First Avenue N Street Reconstruction Project Kickoff and Survey

Excerpt from the May 7 City of Minneapolis e-newsletter:

Changes are coming to downtown Minneapolis along the First Avenue N corridor.

The Minneapolis Public Works Department is reconstructing half a mile of First Avenue North between Washington Avenue and Eighth Street North in 2028. The project will include a range of right-of-way and public realm improvements that would make it easier for people to move safely and comfortably along the street.

Some of the project goals include:

• Expanded, ADA-compliant sidewalks and safer street crossings.
• New green stormwater infrastructure and sustainable landscaping.
• Enhanced streetscape elements, including improved lighting and public art.
• Active public spaces that attract and retain residents, businesses, and visitors.

The project also gives the opportunity to improve traffic signals, signs and underground utilities along the route.

Survey

Take our short survey to tell us what you envision for First Avenue North. Your input will help us design a street that serves your needs and desires.

Learn more about the project and how to stay up to date on more ways to participate in the planning and engagement process. 

Bourbon Buyout Returns to the Nicollet Island Inn March 20

For one night only, Nicollet Island Inn opens up their impressive collection of rare and allocated whiskeys and bourbons for a special whiskey-lovers tasting event.

Back by very popular demand is the Nicollet Island Inn's Bourbon Buyout, to be held Wednesday, March 20th beginning at 5p. General Manager Corey Abdo will again close down the Inn for the evening to welcome whiskey-lovers. Executive Chef Michael Rain will prepare a sumptuous buffet with dishes complementing bourbon's distinctive flavor accents.

• Guests will enjoy tasting pours from labels and vintages that aren’t available at any other Twin Cities venue, expertly paired with cuisine crafted to complement every delicious note and flavor accent. 

• Complimentary beer and wine will be available throughout the evening as well as run-of-the-bar selections to cleanse your palette between premium tastings. 

• And if that wasn’t enough, throughout the evening there will be random drawings and giveaways of selected bottles and merchandise! 

• Worried about being in a room full of premium bourbon and then having to drive home? No problem! A limited number of guest rooms are available so you can celebrate with vigor until you fall into bed without ever having to leave the property. 

Tickets for this special event are $180 per guest and include:

 

• 12 1/2 oz. liquor pours, including 4 rare/allocated pours and 8 run-of-the-bar pours.
• Chef’s buffet (unlimited); buffet service, dishes paired with whiskey selections.
• Select beer and wine available through the evening (unlimited).

 

Tickets

Great River Coalition Announces 9th Annual Earth Day 5K Bee Run/Walk/River Clean Up, April 20

Celebrating Earth Day and promoting pollinator awareness

The Great River Coalition announces its 9th annual Earth Day 5K Bee Run/Walk/River Cleanup at Boom Island Park in Minneapolis on Saturday, April 20 from 9am to 12pm. The event features a family and dog-friendly fun run/walk, river cleanup, and Earth Day festivities to support efforts to protect pollinators and their habitat. 

Since 2017, the Great River Coalition has been raising funds for pollinator plantings along the Mississippi River and building awareness about the importance of protecting and saving our pollinators due to climate and environmental changes. Native pollinators, including the federally endangered Rusty Patched Bumblebee and other wild bees, continue to desperately need our help.

The Earth Day 5K Bee Run/Walk/River Cleanup is hosted by the Great River Coalition, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, the National Park Service, and Mill City Running/Saint City Running.

The 5K course traverses through the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area - the only national park offering scenic views of the Mississippi River. Following the 5K, participants will be able to take part in an organized river cleanup and enjoy festivities including live music and entertainment, prizes, games for kids, educational activities, and more. Photo ops will include a bee-themed selfie station, notable appearances, and mascots.

Bee and pollinator-themed costumes are highly encouraged! Prizes for the best costumes will be awarded. All are encouraged to participate in the event to help save our bees and other important pollinators.

Photo: Great River Coalition

“Great River Coalition is working to expand the habitat for our pollinators,” said Board President Diane Hofstede. “If you walk along our Minneapolis riverfront, or travel around the state, you’ll see the limited food resources that sustain our pollinators as they travel along the Mississippi River. The erosion created by the lack of grasslands contributes to soil and water pollution, and encourages invasive species. The Rusty Patch Bumble Bee, Minnesota’s state bumblebee, is critically endangered. We aim to bring awareness to the vital role pollinators play in the health of our riverfront communities, our state, and our planet.”

Event Details:

PRICE: $40 in advance, $45 on Race Day. Free for kid’s race (ages 6 and under) and River Clean Up. Includes family-friendly activities and a celebration of Earth Day.

