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OPINION EXCHANGE | Minneapolis Park Board must stop exploiting artists

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OPINION EXCHANGE  |  Minneapolis Park Board must stop exploiting artists


Opinion editor’s note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes a mix of national and local commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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When I moved to Minneapolis, my first week in the city, I went to a concert at the Lake Harriet Band Shell. I had relocated from Kansas after college seeking a place to call home, and that evening in the park was a powerful signal that I had made the right choice. The park felt welcoming, creative and like there was room for me here.

Since that concert 25 years ago, I have attended countless concerts and outdoor performances in Minneapolis parks, and they always engender a feeling of belonging that renews my love of this community. I was dismayed to learn from the Feb. 14 article “Musicians not feeling love from Park Board,” referring to unpaid performances, that all this time these experiences were being created by extracting resources from our local creative workers.

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Creative work is work. Labor deserves to be compensated. A budget is a reflection of values, and not including artists in the budget for these park events is an ethical failure on the part of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. By asking musicians to play for free at more than 200 events, the board is telling us that it is fine with extracting hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid labor from its own citizens. I know that some readers might point out that many artists have been willing to do this work for free. But just because someone is willing to do something for free does not make it ethical to exploit them.

Artists are our neighbors and community members who need to eat, put food on the table and pay their rent just like everyone else. Artists are often piecing together dozens of contract gigs to make ends meet, and they often fall through the cracks of contract protections and small-business support. Economic conditions like widening wealth gaps, systemic inequity, and a lack of safety nets like health care, housing and unemployment benefits also impact artists. As most people know, the pandemic was particularly devastating for artists and creative workers, and those sectors have been among the slowest to recover.

And yet we also know that we have never needed our artists and culture makers more than we do now. The U.S. Surgeon General declared an epidemic of loneliness and isolation last May, and recently spoke at length about the power of art to help us address this crisis. In Minneapolis specifically, we need spaces of belonging, connection and healing if we have any hope of addressing the many crises and challenges facing our city. We can’t create those spaces and experiences by extracting labor from the people who bring us together. If anything, the Park Board should be expanding its budget to increase support of our artists because of their impact on our community’s health, economy and well-being.

Dismissing these concerns by offering that artists should pass the hat or be grateful for the exposure is, frankly, offensive. As many artists have pointed out over many years, you can’t eat exposure. Minneapolis could be setting an example for other cities, yet here we are, behind many other cities in our own state that have recognized the value of creative work.

We have the power to change this, and we should. I hope that everyone who has enjoyed a summer evening in the park, listening to music, feeling a sense of belonging, and marveling at the beauty, creativity and potential of our city will call on the Park Board and our elected officials to behave in an ethical manner and value the labor of our musicians, artists and creative community.

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Laura Zabel is executive director of Springboard for the Arts.



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Truck driver dead after crash sends Metro Transit bus into home in south Minneapolis

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Truck driver dead after crash sends Metro Transit bus into home in south Minneapolis


It happened early Monday morning in Minneapolis.

One person is dead and another is hospitalized after an early-morning crash in south Minneapolis on Monday that sent a Metro Transit bus into a home.

It happened at around 4 a.m. at 10th Avenue South and East 38th Street, just a few blocks east of George Floyd Square.

A spokesperson for Metro Transit police tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that a truck was speeding down 10th Avenue when it hit the back of the bus, ripping a tire off the bus and sending it into the front of a home.

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The driver of that truck died, according to Metro Transit police, while the driver of the bus was taken to a hospital but is expected to be OK.

Officials say nobody besides the driver was on the bus at the time, and the home the bus hit was also empty at the time.

Investigators are still at the scene, working to clean up all of the debris and determine exactly what led up to the crash.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS is at the scene and working to learn more. Download the KSTP app and follow 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS on social media for the latest updates.

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Atlanta Dream survive thriller in Minneapolis, edge Lynx 91-90 to open 2026 WNBA season

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Atlanta Dream survive thriller in Minneapolis, edge Lynx 91-90 to open 2026 WNBA season


The Atlanta Dream trailed by double digits, fought back twice and still needed Angel Reese’s game-saving block in the final seconds to survive. 

