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.
Saturdays, May 28 - September 3, 9:00-10:00am
After a pandemic-forced hiatus, Yoga in the Park returns next Saturday, May 28 in Gold Medal Park at 9 a.m. These sessions are sponsored by Be That Neighbor, and are free and open to all.
Bring you mat and water, and meet by the orange sculpture in the park. Please arrive a few minutes early to sign a Medical Liability Waiver.
“Dinosaurs unfurl in their rhythmic wildness. These dinosaurs vogue and groove and take up space in their world, in harmony, with each other.”
The Impact Theory of Mass Extinction tells the story of two black, queer teens who discover dinosaur bones in their South Minneapolis neighborhood. The teens get sucked into a prehistoric portal where they are taken in by a nurturing “queendom” of dinosaurs. In this new world, our protagonists learn the ways of the dinosaurs as they prepare for their impending extinction.
Puppeteer Steve Ackerman has transformed the historic Avalon Theater into a lush, prehistoric landscape. Live music and sound effects will animate the teens’ Jurassic journey.
Photo: Uche Iroegbu
Impact Theory is born from the skills of local artists: shadow, table top, and large-scale puppet builders; mask makers; musicians; puppeteers; filmmakers; and actors. The creative brilliance of this team breathes life into this Minneapolis Dinosaur adventure premiering at the Avalon Theater this June.
Impact Theory is the brainchild of playwright, Junauda Petrus-Nasah and puppeteer, Steve Ackerman. They wanted to craft a piece based on Petrus-Nasah’s experience as a queer Black girl growing up in 1980s South Minneapolis. She was inspired by what is now the Greenway, but were once train tracks peppered with graffiti and debris. The site, she recalls, resembled a magic portal to another world.
Puppetry’s unique ability to embody the fantastic make it the perfect art form to tell this story. Petrus-Nasah has always felt a deep connection to puppetry and In the Heart of the Beast, explaining:
“Puppetry has chosen me so many times in life. As a person of Trinidadian and Cruzan descent where there is a carnival and sort of parade history and legacy, Heart of the Beast and MayDay was proximity to that…I never could have imagined that I would be writing things one day that would be in this theater that I would be passing by all the time as a teenager.”
Exploring the relationship between humans and puppets gives us “a hopeful and exciting way to exhume and discover new ways of being,” says Director Harry Waters, Jr.
Impact Theory will be Heart of the Beast’s first puppet and mask production since 2018.
Petrus-Nasah hopes that Impact Theory will give kids of color and Indigenous youth the chance to see themselves reflected in puppetry. She aims to inspire children in the neighborhood to explore the medium, “Puppetry is one of those art forms that is so immersive, magnetizing, and magical. I want young people to see that puppetry is a tool and a possibility for the future as an art form and as a form of healing.”
Performance Schedule:
Thursday, June 16 7:30p (Opening Night)
Friday, June 17 - 7:30p
Saturday, June 18 - 7:30p
Sunday, June 19 - 2:00p Free!*
Sunday, June 19 - 7:30p
Thursday, June 23 - 7:30p Free!*
Friday, June 24 - 7:30p
Saturday, June 25 - 7:30p
Sunday, June 26 - 2:00p Free! Access*
Sunday, June 26 - 7:30p
*The performance on Sunday, June 26 at 2pm will have ASL interpretation and audio description available. Heart of the Beast Theatre will offer a sensory touch tour on this date at 1 pm. There will be free ear plugs and fidgets for audience members as well. Additional accessibility infor. Please note - the three free performances (June 19 at 2pm, June 23 at 7:30pm, and June 26 at 2pm) are intended for children and families in the Phillips and Powderhorn neighborhoods. All other performances are pay-as-able. All audience members must wear face masks. Tickets and information.
Registration is now open for summer Continuing Education courses at Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) for those looking to deepen their creative practice or learn a new skill. Topics include painting, graphic design, animation, printmaking, UX design, illustration, and more. A small sampling of classes are below, and the full list of offerings can be viewed at mcad.edu/ce.
East Bank Mississippi River Care: Wild Sanctuary at Owamni, Father Hennepin Bluffs Park Lower Trail
Saturday, June 4, 9 am - 12 pm.
Join the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association to care for the wild, natural sanctuary on the East Bank of the Mississippi River where bald eagles and great blue herons hunt and the Mississippi once tumbled over massive limestone to create Owamni, later named St. Anthony Falls.
Participants will restore and care for native habitat, planting native wildflowers and grasses and remove invasive perennials and woody vegetation. For more information, a list of all 2022 dates, and to register, go to https://www.marcy-holmes.org/father_hennepin_stewards.
