Kim Eslinger
Editor
612-321-8040
kim@millcitymedia.org

Brianna Ojard
Associate Editor

David Tinjum
Publisher
612-321-8020
dave@millcitymedia.org

Becky Fillinger

Small Business Reporter
Email Becky...

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Hennepin History Museum is your history, your museum. We preserve and share the diverse stories of Hennepin County, MN. Come visit!

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MEET MINNEAPOLIS

Maximizing the visitor experience of Minneapolis for the economic benefit of our community, making Minneapolis the destination of choice among travelers.

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Promoting the art of film as a medium that fosters cross-cultural understanding, education, entertainment, and exploration.

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Covering life, work, and play in the Historic Mill District and Downtown Minneapolis Riverfront neighborhoods. Have an opinion, local news or events to share?  Contact us.

Entries by Kim Eslinger (4257)

Tuesday
Mar312015

Long List of Neighborhood Restaurants are Participating in the April 30 Dining Out for Life®

Founded in 1985, The Aliveness Project is a local nonprofit organization and community center providing on-site meals, food shelf options, integrative therapies, and vital services for individuals living with HIV/AIDS throughout Minnesota. 75% of their members live in poverty and depend on The Aliveness Project for daily meals.

This year, 200 Participating Restaurants in the Twin Cities, Duluth, Lanesboro, and Mankato have agreed to donate a portion of their proceeds to The Aliveness Project.

Last year's Dining Out for Life raised over $257,000 in donations from generous restaurants, sponsors, and 37,000 individual diners. This April 30, the goal is $275,000 and 40,000 diners. 

In our riverfront neighborhoods, the following restaurants are participating:

Mattie's on Main, J.D. Hoyt's, Sawahtee Thai Restaurant, Wilde Roast Cafe, Zen Box Izakaya, Day Block Brewing Company, HauteDish, The Smack Shack, Black Sheep Pizza, The Butcher Block Restaurant, Ginger Hop Restaurant, Kramarczuk Sausage Co., North East Social, Red Stag Supperclub, Republic Seven Corners and Sapor Cafe/Bar.

Saturday
Mar282015

Traffic Alert - 5th Street Downtown Closure - Update

Via a March 27 City of Minneapolis e-newsletter:

Four blocks of 5th Street close to traffic next week

Crews will be making changes that will improve how people get around downtown, whether they’re driving, walking or biking

On Monday, a section of 5th Street South by the new stadium will close, and crews will begin modifying 6th Street so it can handle that displaced traffic. In the meantime, drivers will need to follow posted detours.

The affected four-block section of 5th Street South between Park Ave and 11th Avenue is one-way westbound. It runs tandem to 6th Street, which is now one-way eastbound. Along with closing 5th Street to traffic, crews will add one westbound lane to 6th Street. The new westbound lane of 6th Street is expected to open by the end of the construction season, handling the traffic that used to use 5th Street.

This work is being performed by the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, which is coordinating it with the City. After 5th Street closes to traffic, crews will remove the roadway and make the area part of the stadium construction site. When the stadium project is completed, the area that was once 5th Street will include off-street bike paths. The skewed intersections along 5th Street and the concrete and chain-link barrier presently separating 5th Street and 6th Street will be removed, making it easier for people on foot to get around.

During this construction, the City plans to add two new traffic signals on 6th Street at 9th Avenue and 10th Avenue. These signals will include audible pedestrian signals, countdown pedestrian crosswalk timers and other features. Some existing signals will be similarly upgraded.

Currently, 5th Street handles traffic exiting from westbound Interstate 94. A joint project by the City and the Minnesota Department of Transportation will move the exit ramp from 5th Street to 7th’Street. Since 7th Street crosses the entire length of downtown, traffic exiting here will have better access to downtown Minneapolis events, stores, restaurants, businesses and other destinations. Construction of the new 7th Street exit ramp will begin this summer, with the switch from 5th Street exit to a 7th Street exit taking place in summer 2016.

Click here for more information on these and other street construction projects.

Click here for real-time information for lane closures and construction in downtown Minneapolis.

