not afford to purchase a large sculpture....
28 May 2020
by Leslie Palmer-Ross and Margo Ashmore
Under the restrictions of the COVID-19 directives, we were not able to gather in person for the largest studio crawl in the country, but Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association’s feverish effort to build virtual aspects of Art-A-Whirl paid off, and the event site artawhirl.org will remain open for business all summer long.
Bicycle Theory and Curbside Marketing, LLC, teamed up with NEMAA and hundreds of artists to post studio tours and demonstrations, as well...
27 May 2020
George Floyd watercolor by Kara van Wyk
We are in an intense time in our city and our world. The COVID-19 international challenge had been all-consuming. Minneapolis is now the newest epicenter of response to systemic racism after the murder of George Floyd, a black man, by police officers was captured on video. We condemn the racist violence exhibited by the Minneapolis Police Department leading to George Floyd’s death and are outraged and overwhelmed with sadness.
Our city is in a lot of...
23 May 2020
by City of Minneapolis office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy
Businesses with no employees will be able to apply for grants up to $3,000. There will be a separate application process and deadline posted to the Hennepin County website. Check the Hennepin County small business website for application details and sign up to receive notifications. Self-employed creatives are eligible to apply.
May 2020
14 May 2020
NEMAA Presents the 25th Art-A-Whirl ONLINE
Art-A-Whirl is the largest open studio tour in the country, and is celebrating its 25th year! Due to COVID-19, we can’t gather together across Northeast Minneapolis this May, but over 1,000 artists, galleries, bands, businesses, restaurants, and breweries are active and ready to connect with you through the Art-A-Whirl Online Experience.
+ Find artists by map location, studio building, or medium.
+ Browse over 800 artist profiles and shops with shipping...
14 May 2020
On his weekly Podcast “Art Wunderful” (Episode 15), Rogue Buddha Gallery owner Nicholas Harper interviews Anna Becker, the Executive Director of Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA). Their discussion revolves around this year’s Art-A-Whirl (LIVE ONLINE), and also includes some of the organization’s history and how it connects artists to the wider community.
To listen to this podcast and others, visit www.roguebuddha.com/PODCAST.
28 April 2020
Mary Johnson’s sculpture, “Max Rabitat,” has attracted much photographic attention since first landing on 22nd Avenue NE across from the California Building. On April 17, the social distancing mask was added.
Coordinated by NE Sculpture | Gallery Factory, “Max” is a third entry on what will become the River First Gateway Sculpture Trail, along 22nd Avenue NE from Central to the Mississippi River, and along Marshall Street NE from roughly 18th Avenue to Lowry. Nearby in the...
26 April 2020
By Mark Peterson
A visit to Emily Gray Koehler’s sun-filled studio in the Thorp Building found her in the midst of a printmaking project for an upcoming exhibition in Red Wing, Minnesota. The show would be the nineteenth annual Poet-Artist Collaboration, at Red Wing Arts Depot, a project that matches visual artists and poets in a kind of double-blind pairing; each artist gets a poem to work from, but the two artists never meet until the exhibition begins.
On Friday, March 13, Koehler was printing...
25 April 2020
Staying home, ordered to stay at home, suddenly working from home—we are all suddenly spending so much more time in the place we mostly take for granted. This has forced many of us to look again at our surroundings.
As so much business has moved to online interviews or Zoom meetings, we are all getting glimpses into the insides of other people’s homes. This has caused Marc Clements of Follow the Muse Studio to look with a fresh eye at the art that he and his wife Daphnae Koop have in their...
24 April 2020
Self-employed workers and contractors are typically not eligible for unemployment benefits. However, in this unprecedented crisis the State of Minnesota is offering unemployment compensation for the self employed and 1099 workers. This includes those with only part-time employment. Independent contractors and gig workers should qualify. Artists, gig workers, and the self employed who have lost work from the coronavirus crisis should apply now.
HERE is a useful article from Minnpost that briefly explains...
April 2020
31 March 2020
Our very first ART365 virtual event took place on FaceBook and then on Instagram Tuesday, March 31. It was really fun and gave some ideas for what artists can do to safely bring visitors into their studios.
