New Truckstop Gallery on Nicollet Island to hold Opening Reception for Situation Normal on March 4

Truckstop Gallery is located at 20 Grove St #72 on Nicollet Island.  It is an art gallery created by artists, for artists, with the intention to showcase the highest caliber of work in an environment free of pretense.

Join them Saturday, March 4, 6 – 10 pm, for the opening reception of Situation Normal, a solo show by Minneapolis artist Russ White. Situation Normal is an exhibition of powerful, poignant, and political new drawings and sculptures.

This new body of work uses orange and white traffic barricades as a kind of mixed metaphor for our current national mood. In day-to-day life, these traffic cones and “Road Closed” signs stand in our way; they slow us down, they reroute our commute, they inconvenience us. But from another perspective, they are beneficial. They are signs of roads being fixed, of bridges being built, of infrastructure being strengthened. Of progress.

And now, as millions of people across the country have begun banding together to protest the initiatives of this new administration, the barricades in White’s work serve as a symbol for their resistance. Staunch and impassive, emblazoned with an American flag reworked in dirty white and safety orange, these barricades are a call to arms to resist the un-American initiatives of this administration and this Congress.

Featured in the exhibition will be large scale colored pencil drawings, sculptures, homemade flags, and a series of brightly colored portraits inspired by coins. Where the barricades are passive and impersonal reminders of the turmoil in our country, the faces of White’s subjects are striking reminders of our shared humanity. Playing off the idea of loose change, this series of colored pencil busts questions our traditional notions of worth and value, emphasizing the beauty in us all. These are not just pretty portraits; they reframe empathy against the backdrop of capital, asking the viewer to consider what truly makes us rich.

The show takes its name from the military acronym SNAFU, meaning “Situation Normal: All Fucked Up.” The work in this exhibition strives to remind viewers that this new political reality is, in fact, not normal at all.

A percentage of all sales will be donated to Planned Parenthood and the Southern Poverty Law Center. The gallery will be collecting donations for these organizations at the opening reception as well.

Situation Normal will be on exhibit March 4 – 19 (open during events and by appointment). There will be an Artist talk on Saturday, March 11 at 4 pm. The closing reception will be Sunday, March 19, 12 noon – 5 pm.

For an appointment or questions, please email info@truckstop.gallery.

Voting now open for 2nd Annual FINNEGANS Chef Food Fight to Benefit Minnesota FoodShare

FINNEGANS BREW CO. TO PARTNER WITH MINNESOTA FOODSHARE FOR THE SECOND ANNUAL FINNEGANS CHEF FOOD FIGHT

Breakfast, lunch, dinner- three words that typically bring people together. FINNEGANS Brew Co. and Minnesota FoodShare are uniting Twin Cities restaurants for a friendly cooking competition to raise funds and increase awareness about hunger in Minnesota. During the Minnesota FoodShare March Hunger Awareness Campaign, chefs are challenged with developing a menu item using FINNEGANS beer (Irish Amber, Dead Irish Poet Stout, or the Hoppy Shepherd) and selling it on their menus for the month of March. Each establishment will have a portion of the sales donated to MN FoodShare’s March campaign and customers will be asked to vote via social media for their favorite dish.

This year’s participants include:
Chef Sarah Master of Red Stag Supperclub
Chef Vincent Francoual of Cooper Pub
Chef Jose Sanchez of Morrissey’s Irish Pub
Chef Chris Oxley of McKinney Roe
Chef Bobby Juhnke of The Nook
Chef John Lambe of The Draft Horse
Chef Jeremy Lafond of Mission American Kitchen & Bar
Chef Chris Nelson of Crave

The top five chefs with the most votes toward the end of the month-long contest will be invited to showcase their dish at the first, Chef Food Fight Live at The Food Building benefiting the FINNEGANS Community Fund! The evening will gather 100+ local foodies and barstool philanthropists to name the 2017 Chef Food Fight Champion! Included in this ticketed event will be demos from the top 5 chefs, libations from 2Gingers and FINNEGANS as well as nosh from The Food Building’s partners, Red Table Meats, Baker’s Field Flour and The Draft Horse.

Online voting is open to the public from now until March 30.

