Author James Eli Shiffer book launch event for The King of Skid Row: John Bacich and the Twilight Years of Old Minneapolis - April 7, Mill City Museum

Author James Eli Shiffer will give a talk on, and sign copies of, his new book The King of Skid Row: John Bacich and the Twilight Years of Old Minneapolis

BOOK LAUNCH:
7:00 PM, Thursday, April 7, 2016, Mill City Museum (704 S 2nd Street). The event will also include screenings of John Bacich's skid row home movies, and also launches the photograph exhibit "Skid Row Minneapolis." A cash bar will be available at 6:00 PM. Please include this event in your local events/arts calendar, or consider a review of the book. The author is available for interview and review copies are available upon request.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
City blue laws drove the liquor trade and its customers—hard-drinking lumberjacks, pensioners, farmhands, and railroad workers—into the oldest quarter of Minneapolis. In the fifty-cent-a-night flophouses of the city’s Gateway District, they slept in cubicles with ceilings of chicken wire. In rescue missions, preachers and nuns tried to save their souls. Sociology researchers posing as vagrants studied them. And in their midst John Bacich, aka Johnny Rex, who owned a bar, a liquor store, and a cage hotel, documented the gritty neighborhood’s last days through photographs and film of his clientele.

The King of Skid Row follows Johnny Rex into this vanished world that once thrived in the heart of Minneapolis. Drawing on hours of interviews conducted in the three years before Bacich’s death in 2012, James Eli Shiffer brings to life the eccentric characters and strange events of an American skid row. Supplemented with archival and newspaper research and his own photographs, Bacich’s stories recreate the violent, alcohol-soaked history of a city best known for its clean, progressive self-image. His life captures the seamy, richly colorful side of the city swept away by a massive urban renewal project in the early 1960s and gives us, in a glimpse of those bygone days, one of Minneapolis’s most intriguing figures—spinning some of its most enduring and enthralling tales.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
James Eli Shiffer has been a professional journalist for twenty-five years and is currently a columnist and editor at the Minneapolis–St. Paul Star Tribune. In 2010 he partnered with Ewen Media to create Rubbed Out, a multimedia history of the murder of a journalist in Minneapolis in 1945.

THE KING OF SKID ROW: John Bacich and the Twilight Years of Old Minneapolis
 
By James Eli Shiffer
 University of Minnesota Press | 192 pages | April 2016
ISBN 978-0-8166-9829-5 | hardcover | $22.95

PRAISE FOR THE KING OF SKID ROW:
"In its final years, Skid Row was avoided by everyone except the police, storefront Bible-thumpers, slumming sociologists, and the occasional entrepreneur such as John Bacich—‘Johnny Rex’ to the drunks, drifters, and down-and-outers he served as publican and hotelier. James Eli Shiffer recalls the life and times of Johnny, Polack Wally, Moon Face Mary Ann, and other late-stage denizens of that dingy corner of Old Minneapolis with insight, wit, and compassion. The King of Skid Row is terrific urban history, beautifully told." —William Swanson, author of Stolen from the Garden: The Kidnapping of Virginia Piper and Dial M: The Murder of Carol Thompson

"The King of Skid Row brings to boozy life the alcohol-sodden, corruption-filled era when Minneapolis’ lost Gateway District harbored flop houses, slop joints, cage hotels, brothels, and raunchy speakeasies filled with B-girls and ‘gandy-dancers.’ Exceptionally literate, relentlessly humane, Shiffer peels back the veil from a dark and often violent past that, until now, had been literally paved over and believed forgotten. The King of Skid Row is a deft book that stirs together memoir, mystery, and history with the heartbreaking drama of how a city treats its most despondent and destitute. Moving and fascinating." —Paul Maccabee, author of John Dillinger Slept Here: A Crook’s Tour of Crime and Corruption in St. Paul

For more information, including the table of contents, visit the book's webpage:
http://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/the-king-of-skid-row

March 15 Hewing Hotel (Historic Jackson Building) Instameet with Preserve Minneapolis

March 12 update from MNCommunity: We have unfortunate news that the Hewing Hotel Instameet is being postponed due to concerns from the Hotel Management company, Aparium Hotel Group due to the state of the building and the renovation work being done and the logistics of having a tour with a large group of people.

