The Heartbeat of ACW = The People
Hanging the Common Bond purchased ACW artists’ work!
Mississippi River Pearl goes on display at Colombia Heights City Hall! Amada, one of the participants, and also the city’s Mayor, put on the event.
Site visit to the Mill City Museum to figure out installation work space and sizes.
ACW’s new World Headquarters! At the Flux Arts Building! 699 Lowry ave NE Minneapolis! Kelly’s and Barbara’s studio space combined!
ACW celebrates Layl’s birthday in her studio!
Playing the game, Day Break, about saving the planet as climate change gets worse. ACW’s Climate Team meets to learn a game on how to lessen carbon emissions. Becca, Anne, Neil, Margo, Remo, Kelly, Barbara, and Layl all played and enjoyed it!
On Location February 17th! Mojo’s Coffee and Gallery in the California Building. New location next month! Good food, company and art creating!
Royal Hitpites play at Mojo’s Coffee and Gallery at the California Building February 10th.
ACW’s Climate Action Affinity Group making cards with plastic for legislators to thank them for helping vote against single-use plastics and supporting environment laws, etc.
Turbo Junk event!
Polymer Clay Guild show at Robbins Gallery in Robbinsdale January 13th opening. ACW chair Layl McDill and member SAM Greene had work in the show.
Kelly teaches a sample painting class at Emma Norton Services.
Initial meeting for the first Annual Echoes of Tradition Project at Elsie’s
ACW’s 1st Annual Members’ Celebration! Party at the Solar Arts Building 2nd Floor with live music, snacks, drinks, the launch of our 3 projects Swap + Barter, Critique Cabaret, and ACW’s Trash to Treasure kiosk. With a show in the Fox Den and new members coming and going, it was a spectacular event had by all! Let us know what you would like to see/do/have/experience at our next annual celebration!
Owen Brown’s Myriorama at the Veronique Galley in North Loop. He made 451 pieces for everyone attending to move around and “curate” the walls themselves. He was interview by Diane Willow from the University of Minnesota. Closing Reception November 11th.
ACW members came to see Wini Froelich in the play, Anon(ymous) at the Park Square Theatre in St. Paul, November 5th.
Beauty from Ashes from Art is my Weapon at the 9 Mile Gallery at the District in Edina November 4th. Barbara and Kelly had work in the show with other artists, put on by Nikki McComb.
The Art of Drag!
Frances Bates as drag king, Larry Gaga, put on her internship project, the beautiful, amazing, and artful, Art of Drag at Lush in Minnneapolis November 3rd. Over 100 people attended. Unique drag show including the history, the art, the local history, and the social justice behind the art. The colorful diversity and costumes created the most entertaining and educational night of dance, song, spoken word, and lights and music!
Dave Dvorak CD release at Mojo’s
Kelly, assistant director, painting plein air at the Harvest Festival at Holtz Farm Park in Eagan.
Art Battle! Anna Karena competed in the Art Battle painting in 20 minutes.
Wodakota Installation by Marlena Miles at Caponi Art Park in Eagan, artist talk on her Augmented Reality images.
Project Manager Training Day! October 1st.
Barbara Bridges receives Northeast Minneapolis Arts District Vision Award. Oct 2nd.
Click here to read her speech.
Candy and Craig’s installation multi-media performance, Legacy Dream Space at Owatonna Center for the Arts in Owatonna, MN. Opening show September 17th.
On Location Drawing Sept 16th at Barbara’s backyard studio
Phakamani Picnic Fundraiser at Rhoda Olsen’s September 10th
Frances’s show and sale on Payne Ave in St. Paul in September.
ACW’s SUMMER PARTY! PAR-TAY! 2023 Layl’s backyard pizza fun! July 25th
ACW visits Caponi Art Park. And Layl performing at the Moth.
Life on the Spectrum gallery show at Grand Hand Gallery July 13th.
July 10th Teaching the first day of the Sustainable Design class with Guthrie Education where we brought the students to the Mill City Museum to visit and experience The Mississippi River Pearl sculpture and a lesson with what you can and should do with trash. They will make costumes, props, and set design out of trash for the play put on the last day of class.
Kelly’s Solo Show at Fashion Fruit Boutique July 5th opening in Eagan. Work is up until July 31st.
