Covering life, work, and play in the Historic Mill District and Downtown Minneapolis Riverfront neighborhoods. Have an opinion, local news or events to share? Contact us.
After nine long months in the making, Pivo’s new bar is finished.
They turned the original small bar into a zero-proof (alcohol-free) oasis, which may be one of the first dedicated zero-proof bars in Minneapolis. Situated right across from the zero-proof bar is the new Fletcher's Ice Cream station. In addition to Fletcher's, Pivo has also partnered with Kramarczuk’s.
New items in this weeks Mill City Farmers Market shopping basket: Watermelon and seedless cucumber from WEI, melon from Nistler Farms, garlic from Morning Glory Farm and Gardens, apples from Mary Dirty Face Farm, sweet peppers from GVY Fresh Produce, sweet corn and potatoes from Prairie Hollow Farm.
REMINDER: The annual Harvest Dinner, a major funding source for MCFM, is scheduled for September 10th. Taking place in the Mill City Museum Courtyard, the event features a market-to-table dinner prepared with farm-fresh ingredients by market chefs Nettie Colón and Jenny Breen, craft cocktails and live music. The evening ends with a live auction and fund-a-need support for MCFM's Next Stage Grant program for farmers and food makers. Learn more here.
New Vendor - Caphin!
Caphin serves delicately crafted Vietnamese coffee specialty drinks such as cà phê trung (egg coffee), cà phê lá dua (pandan) and Ube. They will return for the September 30 and October 28 markets.
Photo credit - MCFM
Outside the Lines
Opening Reception Sunday, August 13, 4:00 - 6:00PM
Stonebridge Lofts, 1120 S 2nd Street
Join us at The Mill Yard opening reception to meet the featured artists and engage with beautiful art. Wine, beverages and snacks are served.
Artists featured at this show:
Jim Conaway
Jim Conaway was a productive Minnesota artist while teaching painting and drawing at Hamline University. In 1970 Jim was chosen by the U.S. State Department to participate in the American Embassy program where American artists painted their local landscapes to hang in American Embassies around the world. His paintings have been exhibited in museums and galleries across the country including the Walker Art Center, the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis. After Jim’s retirement from Hamline in1996, he became a full-time painter in his studio in the Traffic Zone Center for Visual Art where he is a founding member.
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Gia Gifford
Gia Gifford is a painter and metalsmith who works out of her studio in the Casket Arts Building in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. Gia holds degrees in studio art and art history, as well as a master’s degree in art education and has taught in a variety of settings over the past fifteen years. Gia’s painterly process employs motion, repetition and rhythm as a form of contemplation. “My layering technique immerses the viewer in the complex shapes and sequences of the painting, producing an experience that is aesthetic, emotional, and therapeutic.”
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Ric Rosow
Ric Rosow is a Minneapolis based photographer who enjoys photographing landscapes, cityscapes, night-time skies, concerts and people. He loves taking photographs of the Minneapolis downtown skyline. His catalogue of photographs includes images from his travels not only in the U.S., but Mexico, Central and South America, South Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the Antarctica Peninsula. His work has been displayed in local galleries and published in Backroads' travel brochures, Hill Town Tours social media sites and more.
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Rita Schaefer-Seaton
Rita Schaefer-Seaton was born and raised in Germany. Her German education afforded her the pursuit of a corporate career in the U.S. Choosing to develop her visual and creative skills, in the late 1980’s she earned a degree in graphic design. To expand from design to fine art she continued to study painting and life drawing. “My work is influenced by my interests in psychology, the archetypical and science fiction.” Rita’s paintings and drawings have been accepted into juried exhibitions including the Minnesota State Fair.
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Robinson Scott
Robinson Scott has been blowing original glass art for 45 years. Having studied in Sweden he uses many Swedish color layering techniques, combined with his is own variations creating a 3-dimensional viewing experience. He is an award-winning glass blower with pieces available in numerous galleries and part of many corporate collections. “I pursue difference and personal perfection in form and design. I enjoy the challenge of change, ever striving to learn new designs, techniques, and approaches in glass. This is my driving force.”
Sezzle Inc. is the most recent big name to locate its operations downtown, joining Buyers Support Group, Unilever, Ernst & Young, and Uncommon
This week The Dayton’s Project welcomed Sezzle Inc. to the building. Sezzle, a locally founded, publicly traded technology platform, signed a long-term lease with The Dayton’s Project for nearly 11,500 SF for their Minneapolis headquarters location.
