Kolman & Pryor Gallery is now Kolman & Reeb Gallery

Kolman & Reeb Gallery is located in Studio 395, Northrup King Building at 1500 Jackson Street NE, Minneapolis

Jodi Reeb Joins Anita Sue Kolman as Partner and Owner of the Newly Renamed Kolman & Reeb Gallery

Kolman & Reeb Gallery, (formerly Kolman & Pryor Gallery), is thrilled to announce Jodi Reeb, long-time gallery artist and gallery sales associate, has joined Anita Sue Kolman as a partner and owner, and curator of the newly renamed Kolman & Reeb Gallery. “Jodi has been an artist with the gallery for 10 years and our lead salesperson, as well as a full-time fine artist, curator, and teacher in Minneapolis for more than 25 years,” says Kolman.

Jodi Reeb“Jodi is a perfect partner as we take the gallery forward with our new Project Space Grant Program, continue our popular and critically acclaimed gallery activities and exhibitions, and develop new ways to engage and interact with the public,” Kolman adds. “If you liked us before, you’re going to like us even better now. Jodi and I are energized about the whole enterprise.”

Reeb has taught printmaking, acrylic, and encaustic painting as well as book arts. She is a CORE instructor for R&F Handmade Paints and is a GOLDEN Acrylic Paints Artist Educator. Her artwork is in many private and corporate collections including Target Corporation, United Health Care Group, Hilton Hotel in Minneapolis, and Wells Fargo Mortgage in Minneapolis. Her studio is located in the Traffic Zone Center for Visual Art, where she’s facilitated exhibitions for 15 years. She was the recipient of a Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant in 2018. Reeb graduated from the Minneapolis College of Art & Design (MCAD) where she taught printmaking for almost a decade.

“I’m so excited to be collaborating with Anita as an owner and her partner in the gallery I’ve been a part of for so long,” says Reeb. “My background as a fine artist and curator, along with my extensive teaching experience, will allow Anita and I to program an array of new experiences in the gallery for our collectors and the public, while maintaining the excellence Anita has established. We look forward to welcoming everyone to the gallery.”

Major Renovation of Father Hennepin Bluff Park Begins April 18

A new performance stage and seasonal restroom building next to the Stone Arch Bridge is part of the project

Project includes new stage, seasonal restroom building and improvements to park entry, paths, lights, wayfinding, landscaping and stormwater management

A project to renovate and improve Father Hennepin Bluff Park is scheduled to begin construction on Monday, April 18.

Tree protection fencing and erosion control is scheduled to be installed starting Monday, with select tree removal beginning mid-week. Pathway removals will likely begin late next week and go into the following week. Underground utility installation is scheduled for late April.

At this point there are no plans to fully close access to the entire park during construction. Some areas are anticipated to remain open, but please stay away from areas that are fenced off or where construction is happening. Detour signs will be placed around the park to direct people around closed areas.

Project Details

This Father Hennepin Bluff Park Improvements project includes:

• A new performance stage and attached seasonal restroom facility
• New park entry plaza spaces
• Upgraded lights, path connections, wayfinding signage and trail markings
• Landscape and stormwater management improvements

The improvements are focused on the upper part of the park, not the lower paths closer to the Mississippi River. Follow this link to view the project design and some illustrations of the new stage/restroom facility: Father Hennepin Bluff Park Improvements Design

Project Page

Minneapolis' Version of the Bat Signal?

Thank you to Rick Kittock for sharing this photo taken outside of Target Field.

The Minneapolis Arbor Day Celebration heads to the North Loop on April 29!

Annual spring celebration shifts to the streets with a block party along Third Street North between Fifth and Sixth Avenues

The 2022 Minneapolis Arbor Day Celebration brings an entertaining evening in appreciation of trees to North Loop neighborhood on Friday, April 29, 4-8 pm! After a two-year pandemic hiatus, this year the award-winning, traveling festival shifts out of the park and into the streets with a block party planned along Third Street North between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.

Supporting street trees is the focus of this year’s Minneapolis Arbor Day Celebration. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is responsible for all trees planted on public property in Minneapolis, which includes all trees on park land, but also approximately 200,000 trees that line 1,100 miles of city streets and parkways.

The MPRB is teaming up with partner organizations that support the city’s urban trees to educate festival-goers on how to help trees survive and thrive in urban environments. The event is being held on a stretch of Third Street North that was recently rebuilt, so people will have opportunities to help plant new trees along the freshly paved street and learn about urban tree care.

An initial rundown of activities and attractions is below. Share this event with anyone who may be interested at minneapolisparks.org/arborday.

Tree Planting

Join MPRB Arborists for tree planting excursions leaving every half hour, 5-6:30 pm.

