September 9, 2011, Friday - Creative Placemaking: Challenges and Opportunities in 2011 at Central Library

Time: 1:30pm - 3:00pm

Location:  Pohlad Hall, Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall

Creative Placemaking: Challenges and Opportunities in 2011
   
Come to a panel discussion on "creative place making in the current environment" with Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.   
 
The prestigious panel will also include Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak; Sarah Harris, Chief Operating Officer of the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District; and Tom Borrup, Principal of Creative Community Builders.The discussion will be moderated by Tom Fisher, Professor of Architecture and Dean of the College of Design at the University of Minnesota.

The NEA recently awarded 51 "Our Town" grants nationwide which focus on "Creative Placemaking," a process and initiative that encourages partners from both the public and private sectors to come together to strategically shape the social, physical and economic character of a neighborhood, town, city or region around arts and cultural activities. Hennepin Theatre Trust received an "Our Town" grant to lead the planning process to re-invent Hennepin Avenue. Partners including the Walker Art Center, Artspace and the City of Minneapolis will collaboratively develop an arts-inspired cultural corridor stretching from the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden to the historic State, Orpheum and Pantages Theatres and the Mississippi Riverfront.

September 9, 2011, Friday - Creative Placemaking: Challenges and Opportunities in 2011 at Central Library

Time: 1:30 - 3 PM

Location:  Pohlad Hall, Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall

Creative Placemaking: Challenges and Opportunities in 2011
   
Come to a panel discussion on "creative place making in the current environment" with Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.   
 
The prestigious panel will also include Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak; Sarah Harris, Chief Operating Officer of the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District; and Tom Borrup, Principal of Creative Community Builders.The discussion will be moderated by Tom Fisher, Professor of Architecture and Dean of the College of Design at the University of Minnesota.

The NEA recently awarded 51 "Our Town" grants nationwide which focus on "Creative Placemaking," a process and initiative that encourages partners from both the public and private sectors to come together to strategically shape the social, physical and economic character of a neighborhood, town, city or region around arts and cultural activities. Hennepin Theatre Trust received an "Our Town" grant to lead the planning process to re-invent Hennepin Avenue. Partners including the Walker Art Center, Artspace and the City of Minneapolis will collaboratively develop an arts-inspired cultural corridor stretching from the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden to the historic State, Orpheum and Pantages Theatres and the Mississippi Riverfront.

September 9, 2011, Friday - Soap Factory $99 Sale

Time: 7:00pm – 11:00pm

Location: Soap Factory, 514 Second Street SE

The Soap Factory has tweaked its annual fundraiser, bringing you larger works by noted artists for just $99.

With a new larger format (8” by 10”) and a carefully curated selection of artists, this year promises to be more exhilarating than ever before. All the work is signed only on the back, so you’ll buy what you like and then find out who made it. At the low price of $99 for original art, you’ll definitely find gems you can’t live without. Artists from around the country have donated their works (over 200), and all proceeds support The Soap Factory.

Notable names participating this year include Alec Soth, Chris Faust, Liz Miller and Wing Young Huie. Tickets to the $99 Sale are $30 and include appetizers from Chowgirls Killer Catering, beer, wine and soft drinks for the entire evening.

Purchase online.

Morning-after Sale on Saturday, September 10, 9:00am – Noon.  All remaining works will be sold for just $66, and admission that day is free.

September 9, 2011, Friday - Kramarczuk's Kielbasa Festival

Time:  5:00pm - 10:00pm

Location: Kramarczuk’s Sausage Co., 215 East Hennepin Avenue

Kramarczuk’s Kielbasa Festival -- “Meat Us in Nordeast”

Enjoy live music and family entertainment, Kramarczuk’s street food and Grain Belt Nordeast, local and European beers on tap. Daily admission of $10 gets you a commemorative beer stein and your first beer is free. Admission is $5 under 21 and for a designated driver. Kids five and under are free.

Tickets are available at Kramarczuk’s and online while supplies last.

Additional Dates:

Saturday, September 10, 11 am – 10 pm
Sunday, September 11, 11 am – 6 pm

September 8, 2011, Thursday - Central Library Book Store Fall Clearance Sale (9 days)

Location:  Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall

Fall Clearance Sale

The Library Foundation's Book Store at the Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, will host a 3-week clearance sale from September 8 through October 1. All proceeds benefit the Library Foundation of Hennepin County and programs and services at the Library.

