Week 14 at the Mill City Farmers Market

August 9 at the Market - the bounty is overwhelming!

Author James Norton and photographer Becca Dilley were guests at the August 9 Mill City Cooks Demo, followed by a meet & greet and book signing for Lake Superior Flavors: A Field Guide to Food and Drink along the Circle Tour.

I ran into quite a few exhausted people at the Market - maybe we all need to set aside an hour for a soak with this Organic Herbal Bath from Olsen Naturals.

CSA boxes - like Christmas morning every Saturday.  :)

Lemon cucumbers are named for their appearance, not taste.

Here's a video on using squash blossoms.  Seems easy enough.

Master Weaver Wilber is creating a special bee-themed "Pollinator" wall hanging for the September 7 Sustainable Soiree auction.  Next Saturday we'll get a picture of the nearly finished piece, along with a video of commentary by Melanie Ebertz of ArtAndes.  Very cool!

The goat - feeling fearless in the furry fennel.

MacPhail Announces August 23-24 Twin Cities Scandinavian Family Festival

MacPhail Center for Music, 501 2nd Street South, will host The Twin Cities Scandinavian Family Festival August 23 and 24.

Discover your heritage, deepen your roots, learn with your family! Bring the whole family for this exciting weekend of Scandinavian Folk Arts. Featuring all-ages workshops in Norwegian Halling Dance, Folk Singing, Early Childhood Music, Wool Spinning and Nordic Roots Dance. All workshops are designed for parents, kids, grandparents and grandkids to attend together. Also featuring concerts, dance parties, and more.

Daily schedule:

Saturday, August 23, 2014
9:30am - 10:30am Scandinavian Early Childhood Music Class (birth - 8 years +caregiver(s))
11:00am - 1:00pm Halling Dance Workshop (all ages)
2:00pm - 4:00pm Kveding Workshop (8 and up)
2:00pm - 4:00pm Klippe Sauen (Shear the Sheep) Workshop (all ages)
7:00pm Artist's Showcase - A Minnesota Folk Crossover Experience
featuring Rachel Ulvin Jensen on Hardanger Fiddle, Amanda Underwood - Norwegian folk singing, and Julie Johnson and the No-Accounts playing French voyageur songs, Lumberjack songs, and other non-Scandinavian Minnesota folk music (all ages)

Sunday, August 24, 2014
11:00am - 2:00pm Nordic Roots Dance Workshop (break for lunch at noon) (all ages)
11:00am - 12:00pm Kveding for Performance Workshop (8 and up)
1:00pm - 2:00pm Halling for Performance Workshop (all ages)
3:00pm FREE Student Showcase - Festival Students and Teaching Artists
4:30pm - 6:30pm Festival Closing Party and Dance (all ages)

Registration and Tickets. Cost: $5-$75

Updates on the August 24 Minneapolis Duathlon

Team Ortho asked us to share this update on the upcoming August 24 Minneapolis Duathlon:

On Sunday, August 24, 2014, Team Ortho Foundation will be holding the Minneapolis Duathlon - a running and biking race in Minneapolis. The event will have approximately 1,700 participants. Our runners would love to have you come cheer them on! The Minneapolis Duathlon race will be a fun way to get active! Team Ortho Foundation is happy to be the organizers of this and six other races we hold each year.

Our mission is to keep people active and healthy by organizing well-run races for new and veteran runners alike.

We are working with the City of Minneapolis, their police and parks departments regarding all event details. We have also arranged temporary street closures and detours with the Minneapolis Police Department:

From 5:00 a.m.- 12 Noon
    S 2nd Street will be closed from 3rd Avenue S to 5th Avenue.
    S 5th Avenue will be closed from 1st Street to 2nd Street.

From 6:00 a.m.- 10:30 a.m.
    One north bound lane of 3rd Avenue/Central Avenue SE will be closed S 2nd Street to SE 2nd Street. The additional northbound lane along with the two south bound lanes will remain open for traffic.

From 6:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
    West River Parkway from River Street to 11th Avenue S.

From 6:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
    West River Parkway from 11th Avenue S to East 54th Street.
    13th Avenue from S 2nd Street to West River Parkway.
South 2nd Street from 5th to 13th Avenue.

