We are still getting in final documentation of Northern Spark. There is a great photo essay of the event here. Above is video documentation of Christopher Baker’s Waste Not. The projection visualizes in real time time a data dump of the garbage that accumulates every day in Minneapolis. And while not yet part of the public interface, the project is programmable to isolate and visualize various aspects of the waste stream from diapers to plastic.
Baker is also currently showing Murmur Study, at Pace Gallery in New York, a work first commissioned for the Art(ists) on the Verge program.
Hold hands with a stranger
Amanda Lovelee’s Call and Answer Project was an epic success at Northern Spark.
Call and Answer at Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Northern Spark, June 4, 2011. Photo courtesy the artist.
According to Amanda,
“We reached all our goals and went far beyond. In one evening we served over 400 pieces of pie in two hours, printed 2000 books, had close to 50 amazing volunteers who did everything from bake pie, photograph, cut pie, make coffee, run a letter press, greet people at the door, read their poetry, play in the band, and call a square dance! I think about 1,500 people came through the doors of the Minnesota Center for Book Arts and at least 500 strangers held hands!!!!”
Amanda is going for it again.
The Call and Answer Project will be coordinating the largest square dance in the Twin Cities as part of the Walker Art Center’s Free First Saturday from 12-3pm on Saturday September 3rd. The day’s events will include a photo booth where if you pose for a photograph holding hands with a stranger you will receive one of the four books from the collector set of handmade letter pressed books that Lovelee designed about life lessons learned through square dancing. Each book was printed by volunteers as part of Northern Spark and folded by another volunteer. There will a space for both kids and anyone who wants to add a drawing to a very long and large accordion book of utopic objects. It will be the premier of Call and Answer, a short documentary about human connection and Minneapolis’s Monday Night Square Dance. The movie will be playing on a loop inside the Walker. Most importantly from 1pm-3pm there will be a live band playing and square dancing! Local caller Ann Carter will be teaching you everything you need to know.
Amanda Lovelee, Call and Answer Project, MCBA, Northern Spark, June 4, 2011
For more information please go to – http://callandanswer.wordpress.com/ or
http://blogs.walkerart.org/openfield2011/event/free-first-saturday-square-dance-withamanda-
lovely/
Battle of Everyouth
Battle of Everyouth by Ali Momeni and Jenny Schmid with students from Washburn High School was presented at Northern Spark. It is a projection-based performance staged at multiple sites on and around the Minneapolis Institute of Arts , which is blend of live cinema, participatory theater and live performance. The Battle of Everyouth creates a context for exploration and conversation on the theme of global youth and violence.
A “mixing station” staged in front of the museum produces large-scale panoramic projections onto its facade using live video feeds from numerous dispersed performance contexts. The performance contexts that generate the raw materials of the projection are centered around a miniature urban set on display outside the museum. These performance contexts are run by students from Washburn High who act as the messengers as well as the listeners in this work. They use two types of devices in their interactive rapport with the public, which are both mobile and wireless. The first is an ornate hat, which is designed to capture up-close video footage of faces. The second is an augmented briefcase used to capture writing and drawing with markers. Video feeds from these interaction devices are projected onto architectural components in the miniature set, and simultaneously recorded and manipulated by Momeni and Schmid as they project at large scale onto the museum.
Supported by
MIA Inside/Out: Battle of Everyouth is made possible by a Joyce Award and a grant from the Friends of the Institute with additional support from Best Buy Children’s Foundation. Presentation of The Battle of Everyouth at Northern Spark is also made possible in part by a grant provided by the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature from the Minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.
Northern Spark in some pictures
Thank you Twin Cities! We had an amazing time at Northern Spark on June 4. Lots of people did. About 25,000 people showed up in Saint Paul and Minneapolis to look at participate in and wonder about 100 projects at 34 different locations in collaboration with 50 organizations. Let us know if you have images to share and tag them with #NorthernSpark on flickr, YouTube, Vimeo and other sites.
This is just a small sample of some of the pictures from the event. Much more to come.
