A storefront space in the Longfellow neighborhood that had been vacant
for some time is being re-imagined as a hub for social justice
organizing, community gathering, and do-it-yourself projects.
A 12-member collective called MARS (Minneapolis Autonomous Radical Space) runs the
Minnehaha Free Space, which had its grand opening on July 17.
It's
open for meetings, classes, workshops, and art-making on everything from
bike maintenance to knitting, according to collective member Jaime
Hokanson.
The name for the space references its address on 3458 Minnehaha Avenue and an historic event called the
Minnehaha Free State,
which was a 16-month protest that started in 1998 against the rerouting
of Highway 55. It led to the state's largest-ever police action,
according to the
TC Daily Planet.
The "free space" aims to fill the
void that was left when Arise bookstore closed in May 2010. "There
were a number of people who were involved [with the bookstore] who
wanted to keep the momentum going," though some people were leaning
towards doing something other than a bookstore, Hokanson says.
After various
fundraising activities for a space that would run off of donations and
financial support from MARS, the group began scoping out possible
locations last spring.
The storefront was attractive for its
proximity to a mix of commercial and residential developments. "It
allows us to get to know the neighborhood, to make connections in the
community," he says.
Although the space, which is characterized
by bright orange, purple, and green walls, is still coming together, a
main lounge, a lending library with over 1,000 books, and a clothing
exchange are already set up. Computers that will provide free Internet access will soon be installed, while
a kid-friendly area and a kitchen are also still in progress.
Hokanson hopes that the "free space" will help "respond to the needs of social justice in community."
Source: Jaime Hokanson, a member of the collective for the Minnehaha Free Space
Writer: Anna Pratt