Via a March 7 e-newsletter from Preserve Minneapolis:

In collaboration with MNCommunity, Preserve Minneapolis will be hosting an Instameet (Instagram + meet-up*) at the Historic Jackson Building in the North Loop.

The Historic Jackson Building was built in 1897, and rehabilitation is underway to give the structure new life as the Hewing Hotel, opening later this year.

The Instameet will be a wonderful opportunity to get a sneak peek at this project. Join us to see preservation in action and to photograph and document the Jackson Building before renovation is completed.

Where: 300 Washington Avenue North, Minneapolis
When: Tuesday, March 15, 5pm-7pm
    Timeline of Events:
    5:00pm - 5:30pm ... Welcome
    5:30pm - 6:30pm ... Guided Tour of the Jackson Building
    6:30pm - 7:00pm ... Self-Guided Exploration Time
    7:00pm ... Post-Instameet Social Hour

More details on the Facebook event page (please RSVP so we can plan appropriately).
Cost: This event is free!

*What's an Instameet? Good question! Click here for an answer. 

R.T. Rybak Book Launch for Pothole Confidential at First Avenue on April 13

Via a March 4 Press Release from University of Minnesota Press

R.T. Rybak book launch for Pothole Confidential at First Avenue on April 13

Minneapolis, MN, March 4, 2016 — Former Mayor R.T. Rybak will celebrate the launch of his new memoir, Pothole Confidential: My Life as Mayor of Minneapolis, with a night of local music, highlights from the book, and a book signing on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at First Avenue in Minneapolis.

The 18+ event starts at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $10 and will be a fundraiser to support the City of Minneapolis STEP-UP youth employment program.

Rybak will give a behind-the-scenes tour of his years running the city of Minneapolis in between songs from featured musical acts:

Big Trouble + dVRG
With Special Guest Lucy Michelle and more TBA
Plus the World's Most Dangerous Polka Band

A signing with Rybak will follow the show and books will be available for purchase from Magers & Quinn Booksellers. Sebastian Joe's will be offering free ice cream scoops to attendees, including Rybak's favorite, The Flavor Formerly Known as Nicollet Avenue Pothole.

Pothole Confidential is a clear-eyed look inside the life and times of Minneapolis and its dynamic three-term mayor. In the words of Lizz Winstead, "This book is a love letter to Minneapolis and it tells the riveting story of what you must tackle to make and keep a city great." Rybak takes his readers into the highs and lows and the daily drama of a life inextricably linked with the city. Pothole Confidential is that rare document from a politician: one more concerned with the people he served and the issues of his time than with burnishing his own credentials.

EVENT DETAILS:
Our Minneapolis: R.T.'s Big Book Launch Party!
When: Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Where: First Avenue Mainroom, 701 North First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Time: Doors 6:00 PM, Show 7:00 PM, Book signing with R.T. 8:30 PM
Tickets: $10, http://first-avenue.com/event/2016/04/rybak-booklaunch
18+
Fundraiser to support City of Minneapolis STEP-UP youth employment program

35th Annual Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, April 7-23

35th ANNUAL MSPIFF LINEUP ANNOUNCED

This year’s lineup includes more than 250 films – more than 160 features and more than 90 shorts – representing 71 countries. The Festival’s always highly anticipated Opening Night Presentation will be revealed later in March.

Volunteer Coaching Opportunities with the Minneapolis Park and Rec Board

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is seeking enthusiastic volunteer coaches for youth baseball, softball, tee ball and track and field for the 2016 spring season.

• Practices start in April, games begin in May
• Athletes range from 5–18 years old
• Teams practice 1–2 times per week
• Games are scheduled for a weeknight and/or Saturdays
• MPRB will provide orientation for all new coaches

Become a volunteer!

Call for Contributions: Putting Down Roots Fiber Arts Project at MWMO

Call for Contributions: Putting Down Roots Fiber Arts Project

You are invited to participate in developing Putting Down Roots, a new eco-art exhibit to be on display at the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) and Nine Mile Creek Watershed District. Use any fiber medium to create a life-sized, 3-dimensional representation of plants for clean water and habitat and/or species that benefit from these plants.

Exhibition Dates: May 23, 2016 - Fall 2016
Location: Mississippi Watershed Management Organization and Nine Mile Creek Watershed District, 2522 Marshall Street NE

Putting Down Roots is an evolving exhibit of artistic fiber representation of plants that are beneficial for a healthy environment. These plants have extensive root structures, provide beautiful habitat and contribute to the diversity of our landscapes.

