Featured Stories

November Arts and Culture: Holiday Markets (and Makers) Galore

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, November 08, 2016

For MSP makers, this month is among the busiest of the year as they sell their wares at holiday markets, boutiques and pop-ups happening at a crazy pace. But you can also tour a renovated machine shed and enjoy open art studios before the big freeze.

Arts and Culture, Central Corridor, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Design, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Shopping, Strong Local Economy

Riverfront/Mill District, Midway, Downtown, Saint Anthony Park, Lake Street, Southwest, Uptown/Lyn Lake, Northeast

Flower Plots and Food Forests: Community Gardens as Living Examples of Neighborhood Commitment

Loren Green Tuesday, July 26, 2016

The Bancroft Meridian Garden, founded in 1996 on a lot along 38th Street in South Minneapolis, began as a flower garden. But communities change. So do their gardens. Now it's a food forest for the neighborhood.

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, Design, Entrepreneurship, Green Jobs, Sustainability

Saint Anthony Park, Southwest

Forging an Arts Tradition: Metalsmithing in MSP

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, June 21, 2016

MSP boasts a cultural milieu in which diverse art forms, architecture and design take root and flourish. Metalsmithing, which includes jewelry design, is an integral part of the culture.

Arts and Culture, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Shopping

Southwest, Uptown/Lyn Lake, Calhoun - Isles, Summit Hill and Crocus Hill, Northeast

Witt Siasoco uses art to create home

Nicole Rupersburg Tuesday, February 16, 2016

The multidisciplinary artist, designer, and arts educator has created a number of projects inspired by issues facing his community. Through art, he explores themes of collective community ownership, transportation and land use, and underrepresented populations.

Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, diversity, Entrepreneurship

Downtown, Southwest, Calhoun - Isles

February Arts and Culture: Feasts for the Mind and the Mouth

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, February 02, 2016

A Hmong pop-up dinner, electrifying art exhibition, architecture tour of an already iconic brewery and the opportunity to laugh out loud with the nation's funniest Native American author are on our to-do list for arts and culture in February.

Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Nightlife

Greater East Side, University, Southwest

Make the Switch from Car to Bike Commute This Winter: Here's How

Brian Martucci Tuesday, December 08, 2015

Imagine a day in a bike commuter’s boots. How does he or she prepare before walking out the door? How do they stay comfortable behind Arctic fronts and snow curtains — even the dreaded polar vortex. Here's how.

Entrepreneurship, Shopping, Sustainability, Transportation

Is Craft Beer Peaking in MSP? Not Yet, As These Five New Breweries and a Community Tap House Show

Brian Martucci Tuesday, August 11, 2015

These days, MSP seems to have more independent craft beer producers than adults of legal drinking age. And yet the brewery announcements, grand openings and expansions keep coming. Are we reaching peak craft beer?

Central Corridor, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Nightlife

Downtown, Saint Anthony Park, Southwest, Warehouse/North Loop, Northeast

Jump Into July with Makers, ArtCars, Movement and Beer

David Rue Tuesday, July 14, 2015

July arts, entertainment and culture highlights not to be missed in MSP, with a focus on makers of all sorts — of art, crafts, dance and beer.

Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Design, Entrepreneurship, Shopping

Phillips, Macalester - Groveland, Southwest, Calhoun - Isles, Warehouse/North Loop

spring veggies,courtesy Bill GourmetFoods, MIll City.jpg

Eat Up! 7 Transit-Friendly Farmers Markets in MSP

Brian Martucci Tuesday, May 05, 2015

Looking to sample the region’s freshest produce without braving traffic? In celebration of the Green Line’s first full farmers market season, here are seven MSP markets within walking distance of a major transit line (in many cases, the Green Line itself).

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Green Jobs, Shopping, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

Riverfront/Mill District, University, Downtown, Lake Street, Southwest, Downtown/Lowertown

The Centennial Chromagraph, fabricated in the DigiFab Lab to celebrate the U of M School of Architecture's history

Why MSP is Leading the New DigiFab (Third Industrial) Revolution

Brian Martucci Tuesday, February 24, 2015

We're experiencing the third industrial revolution in which MSP’s digital fabricators are innovatively building the future, one pixel at a time.

Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Design, Emerging Technologies, Emerging Technology, Entrepreneurship, High Technology, Higher Education, Strong Local Economy

University, Midway, Saint Anthony Park, Southwest, Powderhorn, Northeast

10 Independent Bookstores To Get Cozy With This Winter

Gina Dewink Tuesday, February 03, 2015

Searching for a book to get lost in? Ditch your computer and mobile devices, and plan a day trip exploring these distinct and community-minded local bookstores, many of which are celebrating decade birthdays in 2015.

Arts and Culture, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Reuse / Rebuild, Shopping, Strong Local Economy

Macalester - Groveland, Midway, Saint Anthony Park, Lake Street, Southwest, Uptown/Lyn Lake, Summit Hill and Crocus Hill

Mill City Winter Farmers Market, photo courtesy Mill City Times

Local Doesn't End With Summer: Meet 4 Food Entrepreneurs at 5 Winter Markets in MSP

Brian Martucci Tuesday, January 13, 2015

A merry band of farmers market managers and vendors are braving the cold and dark to keep us supplied with locally grown food, locally made food products and locally sourced crafts. Here's where you can find them this winter!

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Shopping, Strong Local Economy, Sustainability

Riverfront/Mill District, Downtown, Southwest, Downtown/Lowertown

A Place People Call Their Own: Community Partnerships That Foster Community Health

Jay Walljasper Wednesday, December 10, 2014

The 2014 Minnesota Healthy Communities Conference introduced participants to innovative community health projects that explore links between community development and the health of low-income people.

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, diversity, Healthcare, Philanthropy, Strong Local Economy

Greater East Side, Phillips, Southwest, North Side

Forget Midwest. We Are North: Repositioning MSP's National Identity for the 21st Century

Camille LeFevre Wednesday, December 03, 2014

According to a recent panel discussion, we need to own our cold climate and our ingenuity in order to attract new talent, continue fueling the innovation at the heart of our economy, and create a new and authentic national identity. Shall we call ourselves the North?

Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, Design, diversity, Regionalism, Strong Local Economy, Talent Dividend

Cycling in the Cities: Seven New Local Inventions for Bike Enthusiasts Here and Around the Globe

Brian Martucci Wednesday, October 22, 2014

The Twin Cities is a leader in bicycle use and a major innovator in bicycle design and technology. The seven inventions profiled here have, or will have, an impact on the local and global cycling industry. And the pace of innovation shows no sign of slowing down.