December 2022

Native American artists share experiences with cultural appropriation
01 December 2022
When Graci Horne was a child, her mother produced her first album of Dakota music. It was a good time financially for the family, Horne said, until they learned that the contract her mother had signed with a white woman gave away all of her rights to her music. “All of a sudden, she couldn’t perform her own songs,” Horne said. Graci Horne, Marlena Myles, and Ashley Fairbanks. (Photo by Karen Kraco) Horne, curator and story keeper for the Mnisota Native Artists Alliance (MNAA), was one of three Native...
116,000+ spent time with Chroma: A Spectrum of Beauty
01 December 2022
Travelers through the MSP International Airport – some rush to get where they’re going, others get there early and have longer waits, or lay over between flights. The Airport Foundation maintains a vigorous program of both commissioned permanent art and rotating exhibits (Arts@MSP) to make visitors’ experiences welcoming and memorable. The recent “Chroma: A Spectrum of Beauty” collection curated through Northeast Minneapolis Arts District spanned five display cases in Concourse C, available to view...
Thank you for successful Speakeasy and Give to the Max fundraisers
01 December 2022
November was a great month for Arts District fundraising. Thank-yous are in order: Thanks to distillery partner 45th Parallel for their donation of the spirits for the Basement Speakeasy held the weekend of November 4, 5 and 6. Visit 45th Parallel in Stillwater, MN or New Richmond, WI. Their roots were in Northeast, as their founder lived here until just recently. A street pole banner preserved by the city of Minneapolis made the perfect focal point of the Basement Speakeasy at Casket Arts. (Photo...
The Costume Collective recycles costumes, Next Stage recycles props, sets
01 December 2022
If you need a historical costume or if Santa needs a new suit, The Costume Collective has it all. Andrea Gross displayed a soldier costume, one of many available to rent from The Costume Collective. (Photo by Patti Hoffmann) The Costume Collective is a shop reimagined after COVID-19 closed the theater industry in 2020. Two major players in the costume rental business went dark during this time – The Guthrie’s Costume Rentals Warehouse on East Hennepin, and Brian Berberich and his Theatrical Costume...
New York Times reports handmade tile resurgence
01 December 2022
When Amy Heavilin and her husband reinstalled a fireplace in their Queen Anne home, they wanted its tile to echo fish scale accents on the home’s exterior. Their choice, handmade tile from Clay Squared to Infinity of Northeast, was vignetted in a New York Times article by Lia Picard Nov. 10, 2022. Heavilin said the kiln-fired tile with its color variations looks like it’s been there forever. [photo provided by Amy Heavilin] The Clay Squared crew were totally surprised at the mention, but co-owner...
An excuse to get to know your fellow artists
01 December 2022
If you like visiting artists’ studios and can write insightfully, Northeast Minneapolis Arts District may have assignments for you. For the Arts Insights page in the Northeaster newspaper, there are themes we have wanted to pursue, involving interviewing several artists on the same or similar subject, but we run short on time. The challenge is to write succinctly for that space, and longer pieces for use online if warranted. There is some monetary compensation, along with the privilege and fun of...
Gallery and exhibition news
01 December 2022
Many gallery show to attend by Northeast Minneapolis Arts District artists. Here are three we took note of. When the Water calls me back Embracing the luminous reflections and cyclical transformations of rivers and lakes, Annie Hejny combines collected freshwater sand sediment with acrylic to share the stories of these places. From the Mississippi River to Lake Michigan, her relationship with water illuminates each canvas as an invitation for us to remember that we are bodies of water too. The exhibit...
2023 Northeast Calendars coming soon
01 December 2022
Congratulations to Patricia Canney on her “Mojo Coffee Morning,” the front cover of the 2023 Northeast Calendar produced by the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. With a studio in the California Building, she is devoted to the coffee shop. Calendars will be available free, first-come first-served, starting possibly the weekend of Dec. 3 but for sure by Dec. 7 at sponsoring businesses. Many of the previous years’ sponsors have returned. Periodic press checks for color registration quality control,...

