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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MILL CITY FARMERS MARKET

With over 100 local farmers, food makers and artists, MCFM strives to build a local, sustainable and organic food economy in a vibrant, educational marketplace.

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HENNEPIN HISTORY MUSEUM

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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MSP FILM SOCIETY

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

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Enhancing the Minneapolis riverfront environment—for people and pollinators.

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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 (4269)

Wednesday
Jan252012

Valentine's Trunk Show Hosted by The Cynthia Froid Group at Park Avenue Lofts Premier Listing

The Cynthia Froid Group will be hosting a Valentine's trunk show on February 7th at one of their premier listings at Park Avenue Lofts in the Mill District. 

The Cynthia Froid Group will be hosting a Valentine's trunk show on February 7th at one of their premier listings at Park Avenue Lofts in the Mill District. 

Sheila Moar, Alora Ambiance, Shop Pretty Mommy, and Christina Hankins will be showcasing everything from original art to handbags, and nationally recognized fragrances and jewelry.

Please call or email Cynthia for more information or to RSVP:  612-578-1303, cfroid@kw.com.

Tuesday
Jan242012

3rd Annual Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Photo Contest

Attention photography enthusiasts - the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board(MPRB) has posted preliminary information on their 3rd annual 'Picture A Park' photo contest, sponsored in conjunction with People for Parks(PFP) and National Camera.  

Photos and completed entry forms will be accepted between May 1 and September 4, 2012.  Photos from any time of the year may be submitted. The name or location of the Minneapolis park, parkway or lake property is required with each submission.

Click here to view previous year's winners, and check back frequently for contest updates.

Thursday
Jan192012

Get in the Mood for Paris Fashion Week with A Woman’s Paris™

Barbara Redmond of A Woman’s Paris™ would like to help you get in the mood for next week's Paris Fashion Week!  She shared the following:

French Impressions: an interview with Jack Edwards, our exclusive interview with costume and fashion designer, Edwards.  At the Goldstein Museum of Design, "Character in Costume: A Jack Edwards Retrospective."

Fashion trends from the street, Rule of Five. In Paris I've seen trends take hold. French sailor jerseys: waves of blue and white stripes shifting in the Paris breeze; each wave like a cat-paw on the surface of the ocean, now dark, now light, now gone. Still, the Parisienne never tried to fit in. Daring, carrying herself confidently, with her own inbred style, she moved quickly through the city, hardly disturbing its surface, with a slight breeze that riffled through her hair; as sexy and seductive as ever... 

French Lessons: Pack It, Wear It, Buy It! whimsical pairings for Paris Fashion Week coming this Friday at A Woman’s Paris™.

Subscribe for FREE to A Woman’s Paris™ blog, follow on Twitter, like on Facebook.

Wednesday
Jan182012

Take Advantage of Mill City Commons' New Membership Promotion

Join Mill City Commons in January and have your annual membership extended through March 31, 2013!

Our mission: Mill City Commons’ members build community through social, educational, cultural, and wellness activities and connect with each other and the resources to maintain healthy and vibrant lives as we age.

For more information, please contact Executive Director Linnea Tweed at linneatweed@millcitycommons.org or 612-455-3329.

Dave and I have been members for a year now and consider it a valuable part of our lives in the Mill District.

Friday
Jan132012

Showing through January 19 - "Sleeping Beauty" from the Film Society of Minneapolis/St.Paul

Where: St. Anthony Main Theater - Screen 3, 115 SE Main Street

When:  See The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul website for a full listing of January 13 - 19 show times.

The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul presents SLEEPING BEAUTY, the provocative directorial debut by Australian novelist Julia Leigh (The Hunter, Disquiet). This official selection of Cannes and Toronto film festivals stars Emily Browning (Sucker Punch, A Series of Unfortunate Events) as young Lucy, a college student possessed by a radical passivity who takes on niche sex work to fund her studies. Australian auteur Jane Campion (The Piano, Bright Star) served as a consultant and mentor to Leigh, and subsequently endorsed a “presented by” credit on the film.



SLEEPING BEAUTY —
Sleeping Beauty is a fascinating depiction of a young woman’s reckless decent into a shocking world of erotic desires. Lucy (Emily Browning) is a young university student possessed by a kind of radical passivity. She lets a flip of a coin decide the outcome of a random sexual encounter and she displays an uncomplaining patience when facing the repetitions of her various menial jobs that fund her studies. One day she answers an ad in the student newspaper and interviews for a job to be a lingerie waitress. But she is secretly being initiated into a world of strange new work; one where she will have to give into absolute submission to her clients by being sedated; becoming a Sleeping Beauty.