Volunteers will meet at the Lower Trail, near the corner of Main Street SE and Third Avenue SE, across from Pillsbury A Mill.
4th Street Reconstruction Project Overview
The City of Minneapolis is reconstructing 4th St. between 2nd Ave. N and 4th Ave. S in downtown Minneapolis. The reconstruction will include wider sidewalks, improved crossings, a new bi-directional off-street bike path on the north side of the street, lighting, trees, and planting beds. Construction is underway and is expected to be complete by the end of 2022.
What's Happening Next Week?
Roadway reconstruction continues on 4th St. between 2nd Ave. N and Hennepin Ave. Fourth St. is currently closed to vehicle traffic between 1st Ave. N and Hennepin Ave. Local access is being maintained between 2nd Ave. N and 1st Ave. N.
*Please note that the construction schedules are subject to change due to weather and other unforeseen circumstances.
What to expect during construction?
Upcoming Events
4th Street weekly Stakeholder Meeting.
Weekly project newsletters and virtual stakeholder meetings are sent out weekly. Join us at the next stakeholder meeting to get project updates, talk with project staff and get your questions/concerns answered.
There will be no stakeholder meeting on Friday, May 27, 2022. Meetings will resume their weekly schedule Friday, June 3, 2022.
Next Meeting: June 3, 9-9:30 a.m.
Teams Meeting: Click here to join the meeting
Stay connected
There are multiple ways to get information including email updates and ongoing stakeholder meetings. Visit the project website for more information and to sign up for project updates: www.minneapolismn.gov/government/projects/fourth-st-n-and-s/
Provide questions, comments or concerns on the interactive map: https://zan.mysocialpinpoint.com/4thstreetreconstruction
Email the project team: info@4thstmpls.com
Contact the project hotline: 612-412-9774
Roadway reconstruction near the Hennepin Avenue intersection.
Roadway repaving at the 1st Avenue N intersection.
1:00pm-5:00pm - Loring Park, 1382 Willow Street https://loringpark.org/
Green Minneapolis recently announced a summer long series of free performing arts presentations at Peavey Plaza, the City of Minneapolis owned downtown architectural landmark.
Green Minneapolis believes in the power of art to nurture human connection, and parks and public spaces are some of the best places in our community where people from all walks of life come together to relax, recreate and get to know one another.
As part of the broader reanimation of downtown, every week from June thru September, Peavey Plaza will be the place to go downtown for free music, dance and theater performances. Performing partners include the Minnesota Orchestra, the Children’s Theatre Company, Cantus, MNspin, ARENA DANCES, Mirage Performing Arts, Joe Davis & The Poetic Diaspora and Westminster Presbyterian Church Music Program. Funding for this programming is made possible by charitable contributions to Green Minneapolis.
For a complete listing of performances, visit greenminneapolis.org/events.
Hennepin Avenue Downtown Reconstruction Project
Hennepin Ave. will be reconstructed between 12th Street and Washington Avenue. The City will reconstruct the pavement from building face to building face, including improvements to public and private utility infrastructure, and improved space for pedestrians, bicycles, transit, and vehicles.
Latest Project News
Concrete Paving is in full swing from 5th to 7th, including two thirds of the 7th Street Intersection. Traffic on 7th will reopen to two lanes crossing the Hennepin intersection starting Saturday morning.
On Phase 2 north of 5th Street, perennial and annual plantings were completed this week as well.
What's Coming Up
Next week will bring more lanes of concrete paving from 5th to 7th on Hennepin. The remaining work on the third lane in the 7th St Intersection will begin next week as well.
Planter railings will start to be installed north of 5th next week followed by the railing lights.
5th Street will be closed west of Hennepin starting Monday next week.
For more information please see attached update. Hennepin_Update_Vol92.pdf
Contact Us
For more information on this project contact:
Please note the following Parkway closures for the May 21 Women Run the Cities 5K, 10K and 10 Mile races:
7:30am-12pm View course map
Godfrey Parkway - West River Parkway (from Godfrey to 22nd Ave S)
New $75 million Catholic Charities at Elliot Park campus offers 173 homes for single adults who have experienced homelessness, a recuperative care wing, and a storefront health clinic
On May 18, Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis marked the upcoming opening of Endeavors Residence and Catholic Charities at Elliot Park campus, a historic $75 million public-private partnership — located in Minneapolis’s Elliot Park neighborhood — supported by the State of Minnesota, Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis, and several key partners and donors. Endeavors offers a unique model integrating housing and health care to ensure some of our community’s most vulnerable residents have a safe place to call home.