Saturday
Mar282015

Traffic Alert - Hennepin Ave/First Street Downtown 

Via a March 27 City of Minneapolis e-newsletter:

Portions of Hennepin Avenue and First Street downtown close for utility work Monday

Closures will last for up to two weeks

Southbound Hennepin Avenue just south of the bridge over the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis will close to traffic on Monday, along with a block of Second Avenue North, so crews can upgrade utilities beneath the roadway.

CenterPoint Energy is in the process of replacing a natural gas distribution pipeline in downtown Minneapolis.

Starting Monday, March 30, the following streets will be closed:

  • Southbound Hennepin Avenue will be closed at First Street for approximately one week. Traffic on southbound Hennepin Avenue will be detoured west onto First Street, then south onto First Avenue and then east on Washington Avenue. First Street will remain open to traffic during this construction.
  • Second Avenue North will be closed from Second Street North to First Street North for two weeks.

The CenterPoint Energy project is expected to last much of the construction season and will involve more street closures and lane restrictions. For more information, go to CenterPoint Energy's construction zone website

Click here for updated information on street closures and lane restrictions throughout Minneapolis.

Click here for real-time information for lane closures and construction in downtown Minneapolis.

Friday
Mar272015

Bohemian Flats Exhibit Opens April 30 with Free Program at Mill City Museum

"Remembering the Bohemian Flats: One Place, Many Voices" explores the many perspectives on the people and the conditions of this early immigrant neighborhood adjacent to the Mississippi River.

Through photographs, newspaper clippings, maps and surveys, visitors can "journey" down the 79 steps from the bluffs to the flats, and see how a community in the middle of the city could simultaneously be at the margins of the river, of society, and of historical memory.

Exhibit opening, April 30, 6-8 p.m., at the Mill City Museum.

The exhibit will open with a program by State Archaeologist Dr. Scott Anfinson who will discuss urban archaeology projects along West River Parkway including Bohemian Flats, the Hennepin Avenue Bridge and the Federal Reserve Bank. University of Minnesota students Rachel Hines and Stefanie Kowalczyk will be on hand to discuss how they turned student research into an exhibit. Complimentary East European food from Kramarczuk’s and a cash bar by D’Amico Catering will be available.

"Remembering the Bohemian Flats: One Place, Many Voices" began as a senior thesis by University of Minnesota undergraduate Rachel Hines who earned the Elden Johnson Prize for the best senior thesis in archaeology. Three of Ms. Hines’s project advisors brought the project idea to a University collaborative sponsored by the Institute for Advanced Study and the Minnesota Historical Society. Undergraduate and graduate students delved into the local archives, and Rachel Hines and Stefanie Kowalczyk turned this wealth of research into an exhibit. A website featuring a blog and the student research papers will be available at http://riverlife.umn.edu/engagement/boflats_mcm_exh/.

"Remembering the Bohemian Flats: One Place, Many Voices" is located in the museum’s central Mill Commons, and is free and open to the public during regular museum hours. It is on view April 30-Nov. 1, 2015.

The exhibit is funded in part by the Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on Nov. 4, 2008.

Thursday
Mar262015

MPRB Survey Re: West River Road Slope Failure/Mudslide

Via a March 26 Minneapolis Park and Rec Board e-newsletter:

Please take a survey regarding the design of the permanent repairs of the slope failure/mudslide along West River Parkway that occurred on June 19, 2014.  The survey can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XW38ZS9. 

The project will be bid in mid-April and repairs are scheduled to begin in mid-June.  Construction is expected to take 3 - 4 months.  West River Parkway will re-open when repairs are complete. 

Deborah Bartels, Registered Landscape Architect
Project Manager – Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
2117 West River Road
Minneapolis MN 55411 -2227
dbartels@minneapolisparks.org
612-230-6438 direct

 

Thursday
Mar262015

Minneapolis Milliner Celina Kane of Hat Make Featured in Minnesota Monthly

Thanks to Celina Kane of Hat Make, Minneapolis women now have a new option for making a fashion statement.  Celina is the daughter of Brenda Langton and Tim Kane, owners of Spoonriver, where she recently debuted her new line of hats.  Learn all about it in this Minnesota Monthly article.

In addition to the website, you can follow Hat Make on Facebook.

Wednesday
Mar252015

The Cynthia Froid Group Invites You to Two Private Screenings at the MSP International Film Festival

Tuesday
Mar242015

Volunteers Needed to Serve on Community Advisory Committees

Via a March 24 Minneapolis Park and Rec Board e-newsletter:

Applications are now being accepted for open positions on multiple community advisory committees.