The Minneapolis Police will reopen the roads after the last runner has passed.

During this time, cars and parking are also not allowed on these streets. Please take this into account when making plans in the morning of August 24th.

Please mark your calendar and share this information with others who may also be impacted in your neighborhood. You can see additional information on our website at http://www.minneapolisdu.org/.

Eloise Butler Wildflower Florilegiu​m Exhibit Opens August 14 at Central Library

The Eloise Butler Wildflower Florilegium Exhibit opens Thursday, Aug. 14, with a free welcome reception and tour, 6:30-8 p.m., and runs through Wednesday, Oct. 15, in Cargill Hall Gallery at the Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall.

The exhibit includes nearly 50 botanical paintings by students of the Minnesota School of Botanical Art. The paintings depict native plants found at the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, which was established in 1907 and is the oldest public wildflower garden in America.

The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Gallery hours are the same as the library’s: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday.

The public is also invited to the welcome reception and related lectures during the exhibit run:
 
Welcome Reception and Tour
Thursday, Aug. 14, 6:30-8 p.m.
Minneapolis Central Library, Doty Board Room
Welcome Reception with Artists
Exhibit and Athenaeum Special Collections Tour

All About Bees Lecture
Thursday, Aug. 21, Reception 6:30-7 p.m., Lecture 7-8 p.m.
Minneapolis Central Library, Doty Board Room
Register at http://www.hclib.org/ or call 612-543-8000
Crystal Boyd, Bee Researcher, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Exhibit Tour and Botanical Painting Demonstration
History of Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Botanical Art Lecture
Saturday, Sept. 6, Lecture 1-2 p.m., Tour and Demonstration 2-3:30 p.m.
Minneapolis Central Library, Doty Board Room
Register beginning Saturday, Aug. 9 at  http://www.hclib.org/ or call 612-543-8000

Susan Wilkins, Curator, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
Marilyn Garber, President, Minnesota School of Botanical Art

Exhibit Tour and Botanical Painting Demonstration
 
Exhibit and related lectures are presented in collaboration with the Minnesota School of Botanical Art, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, with support from the Friends of the Minneapolis Central Library.
 
Look for more news on the Hennepin County Library website: www.hclib.org/newsroom.

Nominations Accepted thru August 13 for the 2014 Downtown Greening Awards

Submit Your Nominations!

Summer nominations will be accepted through August 13, 2014. Nominees must be located in downtown Minneapolis and the greening project must be visable from the public sidewalk.

More info.

Tonight - National Night Out!

Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Location: Chicago Plaza (between the Guthrie and Spoonriver)

Join your Mill District neighbors for food, drink, prizes and music by Jack Klatt at the 2014 Mill District NNO!

Check out these pictures from our Mill District Neighborhood 2013 National Night Out:

Week 13 at the Mill City Farmers Market

Kids in the Kitchen was the theme of the August 2 Market.  Monica of Budding Farmers hosted a kids activity table and Market Chef Heather Hartman welcomed Kids in the Kitchen Cooking Contest winner Vanessa Reyes-Romero to the Mill City Cooks demo.  And, the sweet corn is in!  :)

New bicep excercise - rhutabega curls:

Market Sponsor UCare included this handy bowl with their other useful give-aways at the August 2 Market.  You can't tell by the picture, but there's a 1 Cup marker line stamped on the inside.

Love was in the air...

The goat!

The Film Society of Mpls St. Paul presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema Aug 8-31

Famed Polish auteur Krzysztof Zanussi will make a special appearance at The Film Society's summer exhibition Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema. The notable retrospective series of restored classic Polish films is touring select venues throughout U.S. and Canada, and features films from some of Poland's most accomplished and lauded filmmakers.

On August 14, Krzysztof Zanussi will introduce and discuss three of his razor-sharp contemporary dramas The Illumination (1972), Camouflage (1976) and The Constant Factor (1980).

Tickets to this special series are $8 Film Society and PACIM Members, $10 General Admission, $9 students/seniors. Presented by PACIM, and screening in partnership with Twin Cities Polish Festival.

The Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership Invites You to Enter the Mississippi Minute Film Festival Contest!