November 2022

Give to the Max Day Fundraising
14 November 2022
Donating to the Arts District on Give to the Max, your gifts made between November 3 and 17, up to $2,500 will be doubled. The matched pool was created by the owners of eight buildings: The California Building, Casket Arts, The Highlight Center, Holland Arts, Flux Arts Building, The Food Building, Q.Arma, and Solar Arts. Every dollar you donate to this campaign will be matched by these artist-centered, neighborhood treasures that ensure Northeast Minneapolis Arts District remains the #1 Arts District...
Public Functionary inaugurates new gallery with annual group show
31 October 2022
From before unseen space at the Northrup King complex has been fashioned a ramp-accessible gallery with a permanent but flexible lounge and hospitality area. Perhaps it’s a metaphor for what’s happening among the artists served by and serving this space. On October 15, Public Functionary staff brought chairs in from the lounge for an artist talk where Leslie Barlow, now a part of the leadership, said that until a previous show curated by PF she had “never felt so seen.” Top, from left: Adrienne Doyle,...
A Picture Gallery of the Soul
31 October 2022
There are few art shows in the Twin Cities that command your attention and respect on the level of A Picture Gallery of the Soul. The exhibit at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery at the University of Minnesota is one every serious artist, educator and history buff should take time to immerse themselves in (closes Dec. 10). There are 104 artists in the catalog, 122 represented in the show of Black photographers and related historical material, soundscape, and a series of events. Quoting from U of M literature,...
Speakeasy on Nov. 4-5-6
31 October 2022
When studios in Northeast Minneapolis open for the weekend of November 4-5-6, visitors can purchase cocktails at the basement Speakeasy at casketartsbuilding. The Speakeasy is open 5-10 pm on Friday, Nov. 4, 2-8pm on Saturday, Nov. 5 and noon-4pm on Sunday, Nov. 6 with profits going to support Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. The Arts District mission is “to catalyze the innovative spirit of artists through generative community development.” Dedicated to making the geography look more and more...
Mississippi River Pearl unveiling
31 October 2022
Starting with the theme One River’s Trash is the Same River’s Treasure the Mississippi River Pearl mixed media sculpture is an Art to Change the World collaboration: Project Manager Barbara Bridges and group members Frances Bates, Amáda Márquez Simula, Greg Volker, Margo Ashmore, Annie Merrell, Neil Granlund, Katherine Boyce, Alexis Schramel, and Kelly Frankenberg. Alexis Schramel, Katherine Boyce, Frances Boyd, Neil Granlund standing. Seated: Barbara Bridges, Annie Merrell, Amáda Márquez Simula....
230 Rose on the Avenue office & potential art space
31 October 2022
The former Avirat building has been purchased by dik Bolger and Carmen Gutiérrez Bolger. The couple recently gave a tour for Arts District board members and interested community folks, as they are looking for first-floor tenants (space for about 40 office workers or could be divided for some retail use and potential gallery in a lovely kitchen-social space). Eventual plans include artist studios in the basement. Carmen is a past president of Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA) and artist...
Plywood protest boards continue in storage at NKB
30 October 2022
Memorialize the Movement, while still looking for permanent space to display the plywood protest boards from the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, has moved to another storage space in the Northrup King Building. They were in the part of the building that will eventually be renovated for the six-story lofts. Memorialize the Movement (MTM) founder and Executive Director Leesa Kelly.

October 2022

Developer Tips posted on AD website
02 October 2022
In hopes that residential and commercial property developers will do their homework even before talking with us, the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District has posted a list titled “Three simple ways to incorporate art in development.” We encourage neighborhood organization members and others who are contacted by developers to get familiar with the page as it should be a good place to send people. Hook and Ladder metal work by Lisa Elias The vibrancy of the Arts District is a talking point, a selling...
Ecuador meets Afghanistan in one of the latest murals completed
02 October 2022
If it seems that the mural on the side of Football Pizza (aka Crescent Moon, amazing pizza!) appeared instantaneously, it actually did. A combination of painting and mosaic on a thin but strong sign-board substrate called maxmetal (TM), artist Victor Yepez prepared two 5×10-foot halves in his studio at Solar Arts Building. “I had to move a lot of stuff to make room,” he said, putting on some finishing touches on-site. Gustavo Lira and his crew are continuing to working on the side of The Mill,...
Melodee Strong artist talk Oct. 7, closing reception Oct. 15
02 October 2022
Lineas de Sangre” (Bloodlines) an exhibition of work by Melodee Strong will run through  Saturday, Oct. 15 at NE Sculpture|Gallery Factory, in back of the Casket Arts complex, 1720 Madison St. NE in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. There will be an artist talk on Friday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. and the closing reception Oct. 15 from 4-6 p.m. Lineas de Sangre is a culmination of works examining and reflecting on the artist’s experiences growing up as a “mixed” girl in Minnesota. Through her writings,...
Conversation at the intersection of architecture and art
02 October 2022
Some architects are also artists, and some artists have architecture backgrounds or are interested in architecture. In the world of public art and in the world of building development, people with dual backgrounds can have an advantage to see ideas from many different perspectives – technical, artistic, community. Frank Stone Metal facade house In informal conversations we’ve started to think about how these two lines of study and practice can inform each other. It goes beyond asking architects and...
Northeast Calendar in the works
02 October 2022
Individual artists whose images were chosen for the 2023 Northeast Calendar will be contacted soon. The calendars will be available at sponsors in early December, in time for holiday giving. Ninety-nine images were submitted by a record number of 32 artists, and of the chosen, 9 are photographs and 5 are paintings or other artistic mediums, a similar percentage to the last few years. The Arts District thanks everyone for their creative entries, and thanks jurors Louise Harty, Ben Harris, Mohamed...
National recognition for Arts District volunteer
02 October 2022
Nominated by one of her staff and two officers of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District, Margo Ashmore of the Northeaster newspaper has been recognized by Editor & Publisher Magazine as one of “25 over 50.” Margo Ashmore with camera, photo by Mike Madison. The award recognized a variety of older-than-50 innovators for their “strong work ethic, transformational mindsets, commitment to journalistic and publishing excellence, and their ability to lead during challenging times.” Common themes were...

