Submit Your Ideas to Program mini_polis at the Minneapolis Convention Center Plaza This Summer by April 13

Via a March 13 Press Release from Minneapolis by Nature:

OPEN CALL: PROGRAMMING THE PLAZA

MINNEAPOLIS, (March 13, 2015)– The Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC), the Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy Program of the City of Minneapolis and Meet Minneapolis, Convention & Visitors Association, in collaboration with Northern Lights.mn and the Northern Spark festival announce an open call to program the Minneapolis Convention Center Plaza. Three commissions will be awarded for three projects to program mini_polis on the plaza from one day or for up to one month as part of the Creative City Challenge.

On March 5, mini_polis was announced as the 2015 winner for the Creative City Challenge and will debut at the MCC Plaza on June 13, 2015, as part of Northern Spark, an annual dusk-to-dawn festival in Minneapolis with tens of thousands of participants.

Program the Plaza is a call to propose events, pop ups, gatherings, performances, games, classes, races, workshops and all manner of activities, which take advantage of mini­_polis as a continuing platform for participation and engagement. Program the Plaza proposals should take into account the unique characteristics of mini_polis, a collaboratively built model of downtown Minneapolis.

This is a unique opportunity to create programming that animates the Minneapolis Convention Center Plaza for up to one month in July, August or September. The timing/frequency of programming is open with the scope being that the programming has to occur for a least one day and up to one month. It can be a one day event during the month; it can be every Thursday at noon; it can be every day at dawn; it can be one weekend and two nights -- it’s up to the planner what to propose, as long as it takes place between the first day and last day of the month and meets all regulatory requirements.

The commission fee for each “month” of programming is $10,000 inclusive of artist fees and production costs.

Submissions are due Monday, April 13, 2015, by 4:30 p.m. Central time. Email questions to creativecitychallenge@northern.lights.mn or visit www.minneapolis.org/minneapolis-convention-center/on-the-plaza/programming-the-plaza for more information.

Creative City Challenge background information

The Creative City Challenge (CCC) is a competition for Minnesota-resident architects, landscape architects, urban designers, planners, engineers, scientists, artists, students and individuals of all backgrounds to create and install at the MCC Plaza a temporary, destination artwork. The artwork acts as a sociable and participatory platform for summer-long onsite programming, and encourages a sense of connectedness to the city as a whole and its rich cultural and natural offerings. The MCC Plaza is a green roof that is located directly across from the MCC at 1301 Second Avenue South.

The CCC’s goal is to draw visitors and residents of the city to the Minneapolis Convention Center as a central meeting space for the surrounding area, as well as to provide a compelling gathering site for the MCC’s thousands of visitors. The commission fee for the winning project is $75,000, inclusive of all artist fees, installation and de-installation costs. The winning project will remain on the MCC Plaza throughout the summer and be the site of public events to be announced at a later date. The MCC is a site of convergence for visitors to Minneapolis from around the country and the world, as well as being a part of the local neighborhood, and Minneapolis’ downtown.

More information about Creative City Challenge, past projects and the new winning project is available at www.minneapolis.org/minneapolis-convention-center/ccc.

2015 winner: mini_polis by Niko Kubota and teamis a scale model of Minneapolis built in collaboration with community participants in a series of “build workshops.” The mini_polis team, led by local designer-educator-artists Niko Kubota, Jon Reynolds and Micah Roth, will collect place-based hopes and memories at the workshops and create a multimedia interface within the finished city model to share these stories. The completed mini_polis will be a landscape of lighted plywood buildings, laid out to approximate the Minneapolis downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. A multimedia interactive map station will allow visitors to interact with installation: selected buildings will light up and play the model builder’s story, giving the viewer a peek into the experiences and hopes of a particular place they can now locate in their city. View more about the project and a brief video explanation here: www.minneapolis.org/minneapolis-convention-center/ccc/minipolis.

ABOUT MINNEAPOLIS CONVENTION CENTER

The Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC) is the largest indoor, contiguous, convention center in the Upper Midwest with over 1.5 million visitors annually, including 250,000 during the summer months. The MCC is more than a meeting place. It's more than a show space. It's a building all about building something else…relationships. A blend of form and function, the MCC provides aesthetically pleasing and innovative solutions for a variety of conferences, trade shows and events. With nearly 480,000 square feet of trade show space, 87 column-free conference meeting rooms, a 28,000-square-foot ballroom, and an auditorium with superb production and flexible technology options, the facility can handle any event from a small meeting to a large convention or trade show.