Tickets for Chef Food Fight Live are available at http://www.finnegans.org/cheffoodfightlive

Founded in 2000 in Minneapolis, FINNEGANS is a self-sustaining and inspirational social business. Through the sale of its Irish Amber Ale, Hoppy Shepherd IPA, Dead Irish Poet Extra Stout and now the new Freckled Rooster Bière Blanc ale, FINNEGANS has created an innovative business model that allows the company to create community wealth. How? One hundred percent of the profits are donated to the FINNEGANS Community Fund (501c3) to support hunger alleviation programs in every market where FINNEGANS is sold. FINNEGANS has scaled its giving program to MN, WI, ND, SD and IA. Now, is there a better reason to raise a pint of FINNEGANS? For the latest information, find FINNEGANS on Twitter and Facebook or visit finnegans.org.

The FOOD BUILDING is home to Red Table Meat Co. and Baker's Field Flour & Bread.  We value not only the foods themselves, but the methods and intention ushered in by each maker.  Together, we are greater than the sum of our parts. The work we do challenges and is informed by current standards; and we seek what is possible, from the farmer to the maker to the eater. Each of our foods stands out in flavor as well as in sourcing. From production to distribution, we are building unparalleled levels of transparency in all steps of the process.  Collectively, we are building a better food present, and future.

Boom Island-Nicollet Island Bridge Repairs Update

Originally built as a railroad bridge in 1890, the Boom Island-Nicollet Island Bridge was acquired by the MPRB in the 1970s and installed in its current location in the early 1980s.

Project is being revised to reflect Heritage Preservation Commission findings

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is revising the Boom Island-Nicollet Island Bridge Repairs project after the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) denied an MPRB application for a certificate of appropriateness to allow rehabilitation and alterations to the bridge.

The original MPRB plan called for the removal of deteriorated steel stringers and timber ties rarely viewed by the general bridge user to save on capital and ongoing maintenance expenditures. The HPC found that the removal of the stringers and ties would significantly degrade the bridge’s historic integrity and denied the application.

The MPRB is in the process of revising the project scope to meet the HPC’s findings as well as the available project budget. At this point there is no timeline for construction.

In late 2013, the bridge was closed to emergency and maintenance vehicles after an inspection discovered significant deterioration. Emergency repairs were completed in July 2015 to replace the bearings on the north abutment and modify the ends of the stringers. The bridge was then reopened to emergency and maintenance vehicle traffic.

Kick Off National Nutrition Month® with the Mill City Farmers Market at the Arboretum on March 4

Via a February 24 Press Release from the Mill City Farmers Market:

As the country celebrates National Nutrition Month® this March, find your favorite healthy artisan foods and handcrafted gifts at the Mill City Farmers Market’s annual Arboretum Market!

March is National Nutrition Month®, and what better way to start the festivities than shopping for healthy food and other beautiful products from 40 local food artisans, farmers and artists? Vendors will have everything from microgreens to muesli, so bring your grocery list and get ready to eat some local, healthy and sustainable food! The market will be open march 4 from 9am to 1pm in the MacMillian Auditorium near the Arboretum’s stunning orchid exhibit in the Oswald Visitor Center.

You’ll find many grocery staples and unique gift items from Mill City Farmers Market vendors at the March 4^th event, including: Birchberry (wild rice, native arts), Buffalo by Bike (bison meat), Crookedwood (wooden utensils), Ellie’s Whole Grains (flaxseed, fermented garlic, gluten-free flour), Fringe & Fettle (local ceramics), Kiss My Cabbage (sauerkraut, kimchi), Holistic Health Farms (aquaponic greens), Shepherd’s Way (sheep’s milk cheese), Urban Roots (winter produce, preserves) and Zula Juice. A full list of participating vendors can be found here.

Founded in 2006 by acclaimed local chef and restaurateur Brenda Langton and the Mill City Museum, Mill City Farmers Market is the Twin Cities’ trusted source for healthy, local and organic groceries, bringing a wide assortment of fresh food, cooking education and live entertainment to one beautiful place! Typically located in the Mill District of downtown Minneapolis, the Mill City Farmers Market has been traveling to the MN Landscape Arboretum every winter since 2012! The market’s regular winter season continues with indoor markets on the second and fourth Saturdays of March and April in the Mill City Museum and its outdoor season kicks off on May 6^th and continues every Saturday through the end of October.