LOCATION: Boom Island Park, 724 Sibley Street NE

The 5K will start promptly at 9am. A free kids race, with goodie bags, will begin at 8:30am - children must be age 6 or under and must be registered before the event, either online or in-person. The River Clean Up begins at 9:30am. Volunteers should also register online before the event. This activity is free.

PRIZES:

• HD Flat Screen Smart TV
• Two tickets to US Bank Stadium, Row 12, End Seats, Seats 16, 17, 18, & 19, (End Zone, Facing Minneapolis, value $600 +) and more!
• Costumes are welcome. Prizes for the best! Name your team!

Registration and packet, T-shirt pick-up: Friday, April 19, Mill City Running, 411 East Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55414. Registered participants will enjoy a 20% discount on Mill City Running and Saint City Running purchases, April 19 – 21. Learn more and register at greatrivercoalition.com/2024-beerunwalkcleanup. 

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -

The Great River Coalition are change agents and advocates for policies and initiatives that honor the historic, commercial, environmental, and spiritual significance of the Mississippi River. To carry out its mission, the Great River Coalition collaborates with local businesses, organizations, and government agencies to engage, educate, and plant pollinator plantings in our communities. For 9 years the Earth Day 5K Bee Run Walk and River Clean Up has brought thousands of people, built awareness, education and interaction with our Mississippi Riverfront partners, local and National groups. Testifying at public hearings, publishing comments of local, State and Regional significance regarding riverfront impacts, and building relationships are just a few of the ways which the Great River Coalition members and partners take action. As a member-supported 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, the Great River Coalition relies wholly on support from members, donors, volunteers, and sponsors. Learn more at greatrivercoalition.com. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Nicollet Island-East Bank Neighborhood Association Announces 2 Community Events

Spring is nearly here and the Nicollet Island East Bank Neighborhood Association (NIEBNA) is eager to gather with neighbors for two fresh air events.

Event 1 - Neighborhood Safety Walking Groups will be kicking off soon. Please click this link to express your interest and sign up: www.NIEBNA.org/walking_group_signup.

Event 2 - Join the Earth Day Clean Up event on Saturday, April 20 from 9:30am-Noon. Three locations to choose from: Chute Square, Father Hennepin Bluff Park and Nicollet Island Trails. Please sign up at https://www.niebna.org/earth_day_2024

Follow NIEBNA on Instagram and Facebook.

Hennepin Healthcare Foundation's Adventurama 2024 set for June 8

Join the adventure Saturday, June 8, 9:30am-12:30pm - Start and Finish in Commons Park

It's back! After a successful launch in 2023, Hennepin Healthcare Foundation returns with Adventurama 2024, an urban experience in downtown Minneapolis. This fundraiser invites teams of two adults to complete challenges within a three-mile loop of HCMC. Teams earn points by completing both mental and physical challenges at 10 pit stops. This is not a timed course - you go at your own pace and complete as many challenges as you like. Based on feedback from last year's event, they are elevating the challenges while bringing back favorites.

All proceeds from this event support patient comfort and care at Hennepin Healthcare. In addition to your team registration, you're invited to create your own fundraising campaign and digital profile using Funraise. From there, you can share your page with family and friends via email or social media.

For 130 years and counting, Hennepin Healthcare has been a fixture in downtown Minneapolis serving the community, and their doors are open to all who need care. Count on them to lead during disasters, through pandemics, heart attacks and trauma.

The Mill District Welcomes Klassics Kitchen + Cocktails

Gerard and Brittney Klass, Klassics Kitchen + Cocktails, 428 S 2nd Street

Gerard and Brittney Klass launch full-service restaurant, Klassics Kitchen + Cocktails, in the Mill District

Chef Gerard Klass, a Guyanese American deeply rooted in Minneapolis' vibrant hospitality scene, has embarked on the next leg of his culinary journey with the launch of Klassics Kitchen + Cocktails. This full-service restaurant has been seven years in the making and is located in the former Smith & Porter Restaurant space.

"Minneapolis has been my home, my inspiration, and my canvas for culinary creativity. The unwavering support and encouragement from this community have been instrumental in shaping my culinary journey, and I am deeply thankful for the opportunity to share my passion with you all."  Chef Gerard

Bahn Mi Lettuce Wraps

Drawing inspiration from his diverse cultural background and extensive travels, Chef Gerard promises Klassics Kitchen + Cocktails will be a vibrant tapestry of flavors: “The menu is my food sermon, a masterful blend of tradition and innovation, crafted with love and care to tantalize the senses and ignite culinary curiosity."

Brittney and Gerard Klass also own C.R.E.A.M. Cafe (next door to Klassics Kitchen) and Soul Bowl, which operates in Graze Food Hall, U.S. Bank Stadium, Target Field, Target Center and the Minnesota State Fair. They are also co-partners in The Camden Social. They extend a heartfelt invitation to the Minneapolis community to experience the warmth, hospitality, and culinary excellence that await them!