Arbor Day Stage

4:30-6 pm: Live music from the Brass Messengers
6-6:30 pm: Announcements and remarks from local elected officials
6:30-8 pm: Live music from the Wailing Loons

Activities

- Information and activities from environmental organizations

- Tree-sized lawn games

- Ask an Arborist booth

- Food Trucks

- Beer Garden

- Arbor Day Fun Run – see MN Brewery Running Series website for details

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A few photos from a precious Arbor Day event (Theodore Wirth Park, pre-pandemic, 2019):

Photo credit: Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board

Kilimo Minnesota Launches GoFundMe to Empower MN Farmers of African Descent

Editor's Note: Thank you to the Mill City Farmers Market for sharing this information.

Kilimo Minnesota is an organic incubator farm with a mission to empower emerging farmers of African descent, socially and economically through mentorship, farmland access navigation and community building.

Founded in 2020 by farmers and Mill City Farmers Market vendors Lonah and Moses Momanyi of Dawn2Dusk Farm, the nonprofit offers a hands-on 3 to 5 year training program where farmers grow and sell organic vegetable crops, take classes, network in the local farming community, and receive one-on-one financial and business mentoring from established farmers.

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The program is growing quickly and has launched a GoFundMe campaign this spring to support basic infrastructure at its new site in Lino Lakes, Minnesota. The project includes a deer fence, irrigation and cold storage, all crucial to organic vegetable farming.

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You can support our friends at Kilimo as they invest in emerging farmers! A donation of any amount - or forwarding this information to someone else who might be interested - supports their goal of empowering more than 20 emerging farmers in 2022 and will have a lasting legacy.

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Learn more: Listen to Moses' recent MPR interview about Kilimo here.

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Moses Momanyi with wife Lonah and children Neil and Faith

Join the 2022 Minneapolis Earth Day Cleanup on April 23!

Everyone is encouraged to participate! Volunteer to help pick up trash in parks, neighborhoods, and along water bodies.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and City of Minneapolis encourage everyone to join the annual Minneapolis Earth Day Clean-Up event on Saturday, April 23, 9:30 am-Noon.

It’s free to participate and your help is needed to clean up our beautiful city! No registration needed, just show up at one of 35 supported park locations listed below and help pick up trash. Bags and gloves will be provided on a first come, first serve basis.

Please share the event information with anyone who may be interested: MinneapolisEarthDay.com and 2022 Minneapolis Earth Day Flyer.

Questions? Contact Tom Godfrey at tgodfrey@minneapolisparks.org or 612-230-6484.

2022 Earth Day 5K Bee Run/Walk/River Cleanup

The Great River Coalition offers an Earth Day 5K Bee Run/Walk/River Cleanup at Boom Island Park. Visit the Great River Coalition website for more information and registration.

DIY Earth Day

Prefer to go at your own pace? You can contribute to clean parks for everyone by participating in Do-It-Yourself Earth Day!

Grab a bag from home and head out to your favorite park or trail or discover a new one. Pick up litter you see, while getting fresh air and exercise, then share pictures of your trash haul on Facebook page or by using the hashtag #mplsDIYEarthDay.

Earth Day Locations

Armatage Park	2500 West 57th Street
Bassett's Creek Park	SE corner of Penn Ave. N. and 1 1/2 Ave. N
Bde Maka Ska East	Corner of W Lake Street and E Bde Maka Ska Parkway
Beltrami Park	1111 Summer St. NE
Boom Island Park	724 Sibley St. NE
Bryant Square Park	3101 Bryant Ave S
Cedar Lake Park	Cedar Lake Parkway and 25th Street W
Creekview Park	5001 Humboldt Ave. N
East River Flats Park	351 East River Parkway
East River Parkway	East River Parkway and Franklin Avenue
Elliot Park	1000 E 14th St.
Father Hennepin Bluff Park	100 6th Ave. SE
Folwell Park	1615 N Dowling Ave
James I. Rice Park	West River Parkway and N 4th Avenue
Kenny Park/Grass Lake	1328 58th Street W
Lake Harriet Park	4135 Lake Harriet Parkway, Band Shell parking lot
Lake Nokomis	2401 East Minnehaha Parkway
Lake of the Isles East	W 27th Street and East Lake of the Isles Parkway
Longfellow Park	3435 36th Ave. S
Loring Park	1382 Willow St.
Lynnhurst Park	1345 W Minnehaha Parkway
Mill Ruins Park	102 Portland Ave. S
Minnehaha Falls	4801 S Minnehaha Drive
Mueller Park	2509 Colfax Ave. S
Pearl Park	414 Diamond Lake Road E
Powderhorn Park	3400 15th Ave. S
Sibley Park	1900 E 40th Street
Sumner Field Park	901 Aldrich Ave. N
Theodore Wirth Regional Park	The Trailhead, 1221 Theodore Wirth Parkway
Thomas Lowry Park	900 Douglas Ave. S
Triangle Park	10th Street S between 4th and 5th Avenue
West River Parkway 36th Street	West River Parkway and E 36th Street
West River Parkway 44th Street	West River Parkway and E 44th Street
Waite Park	1810 34th Ave. NE
Whittier Park	425 W 26th St.