A-Mill Lofts Art Gallery Opening with ACW member, Rebecca David. June 22nd.
Lobster Chowdah Feed at Barbara’s home backyard for $500+ donors/members June 15th, 2023. Lobster flown in from Maine! Yum! Yum!
Barbara’s additional workshop for Precious at her home making things out of found objects. June.
Kelly’s Critique June 21st for Club Crit! Joining this year is only $50 and after attending 3 you can have your work critiqued! It’s fun and helpful!
Mississippi River Pearl at the Mill City Museum for Stone Arch Festival. Fun interacting with over 700 people!! June 17th and 18th!
Lucy’s sewing/quilting workshop at Grand Hand Gallery. June 8th. An extension of the Precious Exhibit! We made purses! So fun!
Pride and Body Image art at Solar Arts for Pride June 10th opening.
Noble Truths: Mary Meuwissen in her studio at Northrop King June 5th.
Heal and Chill art expo at Midtown Global Market by Briauna Williams June 3rd.
“Precious” at Grand Hand Gallery Opening June 1st. Featuring work by Briauna Williams, Layl McDill, Lucy Schoepner, and Barbara Bridges. Peformances by Walter Chancellor Jr. and Julia Wheaton.
Mill City Museum “Mississippi River Pearl” workshop May 28th.
Art-A-Whirl at Solar Arts! May 19th-21st 2023
Club Crit with Layl McDill at her studio May 10th.
Emma Norton’s Opening Doors Gala at the Intercontinental Hotel in St. Paul April 27th. ACW sponsored a table and gave over 17 works of art to their auction for bids. Was a fun night!
On Location Drawing Co-op April 15th at the MIA
Art is My Weapon show at the Hennepin Central Library. Barbara had a piece in the show called, X2. “Own a gun? You are 2 times more likely to die by one.”
Earth Day at Solar Arts April 22nd
Noble Truths: Susan Wagner studio talk at the Casket Arts Building April 8th. From realism to abstract landscape painting.
Mississippi River Pearl workshop art experience at MWMO April 5th. Full class size for the fun-filled and educational art workshops that we offer with our amazing Mississippi River Pearl art made of trash collected on the Mississippi River and assembled by ten artists! See more on our project page.
Art Battle at the Mall of America Rotunda March 31st. Assistant Director, Kelly Frankenberg, competing in an art battle where after 20 minutes of painting the public votes who gets to go to the next round. To join an art battle or bid on paintings, go to ArtBattle.com
ACW members out and about seeing Laura Mann Hill’s play, “Inspired by Claudette & Rosa.” Youth Performance Company presented this entertaining play performed by youth, set in modern day, educating us about a 15-year-old hero who should have been as famous as Rosa Parks but the history books left her out. We were very impressed not only because it was a great performance, but because this show inspired action to be taken on social justice issues, which is what ACW is all about! Professional performance photos by Jenna Poff
Moving Pearl to its next location at MWMO and an upcoming April 5th workshop. Check out more on our project page.
Watch Assistant Director, Kelly Frankenberg, compete painting live in Art Battle 2404, the first one in Minnesota! (her round is the second one which starts around 2:02:00. It was January 26th in Inver Grove Heights at Jersey’s Bar and Grill. There are events all over the world and there will be more in Minnesota, the next being Rochester and the Mall of America.
January Fun!
On Location Drawing January 14th at Theo Wirth Park Trailhead and Kelly and Layl visit “The Moth” on January 25th.
Candy Kuehn’s critique at Club Critique at the California Building. January 18th. This critique included her friends.
Leadership orientation meeting at Barbara’s and Drag Recon mission at Black Heart
Charles Caldwell studio visit.
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Installing Mississippi Pearl at Homewood Studios for November. Installed at the Mississippi River Management Organization on February 6, 2023.
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Solar Arts Building Light up the Night! Dec 2-4th
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Noble Truths: Layl’s Clay Squared Studio! Layl McDill showed us how she creates her designs in polymer clay and how she got started as an artist.
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Zoe Album Release! Dave Dvorak Album Release Party at 12 Cider
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Maker’s Space Teacher’s dinner hosted by Lynette.
Legacy Performance
Solar Arts Exhibit Nov 4-6th. Fun the in the Fox Den with the BATS and Henna.