ABOUT THE ARTS, CULTURE AND THE CREATIVE ECONOMY PROGRAM, CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS

The Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy Program is an initiative of the City Coordinator's office established August 2011 to leverage the creative sector towards strengthening social and economic growth in the City of Minneapolis. The goals of the program are to: promote and coordinate city resources to develop the arts as an economic generator in alignment the city goal "art and artists are economic drivers in and of themselves,” to stimulate cross-sector collaboration to strengthen the arts economy and community in Minneapolis and provide presence and visibility for the creative sector in the City of Minneapolis.

ABOUT NORTHERN SPARK

Northern Spark is produced by Northern Lights.mn, a non-profit arts organization dedicated to artists working innovatively in the public sphere, exploring expanded possibilities for civic engagement and encourage pluralistic community. This year’s festival begins at 9:01 p.m. on June 13 in Minneapolis. http://northernspark.org 

ABOUT MEET MINNEAPOLIS

Meet Minneapolis is a private, not-for-profit, member-based association. It actively promotes and sells the Minneapolis area as a destination for conventions and meetings, works to maximize the visitor experience and markets the city as a desirable tourist destination to maximize the economic benefit of the greater Minneapolis area.

Meet Minneapolis is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) of the Destination Marketing Association International.

Online: http://www.minneapolis.org/ and http://go.minneapolis.org/
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/meetminneapolis?ref=ts
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/meetminneapolis
On Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/meetminneapolis/

Webster Elementary March 14 Meet and Greet

Webster Elementary School opens this Fall! If you know of a young family currently living downtown - or planning to move downtown - please let them know about this March 14 Meet and Greet.

Minneapolis Seeks Designs for Utility Box Art Wraps (Deadline for Applications is April 17)

Via a March 12 e-newsletter from the City of Minnapolis:

The City of Minneapolis Art in Public Places program announced a unique opportunity for local artists to submit designs for utility box wraps.

From Minneapolis to California to New Zealand, artists and neighborhoods have been painting and wrapping utility boxes in an effort to reduce graffiti and beautify their communities. In recent years these projects have been piloted locally in downtown, in the Kingfield and Corcoran neighborhoods and along the American Indian Cultural Corridor.

The process for undertaking this type of project can be time consuming for neighborhoods--both for organizing the artist designs, and also for obtaining the necessary approvals. Minneapolis Art Wraps is an effort to assist interested groups in developing these projects, with the goal of creating a vibrant city-wide gallery that celebrates the range and talent of creative artists living and working here. A total of twelve artists’ designs will be selected by the City for participating neighborhoods to choose from.

The City has released a Call for Artists that details the process for applying. The call is open to professional artists who live or work in Minneapolis in any media that can be translated into a digital image and wrapped onto a utility box. This includes painting, photography, collage, mosaic quilt making, etc. Selected artists will be paid an honorarium of $1,000. The deadline for applications is Wednesday, April 17, at 4 p.m. There will be an informational meeting for interested artists on Tuesday, March 26, 5:30 p.m. at Reverend Martin Luther King Park, 4055 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis.

Neighborhood and non-profit organizations who are interested in developing their own artistic utility box projects, can apply for permission to place their designs on City-owned utility boxes.

For more information visit www.minneapolismn.gov/dca or contact Mary Altman at mary.altman@minneapolismn.gov.

YogaFit Studios Northeast Offers Free Yoga to Target Layoffs

Were you (or do you know someone who was) one of the Target employees who left the corporate offices with a box of personal belongings yesterday (or last month)?  The staff at YogaFit Northeast would like to ease the pain by extending free yoga to anyone who was part of these mass layoffs. They asked us to share this March 10 post from their Facebook page:

"We're saddened that many friends were impacted today and last month's with the Target layoffs. We know there will be new bright starts for you. In the interim, come spend a FREE MONTH of unlimited classes with us at YogaFit Studios and do something for yourself! For anyone laid off by Target Corp today or the last round of layoffs in early February, YogaFit is offering free unlimited yoga on us at YogaFit Linden Hills & YogaFit Northeast Minneapolis studios through April 15th. Just bring in any type of documentation that shows you were part of the layoff today or early February and that's all we need and we'll even give you a gift just for taking care of yourselves! ‪#‎target‬ ‪#‎layoffs‬ ‪#‎silverlining‬ - If you have any questions - call the owner anytime 612-802-0243."