September 2022

Artists celebrated at MSP International Airport
26 August 2022
The Airport Foundation MSP and Arts@MSP hosted a lovely event for artists whose work is in the “Chroma: A Spectrum of Beauty” exhibit along Concourse C at the Minneapolis & Saint Paul International Airport Terminal 1. Exhibit/Process Coordinator Michael Curran and guest, with Sheila Dickinson, one of the curators of the “Chroma” exhibit. On Tuesday, August 9, nearly 100 people including Northeast’s two council members were in attendance as Brian Ryks, Executive Director and CEO of...
Northeast Calendar entries due Sept. 1
26 August 2022
The September e-newsletter is coming out a little early this month as one more reminder to get entries ready for the 2023 Northeast Calendar. They are due September 1. Jurors will be looking for a variety of art mediums, seasons, locations and points of view. Entries should be derived from Northeast scenes and bring a smile. Think “what would I want to see on my wall all month long?” NE Calendar Cover from 2021 For 2022, four of the 13 monthly images chosen were not photographs. The cover was...
Congratulations, State Fair winning artists
26 August 2022
Folks have through Labor Day to visit the Minnesota State Fair and see Northeast-based and NEMAA-member artists’ work at the Fine Arts Building among the art from all corners of the state, and of course, Leslie Barlow’s poster image. Many won awards, leading off with Jeannine Spooner Kitzhaber’s “Newest New,” 1st Place in the Oil/Acrylic/Mixed Media category.  Pamela Belding’s “Evolution” and Kyle Fokken’s “Purser/Piggybank Series” took HM’s (honorable mentions)...
Syhalski's “We Are Working All the Time” at the Weisman inspires discussion
26 August 2022
What do Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Paul Gauguin, Marcel Duchamp, and Viola Frey all have in common? All were famous painters and sculptors who took a deep dive into the world of ceramics. MCAD professor and Casket Arts Studio artists Piotr Szyhalski steps into this realm with his latest museum show, the Weisman Art Museum’s (WAM) survey exhibition, PIOTR SZYHALSKI: WE ARE WORKING ALL THE TIME!  “The show features work in a variety of media across three decades of Szyhalski’s prolific and pioneering...
Mural Central update: Co-op celebration, Momo Sushi and The Mill
26 August 2022
As summer draws to a close, mural activity is accelerating. Philipo Dyauli’s work can be seen on the north side of Momo Sushi’s building at 1839 Central Ave. NE. Next door, at The Mill Northeast, 1851 Central, another mural is underway, the work of Gustavo Lira. The very beginnings of a mural to be executed on the north side of The Mill Northeast.   They are the third and fourth murals to go up so far as part of the Mural Central project by Minneapolis Chamber, NEMAA (Northeast Minneapolis Arts...
Urban Cattails Public Art Commission
25 August 2022
The RYA Apartment development in Richfield, Minnesota had its official opening on August 25, 2022.  The RYA development includes three sculptures. The Urban Cattails are the creation of Remo Campopiano and Justin Hossle. They are at the northern and southern ends of the development.  The sculpture entitled Breeze is by Foster Willey. Breeze is near the center of the RYA development. The RYA opportunity was organized by Northeast Sculpture | Gallery Factory and its director, John Hock. Urban Cattails...
Outta Wax setting up shop in former Flaire space
22 August 2022
Born of “pandemic panic” yet still coming together two years later, Outta Wax Record Pressing has plans for 4,700 square feet in the former Flaire Print shop at 2110 Washington St. NE. Sara Pette (pronounced “pet”), who lives with husband Nato Coles a few blocks from the shop, is collaborating with her brother John Pette and friend Alex Stillman who is managing the renovation. Under her (Alex’s) direction, the rest of the team, some of whom will eventually work in the operation, are renovating the...