Here are the details:

•WEEK ONE: September 8 - 16: All used books, music, and videos are 50% off.

•WEEK TWO: September 17 - 23: All used items $.25 each.

•WEEK THREE: September 23 - October 1: All the items you can fit into a bag for $2.

For more information, see the website or call 612-543-8102.

September 8, 2011, Thursday - Granta 116: 10 Years Later at the Loft

Time: 7:00pm
 
Location: The Loft at Open Book (Performance Hall) 1011 Washington Avenue South
 
One day in September, a decade ago, all eyes were turned towards New York. Where are we looking now? Through fiction, reportage, memoir, poetry and photography, Granta 116: 10 Years Later looks at how an event like 9/11 reverberates, with stories from Tunisia to Toronto. As part of an event series that spans the nation, human rights advocate Barbara Frey, novelist Marlon James and Sioux author Susan Power will explore this topic through readings and in conversation with Minnesota Public Radio arts reporter Marianne Combs.

Granta magazine is a quarterly magazine of new writing founded in 1889 by students at Cambridge University as The Granta, a periodical of student politics, student badinage and student literary enterprise, named after the river that runs through the town. Since 1979, the year of its rebirth, Granta has published many of the world’s finest writers tackling some of the world’s most important subjects, from intimate human experiences to the large public and political events that have shaped our lives http://www.granta.com/.

This event is free and open to the public.

September 8, 2011, Thursday - Ananya Dance Theatre at Southern Theater (4 nights)

Show times for Tushaanal: Fires of Dry Grass

September 8: 7:30pm
September 9:  8:00pm
September 10: 2:00pm and 8:00pm
September 11: 7:00pm

Location:  Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Avenue South

Choreographer Ananya Chatterjea, 2011 winner of the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship for Choreography, and her company, Ananya Dance Theatre (ADT), present the world premiere of Tushaanal: Fires of Dry Grass, September 8-11 at the Southern Theater. The piece is the second in a four-part, anti-violence series exploring how women in global communities of color experience and resist violence. Tushaanal (“fires of dry grass” in Bengali) revolves around stories of gold, an element mined and harnessed as capital, and a symbol of desire, beauty and artistry. Tushaanal is co-directed by Chatterjea, ADT’s founding artistic director, and OBIE Award-winning theater artist Laurie Carlos.

September 7, 2011, Wednesday - Austrian Wine Dinner at Spill the Wine

Time: 6:30pm

Location: Spill the Wine, 1101 Washington Avenue South

Austrian Wine Dinner - $35/Person

Featuring Austrian Cuisine by Chef Craig Johnson and Austrian Wines of Zantho; Dry Muskat, Blaufrankisch and more...

featuring wines:

amuse bouche
fried camembert, pumpkin seed pesto, laugen pretzel (sea salt & caraway)
dry muskat

course one
sausage plate, smoked bratwurst, frankfurter, currywurst, dusseldorf mustard, sauerkraut
sauvignon blanc

course two
veal goulash, spatzle, sweet paprika, baby arugula
blaufrankisch

course three
sacher torte, boozy cherries
zweigelt

Reservations

September 4, 2011, Sunday - Women’s Work: History Player Eva Valesh Tour at Mill City Museum

Time: 1:00pm

Location: Mill City Museum, 704 2nd Street South

Fee: $14 adults, $12 seniors and college students, $10 ages 6-17 and MHS members.

Reservations: required, call 612-341-7555

A costumed actor portraying labor writer Eva Valesh will lead a walking tour highlighting the factories whose working conditions were exposed by Valesh in series of newspaper articles in 1888 and 1889. Jobs available to women in the 19th and early-20th century and some of the key events in women’s labor history in Minneapolis will be discussed. Valesh was a labor writer and orator who was also known by the pen name Eva Gay. Among the riverfront factories singled out by "Eva Gay" was the North Star Woolen Mill, still standing two blocks from Mill City Museum. Valesh served as labor editor for the Saint Paul Globe and the Minneapolis Tribune. She went on to national acclaim, working for Samuel Gompers as Assistant Editor of the American Federationist.

September 4, 2011, Sunday - Complimentary Tai Chi Workshop at Open Book

Time: 12:30pm-1:30pm

Location: Open Book, 1011 Washington Avenue South

A complimentary Tai Chi workshop will be held at the Open Book from 12:30pm-1:30pm on Sunday, September 4.

Register

Beginners classes start Sunday, September 18, at 9:30am.