The new Catholic Charities at Elliot Park campus includes:
Public and Private Investments
Many public and private partners have made critical investments to make the $75 million Endeavors project a reality. Hennepin County, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, the City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Public Housing Authority provided crucial financial support. Catholic Charities’ donors made significant private investments, including lead gifts from the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation and Mary and Gene Frey, as well as the pro bono development services of Dominium and others. CSH (Corporation for Supportive Housing), Sunrise Banks, and U.S. Bank contributed new market tax credits. Hennepin County — under a revised policy to proactively provide leadership on projects that address its priorities--was the first public partner to commit to the project, which helped secure much-needed state and local funding. The project received $30 million in Housing Infrastructure Bonds (HIB) from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency — the largest award of HIBs given to date in state history.
These significant investments allowed Catholic Charities to purchase the former Augustana Health Care Center in December 2019 and conduct extensive renovation work to create the new Catholic Charities at Elliot Park facility — fully utilizing and preserving a building in a prime location that will offer 173 private, deeply affordable apartments to the region. The adaptive reuse preserves the original social purpose of the building while offering more resources and support to low-income adults in downtown Minneapolis.
The Endeavors Residence Program Model
The Endeavors program will offer a unique integrated model of care that promotes housing stability, health, and wellbeing. A total of 173 units of housing in Endeavors Residence will provide a safe place to call home to single adults (ages 18 and up) from diverse backgrounds who have experienced homelessness and utilize supportive services. Many residents will be veterans, elderly, and/or have complex medical needs. Current residents of Exodus Residence worked with staff to choose the new name “Endeavors,” which conveys the resilience and possibilities found through each individual’s journey. Staff will provide care 24/7, using trauma-informed best practices. The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Recuperative Care Center will provide short-term respite opportunities for 30 people experiencing homelessness who need additional time to recover after being released from a hospital. It will also offer 24/7 care, and staff will coordinate closely with local health care providers including neighboring Hennepin County Medical Center. Hennepin County’s Health Care for the Homeless Clinic will be embedded in the community, serving as a public neighborhood storefront clinic for area residents who require medical support and qualify for services based on income. Six medical examination rooms and space for psychiatric care for those seeking mental health support will be available onsite.
Milestone Reached at a Critical Juncture
With the completion of the Elliot Park facility, Catholic Charities has realized a significant achievement in the organization’s history: 1,000 deeply affordable housing units available to the community. In addition, Catholic Charities at Elliot Park serves as a purposeful reimagining for the organization. For the first time, headquarters staff — in addition to Aging and Disability Services staff — will be located together in one space alongside residents of one of our programs, creating true mission in action.
The completion of Endeavors is timely, as our region faces a homelessness and affordable housing crisis while simultaneously addressing public health challenges presented by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. National and regional studies have consistently shown that the lack of affordable housing is a leading cause of homelessness, and there is a critical lack of affordable housing in the metro region. The pandemic has made it a challenge to know the exact numbers of people experiencing homelessness because most agencies suspended homeless “counts” in 2021, and data for 2022 is not yet available. Recent information from local providers (via Minnesota’s Homeless Management Information System) suggests that the number of people experiencing homelessness in the metro region is rising. In January 2020, around 5,000 individuals in the metro area stayed in emergency shelters or were served by local street outreach programs. In January 2022, that figure rose to 5,691 – an increase of almost 14 percent from pre-pandemic levels. State projections indicate the number of unsheltered homeless will continue to increase dramatically in the coming year.
Mayor Frey at the May 18 grand opening celebration of the Endeavors Residence in Elliot Park.
“Housing is a right, and affordable housing is a top priority in our work to better serve the people of Minneapolis,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. “We are committed to maintaining and growing our partnerships in these deeply-affordable housing projects to ensure all our residents have a place to call home. I’m grateful to Catholic Charities for stepping up to the challenge to create an innovative space that will support those in need and enrich our community.”
Catholic Charities at Elliot Park: Project History
The current Exodus Residence — located next to St. Olaf Church in downtown Minneapolis — provides housing and support to 95 people in a deteriorating building which Catholic Charities has leased from St. Olaf Catholic Church since 1995. In 2017, Catholic Charities and St. Olaf extended the lease until 2021 to allow time to secure a replacement. This was at the same time Catholic Charities was working with Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, Dominium, and many others to complete the second phase of Dorothy Day Place — the largest public-private partnership in housing and social services in state history — which was completed in fall 2019. Despite the challenges of advancing another major project so soon, Catholic Charities and its partners were compelled to act because of the housing and homelessness crisis affecting the state and region. In December 2019, Catholic Charities secured critical funding from Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis, generous private donors, and the largest award of Housing Infrastructure Bonds given to date by the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. This enabled Catholic Charities to purchase the Augustana Health Care Center, which will serve as the new home to Endeavors and Catholic Charities at Elliot Park. Extensive renovation work began in spring 2020. Endeavors residents will move into their new homes in June. Catholic Charities staff will begin transitioning onsite in July.