Need another reason to visit Mill City Farmer Market the Arboretum next Saturday? In addition to miles of woodland and prairie trails and acres of gardens, the Arboretum offers many activities for the whole family on March 4, including:

• Orchids! Live display featuring more than 500 tropical orchids
• Plant-Maker Studio: Look at plant parts under a microscope and start a plant to take home!
• Ask a Master Gardener for all your spring garden maintenance questions
• Arboretum Photographer’s Society annual show and sale

Find details and more Arboretum events at arboretum.umn.edu. Please note: Admission to the Arboretum is $12 for adults and free for visitors under 12 years old, University of Minnesota students, and Arboretum Members. Visit millcityfarmersmarket.org for 2-for-1 admission vouchers! Nutrition tips, coloring sheets and more resources for National Nutrition Month® from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics can be found at eatright.org.

Now Showing & Coming Soon to the Film Society’s St. Anthony Main Theatre*

• Now Showing through Mar 2 - MOONLIGHT  
• Feb 23-Mar 30 - 2017 CUBAN FILM FESTIVAL Screening each Thursday at 7pm thru Mar 30.
• Feb 24-Mar 2 - XX 
• Feb 25 at 1pm - NTL: AMADEUS 
• *Mar 2 at 7pm - LAMB - (Screening at the Capri Theater - 2027 West Broadway, Minneapolis 55411. $5 all tickets.)
• Mar 3-9 - CATFIGHT 
• Mar 4 at 1pm + Mar 13 at 7pm - STAGE RUSSIA: THE BLACK MONK Mar 6 at 7pm + Mar 11 at 1pm - NTL: SAINT JOAN )
• Mar 8 at 7pm - THE MAN WHO MENDS WOMEN 
• Mar 10-16 - MR. GAGA
• Mar 17-23 - YOU’RE KILLING ME SUSANA 
• Mar 24-30 - CONTEMPORARY COLOR 
• Mar 27 at 7pm + Apr 1 at 1pm - NTL: HEDDA GABLER 
• Apr 4 at 7pm - 1984 
• Apr 6 at 7pm - TICKLING GIANTS
• Apr 13-29 - 2017 Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival

Modist Brewing Announces "BEER SMARTS" - Monday Nights, March 6 - April 24

Ever wanted to impress all of your friends with your beer knowledge? Join Beer Smarts!

Beer Smarts is a beer appreciation program comprised of (6) 1-hour sessions held on Monday nights at Modist Brewing's taproom. Led by Education Specialist Paige Didora, each session will focus on a specific beer topic and will feature guest speakers, behind-the-scenes looks at brewing equipment and processes, and of course, tons of beer samples! Entry to the course is $50, with a choice of a class beginning at 6:15pm or 8pm (socializing time before and after each class). Also offered is an optional 7th session in the form of a 4 course Beer Dinner with Chef Ian Gray.

Here's a breakdown of the schedule - First class begins on March 6th!  

Session 1: Beer History and Water (3/6/17)
Learn about beer’s long and rich history and how it makes water properties (kind-of) exciting.

Session 2: Grains and malting (3/13/17)
Learn about malted grain/barley, what happens when water meets grain and go on a brewery tour!

Session 3: Hops (3/20/17)
Learn about what hops are, where and how they’re grown, how they’re used in beers, and sample some beers known for their hops.

Session 4: Fermentation (3/27/17)
Learn about the magic of yeast, review some significant yeast strains through history and by style, sample some beers famous for yeast, and learn about other methods of fermentation.

Session 5: Evaluating Beer (4/10/17)
Learn some tips to improve your palate to better evaluate and taste beer, and learn to recognize the off-flavors that can appear in beer.

Session 6: Food and Beer Pairing (4/24/17)
Learn about why pairing beer with food runs laps around wine, review our basic taste elements, learn about congruent vs complimentary pairings, and some pairing tips and tricks.

Session 7: (optional) Beer Dinner with Chef Ian Gray (5/1/17)
All participants in Beer Smarts will be invited to put their new level of beer appreciation into practice via a beer dinner with Chef Ian Grey! (additional charge applies)

LEARN MORE AND SIGN UP HERE!