“We are so excited to welcome Sezzle to the building,” said Kristin Longhenry, General Manager of the property, “We have seen firsthand the impact of being able to bring your team back together to an office that supports collaboration and innovation. And we’re thrilled to provide that home to many of Minneapolis’ premier businesses.”
The Dayton’s Project was built in 1902, home to the original Dayton’s Department Store, which later became Target. In 2017, ownership group 601 W. Companies bought the property with the goal of transforming the 1.2 million square foot project into retail and modern office space. The Dayton’s Project now boasts best-in-class amenities for exclusive tenant use, including a rooftop deck, private lounge, high-end fitness center, and library.
Photo: Minneapolis / St. Paul Business JournalSezzle will occupy one of The Dayton’s Project’s spec suites – office spaces that are created for immediate occupancy so that companies can move quickly into their new space. Sezzle will join other spec suite tenants on the sixth floor, with easy access to shared conferencing space as well as their own private suite, which includes private offices, conferencing and collaboration areas, and a kitchen.
Jim Montez and Alex Baron of Transwestern represented the building in the deal. Pete Kostroski and Jake Sampson from Rokos Advisors represented Sezzle.
May Pang with artwork Photo credit Scott Segelbaum
The Lost Weekend – The Photography of May Pang coincides with the feature film documentary The Lost Weekend: A Love Story that premiered in theaters in April 2023
Few people knew John Lennon as intimately as May Pang. Pang was Lennon’s lover during the infamous Lost Weekend era, which was his 18-month separation from Yoko Ono from late 1973 through 1975. During this highly creative time for Lennon, Pang took candid photos of Lennon in a comfortable, relaxed environment.
Social CommentaryA collection of these private photographs will be on display and available for purchase at Gallery13 in the Aloft Hotel, 900 Washington Avenue S, Friday, August 18 through Sunday, August 20. Admission to the exhibit is free to the public, and all works are available for purchase. May Pang will be in attendance at Gallery13 in the Aloft Hotel, meeting attendees and telling stories behind these limited-edition photographs of John Lennon. See John as May saw him!
During the Lost Weekend, with May's help, Lennon had his most artistically and commercially productive period post-Beatles - with the albums Mind Games, Walls and Bridges (which included his only #1 Hit Single Whatever Gets You Through the Night), Rock and Roll, and collaborations with Elton John, David Bowie, Harry Nilsson, Mick Jagger and Ringo, among others. Pang can be heard on the song #9 Dream as she whispers John’s name in the song. Another song, Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradox), was written about Pang.
Pang also encouraged Lennon to reconnect with his family and his friends, which ultimately led to a reunion with Paul McCartney and a memorable jam session between the two Beatles. Pang also arranged for Julian Lennon to visit his father for the first time in almost three years. One of Pang’s photographs of Julian Lennon graces the cover of Julian’s latest album entitled Jude.
Father & Son
Lennon also went into the studio with friend Harry Nilsson during this time and produced his album Pussy Cats. It was during this time that Pang rented a house in Santa Monica and moved in with Lennon and fellow partiers Ringo Starr, Keith Moon and Harry Nilsson. Several photos from this time also appear in the exhibition. Other highlights of the exhibition include the only photograph that exists of John Lennon signing the contract to dissolve the Beatles, as well as the last known photograph of John Lennon and Paul McCartney together (March 29, 1974).
Pang has also published three books on her times with Lennon, including Loving John, John Lennon – The Lost Weekend and Instamatic Karma, featuring photos from her private archives.
The Toy
Open Eye Theatre Announces a Line-up of Compelling Plays and a Hilarious Holiday Comedy for the Fall/Winter Season
Open Eye Theatre has announced a line-up of three exciting productions guaranteed to open eyes, hearts and minds this season:
THE CHINESE LADY - September 7–24
In 1834, Afong Moy was brought from Beijing to America and put on display as the “Chinese Lady.” Over the next several decades, she performed in a side show that both defined and challenged her own view of herself as she witnessed stunning transformation in the United States. Inspired by the true story of America’s first female Chinese immigrant, playwright Lloyd Suh unearths hidden history and questions the way we look at ourselves and others.
Open Eye is excited to have Eric Sharp making his Open Eye directing debut, along with the incredible talents of Katie Bradley and Michel Sung Ho in the lead roles. The design team includes Kathy Maxwell (lighting), Matthew LeFebvre (costumes), Montana Johnson and Gao Hong (sound and music), Hui Wilcox (movement), and Joel Sass (set).