Donizetti Opera to be Mill City Summer Opera’s Fourth Season Production

Via a March 10 Mill City Summer Opera News Release:

Donizetti Opera to be Mill City Summer Opera’s Fourth Season Production

Metropolitan Opera star Leah Partridge to perform in The Daughter of the Regiment

MINNEAPOLIS (March 10, 2015) – With the success of three previous sold-out seasons, Mill City Summer Opera (MCSO) today unveiled the opera and cast for its fourth season. The company will produce Gaetano Donizetti’s brilliant comedy The Daughter of the Regiment, directed by David Lefkowich, July 11-21, 2015.

The Daughter of the Regiment will be presented at 8 p.m. on opening night July 11, and on July 13, 15, 17, 19 and 21. Mill City Museum’s dramatic Ruin Courtyard will again be the venue for all performances.

Karen Brooks, Mill City Summer Opera founder and executive director, said, “Mill City Summer Opera is excited to present this marvelous French comedy to our patrons this summer. We are thrilled to have such a strong cast to delight our audiences with a fun story and vocal pyrotechnics!”

This two act opera centers on Marie, the “daughter” of a regiment of soldiers who adopted her when she was a young girl and raised her as one of their own. Marie meets a local boy, Tonio, who joins the regiment in order to marry her. They soon fall in love. But the Marquise de Birkenfeld declares she is Marie’s aunt, and that Marie must leave the regiment to become a proper lady. Ultimately true love wins and Marie and Tonio are allowed to marry. The first act is set in the mountains of Tyrol, and the second takes place within the chateau of the Marquise de Birkenfeld.

Set to a French libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-François Bayard, this opera is known for its lighthearted, catchy music that captures the story’s humor with its playful yet challenging vocals. The opera’s dialogue will be in English and all music and arias are in French. Supertitles will translate the French into English.

ARTISTIC DIRECTION

MCSO’s Artistic Director David Lefkowich, known for his lively stage direction and fresh take on well-known operas, will again lead the artistic vision for this production along with Music Director Brian DeMaris, a 2013 winner of The American Prize in Opera Conducting. The limestone mill ruins will serve as a striking backdrop to Jo Winiarski’s set design in both acts. Winiarski designed the gorgeous set for MSCO’s 2012 production of The Barber of Seville. Jessica Jahn will design the late 18th Century-era costumes.

CAST

As in previous years, artistic director David Lefkowich has assembled a stellar cast drawn from outstanding singers of national reputation. Soprano Leah Partridge is cast as Marie, a role she has sung to critical acclaim at the Metropolitan Opera. The role of Marie has been sung by such famous coloratura sopranos as Lily Pons, Jenny Lind and Beverly Sills. Chad Johnson, tenor, will sing the famous and challenging aria “Ah, mes amis” for which he must deliver nine consecutive high Cs – a spectacular feat often called the Mount Everest of tenor arias.

Acclaimed Minnesota actor and singer Bradley Greenwald plays the role of Hortensius, the butler, and will be performing with MCSO for the first time. Greenwald most recently played the role of Fagin in the Twin Cities product of “Oliver” by Theater Latté Da. Rounding out the cast are Cindy Sadler as the Marquise de Birkenfeld who will play the piano while singing in Act II and Nathan Stark as the Sergeant Sulpice.

TICKETS

●      In the opera company’s first three seasons, tickets sold out in a matter of hours in May, months before the July performance dates. Patrons are encouraged to buy tickets early.

●      Opening Night tickets are available NOW through the Mill City Summer Opera website at www.millcitysummeropera.com or by calling the Opera at 612-875-5544. The Opening Night ticket purchase includes a pre-opera reception at Sea Change restaurant, the 8 p.m. performance, and a tax-deductible donation to MCSO. Available now for $195.

●      Mill City Summer Opera donors of $250 or more will be invited to participate in a pre-sale starting May 11 at 10 a.m., for performances on July 13, 15, 17, 19 and 21. Up to four tickets may be purchased with each $250 donation. Tickets will be available through the Mill City Summer Opera website at www.millcitysummeropera.org.