Badass Dash® Makes its Minnesota Debut at US Bank Stadium in June

BADASS Dash™ is one of the world’s leading producers of Obstacle Course Challenges & Adventure Races. Making its debut in Minneapolis in 2017 will be the ultimate obstacle course challenge and endurance race for your everyday competitors. US Bank Stadium will host the world class obstacle course challenge Saturday, June 3. Competitors will compete on a 7k course using the entire stadium space, inside and out, including the football field.

The Minneapolis Badass Dash tickets are available thru www.BadassDash.com or www.Active.com. 

The Truth Bar: Truth or BS Podcast - Twin Cities "Sibling Rivalry", February 22

Mayoral Candidates, Business Association Exec and Entrepreneurial Retailer Go Head to Head: Twin Cities "Sibling Rivalry"      

The Truth Bar:  Truth or BS Podcast

On February 22 there will be a live taping of the next episode of Truth or BS, a variety podcast where panelists, guests and entertainers discuss the topics of today—from politics and business to culture and society, both local and global news, there’s really only one rule:  No BS allowed.

Location: Truth Bar (KC Truth Advertising Agency)
310 S 4th Avenue, Flour Exchange Building, 1st Floor
Time: 3:30pm networking, 4:00pm-5:30pm podcast taping

Episode 5: Mpls vs. St. Paul will feature panelists representing both sides of the Mississippi River, with hosts Steve LeBeau of Minnesota Business, KC Truth Advertising and audience moderator John Sweeney, CEO, Brave New Workshop. Panelists include:

• Pat Harris – St. Paul Mayoral candidate, 12-year representative of Highland Park and Ward 3 on the St. Paul City Council, Senior Vice President at BMO Harris bank.
• Jacob Frey – Minneapolis Mayoral Candidate, Third Ward representative on the Minneapolis City Council, first annual recipient of the City of Minneapolis Martin Luther King Jr. award.
• Dan Collison – Minneapolis Downtown Council member, Director of Downtown Partnerships, Executive Director for East Town Business Partnership and 2020 Partners, Lead Pastor at First Covenant Church.
• Trisha McGovern – Owner of the soon-to-be opened Boomshack Market on West 7th, came up in a colorful family that has long ties to the MPR, Keys Restaurant and McGoverns to name a few, lover of all things in the “Saintly City”.

Environmental Assessment Worksheet for Restoration of Hall’s Island Open for Comments

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is proposing to restore Hall’s Island in the Mississippi River and establish an adjacent eight-acre riverfront park at the former Scherer Bros Lumber Company site, just upstream of the Plymouth Avenue Bridge in Northeast Minneapolis. Restoration of Hall’s Island will create new habitat within the Mississippi River channel in a portion of the North/Northeast Minneapolis urban environment dominated by industrial uses and limited access to natural areas.

This project is part of RiverFirst, a long-term vision for Mississippi Riverfront parks and trails that grew out of an international design competition in 2010. Development of the Scherer site and restoration of Hall’s Island are also included in the Above the Falls Master Plan, which outlines recommendations for land-use policy, park development and environmental stewardship along the Mississippi Riverfront in North and Northeast Minneapolis. An updated version of the Above the Falls Master Planwas approved by both the City of Minneapolis and the MPRB in 2013.

Due to the proposed project activities, a mandatory Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) is required per Minnesota Rules 4410.4300. The MPRB will accept written comments on the EAW during the 30-day public comment period, which commences on Monday, Feb. 20, 2017 and concludes Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at 4:30 pm.

---

Review and Comment

A paper copy of the EAW is available for public review at: 

• MPRB Headquarters: 2117 West River Road Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55411
• Minneapolis Central Library: Government Documents, 2nd Floor, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55401-1992

An electronic copy of the EAW is available for public review on the MPRB website:

Hall's Island Environmental Assessment Worksheet

Additional copies can be requested by calling (612) 230-6400.

Submit written comments to: 

Jon Duesman
Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board
2117 West River Road
Minneapolis, MN 55411

Submit electronic/email comments to:

Jon Duesman, jduesman@minneapolisparks.org

If submitting comments electronically please include your name and mailing address.

