Jessica Prudden Took a Chance and Created Her Own Real Estate Marketing Company

Article and photos by Merle Minda

Jessica Prudden, partner and owner of Prudden & Company.Jessica Prudden was working away happily as a realtor and leasing representative for condo marketing behemoth FirstService Residential (FSR), a nationwide realty services company which handles a large swath of Twin Cities condos. She had already found her niche in real estate which allowed her to use her design interests as well. She then helped FSR to create their leasing division for condo and apartment renters, developing the branding, web site and marketing materials for that specific business.

Suddenly came the day, just over one year ago, when FSR no longer wanted to be in the leasing business. Enter Jessica with a plan to buy the leasing portion of FSRs business and create her own. Now Prudden & Company, just one year in business, is thriving in downtown real estate and condo rental services. Again putting her design smarts to work, this time for her own company, the branding, website and marketing approach came together quickly. All of FSRs rental/leasing customers became her clients. As a renter myself who went through this change, I can tell you that it was absolutely seamless. And for Jessica, being in her own business is a dream come true.

With a glam office on the main floor of 909 Washington Avenue North, Jessica and her team are busily working with clients and whatever turns up. This past week, for example, she took time out from a flood of Super Bowl rental requests to talk with me.

As a true business bonus, the housing demands of the Super Bowl have lent sudden urgency to her business. A recent article in the Star Tribune by Jim Buchta stated that Prudden & Company booked more than 30 house and condo rentals for the week, including two house rentals of over $200,000 each.

Jessica is a partner in the new company, and has now welcomed Peter Prudden, her husband and operations manager, into the business as another partner. The office and realty staff has swelled too, with Didi Aron, realtor; Catie Braun as Realtor/agent and Rachel Ellingson as office manager. During my visit, Jessica’s web developer Drew Mintz of Edition Studios, hovered as well.

Left to right, Didi Aron, realtor; Peter Prudden, partner and operations manager, and Jessica Prudden, partner at Prudden & Company.

Prudden & Company has a futuristic office, all huge glass street front windows, one long, large table studded with high-end computers where everyone sits at their own station. I did not see a piece of paper anywhere – no file cabinets either. Printers for those all-important leasing contracts were discreetly hidden behind smoked glass doors. Impressive!

 “With so many people downsizing and wanting to move into the Mill District, and so many new buildings going up, we are uniquely positioned to help clients with their specific needs and adaptation to their condo and life in the city,” says Jessica. “My contacts and relationships were already in place so I was able to hit the ground running,” she continued. “And I love every minute!”

Reach Prudden & Company at https://pruddencompany.com/contact/ or call 612-875-4675.

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About Merle Minda

Journalist and free-lance writer Merle Minda writes about travel, business, people profiles and other subjects for a number of national and regional publications, including Delta SKY, Mpls/St. Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Business, Star Tribune, Twin Cities Statement, Minnesota Monthly, and now Mill City Times. She can be reached at mminda@earthlink.net or TravelOverEasy.com on the web.

Become a Guest Reader at Cedar Riverside Community School

Article by Claudia Kittock

Remember that wonderful time in life when you would tuck your children into bed and then climb in beside them and read stories? I remember the wonder in my children’s eyes as they discovered new worlds. The giggles, the interest, and the glory of showing them how wonderful reading is.

Our neighborhood school, Cedar Riverside Community School is looking for Guest Readers. A Guest Reader is someone that wants to share their love of literacy with the 1st or 2nd grade students. You can share one of your grade appropriate favorites or well-liked children's book with the class as a read aloud.

The role of the Guest Reader is to remain anonymous until s/he enters the classroom on the designated reading day. The program is designed to be a surprise, so only the staff members in the classroom will know ahead of time who will be reading to the class.

Since time is limited, it is imperative that Guest Readers arrive on their scheduled day in the Main Office to sign in by 9:30 am. Guest Readers will have from 9:40-10:00 am to share their book or books with the class and answer any questions or comments that may come up. On the days marked as Augsburg on the schedule, Augsburg University staff and students will be Guest Readers in the campus bookstore.

I encourage you to join this exciting program and share your love of books with our neighborhood children! Thanks for your enthusiasm!!! You can be a guest on two different days this spring -  just pick 1st grade for one time and 2nd grade for the other.

Cedar Riverside Community School is excited to share this program with you, and their staff looks forward to welcoming you into their school community. You can sign up by going to https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ffxyW11PbtNpUPa7ozUXCEIOJ_QGJ9i10DmXp6cIbrw/edit

Cedar Riverside Community School is at 1610 S 6th Street. If you have any questions please call Coach Weber at 763-464-2790 or e-mail jweber@crcs-school.org.