Eventually this unnerving experience begins to bleed into her daily life and she finally develops the will to break the spell by discovering what happens to her while she sleeps. With a fearless performance by Browning, director Julia Leigh creates a bold cinematic vision; one where Lucy, both in her clandestine sexual adventures and in her mundane daily existence, lives with the same unflinching and brutal honesty. (IFC Films)

Sleeping Beauty, Director Julia Leigh, 101 min, Australia, 2011, HD

Monday
Jan092012

Showing through January 12 - "How the Richest Man in Russia Became Its Most Famous Prisoner" from the Film Society of Minnesota

Where: St. Anthony Main Theater - Screen 3

When:  See the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul website for a full listing of January 6 - 12 show times.

This exhilarating documentary chronicles Mikhail Khodorkovsky's transformation from a self-proclaimed socialist to a fully realized capitalist – also recounting the stunning turn of events that made him one of world's most famous political prisoners.

Weaving together in-depth interviews (including the first on-camera exchange with Khodorkovsky since his arrest), archival material, and stylized computer-animated reenactments, Tuschi shows us a man who embodies the paradox that is modern Russia – condemning the very corruption that helped make his fortune and envisioning a new Russia with respect for the rule of law.

Saturday
Jan072012

2012 Volunteer and Internship Opportunities at The Soap Factory

The Soap Factory is proud to be supported by a team of over 400 volunteers and 20 interns each year. In 2011 volunteers completed over 14,000 hours of work, supporting programs like The Ten Second Film Festival, The Amazing Adventures of the Corporate Wizard in the Land of LARP, The Haunted Basement and all the regular exhibitions and building improvements.

Applications are now being accepted for 2012 volunteers and interns.

All prospective year-round volunteers must attend a New Volunteer Orientation session. The next orientation session is scheduled for March 10.   Internships at The Soap Factory are a terrific way to explore working at a nonprofit art gallery. Every year over 20 interns work closely with Soap Factory staff, board members and exhibiting artists.

See the website for application deadlines and other details.

Thursday
Jan052012

Park Board Selects Officers, Committees, Representatives for 2012

From a January 4, 2012, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board e-newsletter:

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) held its annual meeting Tuesday, Jan. 3, and elected its officers for 2012. Commissioners elected John Erwin as President for the third consecutive year and Liz Wielinski was elected Vice President.

“I’m proud to continue the role of President, representing a Board that has made significant changes the last two years. Those changes include responsive leadership, a more efficient workforce, expanding our city’s tax base through riverfront development, and enhancing our parks and increasing greening while holding the line on property taxes,” said John Erwin, President of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.

At the meeting President Erwin also acknowledged Commissioner Young’s contributions last year as Vice President, stating that Young’s service has been instrumental to the progress the Board and the organization has made.

The Board also elected Karen Robinson to continue serving as Secretary to the Board and Brian Rice as General Counsel.

President Erwin appointed the following Commissioners to serve on Standing Committees of the Board (one-year terms):
Administration and Finance Committee– Chair Scott Vreeland, Vice Chair Anita Tabb, Brad Bourn, Bob Fine, Liz Wielinski
Recreation Committee– Chair Bob Fine, Vice Chair Brad Bourn, Carol Kummer, Liz Wielinski, Jon Olson
Planning Committee– Chair Anita Tabb, Vice Chair Bob Fine, Annie Young, Scott Vreeland, Jon Olson
Operations and Environment Committee– Chair Jon Olson, Vice Chair Annie Young, Carol Kummer, Scott Vreeland, Brad Bourn
Legislation and Intergovernmental Committee– Chair Carol Kummer, Vice Chair Jon Olson, Anita Tabb, Liz Wielinski, Brad Bourn
Standards and Conduct Committee– Chair Annie Young, Vice Chair Scott Vreeland, Liz Wielinski, Bob Fine, Carol Kummer
Innovation and Development Committee– Chair Brad Bourn, Vice Chair Anita Tabb, Bob Fine, Annie Young, Scott Vreeland