A Murder of Crows! Fun Video Captures the Daily Movement of our Downtown Flock

Although it was shot three years ago, this video titled Murder of Crows - January 6, 2014 - MPLS, MN by Matt Koskinen of Koskinen Video Productions could have been this January. I witness these swarms nightly on the way home from work (fascinating, but a little spooky!). 

I wasn't aware that a flock of crows is known as a "murder". Maybe spending some time hanging out with ornithologists is in order.  :)

Mill City Summer Opera Announces 6th Season

Mill City Summer Opera’s Maria de Buenos Aires Infuses Tango Into An Entirely New Opera Experience
National cast includes renowned Catalina Cuervo as Maria

For its sixth season, the Mill City Summer Opera (MCSO) will perform an Argentinian opera, María de Buenos Aires, under the direction of returning MCSO artistic director David Lefkowich.

María de Buenos Aires, set in the 20th century in Buenos Aires, Argentina, will run July 14 (opening night), 16, 18, 19 and 20. “In Mill City Summer Opera fashion, the audience should be prepared to be delighted,” said Lefkowich. “Our goal is to creatively push and expand the definition of what opera can be so our audience will never experience the same thing twice.”

MCSO’s version of Maria de Buenos Aires, composed by Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla with libretto by Horracio Ferrer, merges the elements of dance, vocals, narration and instruments. Maria will be performed by the soprano Catalina Cuervo, named as one of the most successful Colombian Sopranos in the opera world by the Ministry of Culture of Colombia. Miss Cuervo is considered the pre-eminent performer of the role of Maria and has performed the role with the opera companies of Atlanta, Cincinnati and Syracuse.

In light of the Mill City Museum's Ruins Courtyard’s extensive renovation throughout the Summer of 2017, MCSO is taking the opera across the Stone Arch Bridge for our sixth season. The shift in venue to the Pillsbury Machine Shop is temporary as restoration work continues in the Ruins Courtyard.

MacPhail Center for Music Teacher Profile: Jerry Rubino

Via an e-newsletter from MacPhail Center for Music:

Teacher Profile: Jerry Rubino

When teaching MacPhail Music for Life™ students, teaching artist Jerry Rubino likens his role to that of a coach. “’Coach’ implies giving you technique, so that you can practice, so that you can be better,” he says.

Jerry’s teaching philosophy is to help students discover an interest in singing, nurture them and give them a chance to offer their gift. His secret? He gives his students permission to not be perfect. He explains that adults over the age of 55 have spent their lives so driven to succeed that they may become frustrated when singing takes a bit more time to master.

Jerry sees that his students can often understand which choral concepts they’re having trouble grasping, but learning how to make those changes could take a day, a week, or even six months. “Like the commitment of going to the gym,” Jerry explains, “you have to be patient to say, ‘I'm going to reward myself one step at a time as I go.’"

Learn more about Jerry Rubino and the MacPhail Music for Life™ program.

Public Welcomed to Participate in Geo:Code 2017, a Free Open Data Forum

Participate in Geo:Code 2017, a free open data forum

Geo:Code, a community-generated conference connecting residents with Hennepin County and open data, has expanded for 2017. People with all backgrounds, skills and ideas are encouraged to register.

Event details: 

• 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday, March 4
• 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, March 5
• Hennepin County Library – Minneapolis Central
• 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis
• Breakfast and lunch will be served  

“For the third year, Geo:Code will be an opportunity to connect democracy with technology — and continue to have conversations with the community about what good open government data looks like and ways it can be put to use to serve residents,” Hennepin County Commissioner Marion Greene said.

The forum brings community members, geographers and technologists together to create solutions that improve public services, give residents better access to government data and make a difference in Twin Cities communities. 

“This year, we have expanded Geo:Code to engage even more residents. Everyone is welcome, whether or not they have technological expertise,” Andrew Rose, event coordinator, said. “The event is a time to brainstorm how to make public services more accessible and inclusive — that is why it is important for people with all interests and backgrounds to participate.”

New format for 2017

This year’s event will feature two tracks:

• County Camp: Unconference, including presentations about open data, geography and civic engagement
• Code Space: Code-a-thon to build an app or website that uses open data

Participants are welcome to partake in either or both tracks and to switch between tracks during the weekend. Space is limited, so organizers ask all attendees to register in advance.