Artists’ + Partners’ documentation of Northern Spark
Art Institutes International Minnesota, Tim Armatto flickr set
Philip Blackburn, Car Horn Fanfare video
Philip Blackburn, Wind Harps and Wind Flutes, video
Chris Farstad and Alex Dyba, video
Intermedia Arts, Northern Spark time lapse rough cut
John Kamp and James Rojas, Twin Cities Re-Imagined flickr set
mnorginal, Northern Spark
Ali Momeni and Jenny Schmid, Battle of Everyouth at MIA flickr set
Notion Collective Station Identification flickr stream
ROLU, A Simple Chair
Piotr Szyhalski, Empty Words, flickr set by Robert Luna; set up and rehearsal
UpTake, Panelectric Dreams
Walker Art Center, Field Report: Photos from Nightshift
Other Northern Spark flickr sets and video
Metromix, Photos: Northern Spark (Nuit Blanche)
Students of Nathaniel Freeman class on Experimental Video and Installation, Northern Spark
Whereas…
NOW, THEREFORE, WE, R.T. RYBAK, Mayor of the City of Minneapolis and CHRIS COLEMAN, Mayor of the CIty of Saint Paul do hereby jointly proclaim June 4, 2011 as: NORTHERN SPARK NIGHT IN THE CITIES OF MINNEAPOLIS AND SAINT PAUL
Proclamation
WHEREAS, the Mississippi River is one of the natural marvels of the world; and
WHEREAS, the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul are two of the most marvelous cities of the world; and
WHEREAS,the inaugural Northern Spark “nuit blanche” Festival is a dusk-to-dawn participatory art event along the Mississippi River and in Minneapolis and Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, more than 40 organizations from around Minneapolis-Saint Paul will participate in Northern Spark; and
WHEREAS, more than 60 public art projects will turn Minneapolis and Saint Paul into all night “cities of light”; and
WHEREAS, Northern Spark will include a wide diversity of art forms and projects including multi-story projections, audio environments with vistas, installations traveling down the Mississippi on barges, houseboats and paddleboats, headphone concerts, and the use of everything from bioluminescent alge and sewer pipes for organs to more traditional media such as banjos and puppets; and
WHEREAS, Northern Spark expands the boundaries of contemporary art by transforming the urban environment into a city-wide art gallery; and
WHEREAS, Northern Spark showcases the natural and urban splendors and the cultural magnificance of Minneapolis-Saint Paul;
NOW, THEREFORE, WE, R.T. RYBAK, Mayor of the City of Minneapolis and CHRIS COLEMAN, Mayor of Saint Paul do hereby jointly proclaim June 4, 2011 as:
IN THE CITIES OF
MINNEAPOLIS AND SAINT
PAUL
Meeting the city halfway
Welcome to the inaugural Northern Spark, a free, all-night festival of public art and performances taking place outdoors and indoors in both Minneapolis and Saint Paul from sundown to sunrise.
There is magic in the night, when the familiar, like the city skyline, becomes majestic, and a starry sky can transport the imagination. One’s senses are heightened, attuned to the slightest noise or even the smell of the nearby river in a way that seems not so common in daylight. One’s regular bus ride or walking over the threshold of a building visited hundreds of times before becomes exotic and otherworldly at 3 am.
Imagining Northern Spark. Maquette and photography by Rasun Mehringer. Design: Matthew Rezac
It is in this context that more than 200 artists are presenting 100 installations and performances for Northern Spark from the top of the Foshay Tower to boat rides along the Mississippi to light sculptures and projections to performances galore, including car horn and brass band fanfares, color guards, river dancing, sewer pipe organs, lullabies, and storytelling. Perusing the festival program (PDF) will introduce you to the rich variety of offerings that will bloom for one night only. It is not our goal to take over the night like some giant big top tent, but to join it. We meet the city halfway. As you walk or ride a bike or take the bus from one venue to another, see and appreciate your surroundings with new eyes and ears. Celebrate one of the great rivers of the world through two magnificent cities and enjoy the next artistic intervention you come across. It’s an adventure. You make your own journey.