August 2022

Northeast Minneapolis Arts District is #1, now what?
01 August 2022
To build on everyone’s dedication and networks responsible for the win, here’s what we recommend happen next regarding the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Travel Award for #1 Best Arts District 2022. The customized logo is available for everyone’s use, assuming there’s some affiliation with or support for the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. We hope to educate about the boundaries while welcoming broader participation. Use the logo (or its written form) in email correspondence, social media,...
Aldo Moroni is celebrated at last
01 August 2022
July 9, 2022, friends and family held an afternoon open house in Aldo Moroni’s honor. Aldo passed away on September 27, 2020 of pancreatic cancer, one of many to be celebrated first in private family gatherings (Naperville, Illinois) followed by more public events once the COVID-19 pandemic was better understood. Aldo’s art made big statements through pageantry, so it is not surprising his tribute include a parade (with brass instruments) around the Mill District near A-Mill Artist Lofts...
Four NKB-based artists at The Mill Yard
01 August 2022
The Mill Yard at Stonebridge Lofts, 1120 South 2nd St, Minneapolis, is hosting an Exhibition August 7 through November of 2022 called “Natural Selections.” Four of the exhibiting artists are from Northeast: Ingrid Restemayer, David Baer, Emily Donovan, and Dyan Padgett. All four have studios in the Northrup King Building. A reception will be held Sunday, August 7, from 4-6 p.m. Read more about all of the artists here.
Meet some of the newest Holland artists
01 August 2022
The artist and arts-building population of Northeast Minneapolis is growing. We like to meet and introduce new neighbors. Holland Arts East building at 22nd and Washington was hopping with visitors during Art-A-Whirl®. Here’s a link to Margo Ashmore’s article about some of the tenants. Holland Arts Northeast’s website, with leasing form and sign-up for event email notifications, is here. Unrelated to the Holland Arts East and West Buildings, the former Flaire Print and Spark Electric building...
Construction+Reconstruction residency show at NE Sculpture & Jac Flats
01 August 2022
How does art happen in hard-driving Los Angeles? Perhaps it happens when the pace slows down to that of an Omaha neighborhood storefront or in Story County Iowa’s big city, Ames. Thomas Prinz, Peter Goché, and Mike Nesbit at the Gallery Factory reception July 22. Artists from those three cities, already friends, converged at NE Sculpture|Gallery Factory to install work in a show called Construction+Reconstruction a group residency and exhibition by a total of nine artists, curated by Wendy Frieze,...
NEMAA looking for board members
31 July 2022
Are you an artist, professional, or community member interested in contributing your time and expertise to support the arts community in Northeast Minneapolis? Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA) is accepting applications for new board members! Click here to learn more and fill out their application form.
Art Hounds - Let's support each other
28 July 2022
Have you ever attended an art opening and wished more people could see the excellent work that you discovered, but seems like a well-kept secret? Or had your own art event that only your friends came by? art hounds It’s easier to promote someone else than it is to toot your own horn…at least, that seems to be a thing in Minnesota. And it’s wonderful when you get someone else’s endorsement. Those are principles behind Art Hounds. “From Minnesota Public Radio News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota...

July 2022

We Won Best Arts District in the USA
28 June 2022
Thanks for everyone’s help in winning “Best Arts District” in the USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Travel Awards. You were an integral part to winning this award. While it is easy for some to dismiss polls as frivolous, think of this one instead as an opportunity to coalesce a community around an idea and focus on the task at hand. Community engagement is Northeast Minneapolis Arts District’s super power. Our community is 1,200+ strong, and an informed, dedicated arts-loving and networked community...
Murals spring up on Central Avenue buildings
28 June 2022
North side of the Eastside Food Cooperative at 2551 Central Ave. painted by Four Story Collective and Creatives After Curfew No matter which way you travel Central Avenue, between 23rd and 26th avenues NE, you’ll see fresh mural work. By now, we’re all familiar with the enormous mural on the north side of the Eastside Food Cooperative at 2551 Central Ave. painted by Four Story Collective and Creatives After Curfew. Among the finishing touches: Text reading “Welcome to the Northeast Arts District.”...
Siasoco, LeFlore at Walker for Summer Social July 7
27 June 2022
Two local artists from the Four Story Collective will be at the Walker’s Wurtele Upper Garden, Thursday, July 7, from 5 to 8 p.m., free. Witt Siasoco in the context of his recent work Join public artist Witt Siasoco in a raucous night of art-making, music, and conversation about issues of land in the Twin Cities. Make a simple kite from a recycled broadsheet and watch it take flight over the Walker green space. Take in the tunes and dance to the sounds of DJ Chamun. Strike up a conversation inspired...
Congratulations to Leslie Barlow on State Fair commemorative
27 June 2022
Selected in March for the honor of making the Minnesota State Fair commemorative poster, Leslie Barlow unveiled her work June 9, 2022. The happy image, actually a collage of images upon closer inspection, depicts a family of color having fun at the midway, with reflected pinks and greens of neon lights giving it a cosmic feeling. For a comprehensive interview, behind the scenes in-process photos and a peek at the printing process, go here: A limited run of signed prints , along with posters and other...
2023 NE Calendar art due Sept. 1, 2022
27 June 2022
“Summer on Summer Street” by Mark Peterson Do you have a unique angle on photographing a Northeast Minneapolis landmark? Or a happy and colorful way of showing our changing seasons in a non-photographic medium? Submit up to five of your best Northeast-derived images for consideration in the Northeast Calendar competition. Artists and photographers interested in the calendar but not intending to submit images, if you would like to be considered as a juror (a volunteer role), please inquire. Full submission...
Discovering Chroma: A Spectrum of Beauty
27 June 2022
The Northeast Minneapolis Arts District‘s website has a wonderful catalog of information about individual artists in the new Chroma exhibit at the MSP International Airport. But there’s nothing quite like seeing it accomplishing the exhibit’s original intent – to show a progression of colors, from the blues and purples eventually through a series of earth tones and red (or vice versa). If you’re traveling between now and December 2022 you can see it at MSP Terminal 1 along the Concourse C Art Gallery...
2040 Plan halted, what comes next?
27 June 2022
A recent lawsuit stopped the implementation of Minneapolis’ 2040 Comprehensive Plan, and it’s not clear yet whether officials will contest the ruling or determine the plan’s environmental impacts – the curve ball that this suit threw. In either case, it’ll take time. Search on Minneapolis 2040 Plan The plan’s intent, in part, was to promote density, therefore walkability and less dependence on cars. But it also emphasized accommodating multi-family rental housing, which works against another priority,...
Georgette Sosin remembered; art force and mentor
27 June 2022
An accomplished painter and sculptor whose works appear at the Weisman Art Museum, Duluth’s Tweed Museum of Art, local temples, hospitals, and private collections across the country, Georgette Sosin, 87, was remembered at a celebration of her life on the summer solstice. By the time she and husband Henry, who passed away in 2009, landed in Northeast and participated in Art-A-Whirl, she was 61 and they were meeting the public on their own terms at the building Georgette bought in 1999 at 1231 Washington...