Project examples

Over the past two years, discussions, sessions and projects covered topics as diverse as:

• Service design
• Accessibility
• Recreation
• Lo-fi prototyping
• Usability
• Transit and bicycle mapping
• Ways to reach representatives
• Ways to find public meeting spaces
• Food access
• Arts integration
• Why data matters to non-technology community

Learn more and register for Geo:Code 2017.

This year’s event is hosted by Hennepin County with partners Open Twin Cities and Hennepin County Library.  

Guthrie Theater Announces WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT - Performances begin Feb. 21

Via an e-newsletter from the Guthrie Theater:

Find a seat. Any seat in the room. Watch carefully as an ensemble of six American actors -- three black and three white – begins to stage a presentation about a genocide in 1900s colonial Africa. As they earnestly (and comically) stumble through their artistic process, attempting to remain true to the events in the past, they unwittingly unpack a personal and political firestorm of racial dynamics in America in the present. And even the best intentions can’t save them. 

Part of the Level Nine Series, devoted to community dialogue about today’s most significant topics and questions.

We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, From the German Südwestafrika, Between the Years 1884-1915
by Jackie Sibblies Drury
directed by Taibi Magar
 Feb. 21 - Mar. 12

Tickets in the Dowling Studio are $9.

BUY TICKETS NOW

or call the Guthrie Box Office at 612.377.2224

Nominate Your Local Faves in the 2017 Best of the Twin Cities Reader's Choice Poll

Each year, the annual Best of the Twin Cities issue highlights all the best people to follow, the best things to do, and the best places to eat, drink, play, and party.

The first round of voting for the 2017 Best of the Twin Cities Reader's Choice Poll runs now until midnight on February 28. Then, from March 7 until midnight on March 28, you'll be able to vote on the top five nominees in each category. The Reader's Choice Poll results will appear in City Pages' annual Best of the Twin Cities issue, online and hitting newsstands April 19.

Note - if you participate in the Reader's Choice Poll, you will automatically be entered to win four V.I.P. tickets to the Best of the Twin Cities party on Thursday, April 27 at Orchestra Hall.

Become a Seedster Club Member and Help Grow Mississippi National River and Recreation Area Native Seedlings

Via an e-newsletter from Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin:

Our national park, the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area needs native seedlings and YOU can help grow them at home.

Join the Seedster Club next Thursday, February 16 from 6:00-8:00 PM. A $5 joining fee gets you a pack of native seeds sourced from park prairies, growing instructions, trays and other materials, and networking opportunities to meet people who are also helping our Park. Please RSVP

When you join you can keep some of your seedlings for your own yard or to share. Bring the rest of the seedlings back to the park for a prairie planting party in the spring!

Restaurant Week Winter 2017: Feb 19 - 24

Time to start planning for the upcoming February 19 - 24 Restaurant Week. Celebrate the best of Twin Cities dining with a week's worth of great deals in the Twin Cities' trendiest and best restaurants. Participating restaurants will present specially priced meals (lunch, dinner, or both) that showcase their culinary offerings in the local dining scenes.

In our neighborhood and near by, visit the following restaurants: Sanctuary, Ginger Hop, Borough, Haute Dish and Smack Shack.

What Does the Future Hold for St. Anthony Falls?

What does the future hold for St. Anthony Falls?

That is the main question to be addressed in a panel discussion titled “Water Over the Dam: The Past, Present, and Future of St. Anthony Falls.” The discussion, co-sponsored by the Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership (MRP) and Preserve Minneapolis, will take place at the Mill City Museum, 704 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, on Tuesday, Feb. 28, from 6-7:30 p.m., as part of MRP’s Riverfront Vitality Forum series.

The public is invited. Admission is free. To allow for planning, registration is encouraged.

When the Army purchased land from Dakota Indians for Fort Snelling in 1805, they made sure the land parcel included St. Anthony Falls. The falls was essential as a source of power to saw timber and grind wheat into flour. Over the next 150 years, industrialists used the power of the falls to build our mighty Mill City. Today, the falls represent different things to different people: a tourist attraction, a pleasant view from their living rooms or the center of a vital cultural heritage. 