Pangea World Theater presents Hecuba at The Southern Theater, April 5 - 21

Pangea World Theater presents Hecuba

April 5 - 21 at The Southern Theater

. 

Pangea World Theater presents Hecuba by Marina Carr, a compelling reimagining of the aftermath of the Fall of Troy, on stage at The Southern Theater in Minneapolis, April 5 – 21, 2024. Ticket info

Hecuba follows Agamemnon, the victor, as he locks horns with Hecuba, the vanquished queen. Both have suffered intimate loss — the sacrifice of a daughter and the murder of a son. In Marina Carr’s bold engagement with Euripides’ play of the same name written c. 424 BC ("the most intensely tragic of all poets" — Aristotle) there’s a demand for further bloodshed. In a brilliant display of ventriloquism, the drama weaves threads of inconsolable rage and grief with fate, revenge, and inevitable carnage. The show explores the shreds of duty and honor as well as the terrible deeds hatred breeds as it touches bravely on Hecuba’s heroic nature and “the endless tears of women.”

The Hecuba ensemble includes Suzanne Victoria Cross, Ankita Ashrit, Anne Guadagnino, Matthew Saxe, Ernest Briggs, Tyler Stamm, J. Antonio Teodro, Nathan Berglund, and Neel Shah.

Director Dipankar Mukherjee’s artistic team features lighting design by Mike Grogan, set design by Orin Herfindal, costume design by Mary Ann Kelling, composition, live music and sound design by Bethany Lacktorin, assistant direction by Sir Curtis Kirby III, with stage management by Cassi Henning.

“As artists in Pangea, we are in search of understanding the complexity of the time we live in,” said Pangea’s Artistic Director Dipankar Mukherjee. “Marina Carr’s adaptation of Hecuba opens one portal to our current truth. Mythology holds many answers and many secrets. Myth is the repository of truths, both spoken and unspoken. It is up to us to learn from them. In our search for collective accountability, moments are marked when our conscience is put on trial, as during the current moment. This can be covered up with the dust of rhetoric, but the truth never fails to stare at our face. Hecuba asks us, "Can we salvage our humanity when women and children’s bodies are weaponized in the name of war anywhere in the world?”

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. 

About the Playwright

Marina Carr is an Irish playwright who has written nearly 30 plays. She came to notoriety in the 1990s and is known for writing intense and often dark plays, and for being a particularly prolific and skillful voice in Irish drama. She often writes about human tragedy, and her work often takes its inspiration from classical texts.

Carr was born in County Offaly to an artistic family and was educated at University College Dublin. In addition to Hecuba, her works include a take on Lorca's Blood Wedding, an adaptation of Anna Karenina, By the Bog of Cats, The Map of Argentina, Phaedra Backwards, Portia Coughlan, The Mai, Ullaloo, This Love Thing, and The Deer Surrender.

Carr often writes about disturbing situations and unsympathetic characters. When a revival of her play On Raftery's Hill received backlash for depicting a scene of incestuous rape, Carr told The Guardian, "The moral police will be the death of art. Political correctness is destroying our literature and our poetry. There is a place for the moral high ground, but it is not art. You can't have the thought police looking over your shoulder when you are writing a play. You have to let the characters have their say. Plays are written with the imagination, not with the head."

She has been Writer-in-Residence at Trinity College, the Abbey Theatre, Princeton University and was the first John McGahern Writer-in-Residence in St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra/DCU. Marina Carr is a member of Aosdána and lives with her family in Dublin.

May 4 Symphony Ball 2024: River Rapsody - a Gala Supporting the Minnesota Orchestra

Symphony Ball 2024, River Rhapsody, is a celebration of the soul-nourishing, life-giving currents that flow through all of us - music and water - from the Northwoods to Louisiana Bayou Country. Join fellow music lovers on May 4 to support the Orchestra’s artistic and educational missions and revel in the traditions — from music to food - the River inspires.

Experience an exquisite river-themed concert of glorious orchestral classics performed by the Minnesota Orchestra, conducted by new Music Director Thomas Søndergård.

Cap off the night at the festive after-party at Orchestra Hall with gourmet desserts, savory bites and signature cocktails. And, if that weren't enough, dance the night away with a set list curated by special guest musicians. It's a river soiree! Dance, indulge and wonder in the rush of it all.

The evening begins at the Hilton with a cocktail reception, silent auction and dinner. Following dinner, the party moves to Orchestra Hall for music, and finally, the after-party. Tickets

Complimentary valet parking is available at the Hilton. Black tie recommended.