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About Claudia Kittock

Claudia is a resident of the Mill District. In addition to writing for Mill City Times, she is a founding Board Member of Friends of the Mill District. Claudia is the author of Health Through Chaos, mentors young adults at YouthLink, and has served on the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association (DMNA).

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Contact: claudia@millcitymedia.org

Out of the Box Opera to Present Fusion Evening of Opera, Jazz and Soul Saturday, February 10, Live at The Weisman Art Museum

Article by Merle Minda

Innovative opera company Out of the Box Opera presents Live at the Weisman, another performance evening of operatic adventure, Saturday, February 10, 2018 at 7:00 pm. The Fusion Series includes several iconic musical styles fused into one fantastic evening of music, - a mashup of opera, jazz, soul and everything in between.

David Lefkowich

“The program includes Puccini to Gershwin to Mozart to Stevie Wonder: a musical journey exploring the best of each genre and celebrating music,” says Out of the Box artistic director David Lefkowich.

Performers include singers/special guests: Chris Colmenero, tenor; Clara Osowski, mezzo soprano; Brittany Ann Robinson, soprano; bass Ben Sieverding and opera/musical theater performer Dom Wooten. Musicians include Lara Bolton, piano/arrangements; Doug Little, saxophone, and Nate Babbs, drums.

Lara BoltonAlready known for creating uniquely delightful musical experiences, Out of the Box Opera last performed Diva Cage Match, a soprano sing-off, in October 2017 at the Uppercut Boxing Gym in NE Minneapolis. With “Opera for New Audiences” as its mantra, Out of the Box Opera is led by artistic director David Lefkowitz, well-known to Twin Cities’ opera audiences for his six years leading Mill City Summer Opera to high achievement. This new program has been co-conceived by David Lefkowich and Lara Bolton.

Tickets are available at www.outoftheboxopera.com and http://wam.umn.edu/calendar/opera/

Co-creators of Out of the Box are Noah Eisenberg and James Berman.

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About Merle Minda

Journalist and free-lance writer Merle Minda writes about travel, business, people profiles and other subjects for a number of national and regional publications, including Delta SKY, Mpls/St. Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Business, Star Tribune, Twin Cities Statement, Minnesota Monthly, and now Mill City Times. She can be reached at mminda@earthlink.net or TravelOverEasy.com on the web.

Spoonriver Announces Wednesday Night Trivia Mafia

America’s best trivia is coming to one of Minnesota’s most acclaimed farm-to table restaurants. Starting February 7th, play trivia every Wednesday night at Spoonriver in Downtown Minneapolis’ Mill District.

The trivia events are designed for teams of 1-6 people - so get together a crew of your brainiest friends and win some great prizes: 1st Place Team wins a $30 Spoonriver Gift Card, 2nd Place Team wins a $20 Spoonriver Gift Card, along with other prizes and discounts every week.

There’s no cost to play, it’s totally free!

More info

Starting Today - Streets Closing Near US Bank Stadium for Super Bowl

Several streets near U.S. Bank Stadium will close Saturday, Jan. 27 and Monday, Jan. 29 to prepare for Super Bowl LII on Sunday, Feb. 4.

On Saturday, Jan. 27, the following will close:

• Fourth Street between Park Avenue and Interstate 35W (detour via Washington Avenue).

On Monday, Jan. 29, the following will close:

• Sixth Street between Chicago and 11th avenues (detour via Eighth Street).
• 11th Avenue between Third and Sixth streets
• Hiawatha Trail between 15th Avenue in the Cedar-Riverside Neighborhood and 11th Avenue in downtown Minneapolis (detour: use Washington Avenue, or ride Metro Blue Line LRT between Cedar Riverside and U.S. Bank Stadium stations.

The closures will be in place until after the Super Bowl.

Additionally, streets, sidewalks and bikeways may see intermittent closures near U.S. Bank Stadium and the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Over the past several months, the City of Minneapolis has worked closely with stakeholders, including the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee, NFL, their vendors and several other local partners to craft a traffic management plan that will enhance the Super Bowl LII experience while providing the minimum disruption to traffic and parking possible.

Stay up-to-date on the latest information related to Super Bowl LII street closures by signing up for City traffic alerts at minneapolismn.gov/traffic. For more City-related Super Bowl LII information, go to minneapolismn.gov/SuperBowl. For additional travel tips for the 10-day Super Bowl festival, visit mnsuperbowl.com/transportation.