Northern Spark is presented by Northern Lights.mn, but it would not be possible without the amazing work of the artists, the generous participation of more than 50 organizations, a talented staff, and the steadfast support of our sponsors, including the people of Minnesota through funding from the Legacy Amendment. Thank you.
Steve Dietz
Artistic Director, Northern Spark
President and Artistic Director, Northern Lights.mn
Northern Spark program guide
The print Northern Spark program guide – 32 pages of not-to-be-missed projects and scheduled events along with essential “getting around” information – is hot off the presses and will be available at the following sites beginning on Saturday. Check websites for open hours.
The Soap Factory
Le Meridien Chambers Minneapolis
W Minneapolis – The Foshay
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Intermedia Arts
Franklin Art Works
Walker Art Center
Saint Paul Central LIbrary
Landmark Center
Black Dog Cafe and Wine Bar
In the meantime, download a PDF of the program and start perusing your planned peregrinations.
Programs will be available at all Northern Spark venues the day and night of the Festival.
All-night event a chance for Twin Cities artists to shine
Amy Carlson Gustafson, via Pioneer Press
May 9, 2011
There’s nothing typical about the newest Twin Cities arts festival. From the time it takes place — sunset to sunrise — to the number of local arts organizations involved — more than 50 — Northern Spark has potential to be a monumental arts event. Inspired by the worldly ‘Nuit Blanche’ movement of nighttime arts festivals that originated in Europe, Northern Spark plans to turn the urban landscapes of St. Paul and Minneapolis into one giant art gallery early next month.
“I had always wanted to do an overnight event but had never been able to,” said Northern Spark artistic director Steve Dietz. “I think it’s an interesting way to get a different take on everything that seems normal to you. It started with an idea around the programming and, for me, it was the amazing richness of the art scene. And it was an opportunity to do something along the river corridor and with other organizations in the Twin Cities.”
Starting at 8:55 p.m. June 4 and continuing until 5:28 the following morning, the Twin Cities will be home to more than 100 public art projects, many of which are happening on or near the banks of the Mississippi River. Opportunities to check out work by more than 200 artists are seemingly endless during the event — here’s just a small sampling of what you can experience: select photographs for projection onto the Gold Medal Flour silos; singers performing lullabies if you want to snooze in a public space; ride on a houseboat and take in a dance performance; or listen to a sewer pipe organ installation that will be played back from speakers inserted at the storm drain outfalls by the Mississippi River.
“You think you know a view, a city, a building, a park — and then to see it at night, it’s a different experience,” Dietz said. “So to do that in a safe, fun, active environment where you’re more excited about what’s around the corner than nervous about it, it really changes how people can experience the city. And the flipside is our commitment to reaching a broa d audience and engaging them in really fine art. Part of the mission of the ‘Nuit Blanche’ is that it’s free culture for everyone.”
One of the event’s most anticipated pieces is “Scattered Light,” an LED light installation by San Francisco-based artist Jim Campbell (one of only a handful of non-locals participating in the festival). Located at Upper Landing Park in St. Paul near the Science Museum of Minnesota, the luminous three-dimensional piece — which was recently on view at Madison Square Park in Manhattan — will feature hundreds of hanging light bulbs that illuminate the night sky. Unlike other Northern Spark projects, “Scattered Light” will be on display through July 24.
For Minneapolis-based and internationally known artist Andrea Stanislav, Northern Spark presented a perfect opportunity to debut her new public video work, “Nightmare,” which creates the illusion of a white horse galloping on the Mississippi River. Led by a towboat, the 17′ x 25′ video screen carried on a barge will display the image of a horse with the river playing the part of a metaphorical racetrack. Viewers will be able to spot the unexpected image that Stanislav calls “ghostlike” from the banks of the Mississippi.
“I love the concept of the festival,” said Stanislav. “It’s so elegant within its simplicity, too, that it’s illuminating the city for one night. So many points in the Cities will be have video, light and sound installations. I think it’s literally going to be an electric experience. And I think the idea of staying up throughout the night will also bring the community together.”
