Arts | Southwest Connector

Lady Bear with her human pal, Meg Juedes, were a popular team on the ice during the Ice Shanty Projects at Lake Harriet on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024. The bear got into roaring contests with fest-goers. Juedes’ dress showed the decline of the polar ice cap by year.

ART ON ICE

After opening one week late to wait for ice to build on Lake Harriet, the 20th annual Ice Shanty Projects closed after only one weekend. “It’s sad for artists like us, who were … more

By Tesha M. Christensen | 2/14/24

Dr. Joan Madden and Richard Baldinelli founded the 53rd Street Brass Quintet.

Bound by Brass

Musicians Richard Baldinelli and Dr. Joan Madden exude joy whether playing their trumpets in the 53rd Street Brass Quintet, looking forward or reminiscing. The two musicians capture the delight of a … more

By Jane St. Anthony | 1/24/24

One of Heid E. Erdrich’s favorite spots in the neighborhood is the Kenwood School Stone Poem Rain Garden.

A people’s poet

This month, Southwest resident Heid E. Erdrich became the ﬁrst poet laureate for the city of Minneapolis. “We need poetry, even if we don’t know we do. There’s a human … more

By Cam Gordon | 1/18/24

Performers from Yirií Dance Studio, Evolución Latina Dance Company and Keri Simonson Dance celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month with a flash mob showcasing Salsa and Bachata dancing in the streets.

Flash Mob

More than a dozen dancers took their show on the road, literally, Oct. 8, 2023, by bringing a flashmob to Open Streets Lyndale. In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, performers … more

By Jill Boogren | 11/2/23

Katie Bradley (left) and Norm Muñoz (middle) perform in the “Kung Fu Zombies Saga: Shaman Warrior & Cannibals” at the Luminary Arts Center. A two-part show, it tells the story of Akha and Lao women faced with challenges that force them to connect with their cultural experiences.

Theater mu reclaims genres for Asian artists in Minnesota

As a child, Saymoukda Vongsay wrote herself into stories of Little House on the Prairie, Sweet Valley High and The Babysitters Club, as a side character. In middle and high school, she was a known … more

By Talia McWright | 9/21/23

Little Mekong through eyes of artist Katie Ka Vang

Community members smiled as they tasted different dishes and snacks from local businesses of the Little Mekong cultural district on University Avenue on Sunday, July 2, 2023. The event was artist … more

By Talia McWright | 9/21/23

During design for a mural at the Lake Harriet trolley tunnel, Jacqui Rosenbush researched water quality control. She included lily pads and cattails in her mural after discovering the large role they play in filtering water.

Parks for all

Kao Lee Thao and Ash Kubesh spent 66 hours over 10 days painting two new murals that represent Thao’s Hmong heritage at Boom Island Park. The artwork is part of the Minneapolis Parks and … more

By Talia McWright | 9/9/23

Drawing in the moment

Anita White, age 70, “draws in the moment.” Anywhere, any time, the artist has blank sheets of paper, a pencil and sometimes even watercolor paint ready to capture the moments of daily … more

By Talia McWright | 8/1/23

Dj Al Metro plays music during The Uprising krump battle on Saturday, June 10, at the Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center in Saint Paul.

The SOTA Movement

Simone Hall, aka Athena, had the crowd in an uproar. The audience surrounded her, cheering louder than the music Dj Al Metro was playing from the overhead speakers. The 20-year-old had just won both … more

By Talia McWright | 7/6/23

3 YEARS

“When I heard about this event, I was so excited because I grew up in this area of Minneapolis… and I wanted to contribute in some kind of way,” said J. Darnell Johnson, author of … more

Jill Boogren | 6/2/23

Kingfield’s performing arts center expands

Artist Jackie Hayes was living in New York and was writing a dissertation for her Ph.D. in performance studies when she visited her parents after their move to Minneapolis. She was drawn to the city … more

By Tesha M. Christensen | 4/6/23

Award-winning independent journalist and photographer KingDemetrius Pendleton poses inside Wing Young Huie’s The Third Place Gallery at 3730 Chicago Ave., where his exhibition “The Movement Never Stops” is on display. The exhibition includes photographs Pendleton has taken from the front lines of the social justice movement in the Twin Cities over the past seven years.

‘Listennn’ –The Movement Never Stops

Anyone attending a protest or march for justice in the Twin Cities over these past few years has undoubtedly heard a call carry over the crowd: “Listennn!” It’s a sure bet … more

By Jill Boogren | 3/16/23

Inspired

Nine months before Rosa Parks, Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat on the bus to a White passenger. She was 15. Youth Performance Company (YPC)’s “Inspired by Claudette & … more

By Jill Boogren | 2/17/23

Artists (left to right) Diver Van Avery, Miré Regulus, and Lacey Prpic Hedkte have created a system where money raised from the sale of lawn signs goes towards the African American Community Land Trust, putting money into the hands of those who were hurt by racial covenants.

Erasing racial covenants, writing new future

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the Uprising, artists Diver Van Avery, Lacey Prpic Hedtke and Miré Regulus created an art project called Free the Deeds. It invites the … more

By Chloe Peter | 12/1/22

Marcie Rendon's latest book is dedicated to murdered and missing Indigenous women. In addition to the Cash books, Rendon is working on a writing and healing project at Little Earth called Unconquered Nations. (Photo by Jaida Grey Eagle)

Standish author’s latest thriller chills

In a blog post for Barnes & Noble, local author Marcie Rendon writes of the stories that lurk at the edge of our consciousness, waiting to be told. Stories that are “too disturbing, too … more

By JILL BOOGREN | 11/30/22

Tammy Ortegon, owner of ColorWheel Gallery at 46th and Grand, shows pictures of mushrooms and other fungi during a community pop-up event along Nicollet Ave. to inspire art-makers in the community

Art for everyone

Tammy Ortegon considers herself a folk artist, and she believes folk art is created by and for the people. A part of making this a reality is by creating a space where community members can gather to … more

Chloe Peter | 11/17/22

Ebony Patterson’s "From the corner of my eye" is part of “A Picture Gallery of the Soul” exhibit at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery.

The soul behind the images

When cooler temps and shorter days signal the Fall Arts Season in the metro area, there are many cultural activities competing for attention. As always, this column strives to undercover the … more

by Susan Schaefer | 10/21/22

Tom Balcom stands near the residents of the house at 5017 Belmont Ave. that is on the cover of “The Doors of Tangletown” by Elizabeth A. Vandam, published in 2002. View more photos from the tour online at www.swconnector.com. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)

A WALK THROUGH TANGLETOWN

Today’s Tangletown neighborhood used to be known as Washburn Park, and the high school, library and historic water tower still bear evidence of the family that transformed the space from farm … more

By Tesha M. Christensen | 8/3/22 | 1 comment

SOUTHWEST SUMMER NIGHTS

“Nothing beats a warm summer night and live music at the bandshell,” remarked local artist Robbin Burnham, also known as WACSO (Walking Around Checking Stuff Out). “It’s … more

WACSO | 7/28/22

Writers and editors celebrate the launch of “We Are Meant To Rise: Voices of Justice from Minneapolis to the World.” Left to right: Tess Montgomery, Samantha Sencer-Mura, Carolyn Holbrook, David Mura, Anika Fajardo, and Suleiman Adan. (Photo by Terry Faust)

Diversity of Twin Cities highlighted in anthology

Carolyn Holbrook loves to bring people together to discuss difficult issues. As an educator, author and advocate for the healing power of the arts, she has spent much of her life doing just that. … more

By Jan Willms | 7/28/22