●      Regular ticket sales to the general public commence May 18 at 10 a.m. through the MCSO website at www.millcitysummeropera.org. Tickets are $35-100.

Excerpts from previous reviews of Mill City Summer Opera performances:

“A temperate evening on Saturday added to allure of the opening of Rossini’s Barber of Seville, staged by Mill City Summer Opera in the Ruin Courtyard of the Mill City Museum. It made a pleasant setting for a smart production, with singing of a consistently high order...” –William Randall Beard, Star Tribune

“Crackles with energy and imagination … manages to outshine a very impressive debut.” –Rob Hubbard, Pioneer Press

OPERA REDEFINED: ABOUT MILL CITY SUMMER OPERA

Mill City Summer Opera is a 501(c) (3) performing arts organization founded in 2011 to bring the Twin Cities exceptional opera performances set in a nontraditional venue. The Minneapolis riverfront, bordered by Mill City Museum’s Ruin Courtyard, offers an intimate and unusual setting ideal for experiencing opera outdoors.

Adding to the rich cultural life of the redeveloped Minneapolis milling district, Mill City Summer Opera features a multi-level stage built within the remnants of the mill’s waterpower system. Musicians performing the music for the opera play behind the staging, at a height of the second row of windows on the north wall, distanced from the production so as to not overpower the singers and audience with sound. This allows audiences to sit as close as possible to performers and staging, creating an intimate setting in which to fully absorb the opera’s musical and theatrical impact.

Previous productions by MCSO include Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci in 2012; The Barber of Seville by Rossini in 2013; and Tosca by Puccini as well as Guns & Rosenkavalier in 2014.

ABOUT MILL CITY MUSEUM’S CHARLES H. BELL RUIN COURTYARD

MCSO is proud to once again work with the Mill City Museum, a lead sponsor for our 2015 season. Built within the ruins of the Washburn A Mill, Mill City Museum chronicles the people and industries that built Minneapolis, transformed a region and influenced our world. The story comes to life through the eight-story Flour Tower, Water Lab, Baking Lab and other hands-on exhibits. The open-air Ruin Courtyard showcases the ruins of the historic mill and serves as a programming space. 

Mill City Museum is part of the Minnesota Historical Society’s statewide network of museums and historic sites.

The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. The Society collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, the Society preserves our past, shares our state’s stories and connects people with history.

Creative City Challenge Winner Announced

The Creative City Challenge is a competition for Minnesota artists and architects to create a destination artwork which acts as a sociable and participatory platform for summer-long onsite activities.  It is presented by the Minneapolis Convention Center and the Arts, Culture and Creative Economy Program of the City of Minneapolis and Meet Minneapolis in collaboration with Northern Lights.mn.

mini_polis Wins the Creative City Challenge

Northern Lights.mn recently announced the winner of the Creative City Challenge: mini_polis by Niko Kubota and team is a scale model of Minneapolis built in collaboration with community participants in a series of “build workshops.” The mini_polis team, led by local designer-educator-artists Niko Kubota, Jon Reynolds, and Micah Roth, will collect place-based hopes and memories at the workshops and create a multimedia interface within the finished city model to share these stories. mini_polis will be installed on the Minneapolis Convention Center Plaza and will be unveiled at Northern Spark on June 13, 2015.

View more about the project and a brief video explanation here.

Park Board and City Announce 2015 Earth Day Clean-Up Event

Via a March 5 Minneapolis Park and Rec Board e-newsletter:

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board along with the City of Minneapolis announce the 21st annual Minneapolis Earth Day Clean-Up event on Saturday, April 25, 2015 from 9:30 am–12 pm.

The Earth Day Clean-Up has become the largest community service project in Minneapolis and takes place at nearly 40 clean-up sites throughout the city.  Since 2008, more than 17,000 residents have removed more than 140,000 pounds of garbage.  A special thank you to our 2015 Earth Day Sponsors for supporting this important community event: Cargill, the Minnesota Twins, Birchwood Café and The Wedge.

There is no charge to participate and residents are encouraged to participate by volunteering to help pick up trash in parks, neighborhoods, and watersheds.  No registration needed, just choose a site and show up. To find a detailed list of clean-up sites and more information please visit http://www.minneapolisearthday.com/ or call 612-230-6479.