Joe Spencer, director of arts and culture for the city of St. Paul, says the city has been working closely with the festival on logistical issues, including permits. He says he anticipates some people will be anxious about the all-night aspect of the event, but so far things have been going smoothly. One big question — will St. Paulites stay! up all night for the festival?
“Absolutely,” he said with confidence. “I’ve always had a hard time with all-nighters, though. I’m going to pick and choose my spots and I think that’s what most folks will do. I’m thrilled for folks who have it in their constitution to stay up all night. They’ll have plenty to do and see.
“The fact is this is very much a mission-driven festival that has a strong artistic curatorial element to it,” he said. “I don’t think success will be defined by how many people show up to a festival grounds, but rather by the artistic quality.”
To make sure folks have a chance to check out events in both cities, there will be free bus rides to select locations, volunteers to help people navigate festival events and security at various locales.
“The goal is that this will attract people to places — whether it’s going into a museum or down to the river or staying out past 10 p.m. at night — to a place they might not normally gather,” Dietz says. “They’ll congregate, they’ll have social interactions and it will really change how they think about their city and the relationship to it. That would be success for me if we have a lot of people out there enjoying themselves.”
Readings, storytelling, and lullabies at Northern Spark
Storytelling is a time-honored way to ward off the evil spirits at night – or just plain drowsiness. Laurie Hertzel has a nice blog post in On Books about the Bedtime Stories project, which is organized by the Rain Taxi Review of Books as part of the Walker Art Center’s Nightshift program for Northern Spark.
There are many other opportunities for storytelling at Northern Spark.
Piotr Szyhalski, Empty Words (so that we can do our living)
Piotr Szyhalski’s 9-hour performance is a participatory reading of John Cage’s “Empty Words” and is part of an ongoing series of works that examine the poetics and, particularly, the rhetoric of language. Empty Words attempts to “demilitarize language, by awakening its natural poetry and making it impossible for people to control one another through rhetoric. Hopefully some state government officials will be in attendance, but in any case come to Father Hennepin Bluffs Park on the east side of the Stone Arch Bridge and add your voice.
Skewed Visions, Please Remain Seated
Skewed Visions takes their storytelling on the free buses that will transport people from venue to venue in and between Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Sorry, no napping on the buses.
All My Relations Arts, Community Conversation
Hopefully no one will be sleep already at 5:30 pm – although this is Minnesota, so you never know for sure – but there will be a stimulating conversation between Rigo 23, Tom Poor Bear, Mona Smith, Bobby Wilson, Robert Two Bulls and Heid Erdrich about Rigo’s Oglala Oyate: Sister City for a Better Future, an 8-hour video, which he shot on the Pine Ridge Reservation last year.
Red76, Follow the Light, Let the Light be Your Guide.
On the steps of the Saint Paul Central Library, Red76 encourages you to bring a radical prophetic text, preferably of regional vintage, to declaim into the night. As more and more visions of the future are spoken aloud and shared, the darkened facade of the library will light, till there is a new dawn in the morning. At 5:28 am.
Works Progress, Mississippi Megalops – A Floating Chautauqua
While the free tickets are almost sold out for this river adventure orchestrated by Works Progress and Andy Sturdevant, there may be some left for the 5 am trip – the best time, in my opinion. Sparkling performances, illustrated presentations and other works of artistic and scientific expression will be presented aboard the Jonathan Padelford sternwheeler as it makes its way down the Mississippi River, illuminating the shores of Saint Paul. Featuring creative contributions from over a dozen artists, scientists and storytellers, who together will transform a common riverboat into a floating Chautauqua, a rollicking experience that will enrich the mind and delight the senses!
Springboard for the Arts, Two Story Love Story
Springboard presents a program of dialogue between staff, in their offices on the 2nd floor above Prince St., and visitors, on
street below.
Marcus Young and Grace Minnesota, The Lullaby Experiment
Ok, so you still can’t quite stay awake. Come back to the Walker and let Marcus Young and Grace Minnesota sing you gently to sleep.