Those interested in volunteering can find more information and an application for each advisory committee below. Individuals should submit the application by the due date in order to be considered. Applications are also available by calling Customer Service at 612-230-6400.

Green Line Extension (Southwest LRT) Community Advisory Committees

This year the Southwest LRT Project Office is working with project partners, consultants, public artists and the community on Southwest LRTstation design, public art and landscaping plans. This work includes integrating public art into each station design and developing landscape designs for the Kenilworth Corridor between West Lake Station and Penn Station. The MPRB is to appoint community representatives to two committees:

Southwest LRT Station Art Committee
•Committee Charter [PDF] and Application [PDF] - Due April 3, 2015

Southwest LRT Kenilworth Station Art and Landscape Committee (KSALC)
•Committee Charter [PDF] and Application [PDF] - Due April 3, 2015

Appointment notifications will be made shortly after April 3.

Blue Line Extension (BLRT) Community Advisory Committee

The METRO Blue Line Extension (BLRT) Community Advisory Committee is to provide guidance to the BLRT Corridor Management Committee on community issues during the engineering and environmental phases of Southwest LRT project development. In addition, the committee will advise the Hennepin County Community Works Steering Committee for elements regarding station area planning, other infrastructure investments and elements that may be implemented post revenue service. The MPRB is to appoint one community representative to this committee:

BLRT Community Advisory Committee
•Committee Charter [PDF] and Application [PDF] - Due April 15, 2015

Appointment notifications will be made shortly after April 15.

MPRB Urban Agriculture Activity Plan, Project Implementation Team

The urban agriculture activity plan was developed through an extensive community engagement process and contains recommendations related to policy, facility, program, and service improvements to better support urban agriculture within the parks. The work of this team is to guide the plan’s implementation for many years ahead.

The MPRB is to appoint three Minneapolis residents to this team:
•Team Charter [PDF] and Application [PDF] - Due April 20, 2015

Appointment notifications will be made shortly after April 20. 

Contact:

Ginger Cannon, Planning Division
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
Office: 612-230-6413
gcannon@minneapolisparks.org

Monday
Mar232015

News Release from University of Minnesota Health

 

New nurse-led clinic in Minneapolis poised for downtown revival

Recent legislation helps University of Minnesota Health launch its first clinic with nurses at the helm
 
MINNEAPOLIS – March 23, 2015 – In the heart of Minneapolis’ rapidly evolving Downtown East neighborhood, a new clinic led by nurses opens April 6 to treat patients and teach the next generation of care providers.

With help from recent legislation that allows the most highly educated clinical nurses to practice independently from physicians, this new primary care clinic operated by the University of Minnesota School of Nursing is modernizing health care infrastructure for the state’s fastest growing city.
 
“This is an all-hands-on-deck moment in health care. We are seeing growing numbers of nurses leading, delivering and coordinating care. They’re on the frontlines treating chronic conditions, diagnosing common problems and educating patients,” said Brooks Jackson, dean of the University of Minnesota Medical School. “Our University of Minnesota Health Nurse Practitioners Clinic is the latest example of how we’re evolving to this new care model.”

The legislation, which passed with an overwhelming majority, aims to reduce health care costs and alleviate a growing shortage of primary care providers by allowing nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists and nurse anesthetists to practice more autonomously.

Nurse-led clinics could significantly improve people’s access to qualified care providers. In urban centers, these care providers can improve patient flow across the health care system. That’s because nurse practitioners and other highly trained nurses are able to accommodate common health needs, like diabetes, women’s care and pediatric milestones, making room for more involved consultations at area doctors’ offices.

In addition to nurse practitioners, the clinic will be a training ground for an inter-professional team including clinical pharmacists, undergraduate nursing students and other primary care providers. When a patient presents complex symptoms, the clinic’s nurses are able to refer that person to leading specialists within the University of Minnesota.

“When we look at the new stadium, the apartments and condominiums, and the employers moving into the Downtown East area, we see an opportunity to serve a vibrant, diverse and growing community,” said Connie White Delaney, dean of University of Minnesota School of Nursing. “This clinic – and the legislation that helped make it a reality – is paving the way for a healthier Minnesota.”