Contact

Erica Chua
Community Outreach Coordinator
612-230-6479
echua@minneapolisparks.org

40's (and 50's?) Next Week - Great Time to Experience the Minneapolis Historical Mobile Tour Smartphone App

The Minneapolis Historical Mobile Tour app is available for free for iPhones and Androids.  The upcoming forecasted warm temps present the perfect opportunity to use this app to take a self-paced tour the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood.

With this app you can walk to/bike to and learn about the 24 historical sites in this tour (see website for the list) that tell stories of the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood—what was once the town of Saint Anthony Falls—from 1849 through the early twentieth century. Historical information was drawn from Penny Petersen’s 1999 book, "Hiding in Plain Sight: Minneapolis’ First Neighborhood" and the stops on the tour correspond with the 24 bronze sculptures lining the neighborhood's 6th Avenue Gateway.

Each stop on the tour consists of a present day image of the site, the corresponding bronze sculpture, an historic image (when available), brief text and two audio recordings by an individual somehow related to the site.  Approximately 3 miles total.

Alabama Shakes and Father John Misty to perform at Hall's Island site May 30

I can't be the only one excited about this. Alabama Shakes and Father John Misty performing in an outdoor concert - on the shores of the Mississippi !?! Ticket go on sale this Friday, March 6.

Local historian David C Smith wrote about Hall's Island in this 2012 blog. The concert will take place under the Plymouth Avenue bridge, as Hall's Island isn't quite an island any more (although restoring it is part of the RiverFirst plan).

Scroll down below this First Avenue poster to check out the animated flyover depicting the vision of what this park area can become.

Hennepin County Survey Asks How Property Tax Notices Can be Improved

Via a March 3 Hennepin County e-newsletter:

As a property owner, we need your ideas to make the notice easier to use and understand.

This 15-minute survey is voluntary, confidential, and will have no impact on your future property taxes. You can stop and submit your answers at any point in the survey.

Thank you for your input.

Take the Survey

Learn more about your property taxes at www.hennepin.us/propertytaxes.

The Environmental Assessment Worksheet and Associated Studies for the Proposed Ritz Block are Now Available

 

Via a February 27 News Release from The City of Minneapolis, Community Planning & Economic Development (CPED):

The Environmental Assessment Worksheet and Associated Studies for the Proposed Ritz Block are Now Available

Friday, February 27, 2015 (Minneapolis, MN) - The Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) and associated studies for the proposed Ritz Block project located on the property at 315 Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis, are now available.  The total project area encompasses an approximately two and one-half acre site along Nicollet Mall in Downtown Minneapolis, between South 3rd and 4th Streets.  This phased development is anticipated to be developed in two separate phases and would provide at completion up to 728 dwelling units, 12,000 square feet of commercial space, and up to 909 off-street parking spaces.  Alternatively, Phase 2 could be constructed with up to 365,606 square feet of office space instead of residential units.   Phase 1, would include 364 residential units, up to 12,000 SF of ground level retail space, approximately 430 parking spaces, occupy approximately 60,524 square feet of land and is planned for construction in 2015-2017.  Each phase would be taken through the City’s design and approval process independently. 

Copies of the EAW will be available for review at the downtown Minneapolis Central Library located at 300 Nicollet Mall, and in the office of the City’s CPED, Land Use, Design and Preservation Section at 250 S. 4th Street, Room 300 Public Service Center.   Notice will be published in the EQB Monitor on Monday, March 2nd, 2015. Public comments on the EAW must be made within the 30-day comment period, which ends at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, 2015. It is anticipated that the Zoning and Planning Committee at its regular meeting on April 23, 2015, or at a subsequent meeting, will receive a report and recommendation from City staff, hear comment from all parties and consider the adequacy of this EAW and the need for an Environmental Impact Statement for this proposal. The City Council will act on the recommendation of this Committee at a subsequent meeting on May 1, 2015.

This EAW and supporting information will also be available for review on the City of Minneapolis website. Copies of this EAW can also be provided to individuals by email. For further information or to submit comments on the EAW, contact Becca Farrar-Hughes, Senior Planner, at 612.673.3594.

New City of Minneapolis Program Provides Increased Wheelchair Accessible Taxicab Service to the Public

 

Via a February 25 Press Release from The City of Minneapolis:

New City of Minneapolis Program Provides Increased Wheelchair Accessible Taxicab Service to the Public

Wednesday, February 25, 2015 (Minneapolis, MN) – The City of Minneapolis has developed a new program to provide wheelchair accessible taxicab service to the public.  Effective February 1st, 2015 five local taxicab companies have agreed to provide wheelchair accessible taxicab service 24 hours a day. 