Save an Axle - Report Potholes to the City

If you see a pothole on a city street, please report it to 311. Visit the City's website for help determining if the pothole is on a City-maintained street. Find more information on reporting a pothole in this video.

Uh-oh... 

April 6 Minneapolis Central City Tunnel Project Update

Via an April 6 e-announcement from the City of Minneapolis:

Project Overview

The City of Minneapolis Public Works Department is constructing a new parallel storm tunnel, enlarging a portion of the existing storm tunnel, and constructing a new tunnel access in Downtown Minneapolis. This project is anticipated to be completed summer 2023.

The new tunnel is being constructed parallel to the existing tunnel located under Washington Ave S between Nicollet Mall and Chicago Ave. The existing tunnel under Chicago Ave between Washington Ave S and the Mississippi River is being expanded to handle the increased stormwater capacity. The purpose of this project is to reduce pressure in the existing tunnel, provide more room for future growth, and to reduce the need for future repairs and tunnel failures.

Project Map

Latest Project News

Hennepin Ave

• Tunneling the new parallel storm tunnel under Washington Ave continues. You will see crews continue excavating soils from the existing tunnel access shaft at the northeast corner of the Washington Ave and Hennepin Ave intersection. This is to tunnel the new parallel storm tunnel under Washington Avenue.
  • There may be short, periodic delays while crews move equipment and materials around.

 2nd Ave

• Crews continue tunneling the new parallel storm tunnel under Washington Avenue from the new tunnel access shaft in the southbound lanes of 2nd Ave S, just north of the Washington Ave intersection.
  • The sidewalks remain open on both sides of the road.
  • The crosswalk at the Washington Ave and 2nd Ave S intersection remains open.
  • 2nd Ave S remains a single lane in each direction using the northbound lanes between Washington Ave and 1st St S.
  • Access to driveways off 2nd Ave S remain open. There may be short-term access delays while crews move equipment and materials around.

 Portland Ave

• Tunneling the new parallel storm tunnel under Washington Ave continues from the existing tunnel access shaft at the northeast corner of the Washington Ave and Portland Ave intersection.
  • There may be short, periodic delays while crews move equipment and materials around.

Mississippi River Portal

• Crews continue excavating soils above the storm sewer tunnel and grouting near the existing retaining wall at the Mississippi River portal site through April 2022. Work will resume fall 2022.
  • The parking lot off Portland Ave east of the Stone Arch Bridge, near Mill Ruins Park, will reopen in early May 2022.
  • This lot is currently closed to complete work in this area safely and efficiently.
  • The parking lot near Portland Ave and W River Pkwy remains open.

What to Expect

• Expect additional noise, dust, and vibration as crews complete work.
• Schedule is tentative and subject to change due to weather and other unforeseen circumstances

Long-term closures/restrictions

• The north westbound lane, bike lane, and parking lane remains closed on Washington Ave between Portland Ave and Park Ave. These closures will remain in place until the project completed. This is necessary for the contractor to utilize the existing shaft to connect the existing tunnel to the new tunnel.
  • During this closure, pedestrians can still use the sidewalks along Washington Ave.
  • Crosswalks across Washington Ave and Portland Ave will remain open.
  • Bicyclists will share the traffic lane.
  • The existing left turn lane on Washington Ave at the Portland Ave intersection will temporarily become a left turn and through lane.

• The north sidewalk along Washington Ave remains closed between Hennepin Ave and Nicollet Mall through spring 2022. The contractor is utilizing an existing shaft in this area to connect the existing tunnel to the new tunnel.
  • During this closure, pedestrians share the bike lane on Washington Ave.
  • The crosswalks at the Washington Ave intersections of Nicollet Mall and Hennepin Ave remains open.

• The sidewalk on the east side of 4th Ave S remains closed through spring 2022. The dewatering well and pumps are installed in this area.
  • The sidewalk on the east side of 4th Ave S remains closed.
  • Pedestrians can use the sidewalk on the west side of 4th Ave S.
  • The crosswalk at the Washington Ave and 4th Ave intersection remains open.
  • Access to driveways off 4th Ave S remains open.