September 3, 2011, Saturday - Mill City Farmers Market

Time: 8:00am - 1:00pm

Location: 704 South 2nd Street

Today at Mill City Farmers Market:  MELONS!
 
Produce Planner:  
Melons are in! Watermelons, cantaloupe, honeydew melons and much more! 
 
Mill City Cooks, 10:00am 
Local Thai Chef and Restaurateur, Joe Hatch-Surisook of Sen Yai Sen Lek, joins Heather Hartman for a cooking demo with Minnesota-grown melons!
 
Live Music, 11:00am - 1:00pm:
Bring your dancing shoes cause Light of the Moon Band will sure make you want to tap your toes!  

Book Signing:
Salad Days by Salad Girl Pam Powell     

Art Market:
Featuring Weavers Guild, Guillermo Cuellar, Fruits of the Sea.

September 3, 2011, Saturday - Taste Twin Cities Minneapolis Riverwalk Tour (Starts at Gold Medal Park)

Taste Twin Cities was created to share our passion of food and enjoy the taste the Twin Cities has to offer.  If you love to eat, try new foods and enjoy a fun experience learning about the history of the Twin Cities, this tour if for you! Reservations.

Tour Facts
•3 hour walking tour of Minneapolis Mill District and Northeast Minneapolis neighborhoods.
•11:30am - 2:30pm
•Flat route with slight inclines and walking down 1 staircase, approximately 1.8 miles, standing most of the time, bathrooms available at some stops.
•6 stops, with tastings at each (enough food for lunch!).
•Tour limited to 12 people, advance tickets required.
•Begins at Gold Medal Park (S 10th Ave & S 2nd Street), located next to the Guthrie Theater, ends in Northeast Minneapolis (Hennepin Ave & SE University Ave).
•$43 (Prepaid at time of reservation)

Tour Description
Hungry for an off-the-beaten path Minneapolis food experience? Join us as we explore one of the city's trendy and historical neighborhoods, Mill District and Northeast Minneapolis. We will share what's hot in the Minneapolis food scene as we visit specialty shops and restaurants that are proud of their commitment to local and sustainable ingredients, and handmade treats. As you participate in tasting mouth watering pasta, compare gourmet cheeses and learn how Danish pastry is made, you'll gain an appreciation for a distinct neighborhood that most tourists never see.

We'll stroll past Museums and Theaters in the Mill District, enjoy gorgeous views the river has to offer and cross over into historical Northeast Minneapolis. You'll learn about the history of both these neighborhoods and visit the oldest street in Minneapolis. You'll taste and chat with other food-loving guests, and leave the tour with a host of restaurant recommendations and discounts for your next trip back to the Twin Cities.

Tastings
•Mouth watering pasta with an amazing atmosphere.
•Specialty Danish pastry baked in front of us, served with a variety of delicious toppings.
•Local cheese and specialty items.
•Variety of Minnesota brewed draft beers (non-alcoholic tastings available).
•European style bakery bread.
•Extravagantly blended gourmet chocolates.
•Award winning coffee including local favorite Noreast Mud (substitute options available).
*Tastings subject to change without notice. Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated.

Location
Our Tour begins at Gold Medal Park (S 10th Ave & S 2nd Street).

September 3, 2011, Saturday - "Sisterhood of the Hennepin Chalice" Reading at Mill City Museum

Time: 10:00am - 11:00am

Location: Mill City Museum, 704 South 2nd Street

Mill City Museum and Brooklyn History Round Table host Duluth author Jack Salmela, who will talk about his new book Sisterhood of the Hennepin Chalice. Includes tour of Minneapolis milling area.

Call Diane at 763-607-1150 to RSVP.

September 3, 2011, Saturday - Washburn A Mill Tour at Mill City Museum

Time: 1:00pm

Location: Mill City Museum, 704 2nd Street South

Fee: $14 adults, $12 seniors and college students, $10 ages 6-17 and MHS members. 

Reservations: recommended, call 612-341-7555

Take an in-depth look at the historic Washburn A Mill complex and the award-winning Mill City Museum building on a guided tour of the building. A museum interpreter will take visitors into the building’s many nooks and crannies, highlighting the lives of the men and women who worked there, how the building functioned during its peak flour milling years, and the many changes to the building over time. Also covered will be how the mill ruin was converted to a museum and office building.