June 2022

Co-op mural will welcome all to the Arts District
29 May 2022
Rich beautiful colors and engaging faces now introduce you to the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District at the corner of 26th and Central avenues NE. The works of Creatives After Curfew and Four Story Collective muralists are transforming the Eastside Food Co-op’s north wall. Luna with veggies Lisa Marie Brimmer with groceries Ella Young Ella Siasoco, Luna McIntyre and Lisa Marie Brimmer, local residents, hold fresh produce. Two scenes of young and old learning about gardening, sharing knowledge around...
Art-infused Timber & Tie apartments celebrate lease-up, public art
29 May 2022
Schafer Richardson’s affordable Timber and Tie Apartments, 900 14th Ave. NE, leased up in three months last fall, but with COVID uncertainties, the company put off its grand opening celebration to May 19, 2022. In attendance: Dignitaries, funders, and most of the artists whose work appears in the common areas and is being installed outdoors. Brad Schafer, co-founder and CEO, talked about the company’s production (since 2006) of 1,250 market rate units and 420 affordable units, of which this 175 unit...
CALL FOR ART - 2023 NORTHEAST CALENDAR
27 May 2022
We are looking for active, colorful, beautiful and/or funny images from Northeast that bring cheer and a feeling of togetherness, community. They can be, but do not need to be tied to recognizable individual neighborhood landmarks. ***Deadline: September 1, 2022 11:59 p.m.*** Current Year’s Cover Art by Suzanne Skon Jurors will look for variety in areas and seasons. Close-up photos of people should be accompanied by a note from the subject/s permitting use of the image. Crowd photos in public...
Art-A-Whirl® the accessible entry
26 May 2022
To train passengers coursing by Indeed Brewing, Art-A-Whirl® looked like huge party time. To others, it was a first opportunity to try selling artwork or craft wares. For still others, it was an excuse to talk intimate groups of community members gathered around for a simple hands-on exercise such as making a button or a fire starter, or mixing paint to match a color found in nature. Holly Tappen’s studio door at the California Building celebrates many years of participating. The event still serves...
New Airport Exhibit almost ready
25 May 2022
“Chroma: A Spectrum of Beauty from the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District” will be on view at the Thomson Reuters Concourse C Art Gallery at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport from June 10 until December 2022. The Concourse C Art Gallery is located in a ticketed area within Terminal 1, and is only accessible to those traveling. Sunset on the Mississippi River Bed by Lisa Roy The exhibition, which is in process of being installed, will include multidisciplinary works of 60 artists based...
Acknowledging foundation funding
25 May 2022
The Elmer L. and Eleanor J. Andersen Foundation “embraces the democratic ideals of fairness, justice and opportunity for all. Broad civic engagement, realizing the full potential of people, builds sustainable communities of life,” as noted in their values statement. Northeast Minneapolis Arts District is proud to announce receiving a general operating grant from the foundation. The Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts has supported the upcoming Chroma exhibit at the Minneapolis – St. Paul International...

