Minneapolis, MN
Vacant no more: Artists, creatives move into empty storefronts for new Minneapolis initiative
The city of Minneapolis announced the first awardees of its Vibrant Storefronts Initiative. The city’s pilot program subsidizes the rent of formerly vacant storefronts downtown for artists and arts organizations.
The awardees include Black Business Enterprises, Twin Cities Pride, Skntones creative agency, Blackbird Revolt design studio and Flavor World arts and entertainment company. The city’s Arts and Cultural Affairs department chose the awardees from 43 applicants.
“They selected the brightest and most talented people that we have in the city to fill these spaces with creativity,” said Mayor Jacob Frey in a press conference at one of the formerly vacant storefronts at 1128 Harmon Place.
“The whole idea is that it’s not just any creativity. It’s edgy. It puts you on the edge of your seat a little bit. It challenges our perspective. It requires us to all think outside the box, and it’s livening up an area.”
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The five arts and culture organizations will occupy spaces within a few blocks of each other near Loring Park in the city’s effort to create a cultural hub. The city reports that the initiative will distribute $224,202 “to foster creativity, enhance vibrancy, and promote sustainability in Minneapolis.”
“This program was meant to not only address the the lack of vibrancy in the storefronts, but also address the affordable space crisis that are facing artists in our community, and so we’re trying to combine and solve both of those through this initiative,” said Ben Johnson, arts and cultural affairs director.
Blackbird Revolt owner and founder, University of Minnesota associate design professor Terresa Moses, said the initiative would help the studio fulfill its dreams and help revitalize downtown.
“What that includes is us working together to intersect design, animation, video, photography with black liberation, with abolition, with justice, with the things that we find are important, lifting up our voices and our narrative,” Moses told the crowd. Blackbird Revolt will occupy 1128 Harmon Place.
Twin Cities Pride executive director Andi Otti said it was an opportunity for the longstanding organization to deepen its roots. Otti announced the creation of the new Pride Cultural Arts Center (PCAC) at 1201 Harmon Place, just blocks away from where the Twin Cities Pride Festival takes place at Loring Park every June.
“By creating a physical location and a cultural hub for the community connection and growth, the PCAC will serve as a dynamic platform for expression, education and support,” Otti said. “It will be a safe, welcoming and vibrant environment where community members and our allies can celebrate arts and culture.”
Nancy Korsah is the founder of Black Business Enterprises (BBE), a business-to-business service provider that provides guidance to entrepreneurs. The goal is to turn the BBE storefront at 1128 Harmon Place into an art activation hub.
“We want to make sure that you understand that art is not dead,” Korsah said. “We are here to bring the neighborhood back alive, and we’re going to work together, all of us, to ensure that we can create spaces for artists to really express themselves and to showcase the incredible talent that is Minneapolis.”
The storefront leases will run for two years. Current awardees will have the option to renew.
“These neighborhoods and these buildings have been vacant for a long time,” said Minneapolis Council member Katie Cashman. “So, I’m really happy that the city this year decided to invest in artists as a strategy to fill vibrant storefronts.”
The city’s Arts and Cultural Affairs department hopes to expand the program in 2025.
Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis construction workers call on developers to take stand against ICE
Minneapolis, MN
Fan behind Anthony Edwards’ orange bracelet has beaten cancer
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The story behind Anthony Edwards wearing a bright orange bracelet since last season has received a positive development, after Timberwolves fans learned Luca Wright has beaten leukemia.
Anthony Edwards, Luca Wright connection
What we know:
Last January, the 6-year-old Minnesotan met “Ant” for the first time following a game against the Detroit Pistons, proclaiming him to be his favorite player, and asking him to wear a bracelet that symbolizes leukemia awareness, resilience and support for those affected. During the interaction, the fan had created a sign with a to-do list: “1. Beat Cancer. 2. Be The Next MJ.”
Leukemia is a type of cancer that spreads throughout the bloodstream, infecting bone marrow and a person’s lymphatic system by rapid production of abnormal white blood cells that can’t fight infection.
Since then, the Wolves’ MVP has worn a bracelet that proclaims, “Love Like Luca” on it for every game he has played, vowing to wear it “until he hangs up his sneakers.”
Ant has gone on to explain how the gesture connected with him given that he lost both his mother, Yvette, and grandmother, Shirley, to cancer when he was 14 years old. The No. 5 jersey he wears currently is a tribute to them both.
Luca bracelet latest
Dig deeper:
More than a year later, Wolves fans have received the update they hoped for – now 7-year-old Luca has beaten his cancer.
What’s next:
Ant has since responded to the news with his own social media video, calling it “God’s gift” and saying, “Let’s do this Luca.”
No word yet on whether he intends to keep wearing the bracelet, though he’s previously said he has a stash of replacements near the team bench should one ever be broken.
The Source: Information provided by the Minnesota Timberwolves public relations department.
Minneapolis, MN
Family of Minneapolis brothers killed by cousin says their deaths were preventable:
A Minneapolis family is struggling to make sense of a tragedy that has left them heartbroken.
Family tells WCCO 14-year-old Xavier Barnett and 23-year-old Akwame Stewart were killed Monday.
The brothers were very different, but equally loved. Barnett was a good student and athlete. Stewart was a painter, creative and thoughtful. Two brothers, loved and full of promise, gone.
Police say the accused shooter is their cousin, 23-year-old Eddie Duncan.
Court records show Duncan was released on bail Monday on charges of fleeing law enforcement and possession of a gun modified with an “auto sear switch.”
Court records also show Duncan was ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation, but not until next month, on March 24.
Deasia Freeman, Barnett and Stewart’s sister, says this loss could have been prevented.
“They all failed us. We got two innocent lives gone for no reason. Didn’t do nothing to nobody,” Freeman said.
Family members say the system and Duncan’s family let them down.
Freeman says Duncan’s family saw the warning signs and still bailed him out
“If you knew this man was thinking like this, y’all should have kept him in there and he should not even have bail,” she said.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office says they noted Duncan was a public safety risk and asked for a high bail, much higher than a typical request.
“In Minnesota, there is a constitutional right to bail, and the bail amount is set by the Court. Our office noted a public safety risk with Mr. Duncan and asked the judge to set bail at $70,000, or $35,000 with conditions; both of which are higher than we would typically request in this scenario. The judge set bail in that amount. Mr. Duncan posted $35,000 bail with conditions of release, as is allowed under the Minnesota Constitution, and was released from custody. Our thoughts are with all those impacted by yesterday’s violence. This was a terrible tragedy for this family and our community,” a spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said.
For Freeman and her family, the hardest part isn’t just the legal process but living each day without their brothers.
Even in the heartbreak, she says the memories of the good days, the laughter and love they shared will carry them through.
“I wish I could get just one more phone call from them asking me where I’m at,” Freeman said as tears rolled down her face.
Court records confirm Duncan left the scene of the crime and fled to nearby Brooklyn Center. There, a search warrant says Duncan “fired a gun at officers, striking two squads,” when police arrived. That’s when officers returned fire, shooting and killing him.
Three officers have been placed on critical incident leave as the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension leads the investigation into Duncan’s fatal shooting.
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