One River, One Minute, Your Vision – The Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership invites you to share your vision of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis in a 60-second long video that informs, energizes and inspires.

Sitting within blocks of thousands of Minneapolis downtown workers, residents and visitors is one of the greatest natural wonders in the world, a national park, the Mississippi River. The trouble is, too many people don’t realize it’s there. While revitalization efforts have reclaimed portions of the Minneapolis riverfront, much of it is still inaccessible and in places virtually invisible. The Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership seeks to make the invisible visible and will unveil the best submissions at their annual Riverfront Summit on October 20 via the engaging medium of video. Create a vision that tugs at heartstrings or makes people laugh, that showcases an appreciation for– or the future potential of – the urban riverfront in Minneapolis.

Submissions are due August 31, 2014, at 5:00pm!

Click here for more information, including the categories, jury list and how to submit an entry. 

Marcy-Holmes “Box Fresh” Utility Wraps Project

The Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association (MHNA) commissioned six local artists to create original artwork to cover utility boxes throughout Marcy-Holmes.  These utility boxes, formerly covered with graffiti, are now permanently wrapped with original designs.

The “Box Fresh” Utility Wraps Project is a collaboration of the MHNA and The Soap Factory.  Images range from a city nightscape and vintage photo booth to contemporary and conceptual designs.

Friends of the Mississippi annual “Evening Celebrating the Mississippi River” set for October 1

Friends of the Mississippi has held their annual “Evening Celebrating the Mississippi River” since 2002.   This year’s location is the Weisman Art Museum, overlooking the beginning of the River Gorge, and a beautiful place to celebrate the Twin Cities stretch of the Mississippi River.

This year’s event will feature playwright and storyteller Kevin Kling as the guest speaker. Kevin is perhaps best known for his popular commentaries on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” and his storytelling stage shows like “Tales from the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log”. He delivers hilarious, often tender autobiographical tales that are as enchanting as they are true to life: hopping freight trains, getting hit by lightning, performing his banned play in Czechoslovakia, growing up in Minnesota, and eating things before knowing what they are. His storytelling started when a friend from the now defunct Brass Tacks Theatre asked him to perform his stories. Since then, he has been awarded numerous arts grants and fellowships. The National Endowment for the Arts, The McKnight Foundation, The Minnesota State Arts Board, The Bush Foundation, The Jerome Foundation and others have recognized Kling’s artistry. On October 1, he will be highlighting the Mississippi River in his tales and stories.

The live auction will feature delicious food and beer experiences, outings, art, and far away destinations – all with a link to the Mississippi River! More details will follow in the coming months.  Expect fantastic hors d’oeuvres and beverages, the company of fellow river lovers, a testimonial or two, and more.

NOTE - The evening is invitation only, and invitations will be sent in August. Please contact John at jbriel@fmr.org or 651-222-2193 x19 to receive an invite.

Public Invited to Attend Community Advisory Committee (CAC) Ecological System Plan Meetings August 7 & 27

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) are preparing the first-ever Ecological System Plan. This plan will set a vision for making parks and public lands more friendly to the environment.

The initial Public Meeting is August 7, 5:30-7:30pm, at the Minneapolis Park and Rec Board, 2117 West River Road.

The Ecological System Plan will seek to first understand the ecology of the city and watershed, then plan for parks and public lands management and improvements that benefit both humans and nature. It will address specific threats such as climate change, decreasing water quality, explosion of invasive species, increasing runoff, and fragmentation of habitat. It will envision a more environmentally sound way of managing the impacts of the city, so that the city can be cleaner, greener, cooler, and more efficient.

 Specifically, the ecological system plan will:

• Compile, create, and illustrate city-wide ecological data;
• Craft a vision for natural resources and public lands within the watershed and city;
• Outline guiding principles for management; and
• Challenge the community to rethink the city around them—from the local neighborhood park to the Grand Rounds to backyards—in terms of ecological function, benefit, and health

In addition to attending the first CAC meeting, the public may provide input and stay informed about the project in the following ways:  

• Visit the project website to stay up to date on the project and see some of the amazing maps and drawings we plan to create. Go to www.minneapolisparks.org/currentprojects and select “Ecological System Plan.”
• Attend the second CAC meeting scheduled for August 27 and another in October, the exact date of which is to be determined. All CAC meetings will take place from 5:30-7:30 pm at MPRB headquarters.
• Attend any of the planned community events that will take place in the parks over the next year and a half. More details will be made available on the project website as these events are scheduled and planned.
• Sign up to receive e-mail updates by subscribing on the project website or at www.minneapolisparks.org/subscribe or, if you are already a subscriber, by adding “Ecological System Plan” to your subscription preferences.