• The eastern sidewalk along Nicollet Mall between Washington Ave and 3rd St N is closed through spring 2022. Access is open to the Marquette Plaza building. The dewatering well and pumps are installed in this area.
  • Pedestrians are still able to use the sidewalk on the west side of Nicollet Mall.
  • The crosswalk at the Washington Ave intersection remains open.

• The west sidewalk of Portland Ave south of Washington Ave will remain restricted to pedestrians around the dewatering well and pumps until the project is completed.

Stay connected

Visit the project website for more information and to sign up for project updates: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/projects/central-city-tunnel/

Email the project team: info@mplscentralcitytunnel.com

Contact the project hotline: 612-888-9418

Street Sweeping Begins April 19

Public Works crews are gearing up to start the City’s comprehensive street sweeping program to clear away what has accumulated in the streets over the winter. The City has scheduled Tuesday, April 19, for the first day of sweeping. Beginning Monday, April 18, drivers should watch for temporary “No Parking” signs to avoid a ticket and tow.

Starting April 19 for approximately four weeks, sweeping crews will take care of more than 1,000 miles of city streets. Alley sweeping will be completed by then. To make sure the crews can do the most complete job possible, temporary “No Parking” signs will be posted at least 24 hours in advance to make sure streets are clear of parked vehicles. Drivers need to follow street sweeping parking rules or they may have their cars ticketed and towed to the Minneapolis Impound Lot.

Learn more about how to stay informed about spring street sweeping.

Waning Crescent Moon Over University

Submitted by Ric Rosow

A beautiful waning crescent moon was visible in a red sky shortly before sunrise on March 28th. I blended together two images taken seconds apart to create this image. The first image was take at a shutter speed of 1/200 of a second. A fast shutter speed assures that the moon is in sharp focus. Since the moon is constantly moving, if I use a slow shutter speed the moon will appear blurred in my photograph. The second image was taken at a shutter speed of 1/30 of a second so that the rest of the scene was revealed. In that image the moon was blown out and had no detail. Blending of the two images takes place in Photoshop. The goal was to blend the sharp focused moon from the first image into the second image to create an interesting work of art. There are several ways to blend images together. I experimented with several techniques before achieving a result I liked.  

You can see more of my work @ricrosowphotography.com and treslechesartgallery.com

Gamut Gallery Presents Conexión, Curated by Gerardo Morado of ACME Collective, April 23-May 21

Featuring: Anihail Álvarez, Claire Hickman, Cristian Ybarra, Emily Quandahl, Evan Weselmann, Joshua McGarvey, John Alspach, Joshe Montaño, and Nichole Showalter.

Conexión refers to the union-like relationship between two or more things, people, places, or elements within a system. It is what brings us together and builds a community where there once was none. For his first curatorial exhibition, Gerardo Morado, the founder of ACME Collective, bridges conversations between local and international artists across nationalities and generations to bring us a vivid reflection of our shared human experience. As a first-generation American and emerging artist, DJ, and curator, Morado, has assembled the vibrant works in Conexión as a vehicle to unite and inspire visitors and local, young POC creatives.  

Presented exclusively at Gamut Gallery, this group exhibition weaves together electric colors and engaging textures, challenging the boundaries of contemporary art. Many of the participating artists have profoundly influenced Morado’s perception of art and the subcultures that encompass it: the featured paintings, illustrations, and textiles aim to foster new connections between artists and their audiences. Morado celebrates our differences while simultaneously reminding us of the common threads that bind us. In this way, Conexión upholds art as the universal language we all share. 

Public Opening: Saturday, April 23, 6-9pm - $7 pre-sales, $10 door, Free for members. Music TEKK NIKK

Curator + Artist Talk: Saturday, May 7, 10am - $5 pre-sales, $7 door, Free for members. 

Featuring: Curator Gerardo Morardo and artists, Nichole Showalter, John Alspach and Cristian Ybarra

Moderated by Cassie Garner
• Pre-sales coming soon
• Entry will be available at the door upon availability

Exhibit Finale + Closing Party: Saturday, May 21, 6-9pm $7pre-sales, $10 door Free for members. Pre-sales coming soon. Music curated by Acme Collective 

Featuring El Niño Indigo & a live Downtown Tempo Set by Heckadecimal 

Gerardo Morado is a Mexican American Artist, Curator, based in Minneapolis. In 2006 at the short age of 17, he was introduced to Underground Rave culture in Northeastern Mexico. This quickly became an obsession and he began to focus all of his energy to going to parties, collecting music, and learning how to DJ. Fifteen years later these are all tools Gerardo now incorporates as an event curator running his own event series/brand ACME collective. His main focus is promoting art, culture, and music in an intersectional, and inclusive way with a non-conforming approach. Gerardo is currently producing bi-monthly showcases which feature renowned and emerging artists in underground dance music and visual arts. These showcases intersect a full-fledged rave with a concert grade sound system, lights and visuals, and an informal art exhibition featuring a pop-up gallery and art installations.