The participating companies receive incentives in the form of reduced license fees for providing the services. The incentive fund is created by charging an annual license surcharge to all other taxicab companies and Transportation Network Companies such as UberX and Lyft who do not provide the services. 

“This new program is a great step in the right direction to increasing accessibility for our residents,” said Mayor Betsy Hodges. “It’s important that all residents know they can rely on services when they need them, and I thank these participating taxicab companies for recognizing the importance of serving the entire community. This program aligns with other investments the City is making to increase accessibility in a range of transportation options, including pedestrian improvements, winter-time snow-clearing, and advocacy for level boarding at LRT and future streetcar stops.”

All of the participating taxicab vehicles are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant and charge the same fare as all other licensed taxicabs. Currently, 23 wheelchair accessible taxicabs are participating in the program, and all accept credit cards. The drivers have received training from their respective companies on the proper use of these specialty vehicles. 

The taxicab companies participating in the program are Airport Taxi (7 wheelchair accessible vehicles), Yellow Taxi (7 wheelchair accessible vehicles), Green and White Taxi (6 wheelchair accessible vehicles), Minneapple Taxi (2 wheelchair accessible vehicles), and La Mexicana Taxicab (1 wheelchair accessible vehicle). 

The Wheelchair Accessible Taxicab program was developed by the City of Minneapolis Division of Licenses and Consumer Services, the taxicab advisory committees of taxicab service companies, owners, and drivers, plus advice from the Minneapolis Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities.  For more information visit the City of Minneapolis Business Licensing website.

Pop-up Mill City Farmers Market Comes to Capella Tower

Thursday, March 5 - 11:00a-2:00p in the Capella Tower Atrium

On Thursday, March 5, the Mill City Farmers Market moves to downtown Minneapolis’ Capella Tower(225 S. 6th Street) for a one-of-a-kind pop-up market with over 20 of its fabulous vendors in a vibrant lunchtime marketplace full of quality, locally produced, homegrown products. From 11:00am-2:00pm, visitors can choose from an assortment of artisanal products and take-home groceries, including farmstead cheese, dry-cured meats, pickled veggies, a selection of vegan “meats” and cheeses, kitchen utensils, and more!

Click here for more info.
 

Participating Vendors:

Ames Farm – Single-source honey, beeswax candles
Aprilierre – Jewelry
Barkley’s Bistro – All natural, gluten-free puppy treats
Birchberry Native Arts and Food -  Wild rice, maple syrup, soup and pancake mixes, handmade crafts
Buffalo by Bike - 100% grass fed bison meat
Crookedwood – Handcrafted wooden cooking utensils
Down In The Valley Bakehouse – Gluten-free baked goods
Heath Glen Farm – Artisanal fruit preserves
Kiss My Cabbage – Lacto-fermented sauerkraut and kimchi
Jeanne Beatrice – Handwoven market bags and baskets
Martha’s Joy – Pickled vegetables
Red Table Meat Co. – Dry-cured pork products
Salty Tart – Fresh breads + pastries
Sassy Knitwear – Up-cycled clothing and accessories
Singing Hills Goat Dairy - Farmstead goat milk cheese
Star Prairie Trout Farm – Fresh + smoked farm-raised trout, salmon and walleye
St. Croix Chocolate Co. – Artisan chocolates
The Abbey Alpacas – Alpaca knits and fibers
The Herbivorous Butcher – All vegan “meats” and cheeses
Zula Juice – 100% organic cold-pressed juices and cleanses

Lose That "Case of the Mondays" at Magna During the Month of March

During the month of March, Magna is offering a free Cardio Barre class every Monday at Noon.

In addition to a fun and energized 50-minute Cardio Barre with expert instructor Christine Reiser, each class will feature awesome giveaways, including a t-shirt and shaker bottle, foam roller, and even a 60-minute massage!

You'll also receive a flyer to enter a raffle for a $25 shop card at Athleta in Edina at 50th and France.

Click here to register.

Mayor Hodges Invites You to Join the 'Cradles to K Cabinet'

 

Via a February 24, 2015, e-newsletter from Mayor Betsy Hodges:

Dear Friend,

My Cradle to K Cabinet has been hard at work since last year on a plan to eliminate disparities for our youngest residents. Last month, I released the Cradle to K Cabinet’s draft report, which outlines policy, legislative and collaboration recommendations.