Although many parts of the A mill can be explored on a self-guided basis during a regular museum visit, this is the only opportunity for a guided tour through the entire museum building, and the only chance to see some of its non-public spaces. The tour includes admission to the museum gallery as well as the Flour Tower show.

September 3, 2011, Saturday - Petit Déjeuner: A Toast to French Breads at Alliance Française

Time:  9:30am to 11:30am

Location: The Alliance Française of Minneapolis/St Paul, 113 N 1st Street

Bakers discuss French bread – with samples!

The art of French bread is the topic at a free breakfast discussion featuring Arnaud de Rambures, owner of Chez Arnaud, and David Wright, owner of Breadsmith. Writer and artist Barbara Redmond is event host, and will discuss her adventurous tour of the 18th century ovens at Boulangerie Poilâne in Paris.

Complimentary bread and coffee are available for guests. This discussion is part of a series of free breakfast events called “Petit Dej’” at the Alliance Française de Minneapolis/St. Paul, which are held the first Saturday of every month.

Both Arnaud de Rambures and David Wright have spent time studying the art of baking in France and operate renowned bakeries in the Twin Cities. Wright spent time in Paris learning the many methods of baking bread and has been making bread from scratch daily at Breadsmith since 1994. De Rambures trained at the French Institut of Pastry and Baking in Rouen, France and opened Chez Arnaud in 2010.

Barbara Redmond is the woman behind A Woman’s Paris, a group that leads discussions, private tours, and discussions about France. She is also a talented artist and graphic designer whose fine art paintings of Paris are in collections around the world. Click here for Barbara’s blog.

Admission: Free and open to the public.

For more information, call 612-332-0436 or email bonjour@afmsp.org.

September 1, 2011, Thursday - Vikings and Houston Texans at the Dome

Time: 7:00pm

August 30, 2011, Tuesday - Annual Gathering: Write Here, Write Now at the Loft

Time: 5:00pm

Location: The Loft, 1011 Washington Avenue South (Open Book Performance Hall)

Write Here. Write Now.

The Loft Annual Gathering brings constituents together to catch up with each other, celebrate some of the Loft's achievements in the past year, and learn about some of the upcoming classes and events at the Loft.

The open house event will take place from 5-8 p.m. Jocelyn Hale, the Loft's executive director, will give an address at 6 p.m., which will be followed by a student reading at 6:45 p.m. Throughout the evening there will be opportunities to take a Loft mini-class, learn about Loft programs and classes, stake your place in Loft history, and socialize with other aspiring, emerging, and established writers.

Come share the literary love. Register for the Loft Annual Gathering.

August 30, 2011, Tuesday - Free Kindermusik Class at the 4th Avenue Playground

Time:  10:00am

Location:  4th Avenue Playground (intersection of West River Parkway and 4th Avenue North)

Kindermusikis an award winning music and movement program for children ages newborn to 7 years old.  Attend this free demo and see what Kindermusik is all about! Call 612-202-6686 to sign up.

Watch this videoto take a peek inside the Kindermusik classroom.

Classes will be taught at the Corner Coffee Kid's Space starting in September.  Click here for a list of class dates and times.

In addition to their website, you can visit them on Facebook.

August 30, 3011, Tuesday - Upper River Forum River Walk

Time: 6:30pm – 8:00pm

Location: Minneapolis Park & Rec Board Headquarters, 2117 West River Road

Upper River Forum: Broadway to Boom and Back – River Walk

Meet at the Park Board and walk along West River Road to Plymouth, Boom Island, Sibley Street and back across the Broadway Bridge.  Hear about the area's past and future, and learn about the bridges.

Walking the Plymouth and Broadway bridge loop, we will see how people have transformed this riverfront in ten years, and imagine how the Upper River will change.

We will:
- walk the continuous riverfront trails;
- talk bridge rehabilitation and “knot bridges;”
- see the Scherer site and Boom Island transformations;
- highlight the economic and cultural development at Coloplast, Graco, RSP-Grain Belt, Pierre Bottineau Library, and Riverview Homes;
- spot great public art; and
- look for shorelines hot for habitat and clean water.
Stop at Broadway Pizza for a brew and ‘za afterward.

GET YOUR FREE MAP of Destinations Above the Falls!  Limited edition for 2011!

Registration by August 29 required.

August 30, 2011, Tuesday - Music in The Park - Father Hennepin Bluffs

Time: 7:00pm

Siems-Hauer Acoustic Duo  "Classic and Original Folk/Blues"

Brought to us by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.