More information: http://www.mwmo.org/PuttingDownRoots.html

Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation Grants $4.6 Million for New Dental Clinic at HCMC

Via a March 1 Press Release from Delta Dental:

Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation Grants $4.6 Million for New Dental Clinic at Hennepin County Medical Center

New Clinic Will Increase Patient Access to Oral Health Care by 60%

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (March 1, 2016)—Today, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners approved an agreement between the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation and the Hennepin Healthcare System to create a new dental clinic funded by a $4.6 million grant from the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation. In recognition of the leadership grant, the clinic will be named the Delta Dental Oral Health Center at HCMC.

The Delta Dental Oral Health Center at HCMC will be located in the new $220.8 million clinic and specialty building, which will consolidate HCMC’s existing downtown clinics in one state of the art, six-story facility. The grant will also fund in-clinic dental services for the highly complex patients who receive care in the HCMC Coordinated Care Clinic.

HCMC and the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation share a long-standing commitment and partnership to improve oral health, as well as the overall health for those individuals and families most in need. A few good examples of the partnership to improve oral health are the collective effort to add preventive dental services to HCMC’s Brooklyn Park Clinic, and the coordinated dental referrals in the emergency department to help patients find regular, less expensive dental care.

“We are extremely excited to partner with such an outstanding organization committed to delivering greater access to oral health care.  We believe the development of the Delta Dental Oral Health Center at HCMC will be an important step to help address unmet needs,” said Rodney Young, Chief Executive Officer and President at Delta Dental of Minnesota and Chair, Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation.

The Delta Dental Oral Health Center at HCMC will see and treat the 85% of HCMC’s dental patients who are covered by public programs, are uninsured, or qualify as low income residents. In addition, the clinic will provide enhanced patient-centered care for all patients, especially children and people with special needs. The Delta Dental Oral Health Center at HCMC will increase oral health care access by approximately 60%, or an estimated additional 11,000 visits annually, for a total of 27,500 patient visits per year.

The Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation grant provides approximately one-half of the capital investment to create the clinic, improve infrastructure, equipment and provide some operational funding. The grant enables HCMC to expand capacity in the center to a total of 30 treatment rooms and two consult rooms with teledentistry capabilities. It will also support creating a state-of-the-art lab, expanded space for advanced dental education, improve accessibility for patients with special needs and the latest technology for video interpreters. The satellite dental room in the Coordinated Care Clinic will be used for an estimated 1,100 annual dental visits per year.

“This grant makes it possible to greatly expand access for the most underserved patients,” said Mary Seieroe, DDS, HCMC Chief of Dentistry. “The support from the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation enables us to create an oral healthcare center of excellence in our new medical clinic and specialty center. This partnership will help HCMC lead in establishing best practices for integration of dental and medical care.”

Delta Dental’s involvement with HCMC is part of several other strategic community investments to improve oral health across the state. Recognizing the statewide needs for better dental access, Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation supports and partners with over 100 communities throughout the Twin Cities and in greater Minnesota to tackle barriers to quality dental care access.

About HCMC: 
Hennepin County Medical Center is a nationally recognized Level I Adult Trauma Center and Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center with the largest emergency department in Minnesota. It is operated by Hennepin Healthcare System, Inc., a subsidiary corporation of Hennepin County. The comprehensive academic medical center and public teaching hospital and clinic system includes a 484-bed acute care hospital and primary care and specialty clinics located downtown and South Minneapolis and surrounding suburban communities. More at www.hcmc.org.

About Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation:
Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation supports Delta Dental of Minnesota's mission of improving the health of Minnesotans and advancing oral health in Minnesota. Established in 2009 with the proceeds from the sale of a company, Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation supports initiatives that promote access to oral health and, in turn, improve the overall health and vitality of our community. To learn more, visit www.DeltaDentalMN.org.