May 2022

Welcome to the Arts District!
20 May 2022
Mission: To catalyze the innovative spirit of artists through generative community arts development. The Arts District is an ecosystem of artists, arts organizations and businesses primarily in early 20th Century industrial buildings. While many artists participate in the public-facing events that so many visitors enjoy, The Arts at WorkSM refers also to the creatives who teach, or produce public art or private commissions. Learn more here about efforts to protect, promote, concentrate and grow this...
White Hawk in Whitney Biennial
01 May 2022
Dyani White Hawk’s work ‘Wopila | Lineage’ involved 20 people from White Hawk’s community beading what reads from afar as geometric swaths of color. Close up, the 14-by 8-foot beaded rows shimmer with quillwork texture. The artist describes it in part as “a moment of gratitude and women to the history of abstraction.” The work is hanging in the Whitney Museum’s prestigious Biennial show in New York City, at the fifth-floor entrance. Titled “Quiet as It’s Kept,” the Biennial is described on the Whitney’s...
Guggenheim fellow Ta-coumba Aiken's solo show at Dreamsong gallery
01 May 2022
A conversation with St. Paul artist Ta-coumba T. Aiken is a lot like taking in one of his paintings: Many layers and winding threads lead to findings that might shift as you further consider them. There’s a playfulness that also can manifest itself in his work. “It’s like a motion picture … or maybe an emotion picture,” he said, laughing at his play on words, but also dead serious as he described studio visitors’ shifting reactions to “Awakening,’’ the title piece in his upcoming solo exhibition...
Seeking tools to preserve Arts District industry
01 May 2022
The Arts District Land Trust Task force (a mix of Arts District board members and community members) is at the table helping the city of Minneapolis bring its zoning into alignment with the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Our goal: To identify and develop tools to preserve and even improve the amazing creative ecosystem that is the Arts District while supporting new affordable housing development where it is appropriate, by developers who truly have the District’s and neighborhoods’ interests at heart. Group...
Research & art combine in Shoreham exhibit
30 April 2022
The 230-acre train and trucking facility in Northeast, Shoreham Yards, has become the exposé piece of Minneapolis artist, Gudrun Lock, who wanted to discover what more there is to the depot than its current aged state. Her research of over two and a half years is being showcased at Weisman Art Museum, 333 E. River Parkway, through May 15. Lock has resided in Northeast for 14 years. She would pass by Shoreham Yards, 2800 Central Ave. NE, on her daily dog walks. She is a professor at the Minneapolis...
Two collectives join for mural at coop
29 April 2022
Creatives After Curfew and Four Story Collective will join to paint a mural on the north side of the Eastside Food Co-op, painting live and in person throughout Art-A-Whirl weekend, May 20-21-22. It’s part of the Mural Central project, which invited proposals for various buildings. When the two groups discovered that the other would be applying, they agreed to work together. Between the two groups there will be 10 artists forming an all-star roster of muralists whose studios are located in Northeast...

April 2022

Call for Art: Forecast Public Art
22 April 2022
Forecast Public Art announces a new public art opportunity for a 3D work in St. Louis Park. The call is for a request for a qualifications round with a deadline of May 6, and a final project budget of $60,000. The owner of this development is very open to approaches and is hoping for modern, unique, interesting artwork. The timeline is short with an installation goal of Fall 2022. For more info: https://forecastpublicart.org/3d-public-art-opportunity-at-parkway-residences/ Please contact Tricia...
Heuring and Barlow ask for $2 million for a NE Arts Center
01 April 2022
Tricia Heuring and Lesile Barlow of Public Functionary went before the Minnesota House Capital Investment Committee on March 31st to ask for $2 million dollars to create an art center in Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. You can watch the testimonial on YouTube starting at 51:11 – HF4703 (Her) Minneapolis; Public Functionary community arts center funding provided, and money appropriated.
Art Books Abound
31 March 2022
Over the years many books have been written and published by or about artists who work out of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. Sarah Whiting published a book about the Artists in the Arts District with great images of the artists in their studios and short stories base on interviews she conducted with them. Many are books on important shows that showcased their works long after the shows went down. Piotr Szyhalski Labor Camp Report book was a specular book of all the images he created during...
Dreamsong presents Kristen Sanders and group exhibit curated by Night Club
27 March 2022
The new gallery Dreamsong on 13th Ave is showcasing third show since taking over former Walker executive director Olga Viso’s building.  Dreamsong is presenting two simultaneous exhibitions: a solo exhibition by Kristen Sanders titled Infinite Beach and a group exhibition titled Moon Spiral Heart Attack presented by Night Club, the curatorial project of Emma Beatrez and Lee Noble. A Street That Rhymes At 6am, by Monica Berger Moon Spiral Heart Attack transgresses the burden of this moment through...
ACW's Noble Truths presents The Art of the Flower
26 March 2022
Noble Truths is a new Art to Change the World project that invites visitors to an artist’s studio. Six ACW artist members have agreed to open their doors to the public for a look into their studios and their art practice. Each artist will approach the studio visit in their own unique way.  Some may demonstrate techniques or finished works, others might ask for a critique of a piece in progress, all will invite thought and conversation. Art to Change the World presents the first artist in it’s...
Written Wall by Loretta Bebeau @ NE Sculpture
24 March 2022
Written Wall by Loretta Bebeau a one person show. The reception for the artist is Friday April 1st from 6 to 8pm. Please join us! The show runs Friday April 1st -30th @ NE Sculpture I Gallery Factory. Regular Gallery hours are Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays 12noon to 5p. Visit the Gallery anytime Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays 11a to 4p. For more info contact: northeastsculpture@gmail.com More details here: https://fb.me/e/32bakS8Jn
Jodi Reeb Joins Anita Sue Kolman
23 March 2022
We are thrilled to announce well-known Minnesota artist, Jodi Reeb, has joined Anita Sue Kolman as a Partner and Owner of the newly renamed Kolman & Reeb Gallery. With this change, you can expect a continuation of the best of past gallery activities, including contemporary art exhibitions from our gallery artists and from our new Project Space Grant Program. Jodi Reeb, co-owner of Kolman & Reeb Gallery Jodi has been an artist and a sales associate with the gallery for over ten years and a...
Artforce call for art: Mpls Convention Center, July-Dec
22 March 2022
Art Force requests submissions of original two-dimensional artwork by Minneapolis artists forthe S martArt Rotating Art Program at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The goal of the exhibit is to highlight the spectacular visual art created by local artists. An example of the Minneapolis Convention Center venue. Artwork by Owen Brown. Consideration will be given to artist: With a cultural or geographic perspective that is unique or appropriate to Minneapolis Who could be considered emerging in their...
Artforce call for Art: NordHaus Gallery
22 March 2022
Art Force is requesting submissions for the second exhibit of 2022 at the gallery at NordHaus. NordHaus is a collection of custom designed apartment homes on First Avenue NE in Minneapolis. The theme of the show is “Freedom.” The work should depict or respond to this theme. An example of the space. Artwork by Chris Watkins, Cameron Williams, and Ava Lambert, Cameron Williams We are seeking the following: Art by artists living and/or working in Minneapolis Art of professional quality and presented...