Artists of Northern Spark
Ai Minnesota Students, Artifact Shore, Luke Axelson, Leslie Ball, Bridget Beck, Christopher Baker, Robert Bauer, Amelia Biewald, Philip Blackburn, The BodyCartography Project, Bart Buch, Jill Burchill, Calamity and the Owl, Charles Campbell, Chris Campbell, Jim Campbell, Jaime Carrera, Genevieve Chamberland, Christopher Charbonneau, Melinda Childs, Bryan Clendenen, Barbara Claussen, Como Avenue Jug Band, Corbian Visual Arts and Dance, Grant Cutler, Emily Darnell, Mike Davis, Daniel Dean, Dirty Talk, Dan Dressler, Pete Driessen, John Driscoll, Alex Dyba, Aaron Dysart, Terese Elhard, Heid Erdrich, Jan Estep, Chris Farstad, Sam Fuentes, Ben Garthus, Jonathan Gering, Charles Gillett, Grace Minnesota, Will Grant, Solange Guillaume, Mike Haeg, Mike Hallenbeck, Malena Handeen, Lara Hanson, Nathan Hanson, Katie Hargrave, Todd Harper, Peter Henning, Alexa Horochowski, Wing Young Huie, Carrie Jennings, Mary Johnson, Peter L. Johnson, JoJo of Murals by Eros, Joe Kaercher, Gulgin Kayim, Chris Kallmyer, John Kamp, Mero Cocinero Karimi, Kalen Rainbow Keir, Sean Kelly-Pegg, Leslie Kelman, Layne Kennedy, John Kannenberg, Julie Kesti, Scott Kesti, Osman Khan, John Kim, Rachel Knoll, Suzanne Kosmalski, Bethany Lacktorin, Landland, Mina Leierwood, Amanda Lovelee, Emily Lynch, Dana Maiden, Meena Mangalvedhekar, Aaron Marx, Megan Mayer, MCAD Students, Peter McLarnan, Caly McMorrow, Megan Mertaugh, Debora Miller, MAW, Ali Momeni, Ben Moren, Michael Murnane, Levi Murphy, Joe Nagel, Christy Newell, Kaara Nilsson, The Notion Collective, Nostalgia, Pat Nunnelly, Mark O’Brien, Ryan Olcott (Food Team), Angela Olson, Erik Ostrom, Panelectric Cinema, Jack FX Pavlik, Chris Pennington, Ilana Percher, Peyton of House of Daskarone, Wang Ping, Bonnie J. Ploger, Liseli Polivka, Tom Poor Bear, Prairie Fire Lady Choir, Scott Puhl, Janaki Ranpura, Red76, Rigo 23, Brian Roessler, James Rojas, ROLU, Molly Roth, Andrew Saboe, Kate Saturday, Carissa Samaniego, Jenny Schmid, Davu Seru, Skewed Visions, Mona Smith, Angela Sprunger, Andrea Stanislav, Chris Strouth (Paris-1919), Andy Sturdevant, Piotr Szyhalski, Lauren Thorson, Amy Toscani, Anthony Tran, Trash Film Debauchery, Vasily Trubetskoy, Robert Two Bulls, U of M BFA Group, Eric Veldey, Vong Vang, Roman Verostko, Vortex Navigation Company, Anthony Warnick, David Wiggins, Diane Willow, Bobby Wilson, Sarah Wolbert, Jim Woodring, Works Progress, Liu Xuguang, Marcus Young, Chester Yourczek, Brad Zellar
Partners in Northern Spark
With over 100 projects and performances to be presented as part of Northern Spark, we want to thank all our partners and sponsors who are doing so much to make this possible by thoughtfully adding to the rich array of offerings from sunset to sunrise on June 4-5. Thank you!