ACW’s 5 year Retreat at Mount Olivet in Farmington, MN on a warm weekend in October.
Mississippi River Pearl
See All the Details of “Pearl”
Last Studio Pictures of Pearl November 2022
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Sneak peek inside the cabinet boxes on “Pearl,” our Mississippi River sculpture.
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Members in the community. Margo at the Capri Theatre concert. Frances and Barbara find treasure at Woodcarver George Effran’s closing.
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Another studio day and progress on the MWMO project! We can’t wait to share the final with you next week!
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Surprise visitor to our studio, Captain Cory! And the progress of “The Mississippi Pearl!”
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More photos of progress on the MWMO Project! Working hard to finish turning the trash into treasure for the viewing eyes! Debut coming November 11th to Homewood Studios in North Minneapolis!
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Hard at work on the MWMO River Project! We learned all about the science behind what plastic and other toxic trash that is floating in the river and the effects going into our water systems and precious Mississippi River.
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MWMO Tour with Kevin Reich Read About the MWMO project
Barbara Bridges, Kevin Reich, Amada Marquez Simula, Annie Merrell Margo Ashmore,
Neil Granlund. Front: Alexis Schramel, Katherine Boyce, Frances Bates
MWMO Water Project Day 1. Collecting trash along the banks of the Mississippi River to learn about what trash is floating in the river and to create an art project with the stuff we found.
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Herman Milligan’s exhibit opening, “A Picture Gallery of the Soul,” at the Regis Center for the Arts in the Katherine E. Nash Gallery September 22nd. (Sept 13th-Dec 10th). It’s a group exhibition of over 100 Black American artists whose practice incorporates the photographic medium.
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Phakamani fundraiser event at the Olsen’s September 18th. The Phakamani foundation helps people in rural South Africa create their own livelihoods. Consider donating at https://phakamanifoundation.org/
Natalie, Barbara, and Kelly dancing
Click the link above to see the dancing video!
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Finishing up hanging work in our Maker’s Space at the YMCA!
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Photo by Lynnette Black
Our Teaching Artists all pitched in and created these art rooms at the YMCA and Haven Housing!
ACW Teachers and helpers making the Maker’s Space at Haven House in Minneapolis September 7th. Classes start in a month!
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ACW Teachers helping make the Maker’s Space at the YMCA September 6th. Classes start in a month!
Videos!
Click me to see the room half finished! https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Z7oPRGYIghc
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ACW ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: BRIAUNA WILLIAMS
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Beautiful Closing Reception for “Age of Age” an exhibition about Ageism at Homewood Studios July 30th. ACW’s 10 artists teams talked about their work and process and what it was like working with someone 20-50 years in age difference and how art is what bridges those age gaps and fosters friendships and creativity. And in the end, it’s all about relationships! And cake…
FLOW Northside Art Crawl kick off event at 4th Street Tavern where Charles Caldwell’s mural is and the new one he’s working on.
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ACW’s Summer Party! July 20th. 5 Year Anniversary! Wood fired pizza party at Layl’s.
ACW’s Longevity of Influence Award (Lifetime Achievement Award) was presented to George Roberts!
All Active ACW members were invited to attend. Musicians performing included: Greg Volker, Matt Yetter, Ngange Akale, Walter Chancellor Jr., Charlie Henrikson.
Videos!
Barbara demonstrating how to dance The Pony https://youtube.com/shorts/VbcFq2G2czs?feature=share
Crowd 1 https://youtu.be/l6LFCdlykt0
Crowd 2 https://youtu.be/9RIbv7_KPGU
Frances Dancing https://youtu.be/vYOQJVP2a0Y
Madalina doing Henna https://youtu.be/umup6VhdgRs
Matt Playing https://www.youtube.com/shorts/erGzMxV7Q8M
Walter Playing https://youtu.be/KSYu4p1i
Club Critique!
June 27th at Barbara Bridges’ studio.
“I really appreciated the feedback I received from my colleagues. I am in a transitional period and the critique session helped me clarify my new direction.” -Barbara
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Noble Truths studio visit in June at Greg Volker’s studio. California Building.
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ACW Artists met with 12 Bands at the Mojo Coffee Gallery. They played music, showed art and built community.