The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul announces dates for the 37th Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF)

Via a January 25 e-newsletter from The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul:

The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul today announced dates for the 37th Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF). This year’s lineup will feature an exciting, bold and moving lineup of contemporary films from local, national and international filmmakers, as well as tributes for master directors with retrospectives of their work. The festival returns April 12-28, 2018 to cinemas throughout the Twin Cities.

This year, the festival—one of the longest-running in the nation—will expand to include select screenings at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The St. Anthony Main Theatre will host screenings during the entire run of the festival, and there will be select shows at The Capri and Uptown Theatres in Minneapolis, Metropolitan State University’s Film Space in St. Paul and the Marcus Wehrenberg Galaxy 16 Theater in Rochester, Minn.

The staff of the Film Society has scoured international film festivals—from Sundance and Toronto to Berlin, Palm Springs, Guadalajara and San Sebastian—and received over a thousand submissions from around the world to bring its characteristically unique slate of international films to Minnesota, cinema that would otherwise never be experienced in Twin Cities theaters. Last year’s nearly 50,000 attendees from around the Midwest explored films from 72 countries.

“For 37 years, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival has helped to cultivate this region’s appreciation of international cinema, delivering audiences to remote and renowned locations around the globe, building bridges between cultures, geographies, people, and communities,” said Susan Smoluchowski, Executive Director of the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul, MSPIFF’s non-profit parent organization.

Chasms and Bridges, the Spotlight Program of the 2018 MSPIFF, is a special selection of films and conversations highlighting the divisions and the unity apparent in the world’s myriad populations. These narratives and documentaries serve not only to entertain, but to examine our differences, and in doing so highlight the many ways in which we are similar.

This year the festival will have a focus on Chinese cinema and is pleased to be partnering with the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s forthcoming "Power & Beauty" exhibition, featuring acclaimed Chinese artist and filmmaker Xu Bing's experimental first feature Dragonfly Eyes, as well as other films from China throughout the festival.

The complete festival schedule will be announced March 22. Festival Passes and 6-packs are on sale now at mspfilm.org, with individual ticket sales opening on March 22 to Film Society Members and to the public on March 29.

MSPIFF is presented by the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul, a dynamic 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to fostering a knowledgeable and vibrant appreciation of the art of film and its power to inform and transform individuals and communities.

The Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival is generously supported by The Star Tribune, Cedarwoods Foundation, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Minnesota State Arts Board Legacy Amendment Funding, National Endowment for the Arts, McKnight Foundation, US Bank, The Minneapolis Foundation, Knock, Inc., Indeed Brewing Company, Canon, Cinequipt, Fox Rothschild, Depot Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, numerous local businesses, consulates from around the world, our Master and Auteur Member Circle and the 2,000+ Members and Donors of the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul.

Great River Coalition seeks volunteers for April 21 Earth Day - 5K Fun Run/Walk/River Cleanup

The 3rd Annual Earth Day - 5K Fun Run/Walk/River Cleanup is on Saturday, April 21, 2018. The Great River Coalition needs volunteers to help with planning and marketing, setup, registration, greeters, etc., during the event.

The 5K Bee Run daws hundreds of participants to the banks of the Mississippi River, and to the Great River Coalition's mission. By joining the team of volunteers, you can help to enhance our riverfront environment while bringing awareness to the plight of pollinators.

 

To sign up, send an email with your name and phone number to diane@greatrivercoalition.com. 

 

The Great River Coalition is a 501(c)(3) organization. Their 5K Bee Run has more than doubled each year, which they attribute to contributions made by volunteers, sponsors, partners, and participants.

MacPhail Community Youth Choir in Action!

I can sum this up in one word: WOW! Several of the actors from the Mill City Youth Players now sing with JD Steele's MacPhail Community Youth Choir. The Mill City Youth Players perform tonight and tomorrow night at the Guthrie Theater.

3rd Ward Super Bowl Update from Council Member Steve Fletcher

Exceprt from Council Member Steve Fletcher's January 23 e-newsletter:

In addition to the game itself on Sunday, February 4, there are two other large events:

- Super Bowl LIVE is a free, public 10-day festival on Nicollet Mall from January 26 – February 4

- The Super Bowl Experience is a ticketed ($35) NFL-style theme park at the Convention Center from January 27 – February 3

For all of us in Ward 3 – especially downtown – we will see and feel its impact in the next few weeks, and I want to make sure we’re all as informed as we can be about what’s happening when:

- Visit this City home page for all information related to Super Bowl LII

- Check this page for road closure, parking restrictions, and other transportation information:

- Two areas in Ward 3 downtown will have road closures: U.S. Bank Stadium for the game itself and Nicollet Avenue for Super Bowl LIVE.