Coalescence: Inaugural Exhibition Under Gamut Gallery's New Ownership Team

Gamut Gallery is kicking off the new ownership team's inaugural exhibition

To kick off the 2024 calendar year, Gamut Gallery’s new Director, Francesca Bernardi, partnered with Gamut’s former director, Cass Garner, to create the collaborative exhibition, Coalescence. To bring this conception to fruition this duo requested artist suggestions from the new ownership team, Francesca Bernardi, Kasi Aten, and Brian Oreck along with the co-founders of Gamut, Cass Garner Jade and James Patrick. As the new ownership team is transitioning into their roles, it was essential for them to connect with the community that has been part of Gamut’s roots.

The curators combed through all the suggestions to pull the most cohesive artists together who represent each owner and co-founder. Cass and Francesca are very excited to welcome back Briana Auel, Evan Weselmann, Kim Heidkamp, John Foster, Jessica Kitzman, Laurie Borggreve, Madison Rubenstein, Nelson Cain, seangarrison, Suyao Tian, and Rock Johnsen - 11 artists who have been part of Gamut’s story over the past 5 years. 

Together, this roster of abstract artists was formed to bring a vivid multi-media exhibition that embraces the accessibility of Gamut featuring paintings, sculpture, and fiber art available at all price points and sizes. Many of the artists are creating works in the styles they are currently known for while incorporating nods to their past works that started their careers. This exhibition is guaranteed to give you the feels!

ABOUT THE CURATORS

Cass Garner is a graphic designer, art curator, project manager and working in Minneapolis. She co-founded Gamut Gallery, a cultural hub in Minneapolis over the past 12 years promoting the arts in Minneapolis and beyond. Cass led operations and project management for exhibitions and events while she was the Director until February of this year. She has curated dozens of exhibits within Gamut’s walls. In 2018 Cass was the solo Juror of Artistry’s 42nd Annual Members’ Juried Art Exhibition. Her curatorial practice expanded in 2020 partnering with The Coven at their St. Paul location to curate a special nook of the Coven, and she partnered with HAUS Salon in 2021 to highlight local, innovative artists from the Twin Cities producing 25 solo exhibits throughout the HAUS Salons across Minneapolis. Most recently Cass was the Project Manager for the Holidays on Nicollet and a juror for Hennepin Theatre Trust It’s the People Project.

Francesca Bernardi is the new Gallery Director and co-owner of Gamut Gallery. They are an art therapist, artist, art collector, and burgeoning curator. Through their work in art therapy, they are a skilled relationship cultivator, attentive communicator, and passionate about building community with multifaceted individuals. Coalescence is Francesca's gallery curatorial debut; however, they have hosted pop-up art galleries in their home featuring local artists. Francesca's excitement for curating will lead to many more exhibits highlighting artists in Minneapolis.

PUBLIC OPENING NIGHT:
Saturday, March 16, 7-10PM
Featuring Briana Auel, Evan Weselmann, Kim Heidkamp, John Foster, Jessica Kitzman, Laurie Borggreve, Madison Rubenstein, Nelson Cain, seangarrison, Suyao Tian, and Rock Johnsen.
• $10 presale available
• $15 day of the event, FREE for members
• DJ sets by James Patrick and Clint Lakness

COALESCENCE CURATOR and ARTIST TALK:
Thursday, April 4, 7pm
Moderator, Russ White of MPLSART joins curators Cass Garner and Francesca Bernardi alongside Coalescence artists Evan Weselmann and Jessica Kitzman to talk all things art
• $7 presale coming soon
• $10 day of the event, Free for Gamut Gallery Members

THC SIP and PAINT
Saturday, April 20, 2pm-5pm
Bringing back the energy that created Gamut Gallery, this sip and paint will have all the feelings of CoLab. Bring a friend or make a new one while playing art games and picking up a paintbrush. Canvases and paint will be provided.
• $15 presales coming soon
• $20 day of event
• 21+ event
• DJ Bobby Kahn brings the funk

GALLERY & GIFT SHOP OPEN HOURS + CONTACT INFO
FREE open hours: Thursday - Friday, 11am - 6pm; Saturday 11am - 4pm.

Follow Gamut on Facebook and Instagram for further details and information regarding the event.

Minneapolis Softens Your Water as Part of the Treatment Process

The City of Minneapolis has been softening our drinking water since the 1940s. This means you don’t need to install your own water softener at home. Take a moment to watch this video to see how water from the Mississippi is treated and delivered to us.

Mill City Museum Wins Fifth Place in Best History Museum Contest

Minnesotans showed their support for the museum in an online contest

Mill City Museum has won the honor of being named among the best history museums in the nation. Online voters chose the Minneapolis museum as the fifth place finisher. 