LIFE SUCKS! - October 12 - November 5
Open Eye and Girl Friday Productions are pleased to announce LIFE SUCKS!. A group of old friends, ex-lovers, estranged in-laws, and lifelong enemies gather to grapple with life’s thorniest questions - and each other. What could possibly go wrong? Incurably lustful and lonely, hapless and hopeful, these seven souls collide and stumble their way towards a new understanding that LIFE SUCKS! Or does it? From the mind of Aaron Posner, author of Stupid F*#king Bird, comes this brash and revelatory reworking of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. Never has unhappiness been so much fun.
The tiny Open Eye stage will explode this fall with 7 passionate and hilarious actors (and many shots of vodka), supported by a creative team that includes Kathy Maxwell (lights), Claire Looker (costumes), C Andrew Mayer (sound), and Joel Sass (set).
SCROOGE IN ROUGE - November 30 – December 23
The Royal Music Hall Variety Players' production of A Christmas Carol is in a pickle after seventeen members of the company suddenly fall ill. This leaves the three remaining members to plow on (so to speak) through a musical performance of the Dickens classic. Expect missed cues, unfamiliar characters, and costume mishaps aplenty. With cheeky puns and bawdy songs, this quick-change, cross-dressing version of the Christmas tale is a hilarious holiday treat!
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Open Eye Theatre serves artists and audiences by advancing adventurous and imaginative arts programming. Open Eye Theatre is nationally recognized as a vibrant home for artists who create imaginative and profound experiences that open eyes, hearts, and minds through the power of amazing stories and unforgettable performances.
Experience a thrilling array of original theatre, inventive puppetry, live music, and world-class storytelling from local, national, and international artists year-round in their cozy 90-seat theater at 506 East 24th Street, located 2 blocks south of Franklin Ave between Portland Ave and 35W. Park for free in the Lutheran Social Services lot at 24th and Portland.
Rhythmically Speaking is bringing The Cohort back to The Southern Theater August 17-19
Featuring works inspired by the vibrancy of jazz and American social dance ideas, The Cohort 2023: Stage & Screen is the fifth installment of Rhythmically Speaking's reimagined annual Summer production, and fifteenth overall. Following ten years of annually presenting dance works by 7-9 mostly-local artists and their varied casts of performers, in 2019 Rhythmically Speaking shifted to provide more in-depth support to fewer artists creating longer works, and a company of dancers to perform them. In 2022, they innovated further by adding a screen works wing, in collaboration with the Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema (Boulder, CO). This new vision of the RS annual summer production continues support of new work by local choreographers while providing opportunities for artists based outside of Minnesota to show their work here.
The stage component of The Cohort 2023 features works by an exciting line-up of artists: Laura Osterhaus Rosenstone, a local artist known for her work as a dancer with Zenon Dance Company and now her own company SLO Dance, Cara Hagan of New York City, Program Director of the MFA in Contemporary Theater Performance at the New School and sought-after stage and screen works creator and curator, and Carlos R.A. Jones of Buffalo, NY, Professor of Musical Theater and Dance at SUNY Buffalo and highly-regarded jazz thinker who recently co-edited pivotal text Rooted Jazz Dance: Africanist Aesthetics and Equity in the 21st Century. RS Artistic and Executive Director Erinn Liebhard will also have work in the show - a revisiting of Feist(meist)er, created for the first Cohort show in 2019 and recently performed at the Peridance Center in New York City.
From Osterhaus Rosenstone’s poignant, rhythmic explorations of presence in improvisation to Hagan’s consideration of the intersection of forms of body percussion to Jones’ high-energy fusion and Liebhard’s groovy and feisty vibes, the production will run a gamut of feelings while showing a breadth of what ‘jazz and American social dance-inspired’ can mean. The cohort of artists involved in this show also includes RS company members Nieya Amezquita, Doug Hooker, Sara Karimi, RS Artistic Director Erinn Liebhard, Kelli Miles, Javan Mngrezzo, Jake Nehrbass, Kathleen Pender and Betsy Schaefer-Roob. The Cohort 2023 will also include a screening of to-be-selected dance films by artists from all over the world: last year’s screen program included works not only from all over the USA, but also Bulgara, the UK and Spain! There will also be a showing of the same selected screendance works in Boulder, CO by collaborating organization Sans Souci in July 2023, in conjunction with the Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop.
Rhythmically Speaking sparks vibrancy and connectedness through jazz and American social dance ideas. With shared roots of groove, interaction and improvisation, these approaches encourage simultaneous expression of difference and similarity as a means of creating community. RS is proud to be a local and national leader in celebrating the rich history of these forms while nurturing their innovation. Since their founding in 2008, the organization has presented 103 original and remounted works, and engaged 350+ artists and thousands of audience members.