The clinic is located at 814 S. 3rd St., Minneapolis, MN, 55415. For appointments starting April 6, call 612-888-9792 or visit www.umnhealth.org/np.

About University of Minnesota Health

University Of Minnesota Health Represents collaboration between University of Minnesota Physicians and University of Minnesota Medical Center. Working together, we provide exceptional care in a wide range of specialties at our hospitals, clinics and in community‐based facilities throughout the region. Visit: www.UMNHealth.org

About University of Minnesota School of Nursing

The University of Minnesota School of Nursing offers three graduate programs and one undergraduate program serving a total of 950 students. Its Doctor of Nursing Practice program is the third largest in the nation, preparing nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, public health nurses and other specialists. The school is a leader in nursing research and discovery.  

To make an appointment (after April 6), call 612-888-9792

Learn more at:  umnhealth.org/np

University of Minnesota Health Nurse Practitioners Clinic Facts
• First nurse-led clinic in the University of Minnesota Health system
• First clinic opened by the University of Minnesota School of Nursing
• One of five nurse-led clinics in the region
• 2,600 square feet
• Onsite lab
• Five clinic exam rooms
• Initially staffed by two nurse practitioners, a clinical pharmacist, three staff
• 300 yards from the entrance to the new Vikings Stadium
• One block north of the Downtown East station served by the blue and green lines
• Opened at the invitation of RS EDEN, a regional provider of affordable housing and other social services, which runs a 100-unit facility in Downtown East

Saturday
Mar212015

34th Annual Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival runs April 9-25

The MSP International Film Festival is the largest film event in the region, and one of the largest and longest running film festivals in the country.  It annually presents 200+ feature length and short narrative and documentary films from 60+ countries. Tickets

Friday
Mar202015

Northern Spark Returns June 13

  • ALL NIGHT: Join us!
  • WONDER: Northern Spark 2015 Commissioned & Presented Artists Preview
  • WANDER: 2015 Festival Locations
  • ILLUMINATE: Announcing our wonderful partners
  • TOGETHER: Be a part of this year's Festival
  •  Click here for details!

    Thursday
    Mar192015

    Tomorrow (March 20) - Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition Joyride Series Kick Off Ride at Gold Medal Park

    Join the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition for their Joyride Series Kick Off Ride this Friday, March 20.

    4:00pm: Meet at the top of Gold Medal Park
    4:30pm: Roll Out

    Take a leisurely roll around the beautiful Mississippi & end back at Izzy's Ice Cream for an afternoon treat.

    March 20 kicks off Minneapolis Bicycle Coalitions Joyride Series for the season. Join them for a no-drop (no one is left behind) easy and fun ride. Some Joyrides will end with root beer floats in a sunshine filled park, some days you'll loop to Hopkins for a Depot Coffee House snack, sometimes you'll find a happy hour.

    Tuesday
    Mar172015

    Gold Medal Market & Deli is Now Open!

    Gold Medal Market & Deli

    Gold Medal Market & Deli, 1020 Washington Avenue S, officially opened today. The space was previously occupied by Mill City Grocery Market and Deli on the retail level of the Bridgewater Lofts building.

    The store is owned by David Maalouf of Zakia Deli (Northeast Minneapolis), and will serve Zakia's Lebanese-American cuisine, along with fresh olives at a self-serve bar.  Also look for specialty meats and cheeses, gluten-free and organic items, and every day staples.

    Initially their hours will be Monday-Friday 7:00am-10:00pm, Saturday 8:00am-9:00pm and Sunday 9:00am-9:00pm.

    Please stop in and welcome David and his staff to the neighborhood, and let them know you heard it on Mill City Times! :)

    Gold Medal Market & Deli

    Gold Medal Market & Deli

    Gold Medal Market & Deli

    Gold Medal Market & Deli

    Gold Medal Market & Deli

    Gold Medal Market & Deli

    Gold Medal Market & Deli

    Gold Medal Market & Deli

    Gold Medal Market & Deli

    Gold Medal Market & Deli

    Gold Medal Market & Deli

    Gold Medal Market & Deli

    Gold Medal Market & Deli

    Gold Medal Market & Deli

    Tuesday
    Mar172015

    Nominations Are Being Sought for the 25th Annual Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Awards

    Minneapolis City of Lakes 

    Via a March 17 Press Release from The City of Minneapolis:

    Tuesday, March 17, 2015 – (Minneapolis, MN) – Preserve Minneapolis, the Minneapolis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission are seeking submissions for award nominations to recognize projects, individuals, and organizations that celebrate the heritage and historic character of Minneapolis.