March 2022

Freakonomics of the art market
01 March 2022
Many artists I know are avid podcast listeners, some even make their own. Freakonomics, featured mostly on public radio stations has an excellent three-part series that is a must listen for any artist or consumer who wants a peek inside the dark morass that is the global art market. While the numbers may be higher in Northeast (according to a Northeaster newspaper poll) Freakonomics stated that nationwide only about 25% of the population goes to art shows or museums and only 20% own a piece of original...
Memorialize the Movement looking for space
25 February 2022
Leesa Kelly, founder of Memorialize the Movement (MTM), is participating in a fellowship named for Arthur C. McWatt (1926-2012), an African American researcher, writer, and educator who taught history and social studies for 33 years. He wrote “Crusaders for Justice” celebrating heroes of the Civil Rights Movement in Minnesota as well several magazine articles. The fellowship is a joint project of the historical societies of Ramsey, Anoka and Dakota Counties along with the Hennepin History Museum...
Aaron Dysart's Passage at Mia
25 February 2022
Congratulations to Aaron Dysart, whose studio is in the Casket Arts Building, on his Passage show that just wrapped up at Mia. Aaron Dysart’s Latitude Curran, who coincidentally is managing the next airport exhibit for the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District, wrote an insightful article for MPLSART.com on the subject. He observed visitors to Mia interacting with Latitude, the inflatable noodles (think car dealer attention-getters) programmed with carbon sequestration data from various countries....
New at MPLSART.com
25 February 2022
The MPLSART Sketchbook Project is a unique survey of the Twin Cities visual arts community during another challenging year. Started in 2020 as a way to connect and support artists during the pandemic, the 2021 project is the second iteration bringing together a whole new set of amazing Twin Cities artists. Throughout 2021, 70 local artists contributed 120 original works to a series of five traveling sketchbooks. Through the auction of the original sketchbooks, sales of the limited edition book, and...
The Promised Land: How Do We Change This
25 February 2022
“The Promised Land: How Do We Change This” is an immersive arts experience featuring provocative, dark, and raw assemblages of found objects, textiles, and mixed media. Andrew Moore describes his work as “reality art,” a powerful form of protest towards issues such as domestic abuse, gentrification, racism, and poverty.  “This work shows that my experience is unjust, as a formerly incarcerated Black man and member of the Panther Party, the truth gets lost in our society with all the violence we...
Frank Stone legacy house available for art/retail sales rental opportunity
25 February 2022
The house at 168 13th Avenue NE that artist Frank Stone wrapped in metal will be available starting in May. The current owner is looking for an artist/retailer tenant who will use the building for combination live/work/sell. Frank Stone and Lynn Olson (husband and wife) received the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District’s Vision Awards in 2019 for the vast effect they had on improving the community. Stone is a sculptor in metal and glass, using mostly salvaged materials. Olson, a retired judge, operated...