The recent contest included 21 sites from around the country, which were nominated by an expert panel for USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice travel awards. Results were announced February 23rd.

“It is an honor to be ranked as one of the five best history museums in the nation for the second consecutive year,” said Site Manager David Stevens. “We’re thankful for all those who took the time to vote and support Mill City Museum.” 

The following museums placed in the top five:

1. Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
2. National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio
3. Cincinnati History Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio
4. Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson, Mississippi
5. Mill City Museum!  :D

More information about the contest and results are available here. You can learn more about Mill City Museum and its upcoming events at mnhs.org/millcity.

February 2024 Minneapolis Central City Tunnel Project Update

Via a February 23 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.

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

Mississippi River Portal

• Crews continue reconstruction of the storm tunnel outlet at the Mississippi River; excavation activities are complete.

2nd Ave

• Crews continue construction of a concrete liner for the new parallel storm tunnel under Washington Ave from the new tunnel access shaft in the southbound lanes of 2nd Ave S, just north of the Washington Ave intersection.

Portland Ave

• Crews continue construction of a concrete liner for the new parallel storm tunnel under Washington Ave from the existing tunnel access shaft at the northeast corner of the Washington Ave and Portland Ave intersection.

Lining progress

Since December, crews have continued to work on the concrete tunnel lining, pouring about 750 cubic yards of concrete. To date 13500 cubic yards of concrete have been poured. As noted in the infographic above, this is just over four times the volume of an Olympic swimming pool. This process is approximately 93% complete.

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.
• Working hours will vary in the coming weeks due to the holiday and scheduled training.

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

Registration Open for the April 20 Earth Day 5K Fun Run/Walk and River Cleanup

Looking ahead to spring and Great River Coalition's annual event!

Register here

Family-friendly, dogs welcome, Music & Booths. Costumes are welcome. Prizes for the best! Name your Team! 

Organized river cleanup at 9:30 am.

A fun, family friendly event hosted by:

• Great River Coalition
• Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
• The National Park Service
• Mill City Running/St. City Running 

The Shape of Time: Korean Art after 1989 at Mia

Minneapolis Institute of Art Explores complex array of Contemporary Korean Art in New Exhibition

The Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) has announced a new exhibition of contemporary Korean Art. The Shape of Time: Korean Art after 1989, organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, covers five themes: Dissonance, Reinvention, Coexistence, Being Seen, and Portraying Anxiety. The exhibition will be on view in the museum’s Target Galleries from March 23 to June 23, 2024. Tickets are $20, with additional discounts for Mia members.

The year 1989 marked a major shift in the world order, with Eastern European countries breaking away from the Soviet Union even as pro-democracy protests were crushed in China. It’s also the year the World Wide Web was invented, jumpstarting the modern era of interconnectivity. South Korea, in the wake of the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, transitioned from a long-standing military dictatorship to a legitimate democracy. An international travel ban was lifted, creating opportunities for global engagement, powerful economic growth, and cultural exchange. South Korean artists began to connect in earnest to the global art scene.

“The works in this serve as a snapshot of an important moment in Korean history, and global history,” said Katie Luber, Nivin and Duncan MacMillan Director and President of Mia. “The diversity of feelings and experiences shared by these artists is profound. I hope that visitors will leave the exhibition with new insights into the ways this historical moment echoes today.”

Using a variety of mediums, including ceramics, painting, fiber, photography, lacquer, installation, metalwork, mixed media, embroidery, and video, these artists explore themes like conformity, displacement, gender and sexuality, coexistence, and dissonance, making universal connections that offer a deeper understanding of South Korea, its history, and its culture.

Dissonance

Ongoing tensions with North Korea and the effects of unprecedented economic growth have long been a part of daily life for South Koreans. The artists in this section reflect on South Korea’s past and present, the foundations of Korean society, and the paradoxes of a divided Korea. Dissonance abounds in works such as Hayoun Kwon’s single-channel video 489 years (2016). The viewer occupies the role of a soldier undertaking a daylong patrol of the demilitarized zone (DMZ), a strip of land separating North and South Korea along the 38th parallel. The work’s title, 489 Years, references the amount of time experts anticipate it would take to clear the one million mines in the area. Yet in the 11-minute single-channel video, the DMZ appears lush and filled with wildlife, the destructive potential of the area hidden.