Click on Photos to Enlarge
Photos by Barbara Bridges
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Northeast neighborhood parade! June 21st. ACW representing NE Mpls Arts District.
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Sous Chef Team preparing for 2022 Lobster Chowdah Feed for Major Donors
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Creating a necklace in Barbara Bridges “Dr. B’s” studio. Fun time and love how it turned out!
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Installing Solo Show in the Fox Den. Becca David June 2022
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Ready for Club Critique meeting #1 May 4th. Greg Volker’s Studio in the California Building.
Beginning to install in the Fox Den for First Thursday and Art-A-Whirl at Solar Arts!
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Kelly supporting the theater arts with her son at the Children’s Theater. Very good production and talented kids!
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Minneapolis’s Pianos on Parade
Kelly Frankenberg’s design, “Minneapolis Pride” represents the pride community, trans community, and our POC community and diversity, inclusivity, and community within Minneapolis. 25 pianos will be on display in various locations in Minneapolis the month of June for pop up concerts. Anyone can visit and play one!
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ACW Artists at the St. Paul Saints Game!
Katie Palmer, Rebecca David, Susan Gainen, and Deb Rip
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Barbara working hard for ACW!
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Mississippi River Stories Opening
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Dyan Padgett Studio Visit
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Members Out and About
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Layl and Madalina working together on the Age of Age project.
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Child visitors make art. And Natalie and Katie in the Fox Den for Natalie’s solo show.
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Setting up show for Natalie in the Fox Den.
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Owen Brown with Zelensky and Putin
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Director, Barbara Bridges, Board Chair, Layl McDill and Newsletter and Executive Assistant Extraordinaire < Natalie McGuire have an office meeting at Market BBQ.
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On Location at the Minneapolis Institute of Art
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On Location drawing at Union Depot.
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How does art change YOUR world?
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5 Questions Under 5 Minutes for Photozaic Artist Natalie McGuire:
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5 Minutes with ACW Artist Madalina K: Minnesota Winter Photography:
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Layl McDill met with “Age of Age” artists, Linda Sharpe and her 103-year-old mother, Rose Sharpe, to see the paintings they have been creating together for the exhibit at Homewood Studios in July.
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Candy Kuehn talks about her practice:
Trying out a new travel paint set painting on location in Tahiti on the island of Mo’orea. Kelly took a photo series of roosters. Of course the sunset, rainbow, and ocean were much enjoyed as well.
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Layl and Madalina at the Homewood Studio Show and working on sock monsters at Layl’s studio while discussing ideas for the Age of Age show.
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Kelly at a gallery opening at Art Works Eagan with her work, “Daily Progression of a Black Eye.”
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Nina at an encaustic paint class taught by Jodi Reeb. If you haven’t tried encaustic, you should!
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Hola! Barbara and Layl soaking up art and sun in the Barra de Potosi Paradise in Mexico this winter!
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On Location Drawing at the Como Conservatory January 23rd
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Layl’s Solo Show January 13th-February 10th
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The Art Shoppe featured artists Rebecca David with Susan Gainen. And Fox Den’s 100 works under $100
Video links below
https://youtu.be/ji_c-C2m4mo https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdhojwc8/ https://vm.tiktok.com?TTPdhETyp9/
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We Braved the Blizzard!
A good time was had by all at the Solar Arts 10th Annual Holiday Open House, Light up the night, light up a life!
Friday December 10th-Sunday December 12th.
Read more:
https://www.arttochangetheworl
The Coaching Project for a Better World Dec 2021 Show and Tell
Team Crescendo Ashley Richardson, Deacon Warner, Dominique Zellmer. Topic: Blood on the Pavement
Team Re-Imagineers Madalina Kelner, Beverly Hammond. Sandra Reardon Topic: Recovery from Trauma
Team Euphoria Lauren Edson, Mark Jelinik, Susan Hensel Topic: Gender Euphoria
Leaders of Coaching Project: Barbara Bridges, Layl McDill, Abby Ross, Margo Ashmore
Anton Treuer’s You Tube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC02Ei64PpI3ET-bMvTAr-sQ?app=desktop
Dec 2021 at Solar Arts – Ngange and TheMasses – unedited. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkplFngmfL8
Exhibition at Tower Gallery
Orientation Day Testimonies
Mark
Take away: Enthusiasm and excitement. It was great meeting everyone in person, and everyone gives off a great energy (what do you expect from an ArtToSaveTheWorld function). I am excited to see what these young artists do, specifically the team I’m on. I’m enthused to be working with these kind people able to view things from multiple sides.