All My Relations Arts, American Composer’s Forum, American Swedish Institute, Art Department at the University of Minnesota, Art Institutes International Minnesota, Art Shanty Projects, Beijing Film Academy, Black Dog Cafe + Wine Bar, Burnet Gallery at Le Meridien Chambers Minneapolis, City of Minneapolis, City of Saint Paul, CITYDESKSTUDIO, College of Visual Arts, Covanta Energy, Flint Hills International Children’s Festival, Forecast Public Art, Franklin Art Works, The Friends of Saint Paul Public Library, Great Water Brewing Company, Hennepin Energy Recovery Center, Highpoint Center for Printmaking, Intermedia Arts, Keys 4/4 Kids, Landmark Center, Le Meridien Chambers Minneapolis, Lorenz Bus Service, Macalester College, McNally Smith College of Music, McSweeney’s, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis Parks + Recreation, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minnesota Historical Society, Minnesota Museum of American Art, Minnesota State Arts Board, mnartists.org, Mpls Photo Center, Nice Ride Minnesota, Nomad World Pub, Northern Lights.mn, Northrop Concerts and Lectures, Public Art Saint Paul, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Rain Taxi Review of Books, Red Stag Supperclub, Regis Center for Art, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory at the University of Minnesota College of Science & Engineering, Saint Paul Central Libary, Saint Paul Cultural STAR Program, Schubert Club, The Saint Paul Hotel, Saint Paul River Centre, Science Museum of Minnesota, The Soap Factory, Soo Visual Arts Center, Springboard for the Arts, The UpTake, US Army Corps of Engineers, W Minneapolis-The Foshay, Walker Art Center
Call for Brass, Percussion, and Piccolo
Trumpet, Trombone/Baritone/Tuba, Percussion, and Piccolo
Performance opportunity on the Stone Arch Bridge
for dawn or dusk // homeward is a 10-15 minute sound work for 100+ local musicians playing brass, percussion, piccolos and tiny whistles. The site specific performance will take place on the Stone Arch Bridge, stretching across the Mississippi playing overlapping melodies derived from the route of the river. The piece follows the route of the river south past St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans and into the Gulf of Mexico. The piece is written by Los Angeles based composer Chris Kallmyer who will come out to work with the group on June 3 + 4.
Participating Musicians
We are looking for musicians age 10 – 110 (amateur and professional) who love playing their instrument, are not afraid to play loud, and have an interest in engaging with their community via music. Folks need to be willing to participate in three rehearsals prior to the performance at the Northern Spark Festival on June 4 at 9:05. Participants will need to provide their own instruments, and percussionists are encouraged to bring two instruments from this list: marching snare drum, marching bass drum, glockenspiel, metal junk, and bells.
Time Commitment
Two rehearsals with your section leader prior to the June 4 concert.
- Friday, June 3. 6:00 – 8:00 pm // rehearsal at the Stone Arch Bridge
- Saturday, June 4. 9:05- 9:20 pm // Walk-through at 7pm // Performance at the Stone Arch Bridge
If you would like to participate, please contact the event coordinator, Phil Snyder.
Provisions for an All-Night Journey
Public Address asked Northern Spark food curator Sarah Peters to write about the culinary art of the Festival.
Mobile Food at Northern Spark
Trolling the Twin Cities all night long to experience a spectacular array of artist projects requires some stamina. You can always stop into your favorite neighborhood joint to grab a bite, but we’ve rounded up some of the best food trucks in the Twin Cities to provide sustenance along the way. Stationed in each Zone, these mobile chefs will keep you happily fed, caffeinated and recharged. Eat your way through the festival starting with a sunset dinner and ending with breakfast at dawn!
Border Tacos truck. Photo by Aaron Fenster
In St. Paul Border Tacos will be planted in front of the St. Paul Central Library where you can take a break from watching films of light and darkness, or a “campfire” reading to load up on tasty Mexican fare. Border’s acclaimed tacos, burritos, tamales and quesadillas are piled with perfectly seasoned chicken, pork or steak and covered in fresh cilantro and onions.
Anna Dien's family is working the stand and crafting bubble tea pearl recipes. Photo Michelle Bruch
If cantaloupe is more your style than carnitas, head over to the Science Museum of Minnesota for a smoothie from Sophea Fresh Fruits. Choose from a long menu of fresh fruits such as avocado, watermelon, banana, papaya, and yes, cantaloupe, or recharge with a bubble tea. Sip your sweet treats while listening to Mike Hallenbeck’s Sound Spandrel or tricking out your bike with the Bicycle Synthesizer Ride.