“With so much interest in the downtown riverfront, events such as this are essential,” says MRP executive director Kathleen Boe. “It’s vital to talk about the different ways our community depends on the water flowing over St. Anthony Falls and I look forward to the discussion.”

The panel members include:
• Peggy E. Lucas, co-founder of Brighton Development and U of M Regent.
• Darlene St. Clair, professor of American Indian Studies at St. Cloud State University.
• Dan Dressler, public programs manager, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, part of the National Park Service.
• Neal Route, development associate for Dominium, owners of the Pillsbury A-Mill.
• Moderator: Richard Kronick, architectural historian and Preserve Minneapolis board member.

Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing diverse community partners together to shape a vital role for the Mississippi River in enhancing the economic, social and natural life of the City of Minneapolis and to ensure that this development benefits all segments of the community.

Preserve Minneapolis is a nonprofit organization that promotes and celebrates Minneapolis’s historic architectural and cultural resources through advocacy, education, and public engagement.

Jim Walsh 'Gold Experience: Following Prince in the '90s' Reading and Book Signing Event

Author Jim Walsh will read from and sign copies of his new book Gold Experience: Following Prince in the '90s at the University of Minnesota Bookstore, Coffman Memorial Union, 300 Washington Avenue on Wednesday, February 22 at 4pm. 

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Throughout the 1990s, Prince feuded with his record label, Warner Bros., over his rights as an independent recording artist—and made some of the most brilliant music of his career. During that time, Jim Walsh covered Prince for the St. Paul Pioneer Press and wrote about him passionately, thoughtfully, exhaustively. Here, in real time, is that coverage: a clip-by-clip look back at Prince in the ‘90s. Walsh’s newly unearthed interviews, essays, columns, and reviews make Gold Experience an essential slice of history for fans, scholars, and latecomers to the Minneapolis-born musical genius Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958–April 21, 2016).

Join Walsh at the 1994 NBA All-Star game after party and release bash for the single “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World.” Accompany him to the after-hours clubs Erotic City, Glam Slam, and, of course, Paisley Park. Meet Prince’s wife and bandmate Mayte (and while you’re at it, take in the wedding and reception). Enjoy a two-hour sit-down interview with Prince. Explore Prince’s veganism, talk to fans in line for a Target Center show, preview the “Jam of the Year” concert and check in at the after party. The passions and influences, from Mozart to funk godfather Larry Graham; the gigs and the Paisley Park garage sale; Walsh’s open letter to the artist and his reflections on religion and spirituality. This is Prince as few have seen him, reported as only Jim Walsh can: a portrait of the artist from a dizzying array of angles, captured in living color for all time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jim Walsh is a Minneapolis-based writer, journalist, columnist, and songwriter and the author of The Replacements: All Over but the Shouting: An Oral History and, with Dennis Pernu, The Replacements: Waxed-Up Hair and Painted Shoes: The Photographic History. His recent book Bar Yarns and Manic-Depressive Mixtapes: Jim Walsh on Music from Minneapolis to the Outer Limits is published by Minnesota. The former music editor at City Pages and pop music columnist at the St. Paul Pioneer Press, he has published in Rolling Stone, SPIN, Village Voice, LA Weekly, Melody Maker, Billboard, Utne Reader, and has been a recipient of the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship at Stanford University.

"Celebrating the Voting Rights Act in Minnesota" on display in Hennepin Gallery thru February 27

Via an e-newsletter from Hennepin County:

The exhibition by the Hennepin History Museum features a series of panels focusing on local advocacy on behalf of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The panels are supplemented by an assortment of archival materials related to African American life in Minnesota and Hennepin County in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. These include copies of Beacon and Topic magazines, both mid-century African American publications featuring accomplished black community members and writers. The exhibition also includes a 1947 report on the state of housing and the discriminatory housing practices facing black Minnesotans in Hennepin County and across the state.

The Hennepin Gallery is free and open to the public Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Hennepin County Government Center, A-level, 300. S. Sixth St., Minneapolis. The exhibit is sponsored by and a project of the Communications Department. 

Look for more news on the Hennepin County website at www.hennepin.us/news.

Discover how we're making a difference in our communities at www.hennepin.us/stories.