- On Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 4, SOME municipal parking facilities will require total use for event purposes, i.e. no contract parking will be available. There will be no change for monthly contract parking in municipal facilities until game day.

- The Commons park will also be affected. The East Block of The Commons will be closed to the public from January 6 - February 9, 2018. The West Block of The Commons will remain open and accessible for public use from January 6 - February 9, 2018. There will be no public restrooms available at The Commons until Feb 12.

- Regular light-rail service WILL NOT operate on Sunday, February 4.

Only those holding an official Super Bowl LII ticket, along with a Gameday Fan Express Pass, will be allowed to go through security checkpoints and board trains at either Mall of America (Blue Line) or Stadium Village (Green Line) stations. Green Line service will operate normally between Stadium Village and Union Depot stations.

- For anyone without a ticket, buses will replace light-rail trains on the entirety of the Blue Line throughout the day on February 4, 2018. Free replacement buses will operate between Target Field Station and Stadium Village Station on the Green Line. Buses run on similar schedules to trains but can take longer; please plan accordingly.

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Mourns Loss of Former Commissioner Annie Young

Via a January 23 e-newsletter from Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board:

Young remembered for environmental advocacy, river stewardship and commitment to teen and youth programs

It is with great sadness that the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) learned of the passing of former Commissioner Annie Young.

Commissioner Young retired from the MPRB Board of Commissioners in December 2017, after serving as a Commissioner At Large since January 1990, making her one of the two longest-serving Commissioners in Board history.

“Annie’s passing is a huge loss to the Park Board and the City of Minneapolis,” said MPRB Superintendent Jayne Miller. “Her commitment to our park system, to the environment and to programs and services for children and young people helped us to become the number one park system in the country that we are today. She will be deeply missed.”

During her 28-year tenure, Commissioner Young was a champion of the environment. Young’s efforts to promote and develop environmentally beneficial approaches to operations and recreation activities throughout the park system included championing solar energy initiatives and the Clean Water Partnership, as well as an Integrated Pest Management Plan that led to a 95% reduction in the use of chemicals and pesticides in parks during her time as a commissioner.

She also championed stewardship of the Mississippi River, and the parkland along it, including supporting restoration of the historic Stone Arch Bridge and Mill Ruins Park, which today are among the most-visited gems within the park system.

Young was also committed to programs and services for children and young people and was one of the visionaries who helped create the Teen Teamworks youth employment program.

In 2017, Commissioner Young was honored by resolutions from both the Minneapolis Park Board and the City of Minneapolis acknowledging her contributions, commitment, hard work, initiative and creativity in service.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has lowered flags on park properties to half-mast until January 31 to honor Commissioner Young.

Young’s family has asked for privacy and time to grieve their loss. Memorial service arrangements are pending.

Full Press Release

Extended Skyway Hours During 10 Days Leading up to Super Bowl

Via a January 23 e-newsletter from mpls downtown council:

Skyways to have extended hours during 10 days leading up to Super Bowl in downtown Minneapolis

The mpls downtown council, Meet Minneapolis and BOMA Greater Minneapolis, in alignment with the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee, jointly announced today a plan to offer extended hours through key skyway corridors during the 10 days leading up to Super Bowl LII in downtown Minneapolis.

The skyway system will have distinct routes extending to the outer edges of the downtown Minneapolis area open from 6 am – 12 am daily from Friday, January 26 through Sunday, February 4. These paths with extended hours of operation will extend to U.S. Bank Stadium to the East, the Minneapolis Convention Center to the South, Target Field to the West and 3^rd Street to the North, giving visitors, residents and workers alike dependable skyway routes each day. The central point of these skyway corridors will intersect at the IDS Center Crystal Court on 8^th Street and Nicollet.

The routes will connect U.S. Bank Stadium with Super Bowl LIVE presented by Verizon along Nicollet as well as the Super Bowl Experience driven by Genesis at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Skyways that will open from 6 am to midnight for Super Bowl LII activities are displayed on the PDF map linked here. Michael McLaughlin, President of Urban Works, coordinated efforts to secure needed approvals from participating buildings.

In addition to the extended skyway hours, Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee volunteers will be deployed within the skyway system until 10 pm each day helping visitors with wayfinding. Special signage will be added to highlight these key corridors. Also, the Mpls Downtown Improvement District will be adding flags at street level to help direct people into the skyway system from several outdoor locations. DID Ambassadors will be provide guests with directions, including added Ambassadors along Hennepin and Marquette avenues on each side of Super Bowl LIVE presented by Verizon.