FINNEGANS Brew Co to Partner with Minnesota Foodshare in the FINNEGANS Chef Food Fight

Via a March 1 Press Release from FINNEGANS:

FINNEGANS BREW CO. TO PARTNER WITH MINNESOTA FOODSHARE IN THE FINNEGANS CHEF FOOD FIGHT

WHO: FINNEGANS Brew Co. and Minnesota FoodShare are bringing together local restaurants and chefs from around the Twin Cities for a friendly cooking competition. Participants include:
● Bennett's Chop and Railhouse - Chef Joe Bennett
● The Local - Chef Vincent Francoual
● Green Mill (Uptown, Lakeville, Eagan and Albert Lee)- Chefs Eric Heidelberger, Sammy Gonzalez, Danielle Puhle, Derek Oakland
● Le Town Talk Diner - Chef Ozzy Amelotti
● Pat’s Tap and the Red Stag- David Robinson (Pat’s Tap), Chefs Brian Krouch & Andrew Erenst (Red Stag)
● The Minneapolis Club - Chef Hakan Lundberg
● FireLake Grill House and Cocktail Bar (MOA and Downtown Mpls) Chefs Dinesh Jayawardena and Jim Kyndberg
● Jake O’Connors and O’Donovan’s- Chris Oxley

WHAT: Together, FINNEGANS and Minnesota FoodShare aim to raise funds and awareness around hunger in Minnesota during the MN FoodShare March Campaign and to drive traffic to participating restaurants via social media and food blog engagement.

Chefs are invited to develop a menu item using FINNEGANS beer (the Irish Amber, Dead Irish Poet Stout, or the Hoppy Shepherd) and sell it on their menus for the month of March. Each establishment will decide the donation amount per menu item sold and customers will be asked to vote via social media for their favorite dish.

Jason DeRusha is the honorary chair of the MN FoodShare March Campaign and he will be supporting this promo with social media and TV. The winning chef will be announced by Jason DeRusha on WCCO Midmorning and receive a weekend stay at the Chase Hotel in Walker, MN. All participating chefs will receive a FINNEGANS prize pack and case of beer.

WHEN: Online voting will open to the public on March 1st and the four dishes with the most likes by March 7th will be invited to appear on the March 11th WCCO Midmorning show with Jason DeRusha. Voting will continue through the entire month of March. The Chef/dish with the most votes along with our total donation raised from all locations will be announced on WCCO in April.

Let's Caucus!

If you want to be part of the process, gather with your neighbors Tuesday night, March 1, and caucus! Not sure where to participate?  Use this handy locater by simply entering your zip code and street number: http://caucusfinder.sos.state.mn.us/. It gives both the Republican and Democratic location associated with your home address.

A caucus is a local gathering where voters decide which candidate in their party to support for the ticket (Hillary or Bernie; Trump or Cruz, for example). The caucus format favors candidates who have a dedicated and organized following because those devoted volunteers can exert influence in the open setting of a caucus.

MinnPost helps us understand the process in this recent article: The 5 things you'll want to know if you're thinking about caucusing in Minnesota.

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

Here's what's on tap from The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul:

 

February 26 thru March 10 - SON OF SAUL (New Releases, #OscarWatch)

 

February 27 at 1PM - LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES (Stage on Screen, National Theatre Live)

**March 3 at 7PM - WE ROCK LONG DISTANCE (First Thursday Films @ the Capri, $5 Tickets)

 

March 4-6 at 4PM - RABIN THE LAST DAY (Special Screenings, New Releases)

 

March 11-17 - MOUNTAINS MAY DEPART (New Releases)

March 14 at 7PM + March 19 at 1PM - AS YOU LIKE IT (Stage on Screen, National Theatre Live) 

March 22 at 7PM - THE BIRDS (Science on Screen) Featuring an introductory presentation by F. Keith Barker, PhD. on the topic of “Bird Brains”!

March 25-31 - REMEMBER (New Releases)

March 28 at 7PM + April 2 at 1PM - HANGMEN (Stage on Screen, National Theatre Live) 

April 7-23 - 35th Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival

**Screening at the Capri Theater - 2027 West Broadway, Minneapolis, MN 55411

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT: mspfilm.org or at the box office before each show.

There's a National Park in Our Backyard - Use the River Trip Planner to Take Advantage of it!

The National Park Service - Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is very excited to announce their long awaited "River Trip Planner" is now availalble.

Use www.rivertripplanner.org to help you plan a route anywhere in the park, identify bus, rail lines and the best points of access popular river destinations. It's an easy-to-use Google-based map with embedded park destination and alternative transportation (bus, rail, bike, boat, and walking) information that builds on existing regional transit, recreational trails and river access.

