May 21, 2011, Saturday - Art-a-Whirl in Northeast

Time: Noon - 8:00pm

Art-A-Whirl, presented by the Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association, is the largest open studio and gallery tour in the United States.

More than 500 artists participate in AAW, including potters, tile makers, painters, sculptors, musicians, photographers, glass blowers, printmakers, and textile designers.  They showcase their art in warehouses, galleries, homes, storefronts and cafes.

Here are links to articles from The Journal that might help prepare you:

Art overdose: A beginner's guide

Dine-A-Whirl

Northrup King getting new sculpture garden

Land of 10,000 artists

May 21, 2011, Saturday - Education Open House at The Loft

Time: 10:00am

Location: The Loft, 1011 Washington Avenue South

The Education Department hosts a summer term open house from 10:00am–1:00pm Chat with some teaching artists.  Make your final decisions about which classes to take.  Ask questions.  Meet other students and Loft staff.

Free.  Light refreshments.

May 21, 2011, Saturday - Guthrie Theater Costume Ball

Location: Guthrie Theater, 818 South 2nd Street

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
5:00 pm Cocktail hour and entertainment for dinner guests
7:00 pm Dinner (choice of three dining options)
9:00 pm Dance Party featuring Best Kept Secret, DJ Mark Wheat and MAYDA

Who would you be for a night?

Lady Bracknell to Lady Gaga. King Lear to the King of Pop. You decide at the Guthrie Theater Costume Ball! This red carpet event will transform the Guthrie for an evening of magic and wonder. Celebrations include fine food, wine, dancing – and of course – costumes! The entire building is exclusively yours for this event – so come explore with us.  

TICKET PRICES
Dinner tickets vary. Download a registration form. 
Dance Party (ages 18+) tickets are $10 and available by calling the Guthrie Box Office at 612.377.2224 or ordering online. 

For more information, call 612-225-6164 or e-mail costumeball@guthrietheater.org

May 21, 2011, Saturday - The Erasers Opening Reception at the The Soap Factory

Time: 7:00pm - 11:00pm

Location: The Soap Factory, 518 Second Street SE

Exhibit Runs: May 21 - July 17, 2011

Curator Corinna Kirsch brings together artists from the United States and Europe for an exhibition mixing the formal language of minimal and conceptual art with the intimacy of personal cultural memory.

A thing is never a mere thing, an eraser is never just an eraser. The works in The Erasers act as gathering points for what has been lost or forgotten through time. As such labyrinthine objects, an emphasis on materials pervades the works’ surfaces that are sometimes roughly assembled, sometimes delicate, and other times highly polished. In this exhibition, the artists utilize the deceptiveness of materials, embracing the stream of dislocations found in life where at one moment objects, like ourselves, are one thing and in the very next breath, another.

The Erasers features works emblazoned with melodrama, humor, and beauty – like a sigh or a gasp for authenticity in the oftentimes brash and overly ironic air of contemporary art.

May 20, 2011, Friday - Art-a-Whirl in Northeast

Time: 5:00pm-10:00pm

Art-A-Whirl, presented by the Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association, is the largest open studio and gallery tour in the United States.

More than 500 artists participate in AAW, including potters, tile makers, painters, sculptors, musicians, photographers, glass blowers, printmakers, and textile designers.  They showcase their art in warehouses, galleries, homes, storefronts and cafes.

Here are links to articles from The Journal that might help prepare you:

Art overdose: A beginner's guide

Dine-A-Whirl

Northrup King getting new sculpture garden

Land of 10,000 artists

May 20, 2011, Friday - Mentor Series: E. Ethelbert Miller at The Loft

Time: 7:00pm

Location: The Loft, 1011 Washington Avenue South

Event: 'Mentor Series: E. Ethelbert Miller' 
 
The Loft Mentor Series in Poetry and Creative Prose presents poetry mentor E. Ethelbert Miller reading with program participants Amelia Boulware and Betsy Daub.

Amelia Boulware (fiction) works as a writer, editor, and tutor. Her short stories and poems have appeared in Cutthroat: A Journal of the Arts, Bayou Magazine, Poet Lore, and Connotation Press.

Betsy Daub (poetry) is a conservation biologist. Her affection for nature, the outdoors, and science started from her childhood wanderings in the Sonora Desert of Arizona. She has spent over 25 years conducting field research, advocating for sound conservation public policy, and as a science educator. She works for a non-profit organization and lives in St. Paul with her partner, their 13-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son.

E. Ethelbert Miller (poetry) is a literary activist, the author of 11 collections of poetry and the editor of numerous anthologies.  He is the board chairperson of the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS).  He is a board member of The Writer's Center and editor of Poet Lore magazine.  Since 1974, he has been the director of the African American Resource Center at Howard University.  Mr. Miller is the former chair of the Humanities Council of Washington, D.C. and a former core faculty member of the Bennington Writing Seminars at Bennington College.

