Arts & Culture

Introduction

Using public art, events and festivals to strengthen neighborhood identity.

Overview

This section includes City Government Arts Resources, General Arts Resource Organizations, Specific Arts Resource Organizations, Neighborhood Art Centers, Neighborhood Arts Projects/ Festivals, Community-Based Artists, Arts Developers and Project Managers and Arts Funders.

Page Index

  • Key Issues
  • Common Problems and Solutions
  • Successful Strategies
  • Topic Library
  • Sub-Topics and Vendors


    • Key Issues Related to this Topic

  • Artists: a neighborhood asset. Many artists “homestead” lower-income neighborhoods, bringing with them their community spirit, creativity and energy. In addition to fixing up their homes and studios, artists from every discipline are investing in brightening their neighborhood, through writing, music, dance, video, sculpture and murals.

  • The Arts can help change images. To create lasting change, many community groups seek to shift the deeper images which residents have of themselves and their community, from the negative to the positive. Artists can help residents to name and make visible the images of despair and powerlessness they carry and to create new, empowered images of themselves and their community. The image of your neighborhood’s vision can be then shared through banners, displays, videos, stories, welcome signs, public art, murals, and even your organization’s letterhead.

  • The Arts can strengthen neighborhood identity. The numerous arts festivals, public art projects and neighborhood art centers in Twin Cities neighborhoods are often focal points for local pride and community connections.

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    Common Problems and Solutions

  • Finding affordable space- Artists often have specific needs in regard to affordable housing, work, exhibit and performance space and frequently find these spaces to be in short supply.

  • Getting organized- Knowing how to run an effective meeting, plan a project or write a grant are rare skills. When these skills and talents are missing in a project team, progress can be slow.

  • Securing funding- Often for large-scale arts projects, funding is raised to pay for the artists time in coordinating and implementing a public art work or event. However, with many worthy projects applying to the same limited funding sources, getting your project funded can prove difficult.

  • Maintaining public art- Who will take care of your public art work once it has been completed? When projects happen on vacant lots or other spaces without a clear sense of ownership failing to answer this question can cause problems.

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    Successful Strategies

  • Promote Arts-based economic development. Arts-based businesses including galleries, theaters, art centers, warehouse/studios, coffee shops and home-based enterprises can help revitalize neighborhood business districts and under-used commercial buildings. St. Paul’s Lowertown and the Minneapolis Warehouse District, Northeast Warehouse District, Lyndale and Lyn/Lake, Franklin Ave and 3rd Ave. are all experiencing economic uplift fueled by the arts. Both cities have staff that provide advice and resources to arts-based economic development efforts

  • Provide space for neighborhood artists. To work their magic in your neighborhood, artists need affordable housing, studio space and exhibit space. Many nonprofit developers in the Twin Cities have developed affordable living, studio and exhibit space in Twin Cities Neighborhoods.

  • Strengthen neighborhood identity through public art . Many individual home-owners, block clubs and neighborhood groups have created public art (including physical art and public events) to strengthen their neighborhood’s identity. Public arts projects have included murals, sculptures, art parks, signs and banners, artistic design in bridges and buildings, and public art events.

  • Forecast Public Art Works can offer your neighborhood advice on how to plan and develop public art, and has funding for individual artists.

  • The Minneapolis Gateway Program and the St Paul Arts STAR Program can also provide funds for neighborhood public art projects. Minneapolis gateway public art project have been completed in Northeast, East Calhoun, Phillips, Harrison, Elliot Park and Powderhorn Park neighborhoods.

  • Organize arts festivals to build community. Many neighborhoods have developed wonderful arts fairs, art festivals and art crawls, which showcase the works of local visual and performance artists. Other neighborhoods use many forms of art including puppetry, music, dance and visual art to enhance annual neighborhood celebrations. Some of the more well known Minneapolis and St. Paul arts events include Cedar Fest, Grand Old Days, the Lowertown and Northeast Art Crawls, Lyn/Lake Street Fair/55408 Show, Lake Street Arts Festival, Powderhorn’s May Day Parade, the Uptown and Powderhorn Art Fairs, Juneteenth and Rondo Days.

  • Use the arts to build understanding and cultural pride. Many art forms are being employed by neighborhood associations to build understanding among their diverse neighbors. Many mentoring programs use the arts to instill cultural pride in youth. Multi-generational arts activities can transmit cultural wisdom and build new relationships among people of different ages.

  • Use theater to resolve issues and preserve history. The Powderhorn and Seward neighborhood groups have organized community plays that engaged residents in reflecting on neighborhood issues and history.

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    Library

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    Vendors by Sub-Topic

    Arts Funders  
        COMPAS
        Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC)
        Minneapolis Arts Commission
        Minnesota Alliance for Arts in Education
        Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA)
        Minnesota Citizens for the Arts
        Minnesota Dance Alliance
        Minnesota State Arts Board
        S. A. S. E. : The Write Place


    Arts Resource Organizations  
        American Composers Forum
        Artspace Projects, Inc.
        Asian American Renaissance
        Center for Arts Criticism
        COMPAS
        FORECAST Public Artworks
        Independent Film Project / North
        Intermedia Arts
        Minnesota Alliance for Arts in Education
        Minnesota Citizens for the Arts
        Public Art St. Paul
        Resources and Counseling for the Arts
        Women's Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM)
        Young Audiences of Minnesota


    City Government Arts Resources  
        MCDA - Arts Coordinator
        Minneapolis Committee on Urban Environment (CUE)


    Neighborhood Art Centers  
        CreArte- Chicano Latino Art Center
        Intermedia Arts
        Lyndale Neighborhood Association
        Martin Luther King / Haley Q Brown Center
        Midtown Greenway Coalition
        Minneapolis American Indian Center
        Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA)
        Minnesota Music Academy
        Northern Clay Center
        United Cambodian Association of Minnesota
        Walker West Music Academy


    Neighborhood Art Groups and Festivals  
        Asian American Renaissance
        Citzens for a Loring Park Community
        Corcoran Neighborhood News
        Grand Gazette
        Lyndale Neighborhood Association
        Midtown Greenway Coalition
        PEACE (Parents of East African Common Efforts)
        Powderhorn-Phillips Cultural Wellness Center
        Seward Neighborhood Group – History Project and Milwaulke Ave. Restoration
        Walker West Music Academy


    Specific Arts Resource Organizations  
        American Composers Forum
        Minnesota Assn of Community Theatres
        Minnesota Association of Song Writers
        Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA)
        Northern Clay Center
        Resources and Counseling for the Arts
        S. A. S. E. : The Write Place
        TCdigi (Twin Cities Digital Imaging Group)
        Twin Cities Independent Theater Partnership
        VSA arts of Minnesota


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