Layl McDill, a polymer clay artist, worked with bits of clay on her studio bench, and took cues from the online participants for suggestions about what animals she should make, what color they should be, etc. Layl is amazingly quick and agile with her fingers, and also makes use of a few tools...
31 March 2020
Arnold Böcklin, The Plague, 1898
This past month the world has changed and a new chapter has started for all of us. Shock, fear, worry of fulfilling basic needs, wonder of what is coming next—it’s all on the table.
For all of human history artists have been appreciated for their unique ability to reflect back what they see through the works they create. Some great historical examples are featured in Daily Art Magazine, “Plague in Art: 10 Paintings You Should Know in the Times of Coronavirus,”...
31 March 2020
As part of our “Please Tell us a Story” series, Loretta Bebeau submitted this photograph. Hands have been traced from special people in her life. Work in progress. Follow Loretta at https://www.facebook.com/loretta.bebeau
Loretta Bebeau painting
Loretta Bebeau Hands
30 March 2020
ART WUNDERFUL PODCAST with NICHOLAS HARPER
www.roguebuddha.com
Weathering the Storm: Tips for Artists
Art Wunderful, the art podcast where art is a religion. New episodes available every Monday. Nicholas Harper offers his perspective on arts related topics and his experiences within the arts as well as hosts conversations with artists, collectors, arts related professionals and art enthusiasts.
https://media-west.podserve.fm/media/episodes/user_940/752/ART_WUNDERFUL_Ep._10_-_Weathering_the_Storm.mp3
30 March 2020
Video Conferencing – Zoom
With our whole community ordered to stay home people are looking for other ways to be social. This has created a big demand for Video Conferencing and Online Gaming technologies. A few days ago I tried to video call a few close friends. I had technical difficulties with almost everyone I contacted. One couldn’t get their sound working another forgot to buy a webcam and head set with their new desktop computer. Technology is not often easy, but with a little patience...
30 March 2020
Daphnae Koop
We are in a surreal time period and the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District board is trying to get perspectives, the experiences of the artists in the district, to share in our e newsletter and possibly in the Arts Insights page in the Northeaster. Please tell us a story, about one or two paragraphs, a poem, short story, video or image of your experiences and or thoughts. Keep them coming—as we all go through this we would like to create a kind of storybook to document this moment.
What...
29 March 2020
The MPCNC LowRider2 designed by Ryan Zellars
Biding my time; that’s an idea alien to me, but that’s what we appear to be doing. We’re doing what we are told and staying home waiting for IT, the demon virus, to pass. Everything we need we are ordering online, even food. I need some nuts and bolts but fear the hardware store.
However, speaking of nuts and bolts, I decided to start a new project. I’m building a Painting Machine, a way to put paint to canvas using a computer and an XYZ machine....
29 March 2020
The public health crisis caused by the Coronavirus, COVID-19, is impacting our entire community. The Northeast Minneapolis Arts District is where people engage in social and cultural public events, art, musical and theatrical events, art making, working, manufacturing, communing over food and drink, happy hour gatherings, shopping, worshiping, learning, playing, and many more social and physical activities. These activities form the lifeblood of our community. Everyone and everything is impacted....
March 2020
05 March 2020
Written by Mark Peterson
Along with 25,000 books, Scott VanKoughnett’s Eat My Words bookstore holds four to six literary-related events a month, including poetry workshops and author visits. On Saturday, February 22, people attending got a bit of both.
The event’s title, “Powerful Female Poets,” should get an award for truth in advertising. Each of these (currently local) poets got a chance to stand up straight and tell the truth, and each of them did. The intimate space in the back of the store,...
05 March 2020
Mercedes Austin, founder and owner of Mercury Mosaics, was featured on the cover of Upsize Minnesota magazine’s January-February issue, and inside the publication in an article about “finding funding.”
Many might not have heard of Upsize as it is a Minnesota magazine aimed at small business owners. It is always newsworthy when an artisan can do a crossover into other community news and vice versa. The featured article focuses on non-traditional funding, an area where many artists...
05 March 2020
“The Art of Death as Part of Life and Beyond,” a PechaKucha Night held March 1 at Rogue Buddha Gallery, brought people of all ages, genders, orientations and ethnicities into the same room, said one observer.