Read the draft recommendations here.

These draft recommendations are grounded in research and the prevailing best practices in the field and in our community. Recommendations range from increasing housing options for the lowest-income families, expanding home visiting, increasing early childhood screening at age three, and more.

Now I’m asking for participation from all of you.

Join the Cradle to K Cabinet at a community meeting to learn more about the draft plan, to talk with others in the community and to share your feedback on the recommendations and strategies.

Food will be served and Child Care is available at both meetings. We want to make sure we have enough food and chairs, so please let us know you are attending.

Tuesday, March 3
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Children’s Hospital – Education Center, 2nd Floor
2525 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
Co-hosted by Children’s Hospital, Way to Grow and YWCA of Minneapolis
Register at: http://march3forum.eventbrite.com/

Thursday, March 5
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Phyllis Wheatley Community Center – Gertrude Brown Room
915 Emerson Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN
Co-hosted by Children’s Defense Fund, Think Small, Start Early Funders
Register at: http://march5forum.eventbrite.com/

If you can’t make it to one of the meetings, we still want to hear from you. Share your feedback with us online at the link below.

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/mayor/cradle/WCMS1P-136627

Many of these recommendations won’t be possible without support from the community, so we are inviting all of you to be part of this process as we work to create equity with our kids.

Sincerely,

Mayor Betsy Hodges
City of Minneapolis

P.S. To learn more about how I’m working to address the issues affecting our city, sign up for my e-mail update or check out my website or my blog.

New Luxury Condo Development, The Portland Tower, now Taking Reservations

The Portland Tower is now taking reservations.  Located at the corner of Portland and 8th, it will feature:

• Floor-plans maximizing glass and efficiency of space.
• Top-level standard features and upscale amenities.
• Tailored finishes to meet individual needs.
• Proximity to vibrant nightlife, extraordinary dining and Downtown East with all the new developments in the area, including the Vikings Stadium.
• Price range from $300k - $900k.

Contact Luke Kleckner at 612-310-8616 or lukekleckner@gmail.com for info. 

Minnesota Center for Book Arts Announces New Shop and Gallery Hours

Via a Feb 19 Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) e-newsletter:

New Shop and Gallery Hours We've got big news: MCBA will be opening earlier and staying open later! We're expanding our hours to offer greater access to our gallery and shop, and more convenience to those participating in our evening and weekend classes. As of March 1, our business hours will be: - Monday through Saturday: 9:30am to 6:30pm - Tuesdays open late: 9:30am to 9pm - Sundays: noon to 5pm With expanded hours come some new faces -- stop in and meet new Shop staffers Lacey and Camille, and welcome back Jill! Lastly, you will definitely want to Save The Date for a HUGE Shop "sidewalk sale" on March 6-8, with enormous discounts on all types of inventory. More details in the next e-News!

Hennepin County to Host Open Data Event Feb 21 and 22

Via a February 18 Hennepin County e-newsletter:

Hennepin County to host open data event

Hennepin County is hosting Geo:Code, its first code-a-thon. This event will bring together teams of geographers, technology developers and coders, and Hennepin County community members to create technology solutions that improve county services, give residents greater access to government data and make a difference in our communities.

The event will highlight Hennepin County government-produced data available to the public free of charge and without need for a license. The county has made more than 40 public datasets of geographic information systems (GIS) data available that can be used to create civic apps and software programs, with more to be released soon.

WHEN

• Saturday February 21 and Sunday February 22
• From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days

WHERE

• Hennepin County Library – Minneapolis Central, 2nd floor
• 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55401

YogaFit Studios Northeast to hold Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Friday, Feb 20

Via a recent Press Release from YogaFit Studios:

YOGAFIT OPENS SECOND MINNEAPOLIS 24x7 YOGA STUDIO LOCATION
Local franchisee opens second of eight studios in Northeast River District neighborhood

MINNEAPOLIS – YogaFit Studios, a first-of-its-kind 24x7 yoga concept, is set to open at 520 First Ave. NE on Thursday, February 12, 2015, providing residents of the Northeast Minneapolis neighborhood and neighboring communities with a convenient, affordable alternative to bring strength and flexibility to their bodies.  The studio is located in the new Red 20 apartment complex cross the street from Denny Kemp Salon and Red Stag Supper Club.  This follows the opening of the first Minneapolis studio location in Linden Hills in December.
 