Reinvention

In the 1990s, South Korean artists began re-engaging with traditional arts and culture, infusing long-established aesthetics with a contemporary sensibility. Some of them employ centuries-old hand processes, materials, and narratives. All of them re-examine the past, addressing notions of resilience and transformation that are at once specific to their experiences and transcend geographical boundaries. Suki Seokyeong KANG’s vibrantly woven mats from 2018 and 2019, made to be used in the Chunaengmu royal dance, are inspired by Hwamunseok, a handcrafted straw mat tradition dating to the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392). These large-scale, abstracted weavings—made with Hwanmunseok thread, painted steel, and leather scraps—feature vibrant colors and abstract patterns that bridge contemporary practice with historic craft traditions.

Coexistence

As Korea participated in a new level of exchange, artists embraced the coexistence of new ideas and existing Korean values and artistic traditions, imbuing them with new meaning. Yoo Eui-jeong’s Treasures of Daily Life (2018) expresses this fusion of ideas in his series of recognizable corporate logos for companies including McDonald’s, Louis Vuitton, and Hello Kitty. Created in valuable materials such as ceramic, gold, and porcelain and presented as dishes served at a banquet, these cultural icons of today are presented as valuable treasures for the future.

Being Seen

The artworks on view in this section reflect the reality of the present and express hope for the future. Challenging patriarchal power structures and cultural standards, the artists center experiences that are often marginalized, silenced, or erased. Ultimately, they celebrate their resilience and that of their communities. An Attack by Green Horns, by Sang-hee Yun, is a pair of lacquered and gold dagger-like spikes worn on the front torso and back shoulder, protruding like horns. Drawing on experiences from her childhood, Yun created these spikes as a form of protection for the wearer, simultaneously ornate and ominous.

Portraying Anxiety

Responding to the tensions of being part of a collective and expressing individual identities, artists have turned to alternative ways of approaching, discussing, and challenging social mores. The works in this section raise questions about group participation and the acts of looking and being looked at, while touching on larger societal challenges in Korea and elsewhere. In Let’s do National Gymnastics, Oh Jaewoo fuses nostalgia and the messaging of collectivity and its continued impact on South Korean society. In this ten-minute, single-channel video, Oh evokes the compulsory exercise program prevalent in Korean schools between 1977 and 1999. The video is set to the militaristic beat of the Korean National Stretch Anthem in a commentary on the ubiquitous pressure to conform and the associated anxiety pervasive across Korean culture.

Works from Mia’s permanent collection will be added to the exhibition in Minneapolis, including Do Ho Suh’s Some/One, a 2005 sculpture based on a coat of traditional armor. Composed from thousands of polished military dog tags, the work juxtaposes the collective (represented by the armored sculpture) with the individual (symbolized by the dog tags, each representing a single soldier). Also featured is a selection from Byron Kim’s ongoing Synecdoche portraiture project, currently comprised of more than 400 panels, each approximating the skin color of a person Kim has met.

“The artworks in this exhibition respond to South Korea’s complex history and culture, which have been marked by the division of a country, political upheaval, and economic growth, all within a few short decades,” said Leslie Ureña, Associate Curator of Global Contemporary Art. “The exhibition has gathered artists who have made dynamic works that are deeply imbued with their shared artistic and social contexts. They invite us to consider the experience of exploring the past, present, and potential future.”

“The Shape of Time: Korean Art after 1989” is organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, with major sponsorship from Wells Fargo and media sponsorship from the Star Tribune. Major support for this exhibition is provided by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

Indeed Brewing Company Announces 2024 Whirlygig Music Lineup

The weekend-long event takes place in conjunction with Art-A-Whirl, an annual artist studio tour throughout NE Minneapolis.

Indeed Brewing Company is excited to announce the music lineup for Whirlygig, a music, beer, and art festival on May 17-19, 2024.

“It’s always an exciting time to be looking ahead to Whirlygig. Despite being an insane amount of work for our entire team, it’s one of the coolest things we do each year. In my opinion, Whirlygig has become one of the coolest events that happens in Minneapolis every year. This year will be no different. We’re lucky to have the larger Art-a-Whirl encompassing our party, and we’re always looking to add and build on that energy,” says Ryan Bandy, Chief Business Officer, Indeed Brewing Company.

.

“Eli Awada helped with booking the music this year, and we were lucky to work with him; he’ll be a name y’all hear a lot about in the music scene for a long time. Look at this damn lineup! I can say with certainty that every single band is worth seeing. I wouldn’t blame anyone that hung out at the stage for the whole weekend,” says Bandy. “You’ll see the wide world of Minneapolis music, bouncing between guitar-driven rock and roll to hip hop; from physical performance to performances by a congresswoman. From badass women born in the 21st century to Cornbread Harris who is nearly a centenarian (97 years old!). Kevin Washington is a local legend who plays with some of the best players in the city while Carnage creates one of the best individual performances I’ve ever seen. We’re lucky to be able to highlight these artists. Whirlygig 2024 will be epic.”

.