Park Board Commissioners, ten citizens and Superintendent Miller were appointed to serve on the following external boards, commissions and panels:
Planning Commission– Liz Wielinski
Board of Estimate and Taxation – Bob Fine
Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission (citizen appointment)– Ali Warsame
St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board– Scott Vreeland, Liz Wielinski, citizen appointee Stephanie Gruver, John Erwin, Superintendent Jayne Miller
Youth Coordinating Board – Bob Fine
Minneapolis Institute of Arts Board– Anita Tabb
Middle Mississippi Watershed Management Organization – Scott Vreeland, alternate Annie Young
John H. Stevens House Organization– Carol Kummer
Minneapolis Parks Foundation – John Erwin, alternate Brad Bourn
Minneapolis Tree Advisory Committee– Scott Vreeland, citizen appointees John Uban, Peggy Booth, Gay Noble, Jeanne LaBore, Don Willeke
Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership– Liz Wielinski, Scott Vreeland, Bob Fine
Minneapolis DID Greening Design & Infrastructure Committee – John Erwin
City-MPRB Green Ribbon Committee– John Erwin, Anita Tabb
Minneapolis Bicycle Advisory Committee– Citizen appointees Janice Gepner, Matthew Hendricks, Joshua Houdek

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board typically meets at 5 p.m. every first and third Wednesday of each month for regular meetings. MPRB Board meetings are broadcast live from 5-9 p.m. on the Minneapolis Government Meeting Channel 79 on Comcast cable and online on the Channel 79 webpage.

Meeting agendas and related information are typically posted on http://www.minneapolisparks.org/ two business days prior to each meeting.

Tuesday
Jan032012

A Big List - Local Businesses We Patronized in 2011

Sanctuary 4th Anniversary Party

When we have the option to frequent a local business, we do.  Always.  We love walking the neighborhood, leaving our car in the garage, and supporting the small businesses that help make the Downtown Minneapolis Riverfront such a great place to live.

Zen Box Izakaya

We spent the past week looking back on our activities throughout 2011 and came up with an 'A to Z' list of businesses we patronized in 2011 - all within walking distance of our Mill District home.  They're all worth checking out, so give them a try and support our community!

501 Fit / 501 Spin - http://www.501fit.com/

Aloft - http://www.starwoodhotels.com/alofthotels/property/overview/contact.html?propertyID=3074

Aster Cafe - http://aster-cafe.com/

Bibelot - http://www.bibelotshops.com/index.php?view=store_locations&store_id=3

Bierbrauer Chiropractic - http://www.bierbrauerchiropractic.com/

Bobby & Steve's - http://www.bobbyandstevesautoworld.com/minneapolis.html

Bulldog, The - http://www.thebulldognortheast.com/

Caribou - http://www.cariboucoffee.com/page/1/our-locations.jsp

City Garden Flower Mill - http://www.citygardensflowermill.com/

Core Power Yoga - http://www.corepoweryoga.com/locations/minnesota/minneapolis.aspx

Crooked Pint Ale House - http://crookedpint.com/

D'Amico & Sons / Mill City Museum - http://www.damicoandsons.com/frame.asp?s=location&ss=minnesota&ft=i&sss=mp

Depot, The - http://www.thedepotminneapolis.com/

Dunn Bros - http://freighthouse.dunnbros.com/

Grumpy's - http://www.grumpys-bar.com/downtown/index.html

Guthrie Theater - http://www.guthrietheater.org/

Keegans Irish Pub - http://keeganspub.com/

Kindee - http://www.kindeethairestaurant.com/

Level Salon - http://www.level-salon.com/

Look + See - http://lookandseeeyecare.com/

MacPhail Center for Music - http://www.macphail.org/

Maxwell's - http://www.maxwellsbar.net/

Men's Dept. - http://www.mensdept.com/

Mill City Commons - http://www.millcitycommons.org/homepage

Mill City Farmers Market - http://millcityfarmersmarket.org/

Mill City Market Grocery & Deli - http://millcitygrocery.com/

Mill City Museum - http://www.millcitymuseum.org/

Open Book Coffee Gallery - http://www.openbookmn.org/coffee_gallery.aspx

Pacifier - http://store.pacifieronline.com/

Real Ghost Tours - http://www.realghosttours.com/

Sarpinos - http://www.gosarpinos.com/pizza-delivery/downtown-minneapolis/?r=2

Sanctuary - http://www.sanctuaryminneapolis.com/

Sawatdee - http://www.sawatdee.com/locations.htm

Sorellas - http://www.sorellawines.com/

Spill the Wine - http://www.spillthewinerestaurant.com/

Spoonriver - http://spoonriver.com/

Wasabi - http://wasabimn.com/

Wilde Roast Cafe - http://www.wilderoastcafe.com/

Zen Box Izakaya - http://zenboxizakaya.com/

1st Trip to Wilde Roast DSC02759

Saturday
Dec312011

Mill City Commons Seeks Part Time Program Coordinator

Do you know a flexible, hard working person looking for a part time opportunity? 