2nd Annual Riverfront Fest is August 1 at Sheridan Memorial Park

Join neighbors and friends for the second annual Riverfront Fest at the new Sheridan Memorial Park!  6:00pm to Sunset.(click here for map)

- FOOD TRUCKS (Stanley's, Undead Franks, Scratch, Tin Fish, and El Taco Riendo)
- LIVE MUSIC
- CRAFT BEER
- KID'S ACTIVITIES
- WATER ACROBATICS FROM TWIN CITIES RIVER RATS
- BIKE TUNE UP CORRAL
 
Sponsored by the Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership, the East Minneapolis Exchange Club, and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.

Week 12 at the Mill City Farmers Market

July 26 was Bike to the Market Day, featuring a Community Partner line up including Minneapolis Bike Coalition, Nice Ride, Commuter Connection, and The Hub Bike Co-op.

Of course Nicholas from Buffalo by Bike embraced the day's theme.  :)

Yay - the long beans are back!

Yet another refreshing flavor combination from Sonny's.  Loved it!

These Zula juices are so good.  I drink them straight up, and also use them as a base for veggie smoothies.  The Cashew Dream makes a great healthy dessert smoothie - just add fresh fruit and ice. I've also done the 4-day Juice Cleanse twice, and can't even put into words how wonderful I feel both during and after.

Note to Dave - that's not how selfies work...

The goat. :)

July 26 West River Parkway Closure for Aquatennial Party and Fireworks

West River Parkway between 4th Ave and Portland Avenue will be closed Saturday, July 26, from approximately Noon to 11:30pm for the 75th Annual Aquatennial Celebration street party and Fireworks.

The Target Fireworks show is one of the largest in the country, and will light up the Minneapolis sky at 10:00pm with a spectacular pyrotechnic display.  In addition to the amazing firework show, enjoy pre-firework festivities starting at 6 pm.

Also note - the section of West River Parkway between 4th Street South to Franklin Avenue continues to be closed as a result of a mudslide earlier this summer.

A complete list of current and upcoming parkway closures is available online.

2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival Sneak Peek #2

Between now and the July 31 kick off, we'll post snippets of info on some of the show options for the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival.

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IT ONLY TAKES ONE: A NEW MUSICAL
Written & Directed by K. D. Howells
 
FEATURING: Curtis Roth, Molly McElroy, Cory Fox, Camille Isadora Smith, Liem Nguyen, Jon Heinen, Cassandra Schneider, Collin Howells, & Thomas Lorendo, Jr.

SYNOPSIS: 
A business man's morning commute is intersected by a beautiful woman who cares for people on the street. Are people worth loving? Is the world worth saving? Wouldn't it just be easier to do what's expected of us? Come play the Hero of this story as an audience member in your seat.
 
This musical turns the tables on conventional theater. The show begins by accusing participants of not living the life they were meant to live. Lyrically intense, it asks such questions like "Why can't we try to live a better life?" and dares its viewers to "Keep this [feeling] with you, when you leave tonight." It showcases a range of musical styles; inspirational chorus songs, dramatic prayers, insightful street rapping, intense power ballads, and even a loving lullaby. Stuffed full of inner-struggle, intellectual debates, and poignant ups-and-downs in the fight to make a difference, each Hero must decide for themselves what he or she needs to do outside of the play. “It Only Takes One” is an stirring, eye-opening reminder of the simple fact that it only takes one person and one moment to change everything…and it all starts with you.
 