ACME is a collective of interdisciplinary artists from the Twin Cities promoting art culture and music in an intersectional and inclusive way. Throughout the years, ACME’s experimental, avant-garde stylistic events have been uniting artists from various subcultures and generations with the aid of dance music and interactive installations.

Gamut Gallery is located at 717 10th Street S. Gallery and gift shop are open Wednesday - Friday, 11am - 6pm; Saturday 11am - 4pm. Closed on event days.

Tickets go on Sale April 15 for Out of the Box’s New Version of La Traviata at the Canopy Minneapolis

Show dates are May 27 - 29

Out of the Box’s new version of La Traviata at the Canopy Minneapolis Mill District stands the opera classic on its head – or more correctly, on three different heads. The show features three sopranos in the role of Violetta Valery, the opera’s’ heroine, singing different scenes at different locations in the hotel. The entire audience will see the first and last scenes together, but for the other three scenes, the audience will be split into small groups that will experience the scenes in a different order.

Artistic Director David Lefkowich explains, “the story of this opera really boils down to three stages of love - unrequited love, true love, and love lost - and the emotional journey that accompanies each stage. Mixing the order of scenes will plunge the audience into the middle of the performance and help them see how radically different it feels depending on where you are in the process of falling in or out of love.”

This Traviata is a joint production of Out of The Box and Opera Columbus, which will present the show in Columbus in June. Lefkowich says joining forces with Columbus has given Out of The Box the resources – both talent and financial - to do a bigger show than it could tackle on its own, stating, “This show will have more performers – singers and musicians – and more moving parts than anything we have done before.” After this initial run, Out of The Box and Opera Columbus will be taking the production to other cities.

Musical Director Brian DeMaris, who has directed for Mill City Summer Opera and serves as Principal Conductor of Anchorage (AK) Opera, notes, “we have an exciting cast of singers and musicians who have performed both locally and nationally, with some performers appearing in both the Minnesota and Columbus productions.”

Tickets go on sale April 15 at outoftheboxopera.com and will offer the option for a VIP Experience that includes an after party with the performers and creative team.

March 2022 by the Numbers from Cynthia Froid Group

Downtown real estate market update from Cynthia Froid Group:

April 3 Event Parkway Closures for Goldy's Run 10 Mile

Please note the following Parkway closures on April 3, 7:30am-12pm, for Goldy's Run 10 Mile:

West River Parkway from 13th Ave S. to E 38th St.

East River Parkway

City Launches 2022 Shared Bike and Scooter Program

The City of Minneapolis has entered into license agreements with three operators - Lyft, Lime, and Spin — to participate in its Shared Bike and Scooter Program launching in mid-April.

To foster greater cooperation and coordination across jurisdictions the City, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, the University of Minnesota and the City of Saint Paul issued a joint solicitation for vendors and worked together to review and rank operator proposals.

Under this multi-vendor program, the City of Minneapolis has issued a sole license for bike sharing was issued to Lyft to continue to operate the Nice Ride system with both classic pedal bicycles and electric-assisted bicycles. The City also issued licenses to Lyft, Lime and Spin to operate motorized foot scooters. Negotiations between the operators and other jurisdictions are ongoing. 

Equity and safety continue to be key focus areas for the program. As part of the City’s Equity focused requirements, at least 30% of each operator’s scooters must be distributed in Equity Distribution Areas in north and south Minneapolis and a maximum of 40% of each operator’s scooters are allowed downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Learn more about the Shared Bike and Scooter program. 

Open Eye Theatre Announces the Relaunch of Puppet Lab

Open Eye Theatre recently announced the return of Puppet Lab, the Twin Cities’ celebrated incubator program for emerging puppet and mask artists. Two new co-artistic directors and four residency artists will participate in Puppet Lab this year. Projects will be workshopped during the spring and summer, and the program will culminate in a two-week festival of public performances at Open Eye Theatre in August 2022.

The Puppet Lab program, created by Alison Heimstead in 2010 for In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, has transitioned to Open Eye. Puppet Lab will continue to establish a formalized process for emerging puppet and mask theater artists to advance their artistic development – to test and create new works within a supportive and challenging workshop environment. This program gives artists the time and space to test ideas, learn from others, and receive and respond to critical feedback. Puppet Lab seeks to nurture exploratory, experimental, and innovative performance, and is interested in ideas that work within traditional forms as well as projects that are new in every way.

Oanh Vu and Rebekah Crisanta de Ybarra join Open Eye’s leadership team as Co-Artistic Directors of Puppet Lab. The Artistic Directors will work as a team to coordinate and facilitate the artistic activities of Puppet Lab.