“We’re excited to showcase our downtown community as we host people from across the country and the world for the Big Game, and ensuring people can easily navigate our city at street level and in the skyways is important,” said Steve Cramer, president and CEO of the mpls downtown council and Downtown Improvement District, and chair of the Super Bowl Host Committee’s wayfinding committee. “Extending the skyway hours and providing extensive signage and resources are important elements in ensuring our guests efficiently get to their destinations during their stay.”

"We know that skyways are a unique attraction and novelty for visitors to Minneapolis, especially during the winter,” said Melvin Tennant, president and CEO of Meet Minneapolis.  “The collaboration between BOMA, the mpls downtown council, Minneapolis Convention Center and Meet Minneapolis has helped to ensure that our visitors will have a positive experience navigating around the city."

“Crucial to the success of the Super Bowl is featuring one of our most valuable amenities, the skyway system,” said Kevin Lewis, Executive Director of BOMA Minneapolis. “Property owners in downtown Minneapolis have displayed civic pride and a willingness to be flexible by extending skyway hours for Super Bowl attendees.”

With more than 75 participating buildings and encompassing two-thirds of the 9 1/2-mile system, the extended skyway hours program that will be in place for the Super Bowl is the largest coordinated program in the 56-year history of the Minneapolis skyway system,” McLaughlin said.

For more information on Super Bowl LII, visit the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee’s website at www.mnsuperbowl.com. For more information on downtown Minneapolis, visit www.mplsdowntown.com, and for more information on DID assistance visit www.mplsdid.com/superbowl.

Limited Tickets Available for the January 25 and 26 Mill City Youth Players performances at the Guthrie

The Mill City Youth Players will present The M.A.S.K. Project: Meet Us, Ask Us, See Us, Know Us, January 25th and 26th in the Guthrie's Dowling Studio, 7:30pm both nights.

The M.A.S.K. Project: Meet Us, Ask Us, See Us, Know Us, is a performance created by young adults from YouthLink and youth residents of Minneapolis’ Cedar Riverside neighborhood. The group grew their writing and acting skills with Guthrie artists over the past two months, and are ready to come together and share a performance inspired by their personal stories. Building upon last summer’s Be You, Be Seen, Belong event, this one hour performance will feature scenes, music, movement, spoken word and more.

Admission is free, but a tickets are required. 

Sponsored by The Friends of the Mill District in partnership with the Guthrie Theater.

My North Series - 52 Minnesota Stories Leading up to the 2018 Super Bowl (Episodes 46 - 50)

Count down to Super Bowl 52 with this weekly video series of 52 love letters to Minnesota from notable Minnesotans. My North is an editorial video series created by Mpls.St.Paul Magazine and presented by Explore Minnesota. Hear from tastemakers and stylemakers. Artists and athletes. Authors and entertainers. These are their odes to the state they love. Below are episodes 46-50 - click here to see more!

Friends of the Mississippi River Seeks Input on Your Favorite River Views

Via Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR) website:

Now through spring 2018, the 25 metro-area cities and towns in our local national park, the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, are working to identify scenic river views worth protecting.

Once each city has determined its list, they must work to protect these views according to new state rules that protect the metro river corridor. Let's help our cities compile the best list possible!

Check out the views submitted so far, and then tell us about yours via this form. Views can be toward the river — from a public park, overlook or historic property — or toward the bluffs.

Up to $6.1 Million Available for Housing and Development Projects

Via a January 19 e-newsletter from Hennepin County:

Up to $6.1 million in funding for housing and development available

Applications due Thursday, February 8

Up to $6.1 million is available to support housing and development projects through Hennepin County's annual coordinated request for proposals (RFP) for development funding.

To maximize county resources and make the application process more efficient, the county coordinates an annual RFP process for several development programs through its Community and Economic Development and Housing Development and Finance divisions and the Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA). 

Programs included in this year's coordinated development RFP:

Affordable Housing Incentive Fund (AHIF) - $2.7 million
Capital financing to create or preserve long-term affordable housing units throughout Hennepin County for low-income households

HOME Investment Partnerships program (HOME) - $1.2 million
Flexible federal grant program administered by the county to fund a variety of affordable housing activities for very low- and low-income families or individuals, homeless families, and people with special needs

Transit Oriented Development program (TOD) - $2.2 million
Grants and loans for development projects that enhance transit use along Hennepin County transit corridors and routes

Learn more and apply

Reminder: Starting in 2018, all RFP applications must be submitted using the Hennepin County Supplier Portal. To learn more and register, visit the Supplier Portal information page.