FOLLOW US FOR SHOW UPDATES!
www.facebook.com/ItOnlyTakesOneNewMusical

BUY TICKETS AT:
www.fringefestival.org/2014/show/?id=2640

SHOW TIMES:
Friday August 1st @10:00 pm
Saturday August 2nd @ 7:00 pm
Monday August 4th @ 8:30 pm
Wednesday August 6th @ 5:30 pm
Saturday August 9th @ 7:00 pm
 
LOCATION: 
U of Minnesota Rarig Center, Xperimental Black Box Theater, Lower Level
330 21st Ave. South
Minneapolis, MN 55455

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#RELATIONSHIPSTATUS CELEBRATES MARRIAGE EQUALITY AT MINNESOTA FRINGE

#RelationshipStatus brings the topic of Minnesota's marriage equality center stage during this year's Fringe Festival. A subject still fresh in the minds of many Minnesotans, the show focuses on the impact the legislation had on the individuals in Minnesota’s LGBT community..

#RelationshipStatus brings the stories of real (and not-so-real) gay and lesbian people to the stage.  The show’s producer and co-creator, Laura D. Thaisen, said of the show, “The first date between my partner and I was the catalyst for #RelationshipStatus. It became an important story – and scene – about the unsolicited, unplanned, and comical reactions following the passage of same-sex marriage. We wanted to bring stories like ours to life, and create something genuine that would speak to audiences.”

Brought to you by Someday, Wine Productions, #RelationshipStatus will appear onstage at the Mixed Blood Theatre August 1^st – August 9^th as part of the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival. Visit fringefestival.org for more information, and to purchase tickets for a specific show date.

ABOUT SOMEDAY, WINE PRODUCTIONS – A fledgling theatre company based in the Twin Cities, Someday, Wine Productions presents #RelationshipStatus as its first ever production for the stage.  Producer Laura D. Thaisen, who founded the company in 2014, is proud to debut the show at this year’s Fringe Fest.

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44 SCENES IN LESS THAN 1 HOUR

Fifth Planet, 44 Scenes, 55-Minutes!  A one-act comedy, written by Tony Award/Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, David Auburn, presented by Joking Apart Theater at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival.

Directed by Jean Wolff and starring Julie Ann Nevill and Edwin Strout, this comedy follows the developing, and often contentious, relationship between two astronomers over the course of a year.  Too fixated on the stars and in flat denial of the direness of their own individual relationships, they set about taking out their frustrations on each other.

Julie Ann Nevill and Edwin Strout have been working in the Twin Cities’ Theater Community for over 20 years, and Jean Wolff has been working here for 13 years.

Joking Apart Theater has presented productions of Amaretti Angels, The Friar and the Nurse and That’s MISTER Benchley To You, Mrs. Parker(Voted “Best of the Fringe” in 2003) at prior Minnesota Fringe Festivals.

Fifth Planet will be presented at Theater in the Round on:
Thursday, July 31 – 8:30 PM
Saturday, August 2 – 5:30 PM
Sunday, August 3 – 2:30 PM
Wednesday, August 6 – 10:00 PM
Saturday, August 9 – 5:30 PM

For a press photo of Fifth Planet contact Edwin Strout, or for any additional information you may need.  Or feel free to visit Joking Apart Theater’s pages at www.facebook.com/jokingaparttheater or http://www.fringefestival.org/2014/show/?id=2733. 

West River / James I. Rice Parkway Trail Improvement Project Update

Via a July 24 e-newsletter from the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board:

West River / James I. Rice Parkway Trail Improvement Project Update

The West River / James I. Rice Parkway Trail Improvement project has been bid; three were received. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) are in the process of evaluating the apparent low bid. If the bid meets all requirements, construction is expected to begin sometime in September 2014. Projected completion is in the summer of 2015. Construction will begin at the south end of the project area at Franklin Avenue. Trail detours will be posted and the construction schedule will be updated regularly on the West River / James I. Rice Parkway Trail Improvements project page.

As the construction drawings were developed and the concept for the trails was brought into line with the budget available, some adjustments to the concept plan were made and some items identified by the Community Advisory Committee as lower priority project components were eliminated.