If a caffeinated pick-up is what you need before or after getting down on the dance floor at McNally Smith College of Music, stop off at the Black Dog Café. Their doors and kitchen will be open all night, where you can order from a special “menu of dreams” constructed by the café and artist Peter McLarnan based on research into the effects that late-night cheese consumption has on our unconscious imaginations. And did we mention FREE COFFEE? Yes!
In Minneapolis four mobile vendors are reason enough to stay up all night. At the Soap Factory, Dandelion Kitchen serves up their fresh fare from a bright yellow truck. Locally-sourced meats and produce join forces in sandwiches like roast chicken with whole grain mustard, blue cheese and greens. Homemade sodas—lemon ginger! basil lime!—wash it all down.
Over at the Walker Art Center, where the festival’s eight hours are packed with activities under the moniker Nightshift, the Garden Grill by D’Amico serves snacks, light fare and local beer ‘til 1 am when the Barrio Truck rolls up to take us through until morning. Stop by for a Latin-inspired boost of Compart Family Farms Pork Carnitas, Soft Shell Crab, and Meyers Natural Beef Barbacoa and a bottle of Jarritos.
On the campus of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, stationed somewhere between the Three-Story Drawing Machine and The Battle of Everyouth at the Minneapolis Institute of Art is the place to go for Ethiopian food. She Royal Coffee Company will be there to serve chicken curry, spicy gyros, veggie platters (lentils, collards, cabbage) and the ever-necessary cup of coffee.
At the south end of the Stone Arch bridge in the upper parking lot Cruzn Café will keep you on your toes with espresso drinks, pulled pork and chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, nachos and smoothies. Make it a plan to end your night on the bridge with one of Cruzn’s breakfast tacos and the sunrise.
Mero Cocinero Karimi - Photo courtesy of the artist.
And finally, when your night is complete and you’re still hungry, stop at a 24 hour grocery store and bring an ingredient to cook at Mero Cocinero Karimi’s Power of the People Community Breakfast at Intermedia Arts. The meal will be as good as YOU make it!
We hope your journey through Northern Spark is as delicious as it is awe-inspiring!
A whiskey-jonesing-bar-hopper for art
“IN 2006, NORTHERN LIGHTS.MN founder, president, and artistic director, Steve Dietz, helped organize the first Zer01 SJ biennial, a seven day festival of art highlighting the theme of “the interactive city,” which took place in San Jose, California. The event was a huge success, featuring the work of more than 250 artists representing over 40 different countries and drawing in excess of $9 million dollars in revenue for the city. The problem? The activities ended at 2 a.m. every night, and like a whiskey-jonesing bar-goer just diving into his second wind, Dietz wanted still more.
“Four years of idea-percolating and 18 months of practical planning later, Dietz has turned his a.m. arts bender dream into reality. On June 4 and 5, Northern Lights.mn, a “roving, collaborative, interactive media” nonprofit art agency, will host Northern Spark: A Nuit Blanche, the Twin Cities’ first ever all-night outdoor art festival.“
Read the rest of Regan Smith’s preview of Northern Lights’ all-night arts festival, Northern Spark: Nuit Blanche, featuring dusk-to-dawn interactive art happenings throughout the Twin Cities, with work by more than 100 artists and organizations, on June 4 & 5.
via mnartists.org
Win big – volunteer for Northern Spark
Be part of an amazing team; make the very first Northern Spark nuit blanche a success by volunteering. Every volunteer who commits to a three-hour shift will receive a t-shirt designed by Matthew Rezac, will have their name listed on the website, and will gain a unique and invaluable experience. Northern Spark appreciates its volunteers. Everyone who successfully checks in and out of their shift on Festival night will be entered in a drawing for great prizes including MIA, Walker and Nice Ride annual memberships, a $50 Best Buy gift card and more!
If you know others who would be interested in volunteering for Northern Spark, please spread the word!!!
Sign-up now: volunteer.northernspark.org, or email robin@northern.lights.mn