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Public Address is a platform for wide-ranging discussion of innovative projects, and practices. Read here for news, announcements, and postings and sign up for our e-newsletter here.

Contemporary art is increasingly “untethered” and moves from the white cube of the gallery to any site – including the virtual – to engage the public in its own realm. Public art is an ever-expanding field of inquiry, with artists of all stripes exploring the public realm. Beyond murals, monuments, memorials (and the occasional mime) public art has become a vibrant and engaging practice. From the spectacular to the quotidian, permanent to ephemeral, sited to virtual, material to performative, conceptual to cinematic, we believe there are unprecedented opportunities for new art practices in our shared environment. This is the critical focus of Public Address.

Common Ground

Author
Sarah Peters
Post
05.10.2023

Common Ground by Witt Siasoco and Diver Van Avery at A night with the river   Common Ground is a roaming series of poetry “blankets” installed as a platform for conversations about land and water issues. In July 2022 the installation was presented at the Walker Art Center and featured talks about housing discrimination through […]

Share your Northern Spark Memory

Author
Sarah Peters
Post
05.10.2023

Northern Spark Memory Station Thank you for being part of the life of Northern Spark! We are is building an archive of memories of our beloved, night-time arts festival. Northern Spark took place in June from 2011 – 2022 (except 2020). Please contribute to the collective history of this community event by sharing your memories! With your permission, […]

Early May Newsletter: A night with the river

Author
Sarah Peters
Post
05.8.2023

A night with the river Saturday, June 10, 2023 9pm – 1am Upper Landing Park Downtown St. Paul Facebook event Gather with friends and strangers for a final night with Northern Lights.mn. Wander through installations by artists Bayou Bay and Studio Strange. Linger at the Northern Spark Memory Station and contribute your remembrances from long nights of art in the city. Slow down to […]

A night with the river

Author
Sarah Peters
Post
05.3.2023

A night with the river Thank you for joining us at A night with the river. Our final program was a beautiful night of sounds, words, motion, stillness, grass, sky, water and love. You can view images from the night, captured by Drew Arrieta, on our Flickr page. June 10, 2023 9 pm – 1 am Upper Landing […]

AquaSonos: River Sequences for voice, electronics, bells, and gong chorus

Author
Sarah Peters
Post
05.3.2023

AquaSonos: River Sequences for voice, electronics, bells, and gong chorus by Studio Strange Primary artists: Dameun Strange, Sayge Carroll, Matshoshi Matsafu Contributing artists: Claudia Eriksson, Kahlil Brewington at A night with the river Bring a blanket, rest, listen and watch. Clusters of musicians and vocalists create live sounds among the trees that line the river walk. […]

Watershed Whisperers

Author
Sarah Peters
Post
05.3.2023

Watershed Whisperers by Bayou Bay at A night with the river As the sun sets, wander the path alongside Wakpa Tanka / Misi-Ziibi / Mississippi River and listen. Swing, rest your body, dream. Whisper your wishes and affirmations into a small vessel of water and offer them back to the watershed.    Watershed Whisperers is rooted in […]

Early April Newsletter

Author
Sarah Peters
Post
05.1.2023

Our Final Program Save the date for our last program ever. 😢 Saturday, June 10, 2023 9pm – 1am Upper Landing Park  Downtown St. Paul Join us for a final farewell. Gather with friends and strangers for a night by the river. Wander through installation projects by Bayou Bay and Dameun Strange with Sayge Carroll and Matsoshi […]

Northern Spark Merch Sale

Author
Sarah Peters
Post
04.17.2023

  ***The Merch Sale has ended!  We will be mailing items between May 22 – 26th. Thank you to everyone who bought our stuff!*** Northern Spark Merch Sale April 17 – May 15 On our Etsy store The Northern Spark Merch Sale is happening NOW through May 15. We’re clearing out our storage unit and want to find good […]

Gratitude and What’s Next

Author
Sarah Peters
Post
03.8.2023

Gratitude and What’s Next We are filled with gratitude! Thank you for your messages of love and support upon the announcement of our planned sunset. Knowing how our projects have inspired and connected so many over the past decade helps ease the sadness of our necessary decision. We read them all, with tears and pride. So, what’s next? Aside from […]

Important News about Northern Lights.mn and Northern Spark

Author
Sarah Peters
Post
01.30.2023

For immediate release Important News about Northern Lights.mn and Northern Spark   (St. Paul, MN) January 30, 2023 – After 15 years and 851 projects supporting thousands of artists, Northern Lights.mn (NL) announces that we have made the difficult decision to sunset our organization. Rather than a 2023 Northern Spark festival, we will hold a final […]

The Best of 2022

Author
Sarah Peters
Post
12.21.2022

NL’s Best of 2022 Bring out the journals, it’s the reflection time of year. At Northern Lights, 2022 has been continued uncertainty, beauty, mistakes, challenges, dance parties and joy. Sounds like the new normal, right? In our reflection on 2022, we put together our own best-of list to celebrate the big and small moments of […]

Give to the Max Day 2022

Author
Sarah Peters
Post
11.17.2022

  Give to the Max Day is here! A day when Minnesota non-profits join together to raise money to support our and each others’ work. Today and all days at Northern Lights.mn, we are working to explore new possibilities for the world by supporting artists to create and present work in the public sphere. We believe […]

Northern Lights.mn Telethon 2022

Author
Sarah Peters
Post
08.31.2022

Thank you to our Northern Lights.mn Telethon collaborators! Telethon Artists John Gebretatose Mayda Sami Pfeffer Northern Spark Kazoo Band (Morgen Chang, Scotty Reynolds, Jason Kornelis, Alex Yang) Artist Testimonial Videos May Lee-Yang Scotty Reynolds Yeej Moua Lelis Brito Gabrielle Civil Riley Kleve Felicia Cooper Media Partner Nanotako Studios The Northern Lights MN 2022 Telethon was […]

Northern Spark 2022

Author
Anthonia Eboreime
Post
05.6.2022

NORTHERN SPARK 2022: WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW  THE 11TH ANNUAL NORTHERN SPARK FESTIVAL LIGHTS UP ST. PAUL WITH SOUL-FUELING ART AND COMMUNITY ALL-NIGHT ON JUNE 11 (Minneapolis, MN) February 16, 2022 — Northern Lights.mn announces the all-night, in-person participatory Northern Spark art festival this summer exploring the theme, “What the World Needs Now.” This […]

Northern Spark 2022 Artist Announcement – Press Release

Author
Sarah Peters
Post
04.28.2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Northern Lights.mn announces the artist projects of Northern Spark 2022 Northern Spark artists explore “What the World Needs Now” in St. Paul with soul-fueling art and community all-night on June 11 (St. Paul, MN) April 28, 2022 — Northern Lights.mn announces the artists and projects for the all-night, in-person participatory Northern Spark art […]