Mill City Commons is in the process of hiring a part time Program Coordinator.   You'll find position details on the Ecumen website.  Note - although the website states the application deadline is December 31, the closing date is actually January 6.

Monday
Dec262011

Periscope Featured in Star Trib Article

Periscope, a Mill District business located on Washington Avenue South across from Aloft, was featured in the December 26 print edition of the Star Trib.  Click here for the story.

With the relentless economic bad news and negative spins we are fed a daily basis, this positive article was a much needed breath of fresh air.

Periscope Mural

Tuesday
Dec202011

West River Parkway Near Washington Avenue Bridge Closed December 22-23

West River Parkway, from 22nd Avenue South to 4th Street South, will be closed from 7am-6pm Thursday, December 22, and Friday, December 23.

The closure is needed to safely remove the north side of the Washington Avenue Bridge deck as part of the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit Project.  Traffic will be detoured to 19th Avenue South during the closure.

Sunday
Dec182011

Last Minute Holiday Items? Check out the Dec 23-24 Clearance Sale at The Shop at MCBA

On December 23 and 24, The Shop at Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) will be holding a two-day CLEARANCE SALE: 30% off select Holiday items including wrapping paper, holiday cards and ornaments! (Non-consignment goods only.)

Hours: Dec 23 (10am-5pm) and Dec 24 (10am-2pm).

NOTE: MCBA will close at 2:00pm on December 24, and remain closed through January 2, 2012.   The Open Book building will undergo floor refinishing and  maintenance during this time, so MCBA, Open Book and the Coffee Shop will all be closed to the public. They will reopen at 10:00am on Tuesday, January 3, 2012.

Thursday
Dec152011

Make a Difference and Have Fun this Season

Thanks to some wonderful community partnerships, December is a great month to have fun, complete your holiday giving, clean out your linen closets, and meet others ALL WHILE MAKING A DIFFERENCE in the lives of homeless families.
 
Below are four ways that you can make a difference this December. 
 
SHOP.
Need to do some last minute shopping?  Find unique and affordable home goods from WildHearts Collection in Hopkins, and 20% of your purchase in December will be donated to People Serving People. Any Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10:30am to 3:30pm WildHearts is open and full of gifts that are one-of-a-kind.  Visit their website for location and inventory.
ROCK.
With the help of local musicians, Rock the Cause is partnering with People Serving People to put on a concert series – each concert collecting donations of socks, warm coats, books for children, and volunteers to help us help homeless families.  Concerts begin Thursday.   1-- Silver Back Colony, Matt Latterell, and Dirty Horse are playing at the Nomad World Pub on December 15 at 9pm.   2-- Maudlin's 3rd Annual Worst Christmas Pageant Ever at the Triple Rock Social Club on December 17 at 9pm. Artists include Little Man, Barb Abney, Pictures of Then, and more!   3-- Alison Scott’s Holiday Show on December 21 and 22 at Lyric Arts Anoka.   Go out, have fun, hear local music, and bring socks!
DECLUTTER.
Clean out your linen closets and bring us your twin and double sized sheets, pillow cases, and clean, warm blankets. Our blanket supply is low - and we have never seen this many families at our shelter  over the holiday season before.  So if you have too many blankets, bring a couple to our shelter so the families and children here can stay warm at night. Blankets can be brought to People Serving People at 614 3rd Street South.  Click here for more details.
DONATE A GIFT.
Still having trouble deciding what to give people for the holidays?  Show them how much you care about the families and children at  People Serving People with a gift in honor of someone you know.  If you donate online, you can tell us who to send a holiday card to (even if it's YOU so you can hand the card to the recipient personally).  This card will let them know you gave a gift in their name to help homeless children and families.   Go here to make a gift in someones honor.

 

Tuesday
Dec132011

Only a Few Days Left to Make a Tax Deductible Contribution to MCC's "Turkey, Dressings and Extra Helpings" Drive

Join Mill City Commons (MCC) members and friends for the fourth annual Turkey, Dressings, and Extra Helpings drive.  This is a wonderful opportunity to do good this Holiday season and throughout the winter!

Ways to Help:

TURKEY:  Tax-deductible financial donations ($10-15, or more if you wish) to provide Holiday dinners for 50 families in North Minneapolis.  Any additional funds will be used to stock a local food shelf. 

Financial donations accepted December 1-15.  Mail checks payable to Mill City Commons to: 117 Portland Avenue #213, Minneapolis, MN 55401.

DRESSINGS: Donate cold weather clothing (hats, scarves, mittens) for all ages, and job interview clothing for adults, to benefit our neighbors at People Serving People

Clothing donations accepted December 9 -16.  Drop off clothing items at:  MCC Office, 17 4th Street or North Star Lofts, 117 Portland Avenue.