Other development funding opportunities

Hennepin County offers a range of development programs to help build lasting value in local communities. Funding and grant programs for development are designed to encourage private investment that delivers public benefits, like:

• Creating or preserving affordable housing
• Growing employment opportunities
• Redeveloping underutilized property
• Improving environmental sustainability
• Growing the tax base
• Maximizing land use potential
• Supporting healthy lifestyles

Development programs support a variety of project types, including residential, commercial, industrial and mixed-use projects, and can be used for a range of activities from land acquisition and environmental cleanup to construction and redevelopment.

Learn more about other Hennepin County development programs:

Economic development infrastructure fund
Supports new or expanding businesses constructing or renovating facilities

Community Development Block Grant program
Supports community development activities that benefit low- and moderate-income people

Environmental response fund
Supports assessment and cleanup of contaminated lands

Business recycling program
Supports businesses and organizations start or improve recycling programs and reduce waste

Contact us

Community and economic development 

To learn more about community and economic development funding opportunities or to discuss your development plans, contact:

Patricia Fitzgerald
Hennepin County
Manager, Community and Economic Development
patricia.fitzgerald@hennepin.us | 612-532-4588

Affordable housing development

To learn more about the county's affordable housing development programs or to discuss your housing project, contact:

Margo Geffen
Hennepin County
Manager, Housing and Redevelopment Authority
margo.geffen@hennepin.us | 612-348-9260

“Minnesota Black History 101: A celebration of Black life, history and culture in Minnesota” on display in Hennepin Gallery through March 28

Via a January 19 e-newsletter from Hennepin County:

“Minnesota Black History 101” features artifacts, memorabilia and narratives offering a unique glimpse into the lives of Minnesota’s pioneering African Americans. From the birth of George Bonga in 1802 to civil rights movements and beyond, the exhibit presents Minnesota’s Black history of faith, politics, music, sports and more.  The exhibit will open on Monday, January 22, in the Hennepin Gallery at the Hennepin County Government Center.

In honor of the upcoming Super Bowl, the exhibit also features photographs from Vikings team photographer Andy Kenutis and Vikings artifacts from the 1960s and 1970s.

The exhibit is curated by Hawona Sullivan Janzen from the University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center gallery. Sullivan Janzen has curated many collections and exhibitions throughout the Twin Cities

Christopheraaron Deanes, assistant curator, is a renowned Twin Cities artist and assistant principal at the Perpich Center for Arts Education.

The exhibition and corresponding events are sponsored by the Hennepin County Library in collaboration with the Minnesota African American Museum as part of their “History Comes Alive” series.

The Hennepin Gallery is free and open to the public Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Hennepin County Government Center, A-level, 300 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis.

The gallery is a project of Hennepin County Communications.

Super Bowl to Alter Some County Service Hours and Locations

Via an e-newsletter from Hennepin County:

Hennepin County remains open for business during Super Bowl events, although some services may be limited or moved to other locations.

The county continues to work closely with partner agencies to ensure a smooth experience for visitors, residents and employees who come downtown.

Hour and location details

Government Center, 300 South 6th Street, Minneapolis

• All offices will remain open during normal business hours, including the service center.
• District court at this location will hold emergency hearings only during the week of January 29-February 2. Suburban courts will remain in session.

Health Services Building, 525 Portland Avenue, Minneapolis 

Note: Emergency Mental Health services will be available around the clock, as usual. 

• Human Service Center Central-Northeast Minneapolis will be closed January 29-February 2. Services will be available at five other non-downtown locations. Call 612-596-1300 for assistance by phone.
• Public Health Clinic will remain open for walk-in clients, but clients are urged to visit before January 26 or after February 5. Please consider using transit to go to the clinic.
• WIC Office will be closed January 26-February 5. Walk-in services will be available at Hennepin County Human Service Center–South Minneapolis, Brookdale Regional Center and NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center.

Other buildings

• Child Support services at the Family Justice Center, 110 4th Street South, Minneapolis, will not be available from January 29-February 2. Face-to-face walk-in services will be available at all non-downtown human service center locations.
• Hennepin Health Walk-In Service Center at the Grain Exchange Building, 400 South Fourth Street, Suite 201, Minneapolis, will relocate. From January 22-February 5, visit Brookdale Regional Center at 6125 Shingle Creek Parkway, Brooklyn Center, or and 1800 Chicago Avenue South, Minneapolis.
• Hennepin County Library locations, including Minneapolis Central, will be open during regular hours.

Parking

• The parking ramp beneath the Government Center will operate 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. January 29-February 2. Several dozen public parking spots are based on availability. Parking will be open during the Open Appointment interview process on January 30, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The ramp will remain closed on weekends.  
• Parking ramps at Hennepin County Library-Minneapolis Central and Target Field Station will operate regularly, with $15 event parking beginning at 5 p.m. 