Source Song Festival (Source) has announced its 10th Anniversary Festival - a special week of recitals, masterclasses, and lectures open to the public.
David FhimaSherman Associates and David Fhima announce Mother Dough Bakery as the newest restaurant coming to the Mill District neighborhood. This is the third location of the bakery and café in Minneapolis operated by Fhima, located at the southeast corner of Park Avenue and 2nd Street S at 205 Park Avenue, Suite #3.
“My team and I are excited to partner with this amazing company. Sherman Associates embodies the same corporate values as the Fhima family; build back the Minneapolis downtown community better than ever,” said Fhima. “Not only does this concept promise to do that, it is only the beginning of a promising future for our entire city! And, I’m elated to bring a bit of Paris to the Mill District.”
With everything made in-house daily, Mother Dough serves baked Parisian breads and pastries; grab-and-go lunch items including sandwiches, soups, and salads; and desserts and beverages including hand-selected wine and craft beer.
Mother Dough plans to open in the late fall of 2023 with hours from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Mother Dough will be located at the street level of The Vicinity Apartments, owned and operated by Sherman, and will serve as a unique amenity to residents living at The Vicinity as well as residents and working professionals in the Mill District neighborhood, providing a new restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and social hour.
"We are excited to announce our continued partnership with David Fhima. Living and working in the Mill District, I can personally say this bakery will serve the neighborhood well,” said Ben Kepple, Director of Commercial Operations at Sherman Associates. “With its proximity to Stone Arch Bridge, the Mill City Farmers Market, and more, we are confident that this use will flourish in the community.”
Fhima is the founder and executive chef of Fhima’s Minneapolis, Artisans & Spice Catering, and Mother Dough Bakery, and recently opened Maison Margaux. He is also the executive chef for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx, and was recognized as the Twin Cities Business 100: Innovators and Newsmakers to Watch in 2023. Additionally, he is serving as the food and beverage visionary of Harmonia, Sherman’s $400 million, full city block development at Washington Avenue S and 3rd Avenue S.
New items in this weeks Mill City Farmers Market shopping basket: purple cabbage from Urban Roots, ice cream from Sonny's, raspberries from Prairie Hollow Farm (along with a new kind of pea that I neglected to get the name of), and tea from Well Rooted Teas.
I wasn't the only one who was happy to see Sonny's back at the market - shoppers kept Carrie busy scooping! She and Ron craft ice creams, sorbets and gelatos with delicious flavor combinations.
Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library was also popular with shoppers.
Fresh cut microgreens!
REMINDER: The annual Harvest Dinner, a major funding source for MCFM, is scheduled for September 10th. It features a market-to-table dinner prepared with farm-fresh ingredients by market chefs Nettie Colón and Jenny Breen, craft cocktails and live music, and will take place in the Mill City Museum Courtyard. The evening ends with a live auction and fund-a-need support for MCFM's Next Stage Grant program for farmers and food makers. Learn more here.
Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided
History classes are not always taught in classrooms – sometimes you might be lucky enough to learn on a riverboat! Join the National Park Service and the Mississippi Park Connection in a program led by special guest, Professor Bill Green, on the Mississippi River. We talked to Professor Green about the topic for the cruise - stories of Black Minnesotans whose lives took place along the Mississippi River in the 19th Century. The event takes place on August 10 – register here.
Professor GreenQ: The promotional materials for your History Cruise note that you’ll cover “remarkable Black Minnesotans whose lives unfolded along the landscape of the Mississippi River.” Will you cover individuals (like Isabel Wilkerson did in her Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Warmth of Other Suns) or will you cover groups of Black people who lived near the river? If individuals, can you give us a teaser of who we’ll learn about?
A: Wilkerson's powerful book is about a different time and, in a sense, place. My talk will focus on the stories of 19th century Blacks who escaped Southern slavery, to arrive in a place that was governed by powerful white men who were progressive in principle, but paternalistic in practice. Unlike those who Wilkerson examines who came North and formed large communities, my subjects came to very small communities of black Minnesotans who realized that there was a cost to being too noticeable, recognizing that in order to advance their rights, found guidance in the adage - two steps forward, one step backwards - making certain demands while avoiding seeming ungrateful. Theirs were lives that had to be experienced on a tightrope.