Four residency artists will workshop their projects this year: Dominique Herskind, Mary Plaster, Liping Vong, and Amoke Kubat. This new cohort of puppetry artists will fill the Open Eye workshops with their creative explorations and have their finished works professionally produced in a two-week festival of public performances in August.

“I am deeply honored that Puppet Lab’s founder, the visionary Alison Heimstead, has invited Open Eye to continue the program, and that the Jerome Foundation has continued their generous support,” says Joel Sass, Open Eye Theatre’s Producing Artistic Director. “And I could not be more excited for Oanh Vu and Rebekah Crisanta de Ybarra to join the Open Eye leadership team!”

“I am thrilled to see that Puppet Lab is continuing with such brilliant leaders!” said Alison Heimstead, founder of Puppet Lab. “Rebekah and Oanh are incredible artists and they will be strong, compassionate and critical leaders for this lab experience for many new and experimental voices in puppetry. Puppet Lab is in good hands!”

Artist Bios/Statements

Rebekah Crisanta de Ybarra (she/her, Maya-Lenca tribal citizen)

Rebekah is a Twin Cities-based interdisciplinary artist, musician (Lady Xøk), dancer, curator, writer, actor, puppeteer, teaching artist, and culture bearer whose work is rooted in Indigenous Futurisms. A curator of many performances, festivals, community events, panels, she is also a 2021-22 Jerome Hill Artist Fellow whose visual interdisciplinary performance work has been developed with Red Eye Theatre, New Native Theatre, Monkeybear’s Harmolodic Workshop, Catalyst Arts, and ArtShanty. Most recently she performed live at the La MaMa Puppet Fest in New York City.

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Oanh Vu (she/her) 

Oanh is an artist and educator who first encountered puppetry through Monkeybear's Harmolodic Workshop’s puppetry intensive and mentorship program. Since then, puppetry has become her passion as I’ve transitioned into a career as a puppeteer. Oanh has trained with master puppeteers through the Chicago Puppet Festival,Tom Lee, Rough House Puppets, the O'Neill National Puppetry Conference and Manual Cinema. Locally, Oanh has created and collaborated on a wealth of new puppet works that have been shown across the Twin Cities. As an educator, Oanh has worked for 13 years with the Science Museum of Minnesota.

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Dominique Herskind (she/her/they/them)

“I really enjoy mixing humor with existential dread and exploring the corporeal nature of our existence. Humor is a good narrative tool to use to tackle heavy topics, because laughter breaks down our barriers and lets us be more open to different thoughts and opinions. That’s the beauty of puppets, too: puppets allow the viewer to see the world reflected back to them through another lens. My project follows a puppet whose mind/consciousness is severed from its body. The mind can’t get the body to do what it wants, and the body can’t make the mind do what it needs. How can the body and mind be unified to keep its soul, the center for creativity, from dying? Puppetry allows life to be exaggerated, and I can’t think of a better medium to showcase the detachment of the mind and body.”

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Amoke Awele Kubat (she/her)

“As an emerging artist at 72 years, I have few peers (creative and personal). It is my intent to continue to grow as an artist and as a human being. My mind is sharp. My creativity is like gamma rays. My strongest talents are curiosity and the alchemy of process. I’m not afraid of trial and error, having younger mentors, or leaping into the void of creation. To develop a performance for Puppet Lab, I see myself as a "puppet", and animating the "stuff" found in an old lady’s purse! Using a variety of puppets and masks, an old woman remembers significant moments in her life. We see and hear simple stories as she removes and examines items from her purse. I will be exploring the journey of aging that does not end in dismissal and isolation and death. It is a journey that highlights each chapter of human experiences: child, teen, adult, elder, ancestor and descendant.”

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Mary Plaster (she/they)

“I’m so excited to be part of Puppet Lab because this in-person (not virtual!), supportive, intensive group process–focused on immediate, specific performance goals–is something I’ve never experienced in a lifetime of art and giant puppet making. As a visual artist, the last two years abruptly halted my paid work; displays in art galleries were also shut down due to COVID-19 concerns. Plunged into this sudden stillness I took a hard inventory of my life’s arc and realized it was imperative to use the time to make tangible steps towards long-held objectives of developing smaller, more intimate storytelling. Much of my life’s work supports environmental activism. The project I plan on workshopping for Puppet Lab 2022 is a portion of a longer, dark fairytale I have just started developing. It will explore creatures and grand elements of nature as a call to return to the outdoors, to care for and defend wild places.”