Zenon Dance School Announces Camp Zenon: Youth Dance Sampler Camps
Discover dance with a week-long camp for young artists! Not sure if your dancer has a style they like best, or looking for a way to try out something new? A variety of dance styles and creative movements will be explored in this one week camp.
Informal showing on the last day. All abilities and levels of experience are welcome.
The tuition is $195. No person will be refused because of inability to pay. Need-based scholarships are available for partial and full tuition upon inquiry.
Register online. Registration closes one week before each camp begins. Please contact info@zenondance.org or 612-338-1101 (if no answer please leave voice mail) with any questions.
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Submitted By Ric Rosow
This image was taken about 8:15 p.m on Sunday, May 15. I photographed the entire sequence of the eclipse that night going past midnight into the early morning of Monday. The color in the windows of the Riverview Tower building on the left immediately caught my eye. I composed the scene to keep that element in the image. As the moon moved more to the south I could not maintain that composition. I actually started photographing Sunday morning at 3:30 a.m. as the moon set in downtown, before the moon was officially a full moon. Then on Sunday evening I started again around 8:00 p.m. after scouting out several different locations from which to photograph the eclipse. I shot until around 1:15 a.m. Monday.
Art-A-Whirl is this weekend in Minneapolis, but there's not enough time to get this image printed to display Tres Leches Art Gallery for Art-A-Whirl.
See more of my work @ricrosowphotography and @treslechesartgallery.
Super Flower Moon
May 14 shopping basket
We met three new vendors at the May 14 Mill City Farmers Market: TonzKitchen (Hot Chili Oil), Kobi Co., and Banh Sizzle. We also checked in with Blugirl Soapworks, The Happy Healthy Buddha and Rudy’s Breakfast Bagels.
Tony Scherber of TonzKitchen - he is a contestant on the inaugural season of PBS Food's The Great American Recipe.
Kobi (far left) assists customers with a variety of products, including candles, bath soaks, mists and other items.
Kobi's mother, Tasha (2nd from the right) assisted with Kobi's busy booth.
Banh Sizzle owners Jonathan and Hang Jauquet serve up Vietnamese street food, including crepes and spring rolls.
Roxanne Benson of Blugirl Soapworks offers soaps, beard balm, laundry detergent, moisturizers and more. Look for her at the Market monthly - her next date is June 11th.
Karinna Samy of The Happy Healthy Buddha explains the spice mixes she and her husband Jacques offer to customers. I picked up two of the blends during their first Market appearance - they are fantastic!
Wow - super tasty breakfast bagel sandwich from Rudy's Breakfast Bagels. They'll make your sandwich using the bagel and fillings of your choice. Look for them in the train shed.
I love that Sally Fritz is using a life size cutout of The Notorious RBG to display her creations. Seeing the former Supreme Court justice will elicit an immediate smile with each visit to the Market.
Mill City Times recognizes, respects and appreciates MCFM's work in supporting small local farmers, makers and artisans. That is why we continue to be a sponsor. :)
Gamut Gallery has enjoyed a decade of art, music, performance, and collaborations and invites you to join them in celebrating during their first summer exhibition of the year: Art is for Everyone
In honor of their 10th anniversary, ten of Gamut's supporters have agreed to lend the the Gallery one of the pieces that first caught their eyes and captured their hearts. The loaned work will be displayed in tandem with new, original pieces by the corresponding artists. For this group exhibit, Gamut is welcoming back artists Ash Hane (2012), Urban Camper (2015), John Foster (2016 & 2019), Rodrigo Oñate (2016 & 2021), Bunny Portia (2017), Barret Lee (2017 & 2021), Kristi Abbott (2018), James Zucco (2019), Lora Hlvasa (2020 & 2021), and Aldair Dosmil (2021). As a special compliment to the month-long retrospective display, portraits captured within the homes of the featured collectors will be on view along with a few words of their own stories that embody Gamut’s mission of bridging artists and their communities to life.
“Come for the art and stay for the party!”