Have fun, stay fit and reduce environmental impacts while exploring your national park!

Annual North Loop Candy Grab Scheduled for March 26

Time: 10:00 am - 10:30 am

Annual North Loop Candy Grab

It’s time for the wildly successful annual North Loop Candy Grab!  There will be age specific hunts, prize eggs, parent eggs, pre-hunt games along with cookies and hot chocolate!

Those wishing to donate candy can leave individually wrapped candy at Corner Coffee.  Anyone looking to help stuff eggs can come to Corner Coffee on March 19th at noon.

Detour of Westbound Washington Avenue Starting March 1

Via a February 24 Hennepin County e-newsletter:

Starting Tuesday, March 1, westbound lanes of Washington Avenue (County Road 152) in downtown Minneapolis will be closed from Second Avenue South to Hennepin Avenue to begin upfront utility relocation work associated with Hennepin County’s road reconstruction project.

Utility crews will be working in this area with a detour in place until later this summer, when they will move further east on Washington Avenue to complete their work. This utility relocation work is to be completed in 2016.

Following immediately behind the utility crews, Hennepin County will be reconstructing Washington Avenue between Hennepin Avenue and Fifth Avenue South.

This detour for motorists and bicyclists will follow Second Avenue South, Third Street South, Hennepin Avenue and then return to Washington Avenue. There is no detour for pedestrians or eastbound Washington Avenue. A map of the detour is available on the Washington Avenue reconstruction project webpage, www.hennepin.us/washingtonavenue.

Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis and Xcel Energy developed a traffic plan to mitigate impacts and maximize traffic flow around the closure. Signs to direct road users will be posted and traffic control agents will assist at key intersections during peak traffic hours.

Upcoming reconstruction project overview

The county is reconstructing Washington Avenue between Hennepin Avenue and Fifth Avenue South. The reconstruction will improve the driving surface, but also improve safety and better accommodate those who travel through the area. When complete, the project will:

• Add dedicated turn lanes at key intersections
• Provide more space for pedestrians and shorten crossing distances at intersections
• Provide one-way cycle tracks, or protected bike lanes

Additional background and the project layout are available for download on the project webpage, www.hennepin.us/washingtonavenue.
The county currently anticipates its active construction will begin later this summer. The project is slated to be complete in 2017.

More information:

Visit the project webpage: http://www.hennepin.us/washingtonavenue

Contact:
Nathan Ellingson, project engineer
nathan.ellingson@hennepin.us
612-596-0375

East River Parkway closure February 29 - March 2

Via a February 24 email from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board:

East River Parkway closure February 29 - March 2

Crane work at U of M Medical Center closes section of East River Parkway for three days East River Parkway will be closed to vehicle traffic near the University of Minnesota Medical Center at 500 SE Harvard St. beginning Monday, Feb. 29 at 7 am and continuing until work is completed Wednesday, March 2.

The closure is necessary to hoist three new cooling towers onto the roof of the University of Minnesota Medical Center. This project has been delayed several times this winter due to high winds.

Southbound traffic will be detoured beginning at Arlington Street and northbound traffic at Harvard Street. Please follow all posted detour signage. The bike and pedestrian trails on the west side of the parkway will remain open.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board appreciates the public's patience while the project is completed.

North Loop Neighborhood Association Feb 24 Board Meeting Agenda

Time: 7:00pm

Location: Heritage Landing, 415 1st Steet N

The North Loop Neighborhood Association welcomes you to the February 24 Board Meeting.

AGENDA
I.    CALL TO ORDER AND INTRODUCTIONS
II.   APPROVAL OF AGENDA
III.  APPROVAL OF MINUTES
IV.   COUNCIL MEMBER PRESENTATION Jacob Frey
V.    FINANCE REPORT
VI.   NEIGHBOR COMMENTS
      - 1 Mississippi campaign update Maria Lee
      - Voting precincts update Tim Schwarz
VII.  COMMITTEE REPORTS
      - Marketing and Promotions Scott Woller
      - North Loop Businesses Scott Woller
          Warehouse District Business Association update
      - Website Diane Merrifield
      - Planning & Zoning DJ Heinle
          Pedestrian and Bicycle update – DJ
      - Livability Fritz Kroll
          Greening & lighting update
          NL park update – Katie
      - Safety & Livability Phil Ailiff
VIII. OLD BUSINESS
      - Sustainability / community garden – Bryan
      - NRP funding update - J.R.
      - Farmers Market Advisory Group update
      - 2020 Partners update
      - DNG update - DJ
IX.   NEW BUSINESS
      - Bylaws review – DJ and Bryan
      - Board officer election and committee chair selection - David
X.    ADJOURNMENT

People Serving People Annual Gala is Scheduled for April 16

The People Serving People Annual Gala is scheduled for April 16 at the Hyatt Regency. This year's theme is Unmasking Homelessness, and attendees are encouraged to don a festive mask for the party.