May 20, 2011, Friday - Art Opening at Hoffman Parkin Urban Realty

Time: 5:00pm–8:00pm

Location: Hoffman Parkin Urban Realty, 14 Fourth Street SE

Kick off the first night of NE Minneapolis' Art-A-Whirl with an opening of recent work by nationally-recognized local artist Joe Paquet.  Joe is a master of Plein Air style painting - a uniquely demanding method of painting outdoors, directly from life. Joe is recognized across the country as a leading practitioner, winning numerous awards and accolades.

May 19, 2011, Thursday - Free Yoga Class

Time: 6:30pm
  
Location: The Zenith, 901 2nd Street South - Unit 904

The next Yoga event in an ongoing series hosted by Victoria Rico will be May 19.  Space is limited - the first 15 people to call, text or email Victoria will enjoy this yoga class with beverages and snacks afterwards.  To make a reservation for this free yoga class at the Zenith Condominiums, contact Victoria at 612-554-7755 or victoria@victoriarico.com.

Victoria teaches at CorePower Yoga and wants to remind everyone that at CorePower Yoga (CPY) the first week is free.  Seven days of free yoga – what a treat! Even if you do not want to join CPY – it's worth it just to take a couple classes in the heat – although there are classes without heated studios.   Not only are some of the classes heated, but the humidity is cranked as well.  As you tap into your breath you will stretch, bend, twist, bind, sweat & detoxify. 

CorePower Yoga, 501 Washington Avenue, is located on the 2nd floor.  With 3 studios, there are a variety of classes throughout the day.  For additional information regarding the various classes at CorePower Yoga, click here.

May 19, 2011, Thursday - Midwest Photo Safari "Minneapolis Nights in the Mill District" on the Heritage Trail

This is a seasonal tour from Photo Safari, running April 1 through October 31.

This tour runs Thursday through Sunday, and begins at the Third Avenue Bridge on Historic Main St. It begins by walking parts of the St. Anthony Heritage Trail and practicing early evening light photography. Learn the principles of low light settings on your digital SLR's or the various "scene" mode settings of your digital point and shoot.

This safari begins 45 minutes before local sunset (your tour confirmation will have an exact time).  The Safari runs between 90 minute and 2 1/2 hours.

May 19, 2011, Thursday - Groundbreaking Celebration at American Academy of Neurology

Time:  2:00pm

Location:  201 Chicago Avenue South (Building site is directly across from Guthrie Theater.)

The American Academy of Neurology is the world’s largest professional association of neurologists with more than 24,000 members and is the largest trade association in the Twin Cities.

On May 19, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and American Academy of Neurology (AAN) will celebrate Groundbreaking of the new Headquarters.  As part of the celebration, they will hold a Press Conference to announce the American Academy of Neurology’s donation to the upcoming Bike Fests in North Minneapolis.

In addition to Mayor Rybak, attendees will include Minneapolis City Council Member Lisa Goodman, Erika Nelson, Outreach Coordinator for U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, Catherine M. Rydell, CAE, Executive Director and CEO of the American Academy of Neurology, and Bruce Sigsbee, MD, FAAN, President of the American Academy of Neurology.  Members of the Webber-Camden Neighborhood Organization will also be on hand to receive the items donated.

The five-story, 62,000 square foot building is the first substantial office building to be constructed in downtown Minneapolis in the past 10 years.

The American Academy of Neurology, currently based in St. Paul, is an association of more than 24,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy.

May 19, 2011, Thursday - 2011 Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Awards Ceremony and Luncheon

Time: 11:00am-1:30pm

Location: International Market Square, 275 Market Street

The 2011 Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Awards ceremony and luncheon will be held at International Market Square on Thursday, May 19th, from 11:30 -1:30 p.m.  The Awards program is co-sponsored by the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC), the Minneapolis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and Preserve Minneapolis.  Register for the Preservation Awards ceremony.
 
Join us to celebrate the projects, activities, and people that deserve special recognition for their recent contributions to preservation in Minneapolis.

May 18, 2011, Wednesday - The Loft Presents: David Ulin

Time: 7:00pm

Location: The Loft Literary Center at Open Book, 1011 Washington Avenue South

David Ulin is renowned as the author of The Myth of Solid Ground: Earthquakes, Prediction and the Fault Line Between Reason and Faith, as the editor of the award-winning Writing Los Angeles: A Literary Anthology, and as book editor and now book critic for the Los Angeles Times. He will be in conversation with Daniel Slager, publisher of Milkweed Editions.

May 18, 2011, Wednesday - 'In the Mood for Munsingwear,' with Susan Marks at Mill City Museum

Time: 7:00pm

Location: Mill City Museum, 704  2nd Street South

Fee: Free

Munsingwear was once the nation’s largest manufacturer of underwear. In her new book, "In the Mood for Munsingwear: Minnesota’s Claim to Underwear Fame," Susan Marks shows how the history of the company and its ad campaigns reveal a great deal about America’s changing mores. Join Marks for a talk about working conditions, labor relations and how they affected the people who worked at Munsingwear, the underwear manufacturer founded in Minneapolis in 1887. Former employees of Munsingwear are invited to attend and share their own stories.

The program also includes a performance by a costumed History Player portraying Eva Valesh, a journalist for the St. Paul Globe in the 1880s who exposed working conditions for women Minneapolis factories, including Munsingwear’s predecessor, Northwestern Knitting Company. Marks will sign copies of her book, which is available for sale in the gift shop.