10-Year Anniversary Party is scheduled for Saturday, June 11, 4 PM - 10PM, with food, live music and more: • Music by Daniel Volovets, Digital Nap, Atim Opoka, James Patrick & Sassy G • Icy Icy Baby Snowcone Truck • Live art by Hibaqq Ibrahim, Evan Weselmann & Jamie Owens • Photobooth with Caleb Timmerman ($15 pre-sales now available, $20 at the door, FREE for members.)
There will also be a Colab Art Night, June 22, 7-10pm ($5 pre-sales available soon, $10 at the door) and an Art is For Everyone Makers Market Finale event on July 9, 1-4pm (Free).
Wednesday, June 22, 5pm–8pm at MWMO
Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) invites you to join them for an evening of community, canoeing and cookies when Share the River Nordeast returns June 22nd.
Stop by anytime between 5pm and 8pm for a free introductory canoe ride on the Mississippi River, then grab a free cookie and enjoy a variety of fun and educational activities at the Stormwater Park and Learning Center.
This family-friendly event is great for kids and adults of all ages. Please note, participants must weigh at least 30 lbs. in order to fit the provided life jackets.
In addition to learning to paddle on the river, participants will also have opportunities to learn about the Mississippi River’s history, water quality, plants, animals and more. You’ll also be able to connect with other local organizations about their work in the community for the environment.
Canoe rides will be led by guides from Wilderness Inquiry, with support from National Park Service rangers from the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area and Mississippi Park Connection staff.
Soon it will be easier than ever to use an electric vehicle in the Twin Cities.
The City of Saint Paul in partnership with the City of Minneapolis, Xcel Energy and HOURCAR launched the EV Spot Network today, May 13.
Evie Carshare will be the first 100% renewably powered municipally-owned carshare in the country and provide residents with cleaner and more affordable transportation options.
Evie Carshare will have over 150 all-electric vehicles for one-way trips by the minute, hour, or day around Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Sharing the same system with HOURCAR, members will have access to both one-way Evie Carshare and hub-based HOURCAR services.
Hennepin Avenue Downtown Reconstruction Project
Hennepin Ave. will be reconstructed between 12th Street and Washington Avenue. The City will reconstruct the pavement from building face to building face, including improvements to public and private utility infrastructure, and improved space for pedestrians, bicycles, transit, and vehicles.
Latest Project News
Concrete work continues on Phase 3 of the project between 5th and 7th Streets. This week brought more sidewalk installation and some bike lane concrete segments as well as curb and gutter. Intersection work at 7th has begun and will continue over the coming weeks.
What's Coming Up
The 7th Street intersection will remain down to one lane of traffic as concrete paving occurs next week. Concrete curb, sidewalks, and bike lanes will continue to take shape over the next couple weeks. And work will begin at 5th Street in preparation for the LRT shutdown in early June.
Spring plantings will begin next week from 5th to Washington.
Contact Us
For more information on this project contact:
4th Street Reconstruction Project Overview
The City of Minneapolis is reconstructing 4th St. between 2nd Ave. N and 4th Ave. S in downtown Minneapolis. The reconstruction will include wider sidewalks, improved crossings, a new bi-directional off-street bike path on the north side of the street, lighting, trees, and planting beds. Construction is underway and is expected to be complete by the end of 2022.
What's Happening Next Week?
Roadway reconstruction continues on 4th St. between 2nd Ave. N and Hennepin Ave. Fourth St. is currently closed to vehicle traffic between 1st Ave. N and Hennepin Ave. Local access will be maintained between 2nd Ave. N and 1st Ave. N.
*Please note that the construction schedules are subject to change due to weather and other unforeseen circumstances.
What to expect during construction?
Upcoming Events
4th street weekly stakeholder meeting
Weekly project newsletters and virtual stakeholder meetings are sent out weekly. Join us at the next stakeholder meeting to get project updates, talk with project staff and get your questions/concerns answered.
Stakeholder Meeting
Occurs every Friday from 9-9:30 a.m.
Via Teams Meeting: Click here to join the meeting
Stay connected
There are multiple ways to get information including email updates and ongoing stakeholder meetings. Visit the project website for more information and to sign up for project updates: www.minneapolismn.gov/government/projects/fourth-st-n-and-s/
Provide questions, comments or concerns on the interactive map: https://zan.mysocialpinpoint.com/4thstreetreconstruction
Email the project team: info@4thstmpls.com
Contact the project hotline: 612-412-9774
Mill City Times | 35W Bridge Memorial | Mill District Block Party | Mill City Media
Sunday, May 22, 2022 at 12:15PM