    Projects will be judged based on their careful attention to the quality of design, architecture, workmanship, and materials, as well as their positive impact on surrounding neighborhoods and community. A jury comprised of two Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commissioners, two members of the American Institute of Architects Minneapolis Chapter, and two board members from Preserve Minneapolis will review the nominations. 

    Nominations are due by 4 p.m. CDT on Friday, April 10, 2015. Nominations can be delivered to: AIA Minnesota, Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Awards, 275 Market Street, Suite 54, Minneapolis, MN, 55405.  To nominate a building project, individual, and/or community organization download and complete the nomination form.

    The Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Awards will be presented at the 25th Annual Minneapolis Preservation Awards luncheon presentation held at International Market Square on Thursday, May 21st, 2015, beginning at 11:30 a.m.  The Awards Ceremony is open to the public and all are welcome to attend. 

    To learn more about the awards or to view a list of the 2014 Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Awards winners, visit the AIA website.

    Tuesday
    Mar172015

    Happy St. Patrick's Day!

    Whether you're celebrating St. Paddy's with a pint of Irish Moxie at Izzy's, or a pint of your favorite brew at a local pub:

    May your mornings bring joy
    and your evenings bring peace,
    May your troubles grow less
    as your blessings increase!

    Sunday
    Mar152015

    Scenes From the March 14 Mill City Farmers Market

    Hazelnut Valley Farm debuted at the March 14 Market.  Their roasted hazelnuts are crunchy and delicious, and the hazelnut oil is excellent for your skin.  The shells are also great for mulch - slugs don't like the jagged edges.

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    Shoppers enjoyed samples of Prohibition Kombucha.

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    The Herbivorous Butcher was a huge hit.

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    March 14, 2015 Mill City Indoor Farmers Market

    April 11 is final indoor Market for the 2014-2015 Winter season.  The 2015 outdoor season kicks off May 9 - we'll be celebrating its 10th Anniversary!

    Saturday
    Mar142015

    2015 Art-A-Whirl Positions Announced

    NEMAA is currently seeking candidates to apply to upcoming contract/internship/volunteer positions for Art-A-Whirl. As a small nonprofit organization, these positions are crucial to the success of the event. Positions vary, stipend offered for each. Build your skills while you build community!

    View a complete listing of Art-A-Whirl Volunteer Shifts here.

    Internships and volunteer positions listed below are longer-term, or include more investment of time. Click here for more details.

      - 2015 Art-A-Whirl Volunteer Coordinator (Seasonal contract position with stipend provided, experience required)
      - 2015 Art-A-Whirl Silent Auction Coordinator - Internship
      - Artist Directory & Guide Distribution Volunteer
    ​  - 2015 On-Call Art-A-Whirl Volunteer

    The 2015 Art-A-Whirl is happening May 15, 16 and 17.

    Friday
    Mar132015

    Washington Avenue North Loop Restriping 

    From the Hennepin County Website:

    Hennepin County in coordination with the City of Minneapolis is examining the option of restriping Washington Avenue (County Road 152) from Hennepin Avenue to Plymouth Avenue in the North Loop area. The goal of this reconfiguration is to increase the safety and well-being for all road users (drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists).

    The scope of the project is anticipated to include changing a portion of the road north of North 5th Avenue from its current 4-lane design to a 3-lane which would provide two lanes for moving traffic plus a center continuous left turn lane. The addition of bike lanes along this segment of Washington Avenue will also be a component of this reconfiguration.

    Intended benefits of the project include increased comfort and safety for bike riders; slower speeds; smoother operations for all transportation modes (vehicles, buses, bikes, pedestrians); likely reduction in all crashes due to removal of conflicts and better lane definitions.

    This project is planned for implementation during the summer of 2015.

    Public meeting:  Next meeting is with the North Loop Neighborhood Board on March 25th at the Paxon - 360 North 1st Street.

    Friday
    Mar132015

    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/

    Thursday
    Mar122015

    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.