James I. Rice Parkway Trail:

• At the parking lot just south of Plymouth Avenue, the trail connection requested by the North Loop Neighborhood Association from the Star Tribune building to the east side of the James I. Rice Parkway was eliminated. (The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board does not own the property east of the parkway in this area.)
• The Cedar Lake Regional Trail intersection with the parkway will be improved with ADA-compliant ramps and a Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacon which can be activated for safer crossing of the parkway.
• The River Goddess sculpture, located within a newly aligned segment of the trail across from the Federal Reserve building, will be relocated and modified. Several of the smaller pre-cast fossils will be installed under the sand surfacing in the 4^th Ave NE Playground for children to discover. Three of the four boulder formations and the two larger pre-cast concrete fossils will be moved riverward of their existing locations. The southernmost boulder formation, which is crumbling, will be eliminated.
• The two raised seating platforms and a seating area with low walls, located riverward of the Post Office, will be demolished to improve sight lines and safety.
• The bicycle and pedestrian trail connection to the Stone Arch Bridge will be improved and the southernmost driveway of the parking lot near Portland will be eliminated.

West River Parkway Trail:

• The existing plank trail opposite the Mill City Museum will be repaired; severely warped and rotted planks will be replaced.
• The separated concrete pedestrian trail, proposed for the southern end of Mill Ruins Park opposite the Guthrie, has been eliminated due to cost.
•  MnDOT approved the width and alignment of the existing trail width opposite Gold Medal Park. The trail will be reconstructed in its existing alignment with no increase in width.
• A trailhead with a kiosk and drinking fountain is added to the south end of Bohemian Flats.
• A 12’ wide combined use (pedestrian and bicycle) asphalt trail will be constructed between Bohemian Flats and South 4^th Street, in lieu of two separated trails. Space for separate trails is available, but a combined trail in this segment was more affordable.
•   Across from Riverside Park and south of the mudslide area, in a narrow strip of parkland between the existing paths and the river wall, the MPRB would have liked to install a retaining wall with safety fence to support the new combined path and the required safety zones.  However, the estimate for the wall did not fit within the allotted funding.  The solution was to construct a 2:1 slope with a safety fence.  To construct the slope, all vegetation and trees will be cleared.  The new slope will be seeded to native grasses and wildflowers, but, given the limited access for equipment, maintenance staff will not be able to mow the slope and will have to use other measures to maintain the area.  
•  Due to budget constraints, all tree planting for the project between Portland and Franklin Avenues was eliminated.  The MPRB will work with MPRB’s Forestry department and local not-for-profits to seek additional funds for tree planting.
• The improvements to the Franklin Avenue intersection with West River Parkway were eliminated from the project scope due to budget constraints.

Please contact Deb Bartels, MPRB Planning Project Manager, at dbartels@minneapolisparks.org or (612) 230-6438 with any questions.

Tonight (July 24): Riverfront Vitality Forum

  

* * * 7/24/14 UPDATE - SOLD OUT! * * *

Time: 6pm to 7:30pm
Location: Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, 2522 Marshall Street NE

Minneapolis Upper Harbor Terminal –  What's Next for the 48 Acres of Riverfront Property?
 
With the closing of the Upper Harbor Terminal along the Mississippi Riverfront in North Minneapolis at the end of 2014, 48 acres will be available for development.
 
Join a panel of local experts as we discuss the question:
 
How do we redevelop in a way that both creates jobs and provides a meaningful place to live, work and interact with our environment?  What does that mean in an urban setting?
 
The panel will be kicked off by City Council President Barb Johnson.  The panel includes experts from the City, Park Board, Metropolitan Council, development community and the National Park Service, including:

• Joe Mullery, Northside neighborhood resident, Minnesota House of Representatives
• Gary Cunningham, Council Member, Metropolitan Council
• John Anfinson, Interim Superintendent, National Park Service
• Kjersti Monson, Director of Long Range Planning, City of Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development
• Kristin Guild, Business Development Manager, City of Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development
• Bruce Chamberlain, Assistant Superintendent for Planning, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
• Kit Richardson, Principal, Schafer Richardson

Space is limited. Click here to reserve your ticket now!

MPRB Announces August 2nd Ówamni: Falling Water Festival

Via a July 21 e-newsletter from the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board:

Free Family Event on August 2 – Ówamni: Falling Water Festival

Join us on Saturday, August 2 from 2 p.m. until dark at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park for Ówamni: Falling Water Festival. This new one day free event celebrates indigenous Minnesota culture with music, art, food, a movie under the stars and more.