At this joint event a series of fast-paced presentations of images was followed, after a break, by Death Café Twin Cities, a format in which people explore death-related topics in groups of eight to ten. About 40 people of the 80 in attendance for the PechaKucha stayed for the Death Café, which...
03 March 2020
Nicholas Harper has thrust himself into the world of Podcasting. If you have ever wanted to get the insights of an artist and gallery owner working in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District, this is an excellent virtual way to engage. Called ART WUNDERFUL, Nicholas describes its mission as spreading the gospel of the arts, their essential value to our everyday lives and to offer a deep dive exploration into this most mysterious of subjects.
Weekly episodes oscillate between solo commentary on art-related...
02 March 2020
Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association’s new president Brian Burke kicked off his part of NEMAA’s annual meeting on February 25 with a message of accessibility — he said he’s open to talk with anyone interested, email brian@NEMAA.org.
The organization, which produces Art-A-Whirl, not only paid off $75,000 of debt from 2018 in 2019, but now has moved $40,000 into savings. Following the example of prior leaders, according to treasurer Nancy Przymus, NEMAA would like to see about one-third of their...
February 2020
01 February 2020
Collection Point being built
Artist Randy Walker has created an iconic public art piece as a welcoming entry point into the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District at the new East Side Storage and Maintenance Facility in the Holland neighborhood. The facility at the corner of University and 26th Avenues is a multi-purpose municipal operations campus for city vehicles, equipment, storage, maintenance and offices. While many of the city’s fleet of garbage trucks and garbage bins are in the building,...
30 January 2020
The crowd at candidate forum
To assist voters in learning about the multitude of candidates running for the Minnesota House of Representatives 60A seat, five Northeast Minneapolis neighborhoods and the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District held a forum on Monday, January 13 at Solar Arts Building.
The lively format gave insights into candidates’ creativity and approach as well as their understanding of specific issues.
An estimated 225 people attended the forum, and 4,686 voted in the January 21 primary,...
28 January 2020
Fourteen artists working in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District were awarded The Minnesota State Arts Board Grants totaling $135,800. Most will receive $10,000 for their projects. Congratulations to all the recipients. John Akre, Leslie Barlow, Colleen Bertsch, Kristin Boldon, Marjorie Fedyszyn, Annie Hejny, Rebecca Krinke, Gregory Lecker, Morgan Mercer, Kathy Mommsen, Beth Peloff, Russ White, Andy Richter and Mary Welke.
John M. Akre will create My Northeast and Yours, a film essay combining...
January 2020
01 January 2020
Mayor Jacob Frey and the City Council celebrated artist Aldo Moroni with an honorary resolution on December 13th at the City Council meeting. Moroni, who faces terminal cancer, has been a fixture in the Minneapolis arts community since the early 1970s.
Artist Aldo Moroni. Photo courtesy of Steve Ozone.
Moroni, whose career spans more than four decades, is known for sculpting small-scale civilizations. He worked with the City of Minneapolis and Marcy-Holmes neighborhood to create Sixth Avenue Stroll,...
01 January 2020
The HATCH committee of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District is pleased to announce the successful submittal of a proposal for multiple exhibits at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. The exhibits will both feature the District as a destination and promote its arts and artists through display of work. The first exhibit is slated for late 2020 with a second exhibit to commence in early 2021.
The ARTS@MSP program is supported by the Airport Foundation. Please look for opportunities...
31 December 2019
Twelve candidates have filed for election to fill the 60A Minnesota House of Representatives seat that is open due to Diane Loeffler’s passing. Partnering with neighborhood groups, the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District is planning a forum to help inform voters prior to the Tuesday, Jan. 21 primary.
The forum will be held at Solar Arts by Chowgirls (3rd Floor), 711 15 th Ave. NE. Monday, Jan. 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. Doors open at 5:30. Margo Ashmore of the Northeaster newspaper will moderate.
Rep. Loeffler...
30 December 2019
Sheridan Neighborhood Organization has made a great gesture of support for the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District.
Its semi-annual fundraiser SNO Ball has historically raised money for neighborhood improvements, as well as for local nonprofit organizations. The SNO board of directors has announced that it will share a portion of the proceeds from SNO Ball 2020 with the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. Having this neighborhood support is a huge benefit for the organization, both logistically...