FRIDAY, MAY 17 (3-11pm)

Lighter Co.

iLLism

XINA

Gully Boys

.

SATURDAY, MAY 18 (11am-11pm)

Beemer

Goon Tribune

Derecho Rhythm Section

Carnage, The Executioner

Scrunchies

Why Not

Maria Isa

Marijuana Deathsquads

.

SUNDAY, MAY 19 (11am-10pm)

Nelson Devereaux

Molly Maher & Her Disbelievers

Cornbread Harris

Dilly Dally Alley

LAAMAR

Kevin Washington & RA Spirit

.

In addition to a weekend full of music, there will be L.S.D (the beer!), Brightside Sea Salt & Lemon Lager, Flavorwave IPA and lots more beer among a selection of great food. Chuck U will be live painting, Legacy Glassworks and Flavor World will be returning this year, and Emma from Cool Trash will be joining the party.

“We’ve got a really fun collaboration release happening this year with Marijuana Deathsquads, who have consistently pushed the boundaries of art and we’re stoked to be doing some weird stuff with them,” says Bandy. “I can’t say too much about it yet, but it’ll be a fun one. And, like all Deathsquad sets, it’ll be a sight to see.”

.

Entry to this event is free and open to all ages (must be 21+ to drink beer and THC beverages). Whirlygig will go on rain or shine. The event is cash only, both inside and outside, with ATMs on-site. Whirlygig coincides with Art-a-Whirl presented by NEMAA, the largest open studio tour in the country. There will be artwork from nearly 1,000 artists in every medium at more than 60 locations, including the Solar Arts Building.

History and Science Come Together for STEM Family Day at Mill City Museum, February 24

The museum hosts a day of free family activities featuring guest presentations

Science, technology, engineering, and math aren’t confined to the classroom. This Saturday, families will have a chance to learn how the STEM fields are intertwined with history and how they continue to have an important impact today.

On February 24, Mill City Museum, 704 South 2nd Street, will hold a free STEM Family Day to showcase how science is all around us in the Twin Cities. The day’s program features fun activities that focus on the role STEM has played in the past and present history of the Minneapolis Riverfront. 

Event highlights include:

• 11 am: Petite Concerts
• 2 pm: Z Puppets Rosenschnoz with The Amazing Gnip Gnop Circus
• MN Raptor Center with an eagle and other raptors
• MN Astronomical Society with astrophotography
• Mississippi National River and Recreation Area with mini boats and weights
• Geological Society of MN having fun with rocks
• General Mills Wheat and Flour Labs with the science of wheat (with museum admission)

Cost: Free, baking lab activity requires museum admission. For more information and a full list of guests, click here.

World Ballet Festival is Coming to the Pantages Theatre in June

Aviva Gefler-Mundl

A first-of-its-kind celebration of ballet

The World Ballet Company recently announced their World Ballet Festival, a first-of-its-kind touring festival celebrating all that ballet has to offer. The Festival will showcase an array of ballet programming from beloved classics to today's most exciting new works. In its debut year, World Ballet Festival will present a performance at the Pantages Theatre, June 7 – 9. Tickets

The Festival program will feature ballet blockbusters and encompass a range of ballets from romantic to comic. Among the performers scheduled to appear are Tiler Peck and Roman Meija of New York City Ballet; Aviva Gefler-Mundl, Marcos Hernandez, and Kate Inoue of Los Angeles Ballet; Rasmus Ahlgren of Boston Ballet; and Ekaterina Malkovich, Constantine Geronik, and Andrea Lassakova of World Ballet Company. Additionally, a local ballet company will be featured in each city giving local dancers the opportunity to share the stage with seasoned professionals. Full programming details will be announced in the coming months.  

World Ballet Festival is produced by Sasha Gorskaya and Gulya Hartwick, with programming director Adrian Blake Mitchell, a graduate of the Vaganova Academy and former member of the Mikhailovsky Ballet Company. World Ballet Festival will be presented in new cities each year with a goal to bring ballet to every corner of the country. 

The company’s signature program, World Ballet Series presents the most beloved and iconic ballets of our time in cities across the country. The company attracts many international artists and is composed of renowned professional dancers representing over ten countries. The family-friendly productions feature timeless scores, rich storytelling, vivid hand-painted sets, and stunning hand-crafted costumes. To date, World Ballet Series has travelled to more than 280 cities reaching an audience of more than 250,000, many of whom are first time attendees to a ballet.

Theatre in the Round Celebrates Women in STEM with Silent Sky and Art Gallery

Eva Gemlo as Henrietta Leavitt, Photo by Aaron Thuen

Silent Sky runs February 23 thru March 10, Fridays and Saturdays 7:30pm, Sundays 2pm

Theatre in the Round Players (TRP) is observing the start of Women’s History Month by celebrating unsung women in STEM fields, the highlight of which is a production of the historical drama Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson, running weekends February 23 through March 10. 