Music

Ówamni will celebrate indigenous voices, connecting both locally and nationally through music featuring Chase Manhattan, Tall Paul, Bluedog, Wade Fernandez, Scatter Their Own, and Keith Secola. For more information on the music line-up, please contact Jewell Arcoren (612- 385-7528) or Denise Nelson (612-205-1682).

Art

An arts fair area focused on American Indian contemporary traditional and fine arts will showcase the talents of Anishinaabe, Hochunk, and Dakota visual artists. Woodland style painter Gordon Coons will exhibit his paintings and prints alongside painters James Autio, and Karen Savage-Blue. Dakota textile artist Gwen Westerman and other indigenous artists including Doug Limon, Pat Kruse, Melanie Sainz, and James Simas will be featured. Traditional artists Cheryl Minnema, Pat Kruse, and Denise Lajimodiere will demonstrate beadwork and birchbark traditions of the Anishinaabe. Original art, prints, cards, baskets and other items will be for sale by the artists.

The Sioux Chef and Native Food Perspective will both be making and selling local indigenous foods.

Outdoor Movie: The Jingle Dress (test screening)

Filmed in Minnesota, this movie was produced by William Eigen. The story line follows John Red Elk who pulls up stakes and takes his family off the reservation and down to the big city to find out how his long lost Uncle Norton died. Through the fresh eyes of his eight year old daughter, Rose, we follow the family as they discover a new, urban culture and gain insight into their own ancient, indigenous society.

This event is made possible by a grant from the St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board. Events partners include the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, Minnesota Historical Society, and Dream of Wild Health, with help from media sponsor KFAI 90.3 Fresh Air Radio.

Live Music

Secola – Rock/Folk

Keith Secola is Anishinaabe. He is an icon and ambassador of Native music. He is one of the most influential artists in the field today. Keith is a songwriter of the people. Critics have dubbed him as the Native versions of both Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen. A seven-time Native American Music Award winner, Secola has earned NAMMYs not only for his music, but also his abilities as a producer, to include The Best Linguistic Recording for producing ANISHINABEMOIN (2007).

Scatter Their Own - Alternative Rock

Scatter Their Own is an alternative rock duo of Oglala Lakota ancestry from the Pine Ridge Reservation of South Dakota. They are currently ranked in the top 40 by “Buzz Rating” in the battleofthebands.com competition.

Tall Paul – Hip-Hop

Tall Paul of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe is an accomplished Hip Hop/Rapper performing artist from Minneapolis. His bilingual Ojibwe-English hit single titled "Prayers in a Song" garnered more than 200,000 YouTube views in the first two weeks.

Chase Manhattan – Hip-Hop

Chase Manhattan is an award nominee Hip Hop/Rapper performing artist and CEO of Shanob Entertainment based out of the Twin Cities. His music is influenced by his big brother and native roots: Oglala, Anishinaabe and Muscogee Creek.

Bluedog – Blues/Rock

Bluedog is an award winning band from Minneapolis and was the Native American Music Award Winner for Group of the Year (2010). In July of 2010, Bluedog's single "Get Up, Get Out" was nominated for best blues recording for the Indian Summer Music Awards.

Wade Fernandez – Blues/Rock

Wade Fernandez is from the Menominee nation of Wisconsin and is an award-winning vocals, guitar, songwriting, native flute & drumming. Wade is the winner of the National Community Spirit Award (2010), the North American ISMA award winner for "Best Contemporary Instrumental" and best "Country" (2007), NAMMY winner "Best Male Artist of the Year" (2006), and the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers "Writer of the Year" (2001).

2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival Sneak Peek #1

Between now and the July 31 kick off, we'll post snippets of info on some of the show options for the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival.

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Site-Specific Musical Walking Tour Debuts at Minnesota Fringe Festival

Minneapolis, MN – Catalog Models presents INTO THE UNREAL CITY, a new site-specific musical walking tour with script by Gemma Irish and music by Mark Sweeney. INTO THE UNREAL CITY premieres on July 31^st as part of the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival.