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Liping Vong (she/they)

“With puppetry, anything goes—puppets can be magical and inhabit wild worlds and defy physics that other other performance art forms are tied to. I hope to take advantage of Puppet Lab’s collaborative process and feedback style to dive out of my comfort zone of performing and to develop and nurture my writing skills for puppetry. These explorations are new and important to me because I am a child of refugees from Laos, and my family is ethnically Chinese. Because my sisters and I grew up in small-town-turned-sprawling-suburb Iowa, in a predominantly white community, Chinese myths, folktales, other stories, and traditions didn’t quite make their way to me. Creating a body of work that honors these tales from my heritage is a long-time goal of mine. I also hope that learning about these stories will lead me to other tales.”

Cochon 555's 'Heritage Fire' set for June 12 at Loews Hotel

Tickets now on sale for June 12 Cochon 555's 'Heritage Fire' 

Tickets are now on sale for Cochon555’s Heritage Fire, the first Minneapolis edition of America’s beloved culinary experience.

 

Taking place at The Loews Hotel Minneapolis on Sunday, June 12, the event will feature an all-star lineup of local chefs and artisans, each cooking globally inspired heritage-breed proteins with offerings including a wide array of beef products from DemKota Ranch Beef, whole pigs, lamb, goat, squab, rabbit, duck, fish, chicken, artisan cheeses, and heirloom vegetables. Produced and owned by Agency 21, the event’s ultimate aim is to provide education to consumers and create an experience that guests can sink their teeth into, honest food from real farmers. Attendees must be 21+ to attend.

 

An all-star cast of the Twin Cities top chefs will be on-site cooking and dishing up delicious bites. Full lineup to be announced in the coming weeks. In addition to one-of-a-kind culinary creations, Heritage Fire will feature free-flowing wine, craft cocktails and beer. All tickets are all-inclusive of unlimited curated dishes, beverage pairings, live entertainment and more!

 

“We’re incredibly fortunate and thankful to return to Minneapolis and bring our Heritage Fire to the Twin Cities for the first time,” says Brett Friedman, Partner & CEO of Agency 21, which owns and operates Heritage Fire, Cochon555, among others. “This new twist to our Cochon 555 tour provides us the opportunity to showcase live Fire proteins and produce that are locally farmed and sustainably harvested.”

 

VIP Early Access: $150

Guests can celebrate early with the VIP experience – an extra 45 minutes to get up close with the chefs, winemakers, and farmers who make it all happen. Chefs will serve one special dish to entice VIP palates, while professional bartenders and sommeliers bring their best game forward with specialty cocktails and reserve wines.

 

General Admission: $99

Feast on responsibly-raised heritage breed animals, a perfect setting of ethically sourced food, and a variety of beverages from local craft breweries, distilleries, and wineries – all created by some of the nation’s most forward-thinking food and drink leaders. 

Art in Bloom Returns On-site at Minneapolis Institute of Art, April 28

The centerpiece of the show is the gorgeous still-life of dahlias painted by Eugène Delacroix.

Mia’s annual springtime celebration is back with four days of unique events, on-site tours, and more than 140 imaginative floral interpretations of artworks from the museum’s collection

Art in Bloom, the annual celebration of art and flowers at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), is back on-site and in person for the first time in two years. This year’s event will take place April 28–May 1, and will coincide with the opening of “Floral Affair: A Bouquet for the Friends’ Centennial,” an exhibition that revisits artworks featured in past Art in Bloom events.

Floral arrangement from the 2019 Art in Bloom. Photo: Minneapolis Institute of ArtPresented by the Friends of the Institute, Art in Bloom will showcase more than 140 imaginative floral interpretations of selected works of art from Mia’s permanent collection, created by volunteer floral artists and commercial florists. During the four-day festival, everyone is invited to enjoy the fresh floral arrangements and commercial florist installations displayed in the galleries alongside the artworks that inspired them.

Highlights of this year’s event include: 

• A featured talk by Lisa Michaux, PhD, a former Mia curator who will bring her unique perspective and engaging style to the topic of floral themes in art. She will illuminate masterpieces by a wide range of artists who adored the subject, including Vincent van Gogh, Édouard Manet, Georgia O’Keeffe, Henri Fantin-Latour, Claude Monet, Pierre-Joseph Redouté, and Eugène Delacroix. Thursday, April 28, 11 a.m. Tickets: $25
• Live floral demonstrations by Bachman’s floral artists. Saturday, April 30, 1 p.m. Tickets: $25 
• Art in Bloom Family Event celebrating May Day with singing, dancing, and storytelling, plus a craft-making activity for kids to decorate a May Day headpiece with fresh flowers and colorful ribbons. Sunday, May 1, 10 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Free admission. 
• Free, guided tours of the floral displays, held in person and virtually. 

Art in Bloom is the principal fundraiser for Mia’s Friends organization, a group of members dedicated to supporting, enhancing, and sustaining Mia’s collections and programs. Proceeds from ticketed lectures and demonstrations provide the Friends’ with funds to pay for buses for tens of thousands of schoolchildren to come to the museum for field trips each year. 