One example is Maurice Jernigan, who arrived in the 1850s from the South, a fugitive slave who used his skills as a barber to secure protection from white customers who tolerated slave catchers walking the streets of St. Paul. Another example is Robert Hickman, also a fugitive, who arrived in St. Paul in 1864. He and his group were met at the dock by a hostile gang of white laborers who repulsed their landing. Finally coming ashore at Fort Snelling, they came back to St. Paul to start a black church that exists to this day. William Taylor, another black barber, was "conductor" of the Underground Railroad that came to Minnesota via the Mississippi. A fourth person is Eliza Winston who was brought to Minnesota as one of several enslaved persons forced to accompany their enslavers who came as tourists. That kind of tourism thrived in Minnesota in the wake of the Dred Scott decision. These stories come from my books - Degrees of Freedom, The Origins of Civil Rights in Minnesota, 1865–1912 and The Children of Lincoln: White Paternalism and the Limits of Black Opportunity in Minnesota, 1860-1876 (2018), both of which received the Hognander-Minneapolis Book Awards. The Mississippi River, in each case, was crucial for these four African Americans to begin their respective Minnesota story.
Q: I’m so excited for this new programming – history aboard a river cruise! Will your remarks be of interest to all age groups?
A: I think my remarks will be of interest to a wide range of listeners.
Q: I think this is going to be a major hit – do you envision a follow-up cruise for the history buffs in the area?
A: I can imagine follow-up cruises to St. Anthony/Minneapolis and Stillwater.
In addition to learning about the lesser-known stories of the Mississippi, participants will enjoy wildlife and scenic sunset views. The cost is $20 for members, $25 for non-members. There will be a cash bar. Boarding begins at 6:45pm; boat leaves promptly at 7. Dieparture location is Watergate Marina, 2500 Crosby Farm Road, St. Paul, MN 55116
Learn more about becoming a member of the Mississippi Park Connection here.
This closure is necessary for a contractor hired by Hennepin County to perform maintenance on the Hennepin Avenue Bridge.
West River Parkway closes to motorized vehicle traffic between 4th Avenue North and the Stone Arch Bridge parking lot beginning Saturday, July 29, and ending Friday, August 4. The closure will be in place daily 7am-5pm, except Sunday, July 30, when it will be open for an event. Trails will remain open during this time.
West River Parkway is also closed to motorized vehicle traffic between 13th Avenue S and 22nd Avenue S until October for a separate bridge project led by the University of Minnesota. Access to both the Bohemian Flats parking lot and Stone Arch Bridge parking lot is available from the south.
Please follow detours, slow down, and stay out of work areas. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board appreciates the public's patience while public infrastructure is repaired.
Find all Parkway closure updates here.
Article by Becky Fillinger
Jeffrey Thao
We’ve focused on several team members at the Mill City Farmers Market this season and now turn our attention to some of the farmers. First up is Jeffrey Thao, the owner's son and farmer’s market representative for Der’s Farm. He spoke to us about the genesis of the farm and the wonderful flowers he brings to us all season long.
Q: Please tell us the history of Der’s Farm. Where is your farm located?
A: Der's farm started in the early 1990's by Yeng Lee (my mom, Mrs. Der Thao) a few years after they arrived in the US as refugees from Laos in 1986 after the Vietnam war ended. My father worked as a bus driver and my mom worked all kinds of jobs, whatever she could to get some money to raise a big family. She worked two shifts and money in the household was still very tight – plus she had trouble finding childcare working so many hours.
L to R, Jeffrey Thao's parents, Der Thao and Yeng Lee, at the farm.
So, my mom started farming - planting vegetables with her sister-in-law. Once she started farming, she figured out that she was able to make money from selling the produce and could babysit her kids at the same time too. That became a thing for my mom and what she launched continues year after year. My mom passed in 2014, but her husband Der Thao and kids are still farming
The farm is located on 20 acres on two plots in Rosemount and Hampton.
Q: Why does Der's Farm grow flowers? Do you also still grow and sell vegetables?
A: Der's farm started to grow flowers because from one of my mom’s previous jobs, she loved working in a flower wholesale place. She loved flowers and making bouquets at her job. So she decided to plant flowers and started to invest in perennial flowers such as lilies and peonies. As years go by, she planted new flowers every year and the flower farm just ‘blossomed’ from there on. She was one of the first Hmong farmers to grow flowers in Minnesota. We still grow vegetables but far less than the flowers. The vegetables that we plant are mainly Brussels sprouts, asparagus, tomatoes, peas, and little bit of sweet corn.
Above and below, shoppers line up for Der's Farm flowers and produce.
Q: How many employees work for the farm?
A: There are no employees, it’s just family here. We have three adult family members who work at the farm.
Q: What flowers do you grow and sell?