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts and the Cedar Cultural Center Win $50,000 Joyce Award

Via a January 17 Press Release from The Joyce Foundation:

Grants Awarded by the Joyce Foundation Will Support New Works Focusing on Diverse Cultures by Musician Aar Maanta and Performer Rosy Simas

The Joyce Foundation announced today that two art collaborations – the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts and Rosy Simas Danse, as well as the Cedar Cultural Center and Aar Maanta – have each been awarded a 2018 Joyce Award to activate their respective community engagement artworks in the Twin Cities.

The Cedar Cultural Center will partner with Somali musician, Aar Maanta, to produce what is believed to be the first bilingual album of children’s songs tentatively entitled, Children’s Songs from the Somali Diaspora.

Aar Maanta

The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts will commission Rosy Simas (Seneca, Heron Clan) to create “Weave,” an intersectional Native dance project that examines the interwoven and interdependent nature of our world.

Rosy Simas

The 2018 Joyce Awards marks the Joyce Foundation’s 15th year offering the prize. Started in 2003, the Joyce Awards is the only regional program dedicated to supporting artists of color in major Great Lakes cities with the goal of elevating their visibility and recognition in their craft. A distinctive feature of the Joyce Awards is the call for commissioned artists and their host institutions to include a robust community engagement plan as a main component of their projects. Maanta and Simas will engage in community forums, workshops, panel discussions, and one-on-one conversations to create their productions.

“These new works will provide storytelling in fascinating mediums for those young and old,” said Ellen Alberding, President of the Joyce Foundation. “It is so important to support these Twin Cities artists and organizations so they can bring to life the diverse stories of the communities their work highlights.”

The competition has awarded nearly $3.25 million to commission 59 new works and collaborations between artists and cultural organizations in Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee and Minneapolis/St. Paul. The $50,000 award is used towards supporting an artist in the creation and production of a new work and providing the commissioning organization with the resources needed to engage potential audiences, new partners, and their surrounding communities at large.

Minnesota has seen the most Joyce Awards winners with 20 of the 59 total awards to date, delivering $1 million in artistic funding.

“The Twin Cities consistently bring forward impressive projects that position artists as community illuminators and problem solvers,” said Tracie D. Hall, Culture Program Director at the Joyce Foundation. “We are not only excited for the work that Aar Maanta and Rosy Simas will produce but also for the impact these projects have the potential to leave behind.”

The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts & Rosy Simas Danse

Rosy Simas is a designer and director of dance, a solo and collaborative performer, and a multidisciplinary teacher, curator and mentor of diverse artists.  A Native feminist, Simas critically centers Native cultural/political persistence while engaging a range of political, social, cultural and personal subjects.

In “Weave,” individual histories will be woven into a performance that envelops the audience in an immersive experience of story, dance, moving image, and sound.  It will be presented in January 2019 as part of the Ordway’s Music & Movement Series.

“Receiving the Joyce Award not only makes possible the Ordway’s commission of ‘Weave,’ but will also support engagements that draw people deeply into both Rosy’s creative process, and the artwork that she and her collaborators create,” said Jamie Grant, President & CEO of the Ordway. “We couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the project, and we are very grateful to the Joyce Foundation.” 

“My work furthers an ancestral model of dialogic, peaceful and cross-community-centered direction in my creative process,” said performer Rosy Simas. “Weave will begin in, and return to, community as a way of giving back and remaining engaged with Native people.”   

 “Weave” collaborating organizations include the O’Shaughnessy Auditorium at St. Catherine’s University.

The Cedar Cultural Center & Aar Maanta

Aar Maanta is a Somali musician whose activism, work and creativity led him to become a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Refugee Council (UNHCR), while leading one of the only active live bands in the world that plays Somali music. His work includes the recent UNHCR campaign about irregular youth migration in the Horn of Africa, Dangerous Crossings, for which his song “Tahriib” was reproduced and performed in collaboration with leading artists from Africa. 

Working with his band and other musicians from Minnesota, Aar Maanta will collaborate with Somali youth in Minneapolis’s Cedar Riverside neighborhood to write and record the first-ever bilingual Somali children's album, which will be released and performed live at the Cedar in 2019.

"This project was inspired by the creativity and passion of the young people I worked with during my previous Cedar residencies, and more recently in refugee camps of Horn of Africa,” said musician Aar Maanta. “I am very excited to get to work more closely with Minneapolis youth and children on this project. It will be a groundbreaking collaboration because it will channel their own experiences into a beautiful album that can speak to young Somalis and children in the United States and throughout the diaspora.”