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Mia’s Friends organization. To celebrate, the Friends have planned a special botanical exhibition that will open in the Cargill Gallery during Art in Bloom. “Floral Affair: A Bouquet for the Friends’ Centennial” revisits artworks featured in past Art in Bloom events. 

Visit the Art in Bloom page on Mia’s website for the complete 2022 Art in Bloom program and ticket information. Art in Bloom hours match the museum’s normal hours all weekend. General admission to Art in Bloom is free. The exhibition opens on Wednesday, April 27, and will be on view until August 14.

March 2022 Third Avenue Bridge Project Photos by Doug Verdier, Part 2

Submitted by Doug Verdier, who continues to document the Third Avenue Bridge refurbishment project.

This series of photos shows the removal of the artificial “island” created around the base of one of the Third Avenue Bridge piers to enable workers, equipment and materials access to the base of the pier below the water line to rebuild the base. The whole removal process took several days. Good weather helped, but crews worked day and night.

In this “before” photo, machinery, structures and equipment boxes can be seen lining the gravel island that was built prior to work being started on the base. A ladder tower was also constructed to enable workers access to the work area. All heavy equipment and materials were lowered throughout the project to the work area by tower cranes (red structure in top center of photo).

Much of the materials, equipment boxes and the white structure have been removed from the island by the crane. The yellow excavator is beginning to pull gravel from the edges of the island to enable the crews to remove it. The excavator, which was lowered to the island by crane, is shown building a pile of gravel that it will sit on while removing gravel from around it.

Just above the excavator are two hoppers being lowered by the red tower crane. The excavator operator will fill each hopper many times during the next couple of days (and nights) so the gravel can be taken up to the bridge, loaded onto dump trucks, and hauled away. Note the edges of the island are shrinking.

This photo shows the smaller island as gravel continues to be hauled out of the river. But also note that the ladder that once stood on the island is gone. Look up above the bridge just to the right of the red crane tower and you will see the ladder tower as it is being removed and lowered onto the bridge.

Another shot of the shrinking island. Two workers remained on the site (the excavator operator and a spotter) throughout the removal of the gravel. As the level of the gravel bed beneath the excavator got lower, the tracks of the excavator were standing in water while the remaining gravel was scooped up and hauled above in the hoppers that were lowered from the crane above throughout the operation.

Almost done! Both the excavator and the worker next to it are now standing in river water flowing down stream. More gravel was scooped up and hauled up as dusk approached. When the removal was finished, the two workers hooked up the excavator to cables lowered by the crane and watched as it was hauled slowly and carefully up to the bridge. They remained on the submerged remnants of the island until a smaller container was lowered to them to return to the bridge. Well Done!

A Natural Curiosity: The Story of the Bell Museum Virtual Book Launch with the Bell Museum set for April 20

Virtual book launch for A Natural Curiosity: The Story of the Bell Museum by Lansing Shepard, Don Luce, Barbara Coffin, and Gwen Schagrin

Wednesday, April 20, 7:00-8:30pm

Bell Museum (virtual) Register 

The University of Minnesota's Bell Museum in St. Paul will host a virtual book launch event for the new book A Natural Curiosity: The Story of the Bell Museum (University of Minnesota Press, April 2022) by Lansing Shepard, Don Luce, Barbara Coffin, and Gwen Schagrin on Wednesday, April 20 at 7:00 PM CT. Hosted by the Bell Museum’s Science Director Dr. George Weiblen, the event will feature brief presentations by coauthors Don Luce and Barbara Coffin and a moderated discussion focused on the museum's leadership and innovation in public education throughout its long history. Fellow coauthors Lansing Shepard and Gwen Schagrin will join the event during the Q&A portion of the event.

Since its humble start in 1872 as a one-room cabinet of curiosities, the University of Minnesota’s Bell Museum of natural history has become one of the state’s most important cultural institutions. From its conception as part of a state-mandated geological and natural history survey, to its most recent ventures into technology, environmental science, and DNA sequencing, the Bell Museum has informed, explained, and expanded our relationship to the natural world. Drawing on a wealth of materials unearthed during the museum’s recent move, the gorgeously illustrated book, A Natural Curiosity, chronicles the remarkable discoveries and personalities that have made the Bell Museum what it is today. The Bell Museum's story, engagingly told in A Natural Curiosity, reveals and explores the profound changes undergone by society, science, and the natural landscape over the museum’s lifetime.

Beginning this past January, the Bell Museum celebrates 150 years. The book launch for A Natural Curiosity is part of the yearlong celebration that will feature different experiences that showcase the rich and varied history of the museum.