Silent Sky tells the true story of astronomer Henrietta Leavitt who began work at the Harvard College Observatory in the early 1900s as a part of a group of women “computers,” charting the stars using glass plates. Although not allowed to use a telescope, these women made discoveries foundational to modern astronomy.  An inspirational, uplifting story, Silent Sky is appropriate for ages 10+. Gretchen Weinrich directs the five-member cast with sets designed by Sadie Ward, costumes by Colleen O’Dell, lighting by Peter Mitchell, props by Mark Steffer, and sound design by Warren Sampson.

Additional programming includes:

Women in Astronomy Panel, Saturday, February 24. This event, immediately following the performance if Silent Sky, will feature a panel of women in various career stages from the University of Minnesota School of Physics and Astronomy: Catherine Slaughter (Graduate Student, Astrophysics), Alexandra La Reste (Post-doctoral Researcher, Physics), and Claudia Scarlata (Professor, Director of the Minnesota Institute for Astrophysicists), moderated by Prisca Cushman (Professor, Physics).

Audience Discussion with the Cast & Dr. Roberta Humphreys, Sunday, March 10. Audience members will be able to participate in a question-and-answer time with the cast and director of Silent Sky as well as stellar astrophysicist, Dr. Roberta Humphreys. Dr. Humphreys is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She led the Minnesota Automated Plate Scanner research group for over twenty years, creating a digitized, searchable catalog of the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey.

Trailblazing Women Art Gallery Showing, February 23-March 10. Throughout the run of this production, Theatre in the Round will be showcasing portraits of women who have made significant contributions to STEM fields. These portraits, created by artist Sadie Ward, have been created from upcycled bras, which Ward calls Brart. “One of the ways to remove patriarchy in our society is to recreate faces that were actively erased by that patriarchal society,” says Ward,” Brart is a socially derived artform that requires the participation of community to fuel conversation, while actively repurposing textiles.”

Tickets are $25. For information, call the theatre’s box office at 612-333-3010 or visit its website at www.TheatreintheRound.org.

Francois Paradeise, a Fixture in the Twin Cities Restaurant Scene for Decades, Retires with a 2-Day Send Off Party at Chloe by Vincent, February 28-29

Francois Paradeise (right, pictured with Chef Vincent Francoual), completed his restaurant career as General Manager of Chloe by Vincent.

After five decades working with some of the most inventive restaurants companies in the Twin Cities, Francois Paradeise, 77, is retiring. Stop by to say good-bye and wish Francois well on his last two days of work, February 28-29, with a free glass of bubbles.

Known for his big personality, story-telling skills and irresistible French accent, Paradeise was a well-known force in the local hospitality industry.

He began his career as the front office shift manager at a five-star hotel and resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, after moving to the U.S. from Paris and culminates it as the opening GM for the new iteration of a Vincent Francoual restaurant, Chloe by Vincent.

“We were fortunate to be able to work with Francois before we opened to help us set up systems and hire good people and to share his showmanship style of making guests feel welcome and special,” said Matthew Monroe, CEO of Restore Restaurant Holdings, which owns the restaurant along with Erik Forsberg’s French Toast.

Paradeise and his wife of 44 years, Nancy, are moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to be closer to grandchildren.

Over the years, Paradeise has worked with Parasole Restaurants, where he was the GM of a number of their iconic restaurants, including Manny’s, Figlio and Good Earth. He was hired as the director of operations for the first Buca di Beppo restaurant and opened seven additional stores, including in Milwaukee; Palo Alto, California; Seattle; and Chicago.

He also worked with Wayne Kostroski at Cuisine Concepts, at Tejas, Bar Abeline and Franklin Street Bakery.

“I am grateful for all my coworkers as well as the company officers and owners,” Paradeise said. “I cherish all the memories with my teams as we dealt with both challenges and successes.”

Minnesota will always have a place in his heart, but “now is as good a time as ever to spice up our lives.” And what better place to find that spice than in the southwest, where he started his culinary journey. 

The River Runs Red by Ric Rosow

Submitted by Ric Rosow

The River Runs Red

I was photographing the city sky-scape of downtown Minneapolis two Friday nights ago from the Stone Arch Bridge with four other photographers as part of a night sky workshop. Shortly before we were scheduled to leave I turned around, looked east and down at the river. The river was glowing red, a reflection from the 35W Bridge. Even though we were leaving for another location I knew I had to take the time to photograph this scene.

You can see more of my work at ricrosowphotography.com and Price Krishnan Gallery.