There are 85 volunteer positions available for this Gala. Please click on this link to learn more. 

The Soap Factory and Northern Lights Present: Art(ists) on the Verge 7, Exhibition Opening Reception is March 12

The Soap Factory and Northern Lights Present: Art(ists) on the Verge 7, Exhibition Opening Reception

An exhibition opening reception in celebration of Art(ists) on the Verge 7 will take place March 12 at the The Soap Factory, 514 2nd Street SE.  The exhibition runs March 12 - April 17.

This exhibition features new work from four Minnesota-based artists. AOV7 is an intensive, year-long, mentor-based fellowship program for emerging artists working experimentally at the intersection of art, technology, and digital culture.

Visit Northern.Lights.mn to learn more about their organization, AOV, and their other programs.

Restaurant Week Winter 2016: Feb 21-26

Celebrate the best of Twin Cities dining with a week's worth of great deals in the Twin Cities trendiest and best restaurants from February 21-26. Participating restaurants will serve two course lunches for $10-$25 and three-course dinners for $15- $35 (beverage, tax and gratuity not included).

Mpls.St.Paul Magazine’s Restaurant Week started in 2007 in an effort to connect Twin Cities food enthusiasts with the best in Twin Cities dining. Since then, Restaurant Week has become a tradition embraced by Minnesotans.

Visit restaurants such as Sanctuary, Ginger Hop and Haute Dish. View full list at: http://mspmag.com/Contests-And-Promotions/Restaurant-Week/.

Open Window Theatre Presents Everyman in Urban Jungle

Open Window Theatre Presents Everyman in Urban Jungle

The newest production at Open Window Theatre brings a classic piece of theatre literature to the stage with an urban setting, live music and a diverse cast.  In his contemporary take on Everyman, director Jeremy Stanbary (Artistic Director, Open Window Theatre) pulls from his own roots of Catholicism to bring out the universality of this medieval morality play as well as the rich symbolism within.  “The play mixes poetry with no-holds-barred imagery,” Stanbary says, “and deals with problems of wealth, power and self-indulgence which can be destructive to humans and the common good.”

The set design, with its multi-level metal piping, provides an urban jungle playground for the cast in a prison-like structure, giving a sense of Everyman’s entrapment to his/her material world.  The costumes supply a “high impact look,” according to designer Josette Elstad, which plays out with various textures and layers, echoing both Greek chorus and gothic-inspirations.  Original music performed live during the show will blend medieval with modern influences, intermixing digital music and sounds.  Guest artists SPARK Theater + Dance (Corey and Betsy Mills) will add stunning visual imagery to the story through movement and choreography.

The cast features an eight-person ensemble, with five diverse actors (including women) rotating into the role of Everyman for a portion of the performance.  With each actor rotation, a prop piece of what Everyman has acquired will be removed except for a common shroud that symbolically defines the spiritual element of the fateful journey.  According to Stanbary, the play is “not afraid to pull punches,” even calling out corrupt members of the clergy.

The cast of Everyman includes Corey Mills (Everyman #1 & #6/Confession), Nicole Goeden (Everyman #2/Beauty/Angel), Kiara Jackson (Everyman #3/Strength), Elohim Pena (Everyman #4/Fellowship/Five Wits), Joann Oudekerk (Everyman #5/Kindred), Sharayah Bunce (Death/Good-Deeds), Siddeqah Shabazz (Messenger/Knowledge) and Nathan Gebhard (Cousin/Goods/Discretion).

FEBRUARY 19-MARCH 20
Thursdays-Saturdays @ 7:45pm
Sundays @ 1:30pm
Special matinees:  Wednesdays, March 2 & 9 @ 10:30am, and Saturday, March 19 @ 1:30pm

TICKETS:  $16-30.  Box Office:  612/615-1515, or website.
Thursdays are “Pay-As-You’re-Able” for a $1 minimum at the door for any unsold tickets.