With millions of young Somalis growing up in diaspora communities around the world, the album aims to provide affirmation and connection to the Somali American youth experience. 

“The Cedar has been building a cherished relationship with Aar Maanta for many years,” said Jessica Rau, Program & Artistic Director at the Cedar. “Our past residencies with him have been significant and meaningful for all of the people he has reached through his time in Minneapolis. The Joyce Award will deepen this impact by allowing Aar Maanta to collaborate with youth in our neighborhood to produce a tangible album of new work that will reach people around the world and last for generations to come.” 

Additional 2018 Award Winners

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit will commission a new theatrical work entitled Salt City by poet and playwright jessica Care moore, reflecting on themes of gentrification and cultural erasure, a much-debated effect of the Motor City’s economic revitalization.

Dancer and choreographer, Onye Ozuzu, will be commissioned by Chicago’s Links Hall for a production that looks at black migration and the city’s unique connections to Haiti and Louisiana.

To view the Joyce Awards’ 15th Anniversary video, please click here.

About The Joyce Foundation

The Joyce Foundation invests in policies, informed by evidence, to improve quality of life, promote safe and healthy communities, and build a just society for the people of the Great Lakes region. The Chicago-based foundation pursues those goals through grants to help prepare the region’s young people to thrive in education, career, and community, and to advance racial equity and economic mobility. The private, nonpartisan foundation centers its grant making in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, and seeks opportunities to collaborate on promising policies in other states or at the federal level. It pursues policy and systems reform in five program areas: Education & Economic Mobility, the Environment, Gun Violence Prevention & Justice Reform, Democracy, and Culture.  Joyce was established in 1948 by Beatrice Joyce Kean, sole heir to the Joyce family of Clinton, Iowa, which accumulated its wealth in the lumber and related industries. Joyce has budgeted charitable disbursements of $50 million in 2018, on assets of approximately $1 billion. For more information, please visit www.JoyceFdn.org, or follow us on Twitter (@JoyceFdn) or Facebook (/JoyceFdn).

"The Resistance of My Skin" by Shannon TL Kearns playing at the Crane Theater Feb 16-24

The Crane Theater presents The Resistance of My Skin by Shannon TL Kearns February 16 - 24.

The show is about Ayden, a transgender man, and Jess, a plus-sized woman, who have been dating and now Jess has invited Ayden to come to her place. Tension (of all sorts) is high for both of them as they navigate their fears and try to connect with one another. This heartfelt, hilarious and impactful play asks questions about connections, safety and vulnerability. Come explore what resistance with our bodies looks like.

There are just 40 seats per performance, and each performance is followed by a facilitated talkback. Ticket info:

Friday, February 16: 7:30pm

Saturday, February 17: 1:30pm, Saturday, February 17: 7:30pm

Monday, February 19: 7:30 (some free tickets available for those in the theatre industry)

Thursday, February 22: 7:30pm

Friday, February 23: 7:30pm

Saturday, February 24: 1:30pm, Saturday, February 24: 7:30pm

The Crane Theater is located at 2303 Kennedy St. NE #120, a block off Stinson between Hennepin and Broadway Avenues. Follow them on Facebook. 

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board's 17th Annual Kite Festival

Via a January 10 e-newsletter from the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board:

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board present’s the 17th Annual Kite Festival. Kites of all shapes, sizes, colors and themes will fly over frozen Lake Harriet! Fun family festival activities include horse-drawn wagon rides, snowshoeing, fat bike demos, guided nature hikes, ice fishing on the lake, and a marshmallow roast. Minnesota Kite Society experts will demonstrate maneuvering spectacular kites throughout the day, offer their expertise to kite flying enthusiasts and to those who are new to the pastime. Bring your own kite, or buy an inexpensive one at the lake. 

The Kite Festival is a FREE family oriented, outdoor event which takes place on Sat., January 27 from noon to 4 pm.  The Kite Festival is great for all ages and abilities.  Held at the north end of Lake Harriet near the Bandshell (4135 West Lake Harriet Parkway). Free lot parking is available on site, please keep in mind lots fill quickly, however free, on-street parking is available throughout the neighborhood and a shuttle will be available leaving from Linden Hills Park (3100 W 43rd St. Minneapolis) from 11:45 am to 4 pm. West Lake Harriet Parkway delays are expected. Allow ample time to find a spot and walk to the venue.

A huge thanks to our partners Linden Hills Neighborhood Council and the East Harriet Farmstead Neighborhood and sponsors that help make the Kite Festival a success, especially TEA2 Architects and Renewal by Andersen.