May 18, 2011, Wednesday - Crown Hydro on the Agenda at Park Board Meeting

Please join your Mill District neighbors and other friends of the river at tonight's Park Board meeting.  Preserve Mill Ruins Park, Keep St. Anthony Falls Flowing - NO Crown Hydro!

Time: 5:00pm-8:00pm
 
Location: MPRB Administrative Offices, Suite 255, 2117 West River Road

Webcast: If you can't be there in person, you can watch the meeting live online.

May 18, 2011, Wednesday - It's MAGic! at Central Library

Time: 11:00am – 1:00pm

Location: Adaptive Technology Lab, Central Library, 300 Nicollet

Learn to use MAGic, a screen magnification software, to read from your computer screen.

Sponsored by the generously supported by a grant from the Hudson Family Foundation.

May 18, 2011, Wednesday - Live Music Wednesday at Aloft

Time: 6:00pm-9:00pm
 
Location: w xyz bar, Aloft, 900 Washington Avenue South

Join us for a fantastic acoustic set featuring Chastity Brown.

Enjoy an extended happy hour until 9:00 pm...

$3 Tap & Domestic Beers
$4 House Wines
$5 Specialty Elixirs & Select Appetizers

May 15, 2011, Sunday - Seeing the River Exhibit Closes at Mill City Museum

This Sunday the "Seeing the Big River: The Eco-Art of Peter L. Johnson" exhibit closes at the Mill City Museum.

This exhibit challenges viewers to 'See Beauty in Damaged Places'.  Peter L. Johnson says of his work that it "seeks and sees beauty in damaged places." By creating what he calls "lyric" photographs, Johnson chooses subjects that present an unsettling truth about the devastating relationship between humans and the Mississippi River.

Johnson draws on his varied background as a documentary photographer, solo street performance artist and social activist to create his body of work entitled "Devastating Beauty." In his recent series called "Specimens" he expands on the bumper sticker slogan, "Take only photographs and leave only footprints." Johnson photographs then removes the "specimen" from the ecosystem finally presenting the item next to the photograph in a gallery setting. Johnson says "this adds another layer of connection between humans and their effect on the environment."

In the "Immersion" series, Johnson sparks a discussion about the dangers of just being in the Mississippi River. In order to enter the waters he had to sign a waiver which he displays alongside the life-size prints and a corresponding video.

This exhibit is part of "Greening the Riverfront," a series of programs that explore how humans interact with nature, in the past, present and future.

May 15, 2011, Sunday - American As Curry Pie at Central Library

Time: 2:00–4:15pm

Location: Pohlad Hall, Central Library, 300 Nicollet

American As Curry Pie

For adults and youth grade 7 and up. For Aamera Siddiqui, growing up as an immigrant in the U.S. was a balancing act between her Indian heritage and her American surroundings — one country inside the four walls of her family’s home and another, outside those walls. This is a story about immigration, assimilation, and discovering what it means to be an American.

This project is funded with money from Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.  Presented in collaboration with the History Theatre.

May 14, 2011, Saturday - Mill City Farmers Market

Time: 8:00am - 1:00pm

Location: 704 South 2nd Street

Today's Theme at the Mill City Farmers Market:  Pasture Raised Meats

Take a closer look at Healthy Market Meats!

All MCFM meat vendors have sustainable practices and raise their animals on pasture:

MN Valley Organics
Braucher’s Sunshine Harvest Farm
Shepherd’s Way Farms
Real Foods
Wild Idea Buffalo

PRODUCE PLANNER: arugula, spinach, baby lettuce, fiddle head ferns, ramps, rhubarb, radishes, herbs, dried peppers, bedding plants, herb and vegetable starters and more!
 
WHAT’S NEW:

- Maple Syrup from this spring’s harvest is available at Northern Lakes Wild Rice
- Star Thrower Dairy is visiting MCFM with their sheep’s milk cheese
- Home Hearth Grains premiers their whole grains and farmstead flours
- Aunt Else’s AEbleskiver feature: Classic Apple or savory Bacon & Cheddar

Mill City Cooks, 10AM: Healthy Grass-Fed Steaks – Get tips from Market Chef, Nick Schneider for cooking and embellishing!

Tasting Booth, while supplies last: Stop over for a simple recipe and taste of spring greens!

Live Music, 11AM – 1PM: Nichola Miller

Book Signing, all day: Author, John Whitman will be signing copies of “Growing Perennials in Cold Climates,” co-authored with Mike Heger and Debbie Lonnee

Art Market, all day: Featuring Aprilierre, ceramics by Tom Jaszczak & Heather Wang, Spring Finn & Co., and Old World Cabinet.

May 14, 2011, Saturday - "Saturday Sampling" at Mill City Market Grocery and Deli

Time: 10:00am - 2:00pm

Location: 1020 Washington Avenue South (free indoor parking - enter on 11th Avenue South)

Stop in Mill City Market Grocery and Deli for scrumptious samples of:
 
Boar's Head Cheese and Meat products
D. L. Jardines Fruit Salsas + Tabasco Products
B.T. McElrath Chocolatier