What sets YogaFit Studios apart from other yoga studios is unlimited access to the industry’s best classes and variety of both instructor-led live classes and virtual on-demand classes. 

YogaFit Studios is a franchise developed by Lift Brands, which owns SNAP Fitness, Steele Fitness and other wellness companies.  This is the second of eight locations for owner Ashok Dhariwal, who previously spent 10 years working in a variety of leadership roles at the headquarters of a Minneapolis-based Fortune 50 retailer. After years of executive-level account management and business development, he decided to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities that allowed him to focus on doing what’s best for the customer, always.
 
“What drew me to YogaFit Studios was the concept,” said Dhariwal. “YogaFit is a well-known brand in the yoga industry, historically known as the largest yoga training organization in the world having trained over 250,000 instructors world-wide in the past 20 years.  The YogaFit style of yoga was designed to blend balance, strength, flexibility and power in a fitness format. YogaFit Studios brings the YogaFit method to a convenient neighborhood location and at an affordable price.”

“Our goal is to enable busy people to enjoy the amazing health benefits of yoga in the midst of their hectic schedules. Our Minneapolis studios offer approximately 40 instructor-led classes per week and another 30 virtual classes using on-demand technology projected on a 65” screen TV.”

“In addition the benefits of our convenience and schedule, affordability is another distinguisher.  We offer membership options as low as $69 per month.  We also offer a no-strings attached free week of unlimited yoga to try us out.”

Dhariwal, a former resident of the Northeast neighborhood while earning his MBA at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, also cites the community aspect of YogaFit Studios as a key differentiator.

“Yoga is a personal activity, but the environment we will be creating at this studio will foster relationships between members,” Dhariwal says. “We’re excited to bring YogaFit to the Northeast neighborhood and give people a positive outlet for healthy lifestyles.  YogaFit is about strength, flexibility, and stress management for people who love movement. It's about fitness over fashion and finding your inner balance, beauty, and confidence.”
 
Regardless of previous yoga experience, YogaFit Studios has a class for everyone. Classes range from Restorative Yoga to YogaFit Sweat. Some of the advanced classes feature hand weights and a ballet barre for an added challenge.

In addition, YogaFit Studios has a philanthropic focus; each location donates a portion of class dues to charity.

“Not only are you helping yourself by doing yoga; you’re helping others around the world and in your community who are in need. That’s the beauty of YogaFit Studios,” added Dhariwal.

To celebrate its opening, the studio is offering a special promotion.  For new members who join at the $69/month or $79/month monthly membership options, members receive the months of February and March for free. For more information about YogaFit Studios, contact the studio directly at 612-444-2151 or northeastmpls@yogafitstudios.com.

About YogaFit Studios

YogaFit Studios, part of the Lift Brands family of elevated wellness companies, is the industry’s fastest-growing yoga concept. YogaFit originated as a training certification program over 15 years ago. Its partnership with Lift Brands in 2014 led to the creation of the first-of-its-kind 24/7 yoga franchise.  Members get unlimited access to live and virtual classes – the most offered over any national competitor. For more information, visit http://www.yogafitstudios.com/.

CONTACT:
Ashok Dhariwal ashok@mspyoga.com
www.yogafitstudios.com/clubs/northeast
https://www.facebook.com/YogaFitNortheast

Midwest Pantry to Host Spring Local Food & Gift Show at Grain Belt Bottling House

Do you enjoy shopping at stores that carry locally produced items?  If so, forward this info to your favorite shop owners.

Former Mill City Farmers Market vendors Chad Gillard (Aunt Else's Aebleskiver) and Zoie Glass (Lucille's Kitchen Garden) are the co-founders of Midwest Pantry, a collective of local food companies.  They're hosting Spring Local Food & Gift Show, taking place March 16 at the Grain Belt Bottling House.

Locally-sourced products continue to be a fast growing sector in both gift and grocery, yet finding store-ready products available in wholesale quantities can be time consuming for shop owners. The Midwest Pantry Local Food & Gift Show is a private event, designed to connect wholesale buyers with qualified, professional, local producers. The Midwest Pantry Local Food & Gift Show features hard to find, locally-sourced wholesale products.