A: Oh, so many. Gladiolus, Lilies (Asiatic and oriental), Asters, Blue Salvia, Dahlias, Snapdragons, Lisianthus, Statice, Babies Breath, Globe Thistle, Peonies, Zinnias, Baptisia, Gomphrena, Celosia and many more.
Q: What's the first and last flowers of the season?
A: Our first flower of the season is Baptisia and Peonies. The last flowers of the seasons are usually Dahlias and Ornamental Kale.
Q: May visitors come to your farm?
A: We’re really not set up for visitors to the farm. We are a working farm, always planting and cutting flowers to sell. People will usually think that "wow your fields must be so pretty with all the flowers blooming." But actually, since we are always harvesting the flowers there are not that many blooms in the fields. But we do let our customer pick up orders or check out what flowers we have at the farm by contacting us first.
Q: How may we stay current with your news?
A: The best way is to follow our Der's Farm Facebook page to see when we will have certain flowers and what flowers will be coming in season. We also post what flowers we’re bringing to the Mill City Farmers Market week by week.
A Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program artist, Keobounpheng’s collection will feature artworks across a variety of mediums that highlight the complexities of personal identity
The Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) will open its newest exhibition, Revealing Threads, this summer, featuring 30 artworks from celebrated artist, designer, and maker Tia Keobounpheng, best known for her intricately embroidered tapestries and jewelry design. The collection will be on view from July 22 through October 29, 2023, and will take place as part of the Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program (MAEP).
Tia KeobounphengA Finnish and Sámi descendant, Keobounpheng uses her artistic practice to reconcile her cultural identity based on new information about her ancestral lineage. Inspired by a 2022 research trip to Sápmi, the traditional land of the Sámi people, Revealing Threads features a selection of Keobounpheng’s abstract tapestries, influenced by traditional Nordic handwork techniques and infused with contemporary interpretations and symbolism. The results speak to marginalized histories, heritage, and the complexity of personal identity.
“This body of work emerges from my research about the colonial history of the Nordic nation states and my own lived and ancestral connection to colonizers and the colonized in Sweden and Finland,” said Keobounpheng. “Uncovering my Sámi bloodlines puts aspects of my lived experience into a new, more complicated context that extends back more than seven generations. As a white American, it is my responsibility to unlearn the effects of colonialism as I claim this lineage. Through my work, I practice holding the spectrum between binary extremes and imagine my own belonging within an expansive Indigenous worldview.”
The free exhibition will showcase 30 unique artworks across various mediums and sizes. Visitors are invited to experience Keobounpheng’s journey of self-discovery, learn about her connections to Sámi heritage through her unique visual vernacular rooted in traditional textile techniques.
“We are thrilled to present Revealing Threads as the latest MAEP exhibition at Mia,” said Nicole Soukup, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art at Mia. “Tia’s work provides a glimpse into her deeply personal story of self-discovery, resilience, and the responsibilities of familial knowledge. Not only is the artwork visually stunning, but it deepens many of the conversations we are having in the United States today—conversations about identity, self-care, belonging, and heritage.”
WAYFIND
Upon entry, visitors will be immersed in darkness as they encounter an installation titled WAYFIND. A projected film sequence, captured by Keobounpheng on her journey through Sápmi, is a backdrop for the physical items in the center of the room. The art dress, worn by Keobounpheng in the film, is encircled by a ring of sixteen orange Norwegian road-markers, symbolizing her dependence on the circle as a guide in her practice.
THREADS no9
THREADS no9
Following WAYFIND, the exhibition opens into a warm gallery space with embroidered panels of various sizes. THREADS no9 features a geometric thread and colored pencil tapestry created on wood panel, a large-scale installation that pays homage to Keobounpheng’s family tree. Honoring her late grandfather, the only grandparent she knew growing up, the base layer of the artwork showcases four, eight, sixteen, and thirty-two color-coordinated geometric circles that resurrect the memory of generations of grandparents who came before her and live through her now.
THREADS no10
Honoring the differences in American, Finnish, and Sámi cultural interpretations of the aurora borealis, THREADS no10 illuminates Keobounpheng’s vision of the northern lights. The layered thread patterns create an optical illusion of sorts, inviting visitors to move around the artwork, experience its full depth, and contemplate the stories humanity tells about the natural world.
"We are thrilled to feature some of Tia Keobounpheng’s newest artworks in Revealing Threads, the Minnesota Artist Exhibition Program’s latest exhibition,” said Katie Luber, Nivin and Duncan MacMillan Director and President of Mia. “Not only is Tia an important artist and creator within the Minnesota community, her works inspire a nuanced and necessary look at what role long-standing heritage and culture plays in the modern world and invites visitors to reflect on larger themes of belonging and personal identity.”