Where do we find meaning? In each other? Within ourselves? In the twilight cityscape? INTO THE UNREAL CITY begins with a song outside the University of Minnesota’s Rarig Center. From there, the audience is led on a journey (literally as well as metaphorically) back through the memory-scape of our main characters, Zeke and Bet. Actors perform in the doorways of buildings, sing on bridges, fight in the street, and otherwise piece together their lives on the sidewalks of the West Bank neighborhood.

"Bringing a musical into real world locations makes the ordinary seem larger than life,”notes composer Mark Sweeney. “The sound fills in every direction. But also walking down the street and singing feels instantly intimate and builds a connection between audience, actors and emotion."

Playwright Gemma Irish notes: “Our show is about finding meaning in our lives, figuring out how to be who we are and do what’s important. Being able to walk around and explore different parts of the neighborhood feels like a physical representation of the searching that’s happening in the show.”

Audience size for INTO THE UNREAL CITY is limited to 20 people. Tickets can be purchased at fringefestival.org, or at the Rarig Center box office on the day of each performance. The walking tour departs at 7 PM on each night of the Fringe Festival, July 31-August 10. The walking tour (and final musical number) concludes at a convenient distance from the Rarig. The show runs 50 minutes.

INTO THE UNREAL CITY

A new play by Gemma Irish with music by Mark Sweeney. Directed by Laura Leffler-McCabe.

Featuring:
Amber Davis
Russell Dugger
Shaina Ferguson
Laura Mason
Tristan Miller
Mark Sweeney

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION TEAM
Laura Leffler-McCabe (director) is a theatre maker, director, sometimes playwright, and performer whenever she can. She is the Artistic Director of Savage Umbrella and has directed, written, and performed in over 19 projects with SU since its inception in 2007, notably The Ravagers (co-writer, performer - Hypermnestra) and The Awakening (writer/director). Other theatrical adventures include Fishtank (Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Assistant Director), Come Hell and Highwater (The Moving Company, Assistant Director), By the Bog of Cats (Frank Theatre, Assistant Director), and Beaver Dance: A Holiday Marxist Fur Trade Musical (Bedlam Theatre, performer - Bemidji).

Catalog Models (producers)
Mark Sweeney has made theater in swimming pools, written musicals about exoplanets and robots, and performed on stages all over the Twin Cities. “Sweeney's script and songs are just as notable for the things they don't say as the things they do,” (Matthew Everett, TC Daily Planet). Gemma Irishhas written whip-smart scripts about quantum mechanics, gay marriage, and objectum sexuality. She has been described as “a very gifted writer with a penchant for colorful similes and metaphors that nail the emotional tenor of a situation," (Pioneer Press). INTO THE UNREAL CITY is their collaboration -a musical walking tour, a search for meaning, a celebration and an exploration of the human experience.

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WORLD PREMIERE OF AN ORIGINAL LOCAL MUSICAL SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY AT 2014 MN FRINGE FESTIVAL

Stranded off a desert highway on a road trip borne of necessity, a young musician goes on an odyssey of self-discovery with the characters of Greek myth.
 
That short description truly sets the stage for what might be this Fringe's most personal and uniquely-crafted musical. In an abbreviated format, this production will focus on the original music by the composer and star of the show, Anders Norheim Mattson.
 
This musical revue of sorts will feature new songs performed by a strong cast of singers, both veterans of the stage and up-and-coming performers. Each song examines the story of a Greek mythological character as well as the thoughts and tribulations of the main character. The composer says about the show, “It encompasses the last five years of my life as I went from a peak of creativity to financial and emotional depression and back, all in one really messed up day in the desert.”
 
To accompany the singers through this musical journey will be Casey Rusco on piano and the composer's mother, JoAnn Norheim, on violin. Along with the twelve original musical numbers, the show boasts costumes by local designer Ivan Idland.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy premieres at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage, 711 W. Franklin Ave.
• Friday, 8/1 * 10:00pm
• Sunday, 8/3 * 8:30pm
• Friday, 8/8 * 7:00pm
• Saturday, 8/9 * 1:00pm
• Sunday, 8/10 * 5:30pm

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