EXTRA HELPINGS: Donate small new or gently used gift items like books, jewelry, and cologne/aftershave, for individuals and families at Exodus Residence and Mary’s Place. These are the only gifts some residents receive.  

Gift donations accepted December 9 - 16.  Drop off gift items at:  MCC Office, 17 4th Street or North Star Lofts, 117 Portland Avenue.

Call Linnea (612-455-3329) or email info@millcitycommons.org at Mill City Commons if you have questions. 

Monday
Dec122011

Sanctuary Staff on Air!

Sanctuary's Chef Patrick Atanalian demonstrated the easy way to disassemble a pomegranate December 11 on FOX 9.

Later, Barkeep Patrick appeared on KSTC-TV Channel 45's debut episode of Beer Geeks TV.

One trip to Sanctuary and you'll see why they're such attention-getters.

Monday
Dec122011

Holiday Gift Ideas from A Woman’s Paris™

A Woman’s Paris™ is a local business offering great gifts for the holidays, including iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch cases from $24, as well as stunning paintings of sites in Paris.  Friends and family receive discounted prices for a limited time on art prints of the paintings. Prints will be sold at a cost of $50 for large prints and $30 for smaller figure prints. These last minute-gifts are perfect for family and friends.

Prints will be available for a Minneapolis pick up or shipped for a small additional delivery fee.

Click here to order cases.  Click here to view the print collection.  (Discounts for purchases made directly on the website do not apply.)

To order prints by December 17th contact A Woman’s Paris™ at Barbara@awomansparis.com

Subscribe for FREE to A Woman’s Paris™ blog, follow on Twitter, like on Facebook.

Sunday
Dec112011

Reuniting With the Vendors at the First Ever Indoor Mill City Farmers Market

It was great to see neighbors and vendors converge at the Mill City Museum yesterday morning for the first ever indoor Mill City Farmers Market.

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

Added bonus - members from Light of the Moon Band provided festive background music.

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

2011 Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

Saturday
Dec102011

This Morning - Mill City Farmers Market's Holiday Market at Mill City Museum

Saturday, December 10

Time: 10:00am - 2:00pm

Location: Mill City Museum

Mill City hosts it’s first indoor Holiday Farmers Market at the Mill City Museum! Enjoy a smorgasbord of local fares for holiday gifts and meals, including local produce, pasture-raised meats, wild caught Alaskan salmon, eggs and cheeses, whole grains, and artisan preserves, pickles and pasta.

Visit with some of your favorite Mill City Farmers Market vendors, including:

■Ames Farm
■Goldfinch Flowers
■Swede Lake Farm and Global Garlic
■Prairie Hollow Farm
■Burning River Farm
■Braucher’s Sunshine Harvest Farm
■MN Valley Organics
■Wild Run Salmon
■Northern Lakes Wild Rice
■Singing Hills Goat Dairy
■Shepherd’s Way Farm
■Solomon’s Snacks and Bakery
■Bliss Granola
■Cafe Palmira
■Martha’s Joy
■Birchberry Native Arts and Foods
■Very Prairie
■Lucille’s Kitchen Garden
■Olsen’s Naturals

Wednesday
Dec072011

MacPhail Community Youth Choir, Under the Direction of J.D. Steele, to Hold Free CD Release Party Concert December 17

The MacPhail Community Youth Choir (MCYC) under the direction of J.D. Steele, will hold their first CD release party concert on Dec. 17, 7:30 p.m. at MacPhail Center for Music, 501 South Second St., Minneapolis.  The concert is free and everyone who attends will receive a download card of the choir’s first CD, “Love as One.” The CD features 10 original songs, 8 by Steele and 2 student-written songs.

J.D. Steele (of the Steele family singers)  and  MacPhail Center for Music have brought together youth in grades 7-12, from all corners of the Twin Cities, all walks of life, to join hands and voices in a new youth choir now in its second year.  The MCYC is free and open to students of all skill levels and abilities.  Rehearsals are every Saturday at the historic Capri Theater in north Minneapolis. Steele said this is a great opportunity for the students to learn music techniques they won’t get anywhere else, covering all genres of music, including jazz, gospel, pop and East African.

“The MCYC allows the kids to experience something different in fellowship as well as music,” Steele said. “It raises their self-esteem when they have to perform professionally. It’s amazing to see how they change and develop. When kids have the opportunity to shine, they reflect it back bright and shiny!”

The MCYC Music Release Party:  December 17, 7:30 p.m. MacPhail Center for Music – free