This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of the McKnight Foundation with additional support provided by RBC Wealth Management.
For more information on Tia Keobounpheng’s Revealing Threads exhibition as well as ways to view the collection, visit ArtsMia.org.
Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided
If Major League Baseball teams have given their (unofficial) seal of approval to Ono Hawaiian Plates, maybe it’s time for you to drop by the North Loop restaurant for a plate of goodness. We talked to co-owner Jess Kelley about the delicious offerings, and to hear her suggestions for those new to Hawaiian cuisine.
Q: “Ono” means delicious in the Hawaiian language. You’ve proved your concept many times over. What makes your food so sumptuous?
A: I think it's because of the mana. We cook with heart and purpose. These dishes we serve are ones we grew up eating. This is local Hawaiian comfort food, food that our mom and grandma used to make.
Q: For a newcomer to your business, what dishes should we try to get the true nature of the Hawaiian culinary aloha?
A: I think if I could pick four dishes for a newcomer to try, it would be: Luau Bowl, Loco Moco, Garlic Shrimp & Kalbi Shortribs and Katsu & Hawaiian BBQ Chicken. Or, you can start at the top of the menu and work your way down the next time you come in!
Loco Moco
Garlic Shrimp
Chicken Katsu
SPAM Mususbi
Q: What are the most popular dishes on the menu?
A: Our Chicken Katsu & Hawaiian BBQ Chicken, Kahuku Garlic Shrimp & Kalbi Short Ribs, Loco Moco and our Ahi Poke bowls and SPAM Mususbi. A newcomer is our Sesame Chicken Bowl that we can't keep in stock due to the demand, haha!
Q: What a great problem to have – too much demand. It’s not just local residents who love your food - Major League Baseball teams crave it, too. Your website features foods ordered by the Yankees, Nationals and Astros. How did you become, and stay, so popular with the Twins and visiting teams? Are you also catering for the St. Paul Saints?
A: So, we started catering food for the St. Paul Saints when a friend of ours was their starting shortstop. He has ties to Hawaii and we would bring food for him. The rest of the team took interest, and then we started bringing food for the whole team and press box from time to time. We officially got on the St. Paul Saints catering roster the next season.
We opened our North Loop location in December, 2019 and being in such close proximity to Target Field, we started catering for the visiting MLB teams. The MN Twins saw the food we were bringing and also took interest. Soon we were catering for both the MN Twins and their opponents. So far, we have catered for:
Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, MN Twins, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays. Most of these teams - multiple times.
Q: How may we stay current on your news, pop up events, etc.?
A: All of our events are posted on our social media. You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook and at onohawaiianplates on TikTok. We also keep our website updated with our current goings-on. Come visit us at the North Loop Galley in the The Nordic, 729 Washington Avenue N.
By Claudia Kittock
Naomi Hofstad is an incredible young woman and a recipient of the Sallie Steele Birdsong Scholarship, sponsored by Be That Neighbor. When Naomi talks about singing, her eyes light up, and her whole face shines with pure joy. She told me she has always been singing. When her parents first met her in Liberia, she beat out a tune with an empty water bottle. Nothing has changed. As she said, “I sing every night and every day.”
Rebecca, Naomi’s Mom, heard about J.D. Steele during the pandemic, got online and found him at MacPhail. Their first in-person experience with J.D. was on the now famous University of Minnesota parking ramp where the MacPhail Community Youth Choir (MCYC) was rehearsing. It was love at first note and Naomi has been an avid member of MCYC since then.
Naomi took piano lessons, but found it slowed her down. She prefers to hear music and then to figure it out. Her plans for the future include college to study singing, and then she hopes to become a performer. Naomi practices her performance skills on her church worship team and with MCYC.
When she sings, she said she feels the same as everyone else, and what a wonderful gift that is for all of us who sing. Naomi loves watching people respond while she is singing. It fills her with true joy.
Naomi is why the Sallie Steele Birdsong Scholarship exists. Music is necessary in all of our lives, and we need to make sure we help each and every young person to find that access. We are grateful for Naomi Hofstad and how she shares her joy of music with all of us. We are all stronger because of her.
Some new items in our July 15 Mill City Farmers Market shopping basket are eggplants from GVY Fresh Produce, kalamata and feta focaccia from TunTum BlackHill Farm, fig bars from Tare Market, Mokum carrots from Burning River Farm and heirloom tomatoes from Nistler Farms.
MCFM's annual Harvest Dinner is September 10th!