February 2022

NKB printmakers share ideas, combine mediums
31 January 2022
“The Print Club” is what Ingrid Restemayer has taken to calling a core group of Northrup King Building (NKB) artists who recently have begun to meet to share their work and information about printmaking. “It’s a way that we can collaborate and show together and start to create a little more energy or synergy,” said Dean Trisko, who organized the group and in whose studio the group’s first exhibition was presented. Bonnie Lauber Westover “Cat” “NKB Prints: a group printmaking show” included...
Call for Artists: A Showcase of NE Artists @ MSP Airport
30 January 2022
Building off the success of last year’s exhibitions at MSP Airport, the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District (NE-AD) is once again excited to invite artists to submit their work for consideration in a juried exhibition. We hope to highlight the many artists working across varied disciplines throughout the District, and intend to showcase works that represent a range of aesthetics, styles, and forms. For that reason, we have selected Chroma: A Spectrum of Beauty from the Northeast Minneapolis Arts...
Midway Contemporary Art purchases 1509 Marshall St. NE
30 January 2022
Midway Library from 2017 John Rasmussen, Director of Midway Contemporary Art announced that the nonprofit organization has purchased 1509 Marshall St. NE and will open there in May 2022 on the top floor. (Fletcher’s Ice Cream and other tenants are on first floor.) It is exciting to see another well-respected arts organization finding a permanent home right in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District, joining the renowned American Craft Council, Theater Latté Da and Coffee House Press, to name a few....
Call for sculptors - JROW
29 January 2022
The concrete plinths for JROW were poured this past summer in anticipation of sculptures to be located. The call closes on Feb. 26. Due midnight, February 26, 2022, sculptors are asked to propose existing work to be placed or new work to be created for the first set of three sculptures at JROW (Jefferson Right-of-Way, see related article on this site. Artists will be paid a total of $10,000 each for fellowships to produce work that can be later sold (after three years on display). Artists or teams...
$100,000+ in State Arts Board grants to NE artists
28 January 2022
Dawn Wing demonstrates how she uses Soft Kut, a kind of plate used for relief prints; it’s affordable and easy to cut, she says. A recent Minnesota State Arts Board grantee, Wing is also one of 11 printmaking artists at the Northrup King Building who recently held a show and open studios, with demonstrations for the public. See related story for examples of their work and descriptions of their techniques. (Photo by Karen Kraco) The Minnesota State Arts Board (MSAB) has released its list of 526 artists...
Mural artists: Apply for Central Ave project before Feb. 21
27 January 2022
Individual artists or teams of artists are invited to submit qualifications to be considered to participate in the design and installation of murals at specific locations along Central Ave NE. Mural Central is a collaboration between the Northeast Minneapolis Chamber, Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA), and Public Functionary to help define the Central Avenue corridor as a cultural district. Artists or teams operating in the Twin Cities are welcome to apply, but should have a connection...
Congratulations, Kolman & Pryor grantees
26 January 2022
Kolman & Pryor Gallery’s Project Space, an initiative launched by Kolman & Pryor Gallery’s co-founders Anita Sue Kolman and Patrick Pryor in 2021 to further support visual artists, announced its 2022 grantees: (clockwise in photo) Chris Rackley, Kate Casanova, Jil Evans, and Cameron Zebrun. The program awards four grants per year of $10,000 each to four Minnesota visual artists who have met the submission requirements. The goal of the grant program is to provide artists with the funds, space...

January 2022

Call for Artists: A Showcase of NE Artists @ MSP Airport
30 January 2022
Building off the success of last year’s exhibitions at MSP Airport, the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District (NE-AD) is once again excited to invite artists to submit their work for consideration in a juried exhibition. We hope to highlight the many artists working across varied disciplines throughout the District, and intend to showcase works that represent a range of aesthetics, styles, and forms. For that reason, we have selected Chroma: A Spectrum of Beauty from the Northeast Minneapolis Arts...
Become A Metropolitan Regional Arts Council Grant Panelist
24 December 2021
Help the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC) continue to improve art access in our region by becoming a grant review panelist. MRAC’s grantmaking process is unique in that they use a peer panel process to read and review grant applications. All panelists receive a virtual orientation, a $150 stipend, and reimbursements for caregiver expenses. Panelists will have four weeks to read and review up to 30 grant applications that are approximately four pages in length. All panel duties will be done...
JROW sculpture walk's potential celebrated
23 December 2021
Paul Miller of Minneapolis Public Works gets a unique view of Northeast’s latest “stone soup”-style project. Traveling in and out of Minneapolis by the Northstar commuter train, he sees JROW, XOXO and the two apartment developments that surround the soon-to-be sculpture path. Neighborhood residents see JROW from 22nd Avenue as a sidewalk at the base of the railroad tracks west of Madison St. NE or as an angled pedestrian continuation of Jefferson Street approached from 23rd Avenue NE. Becky Landon,...
Northeast artists works in Public Service Center's art core, reflecting communities and workers
22 December 2021
Minneapolis city government set transparency and one-stop-shop goals for its new Public Service Center. Several Northeast Minneapolis-based artists helped create the environment in which 1,100 city employees will work and interact with the public toward those goals. The building, kitty-corner from City Hall at 505 South 4th Avenue, consolidates departments that were scattered in several different service counters downtown and leased locations further away. The city hopes to recover some of the $195...
Piotr Szyhalski's Labor Camp Report prints in Weimar Germany ACC Galerie
22 December 2021
Piotr Szyhalski wrote on Instagram: “I am so happy for this: the first exhibition of the complete COVID-19: Labor Camp Report project outside of the US! From December 11, 2021 until February 20, 2022, all 225 prints will be on display at the ACC Galerie in Weimar Germany. It is presented as part of an international show called “Denunziation!” Curated by Knut Birkholz and Frank Motz. I want to extend my gratitude to Knut and Frank for hosting the Report in Weimar, with special thanks...
Congratulations to calendar artists
20 December 2021
The 2022 Northeast Calendars are available free at participating sponsors. For a list, see NE Calendar. Suzanne Skon’s image is on the cover and the following were chosen for the months: Mike Anderson, Janet Bayliss, Owen Brown, Sonja Hutchinson, Jason Jenkins, Jeffrey Kraker, Angela Lundberg, Mark Peterson, Dennis Ready, Pete Sandvik, August Schwerdfeger, Hannah Steen. Graphic artist Leann Johnson designed the calendar, and along with three independent judges – Ben Rasmussen, Pablo Lituma and Susan...