Deacon
The Coaching Project kickoff was such a fun event! I was so impressed by all the people involved in this project—so much creativity and positivity. And I was especially excited to meet my team members and get a more concrete grasp of how we’ll work to gather to support Ashley’s Blood on the Pavement project. The flow of activities and sharing at the orientation did a great job at bringing us all together and jump starting our work.
Lauren
“I had a fantastic time at the Orientation for this project. It was great to finally meet my teammates and the other project managers and coaches. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly and I cannot wait to start creating with these people.”
Ashley
The Coaching Project Orientation was so much fun! It was a great way to learn more about ACW and other team projects, as well as the expectations for this grant period. Most importantly, it was a great way to connect and build a solid foundation with teammates. During a time when the pandemic has shifted our daily interactions and the world has become so virtual, I found that having this first meeting in-person was invaluable.
Ari has a Critique
Click to enlarge pictures
Aristoteles Carbajal <aristotelescarbajal8@gmail.com> is our youngest ACW member. They have a unique style and voice. Listen:
Pop Up Palette Party Arts District Palette: Where Neighbors and Artists Meet
Sociable Cider Werks
Read More about the Project
Photography by Natalie McGuire nmcguirestudio@gmail.com
Click to Enlarge Photos
Photography by Barbara Bridges drb@bridgescreate.com
Photography by Devin Larkins devinlarkins16@gmail.com
Photographs by Ngange&Themasses <ngangeandthemasses@gmail.com>
Photos by JoAnnKirkman
Preparing for the Lobster Chowdah Thank You party for our major donors. Seafood flown in from Maine from Mclauglin’s Seafood located in my birthplace of Bangor, Maine. https://mclaughlinseafood.com/
Great Thanks to Deb and Natalie. It took us almost 4 hours to shuck, pick and chop. You can do the math… I would have been sitting there for 12 hours! They look a little intimidated by the crustaceans!
Click to Enlarge Pictures
Lobster Chowdah Event 2021 for Major Donors
Photography by Natalie McGuire nmcguirestudio@gmail.com
Click to Enlarge pictures
Photographs by Barbara Click to Enlarge pictures
Photographs by Lynnette Black
$200 Donor and Task Force Thank You Party June 2021
Unique Wood Fired Pizza Party from an oven created by renowned tile artist Josh Blanc. https://claysquared.com/
Click to enlarge pictures
Art-A-Whirl at the Fox Den
Lucy Schroepfer serving as project manager of the Art A Whirl Solar Arts Fox Den event.
ACW artists made over $2500, earned 5 new members and met over 1000 new people
who have now heard about Art To Change The World. Thanks Lucy!!
Click to Enlarge
CREATING COMMUNITY WITH ZORAN
FREE Private Tour with Zoran Mojsilov May 22, 2021 3:00-5:00
Meet Up at, 77 13th Avenue NE, Suite , Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413
Zoran will make remarks at 4;00 with Q and A following.
Optional dinner following at Bunny’s. Read more about Zoran: https://www.arttochangetheworld.org/private-tour-with-zoran-mojsilov-may-22-2021-3-5/
Click to enlarge.
CREATING COMMUNITY AT Arts District Palette is an ACW project focused on developing relationships in our NE Arts District community. Partnering with NEMAA , The Northeast Minneapolis Arts District, The Northeaster, The Huxley apartments, and Sociable Cider Werks, ACW will develop May Day welcome swag bags stuffed with 20 artists’ works, gifts from local businesses and an invitation to an outside pop-up art event in August where the new NE residents and artists will mix socially distanced.
Installing the 224 Works of Art! Click to Enlarge
Creating ACW gift for Huxley Swag Bags
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Huxley Team
Tim, Brooke, Alex, Barbara and Layl
Susan, Catherine, Layl, Natalie and Barbara planning the Pop Up Show and Installation.
Click on pictures to enlarge
Gathering the Welcome Swag Bag Bag coupons
ACW members at Work and Play
Devin Larkin Photo Shoot preparation on April 18th