The annual Harvest Dinner, a major funding source for MCFM, is scheduled for September 10th. It features a market-to-table dinner prepared with farm-fresh ingredients by market chefs Nettie Colón and Jenny Breen, craft cocktails and live music, and will take place in the Mill City Museum Courtyard. The evening ends with a live auction and fund-a-need support for MCFM's Next Stage Grant program for farmers and food makers. Learn more here.
One flower in particular caught my eye in the above bouquets - the pineapple lily. Can you spot them?
Der's Farm is the subject of Becky Fillinger's next Mill City Farmers Market spotlight. We'll be posting her interview Jeffrey Thao, pictured above, in the near future.
2023 Greening and Public Realm Awards Public Nominations
DID's Greening Awards celebrate the exceptional greening efforts throughout our downtown Minneapolis community. Public nominations for the 2023 Greening & Public Realm Awards will open July 10 and close on July 20.
Public voting will open July 25 and close on August 10.
Nominations are being accepted in the following categories:
Review 2022 winners here.
The City of Minneapolis is celebrating and supporting Black business development in Minneapolis with Black Business Week July 24-30.
The theme of this year’s event is generational wealth and ways the financial successes of our Black entrepreneurs can be passed to future generations.
Planned events include:
Find more information, register for events and watch for updates on the City website.
Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided
Blake RobisonA discussion with Director, Blake Robison
When this Guthrie season was announced, I was so excited to see Shane on the list! We had many questions for Director Blake Robison. He told us about interpreting the vastness of the West on the stage, multicultural and multiracial casting and how fun the play is to direct and watch. Get your tickets for Shane, which runs from July 21 to August 27.
Q: When I think of Shane, I envision the wide-open vistas of the West, vast ranch lands, horses, cattle, frontier towns and homesteader cabins. How challenging is it to interpret or portray those elements on a theatrical stage?
A: Putting a western on stage holds a unique set of challenges. We didn’t want to recreate the film onstage, so elements such as horses and wagons had to go! Our scenic environment tries to capture a sense of vastness with a series of wooden ramps evoking western hills on the horizon. Iconic elements appear and disappear – a kitchen table, a saloon bar, a farm cultivator – to stir the audience’s imagination. The entire stage is framed by a wooden portal, feeling like the Old West, especially at the top of the show when the audience arrives to see an enormous period map of the Wyoming territory circa 1889 when the story is set.
Karen ZacariasQ: Playwright Karen Zacarías, a Mexican American, has reimagined Shane’s world from the 1954 movie in which all actors were Caucasian. In Karen’s play, the actors who play the main characters are Black and Latino. Her approach is historically accurate for 1899 Wyoming – one quarter of the cowboys were Mexican and one quarter were Black. How was this fresh perspective to Shane received in its world premiere at the Cincy Playhouse in the Park earlier this summer?
A: Audiences have responded to Karen’s version of the story enthusiastically! The original novella doesn’t contain many details about the characters’ backgrounds. This version gives everyone a unique and culturally specific backstory and identity. It is more accurate to the real demographics of the American West. Additionally, Karen has created a Native character to give voice to the Indigenous perspective. Our audiences have shown great appreciation for all of these story elements.
Q: Playwright Zacarías also has said “an engaged audience is the final character in the play.” Were your Cincinnati audiences engaged?
A: Very much so. There’s a lot of fun tension as the inevitable confrontation between Shane and Fletcher heats up. People are on the edge of their seats for the big saloon fight and the final shootout. There are some laughs along the way, too. It’s great fun.
Q: One of the central themes of Shane is the notion of what it means to be a man. In this version of Shane, the title character is the son of a Cuban slave. Is the theme of manliness, and the traits that make a man, even more vital than in original version of the work?
A: I think Karen captured this theme from the book and amplified it in her own theatrical way. Eleven year old Bobby has two role models: his dad Joe and the mysterious guest Shane. They are positive role models – masculine figures who hold similar values but express them in different ways. In today’s culture of “toxic masculinity” it’s an important discussion to have. The story demonstrates that there is a time to turn the other cheek and a time to stand up.
Q: One final question – was it fun directing Shane for the stage?
A: Oh my gosh, yes! The best part has been the collaboration with Karen, the actors, the designers, and our amazingly creative movement experts. I grew up watching all the classic westerns, and I still enjoy the newer ones like The Harder They Fall. To reimagine this cinematic genre for the stage has been a huge and gratifying challenge.
Mill City Times | 35W Bridge Memorial | Mill District Block Party | Mill City Media
Monday, July 31, 2023 at 2:17AM