LOCATION:
Open Window Theatre
(Metropolis Minneapolis Building)
1313 Chestnut Avenue, Ste #102 - Free Parking
Minneapolis MN  55403

The Second Sex // Guerrilla Girls Takeover Event at Gamut Gallery

 

THE SECOND SEX // GUERRILLA GIRLS TAKEOVER EVENT

The first invitational of Gamut Gallery's 2016 programming, The Second Sex is a group exhibition curated by Genie Castro, Juleana Enright and Jade Patrick which explores the imbalance imposed by the secondary designation that patriarchy places on women. Through paintings, photography, printmaking, video, performance and sculpture, artists will examine the injustices brought on by patriarchy and visualize how to manifest balance in society.

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 5th, 3-7pm
Exhibition runs Tuesday, March 1st - Saturday, March 19th

Featured Artists: Judy Chicago, Shanna Allyn, Jennifer Bong, Genie Castro, Perci Chester, Sue Cranston, Justine Di Fiore, Juleana Enright, Caila Darling, Nadia Honary, Nicole Houff, Allison Johnson, Allea Lovely, Kate Renee, Amy Sands, Heidi Sime, Carla Alexandra Rodriguez

For The Second Sex, the curators sought pieces which had active synergy and were representative of the diversity amongst the ever-evolving feminist movement. With intersectionality in mind, the exhibition seeks to unite the social identities of an oppressed gender and act as a safe place to explore individual struggles and demand attention. Made up solely of women artists from different walks of life, a variety ages, sexual orientations and mediums, The Second Sex creates respect and equality for a gender historically overlooked and underrepresented in the art world. In addition to bringing visibility to local and locally-bred female artists, the exhibit makes a statement and seeks a continual discussion on how to balance the distribution of art produced by artists whose gender and sexual designations have rendered them “lesser” by patriarchal standards.

Judy Chicago’s, “Birth Tear/Tear” serigraph circa 1985 was chosen as a cornerstone of the show. A pioneer of the Feminist Artist Movement, Chicago addresses the power and importance of the women who participated in earlier feminist movements and who have sought change and fought for recognition. Her career, which spans over five decades, endeavors to “reflect on women’s lives, call attention to their roles as artists and alter the conditions under which contemporary art was produced and received.” A co-founder of CalArts Feminist Art Program, Chicago has articulated her vision through, not just her art, but her work as an educator and organizer. Her vision of change was an inspiration for The Second Sex initial concept.
 
Though separate artists, Heidi Sime and Amy Sands share a similar mindset by visually exploring the conventional feminine roles at the dinner table. Sime’s “Dinner Party” is a two-dimensional, patinaed steel-cut table in metallic blue. While employing a medium traditionally thought of as masculine, Sime reclaims it as a tool to define her interpretation of the feminine mystique. Sands’ “Gathering at the Dinner Table” is a mixed media piece highlighting the artist’s mastery of printmaking and drawing. Using the lace tablecloth as symbolism, Sands’ work provides the perfect delicate juxtaposition to Sime’s andric piece.

Photographer Shanna Allyn’s work examines women’s personas through portraits that are awkwardly edgy and surreally provocative, while Carla Alexandra Rodriguez explores analog photography with black and white portraits. Intimate and emotional, Rodriguez expels a peaceful drama such as the one displayed in her piece, “A Metaphor,” which embodies the curator’s emphasis on manifesting balance with a feminine form embracing darkness.

As part of the Guerrilla Girls Twin Cities Takeover, this exhibit exists to challenge the negative designations patriarchy has placed on women with emphasis on the female artist. Through their artwork and through the show’s curative process, The Second Sex sets out to refine the contemporary Feminist Art Movement, its goals and the role art can have in restoring the equality.

Follow Gamut on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for sneak peeks and special announcements leading up to these events.

THE SECOND SEX OPEN HOURS
Special hours opening week:
3-7pm / Tuesday, March 1st - Saturday, March 5th

Regular hours resume through end of exhibit March 19th:
3-7pm / Thursdays & Fridays
1-7pm / Saturdays

http://www.gamutgallerympls.com/
612-293-6497