Atlanta opened the 2026 WNBA season with a 91-90 victory over the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday night, powered by Allisha Gray’s 24 points, Te-Hina Paopao’s pull-up jumper with 12 seconds remaining, and a performance that left little doubt about what this team intends to do this season.

Reese’s block on Emese Hof’s layup attempt in the closing seconds sealed one of the most dramatic opening-night wins before 10,821 fans at Target Center.

When Minnesota pushed its advantage to 13 points in the second quarter and the Dream looked like they were in serious trouble, Allisha Gray took over. The veteran guard finished with a game-high 24 points on 7-of-18 shooting, going a near-perfect 9-of-11 from the free throw line to go along with eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.

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Gray’s ability to get to the line and convert kept Atlanta within striking distance throughout a game that could have spiraled out of control multiple times. She scored 11 points in the third quarter alone as the Dream chipped away at Minnesota’s lead.

Rhyne Howard was equally important on both ends, finishing with 15 points, five assists and three steals. Jordin Canada ran the offense efficiently with 12 points and six assists, and Paopao added six points and four assists in a composed performance off the bench.

With Atlanta trailing 85-87 and the clock winding down, Naz Hillmon stepped back and drained a 22-foot three-pointer with 2:44 left to tie the game and silence the fans in the Target Center. It was the shot of the night, and arguably the play that won Atlanta the game.

Hillmon finished with 15 points on an efficient 6-of-10 from the field, adding seven rebounds in 33 minutes. She was the Dream’s most reliable scorer off the bench and delivered her best basketball when Atlanta needed it most.

Rookie Madina Okot also impressed in her WNBA debut, scoring eight points on 3-of-6 shooting with four rebounds in just 10 minutes, showing the poise and physicality that earned her a roster spot out of training camp.

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Angel Reese’s first game in a Dream uniform was complicated. She shot 4-of-11 from the field, committed five turnovers and picked up a first-quarter technical foul that gifted Minnesota a free point. At one point in the first half, she missed three consecutive shots on the same possession.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – MAY 09: Angel Reese #5 of the Atlanta Dream blocks a shot attempt by Emese Hof #25 of the Minnesota Lynx during the fourth quarter at Target Center on May 09, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.

Ellen Schmidt / Getty Images


But Reese also grabbed 14 rebounds, nine on the offensive glass, blocked three shots, came up with two steals, and made the most important play of the game when it mattered most. Her block on Hof’s layup in the final seconds was the kind of athletic, instinctive play that changes games and defines seasons.

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That is the player Atlanta acquired this offseason. On opening night, in the most pressure-packed moment of the game, she showed exactly why.

Minnesota had every opportunity to win this game and couldn’t finish it. Olivia Miles finished with 21 points on 6-of-14 shooting and eight assists to go along with eight free throws made. Kayla McBride scored 20 points and hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 1:11 left that looked like it might be the dagger.

Courtney Williams added 14 points and six assists, and the Lynx shot 50 percent from the field, a number that should have been good enough to win.

But 15 turnovers and an inability to execute in the game’s final minute proved too costly. Minnesota had chances to put Atlanta away in the fourth quarter and couldn’t. The Dream made them pay every time.

Atlanta continues its opening road trip Tuesday against the Dallas Wings before returning home for the May 17 opener against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces at State Farm Arena. Minnesota hosts Atlanta again on May 27.

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Woman dead after argument leads to shooting in Minneapolis

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Woman dead after argument leads to shooting in Minneapolis


A shooting in south Minneapolis left a woman dead Saturday night. 

Fatal shooting on Pillsbury Avenue South

What we know:

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According to Minneapolis police, officers responded to a report of gunfire near Pillsbury Avenue South and West 25th Street around 5:30 p.m. 

A woman was found at the scene with life-threatening gunshot wounds. She was taken to the hospital where she later died. 

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Police believe that an argument inside an apartment led to gunfire. 

The suspected shooter fled the scene before police responded. 

What we don’t know:

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Police did not say what led up to the shooting or if they made any arrests. 

The woman has not yet been identified. 

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What you can do:

Anyone with information on the shooting can call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or click here to submit a tip. 

The Source: A press release from the Minneapolis Police Department. 

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Crime and Public SafetyMinneapolis



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