Category Archives: Arts, Recreation and Culture Committee

NDDC Awarded $30,000 Artists on Main Street Grant

We are pleased to announce that the NDDC was awarded a $30,000 grant through the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota’s Artists on Main Street initiative. This program will help the Northfield Downtown Development Corporation to sustain a vibrant downtown by:

  • Providing art and creative placemaking experiences that draw people to shop, dine and connect in Downtown Northfield
  • Enhancing the downtown’s aesthetics through the creativity of our local artists
  • Utilizing the arts as a springboard for improving diversity and inclusiveness in Downtown Northfield across all cultures

Check out the official release from PAM below and watch here for updates on the program as we launch it in early 2019!

The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota in partnership with Springboard for the Arts, and with support from the Bush Foundation, launched a new program earlier this year, Artists on Main Street, to explore how the arts help address the challenges affecting Main Street communities today. The pilot year’s success in Faribault, Mankato, and Winona has resulted in continued investment in the program by the Bush Foundation to include eleven communities over a three-year period. Four communities were selected to join the program in 2019, and they are Northfield, Olivia, Wabasha, and Willmar.

“The Bush Foundation is very excited to be able to support Artist on Main Street through the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota’s Main Street Program. We see this as a great opportunity to support artists as leaders in their communities and to show how art and culture can be an important part of efforts led by local Main Street programs, Cities, Economic Development Authorities, and Chambers of Commerce throughout the region.” – Erik Takeshita, Portfolio Director for Community Creativity at the Bush Foundation.

During the program’s pilot year, over ninety artists and creatives attended Creative Placemaking Workshops resulting in a total of thirty-four artist-led projects involving fifty-five artists and creatives. “Over the last year we’ve seen new relationships built between Main Street organizations and artists in their communities, which has resulted in more community pride and new, creative ideas about addressing downtown concerns,” said Michele Anderson, Rural Program Director at Springboard for the Arts. “We’re excited to welcome another cohort of communities to this program and build on this momentum.”

Each community receives support on planning and implementing creative placemaking projects through training, one-on-one technical assistance, and cohort support to integrate arts-based problem solving. Artists on Main Street communities receive $20,000 for project funding and program implementation the first year and $10,000 the second year for artist-led solutions to a local challenge identified by the community. Training and resources will be provided in partnership with Springboard for the Arts to artists who live, work and have a personal investment in the community to make positive physical, economic and social impacts.

“Artists on Main Street is creating bright spots of arts-based community development and downtown revitalization in Greater Minnesota,” said Sarina Otaibi, Rural Program Manager for the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota.

Sidewalk Poetry Celebration Aug 30 at 7pm in Bridge Square

The Arts and Culture Commission of Northfield invites everyone to attend the 2018 Sidewalk Poetry Capstone Celebration at 7:00 p.m. on August 30, 2018 in Downtown Northfield on Bridge Square. The event is open to the public and will bring poetry lovers and sidewalk poets together to hear the poems read aloud, to meet the winning poets, and to hear music by Bonnie and the Clydes. Thanks to the Northfield’s FiftyNorth volunteers, the popcorn wagon will be open for business, serving delicious popcorn and cold drinks.

photo courtesy of Bonnie Jean Flom

Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs so they can relax and enjoy the music and poetry of the night. A large map of the locations of the 2018 winning poems will be shared and the winning poems from all eight years of the contest will be on display. The City’s Department of Public Works will have poetry molds on display.

In 2011, Northfield launched its annual Sidewalk Poetry Project. In the eight years of the project, 71 poems – the creations of 49 local poets — have been selected for imprinting in over 220 locations across the community. Each one of the winning poems, imprinted into the concrete of our city sidewalks, is remarkable on its own; collectively, they offer a sense of the spirit of our community. The five winning 2018 poets are: Becky Boling, Avery Eastvold, Steve McCown, Julie Ryan, and Marie Vogl Gery.

Sidewalk Poetry is a partnership with the Friends and Foundation of the Northfield Public Library, the Northfield Public Library, and the City of Northfield and has been supported by the efforts of many local volunteers. An interactive map of the poems can be found on the Arts & Culture Commission page of the City of Northfield website.

For more information, contact Bonnie Jean Flom, Northfield Arts and Culture Commissioner, at bjflom@gmail.com.

Northfield Mobile Photography Tour Aug 23

The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota invites you to join photography and architecture enthusiasts for an evening stroll around downtown Northfield on August 23 from 5:30-7:30pm. Beginning and ending at the Northfield Arts Guild, the Northfield Mobile Photography Tours pairs art and photography with local history.

We’ll begin with a mobile photography lesson from Eric Mueller. Eric will share tips for maximizing your phone to take amazing pictures on this tour and future excursions. Eric is a Minneapolis-based artist, photographer, and teacher. Known for his graphic style and strength in composition, his photographs have been exhibited in dozens of group shows, including at the Plains Art Museum, the Midwest Center for Photography, Head On Photo Festival, and the Columbus Museum of Art. Eric teaches iPhone Photography classes online for iPhonePhotographySchool.com and locally for FilmNorth (formerly IFP Minnesota), the Minnetonka Center for the Arts, and the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota. He has about 50,000 followers on Instagram.

Then, we’ll explore downtown with Barbara Evans, a Northfield resident, teacher, and old home owner & restorer. Barbara taught American Literature, Drama, Debate, and Composition in Rochester, MN for 34 years before retiring and moving to Northfield. She has been a visiting professor at St. Olaf College. Barbara’s interests include architecture, travel, photography, and renovation of her Arts & Crafts home in Northfield. She sits on the Northfield Heritage Preservation Commission and enjoys learning about Northfield’s historic buildings and homes. Barbara also has a small greeting card company that features her photography: Cannon Shots.

You are invited to explore the Northfield Arts Guild’s exhibits before the tour. Refreshments will be provided. Cost of the tour is $25 –  Register online here

Sidewalk Poetry Capstone Event Aug 17 at 7pm

There’s always something interesting happening in Downtown Northfield! Join us August 17th at 7pm on Bridge Square for the 2017 Sidewalk  Poetry Capstone Celebration. The event is open to the public and will bring poetry lovers and sidewalk poets together to hear the poems read aloud, to meet the winning poets, and to hear music by Bonnie and the Clydes.  Thanks to the Northfield Senior Center volunteers, the popcorn wagon will be open for business, serving delicious popcorn and cold drinks.

Bring your lawn chairs, relax and enjoy the music and poetry of the night.  A large map of the locations of the 2017 winning poems will be shared and the winning poems from all seven years of the contest will be on display.

In 2011, Northfield launched its annual Sidewalk Poetry Project. In the seven years of the project, 66 poems – the creations of 46 local poets — have been selected for imprinting in over 200 locations across the community.  Each one of the winning poems, imprinted into the concrete of our city sidewalks, is remarkable on its own; collectively, they offer a sense of the spirit of our community.  Chosen from among 156 poems submitted for judging, ten winning poems will be celebrated in 2017.

Sidewalk Poetry is a partnership with the Friends and Foundation of the Northfield Public Library, the Northfield Public Library and the City of Northfield, and has been supported by the efforts of hundreds of volunteers. This activity receives major funding from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council (SEMAC) through the arts and culture heritage fund, as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008. Additional funding is provided by the Friends and Foundation of the Northfield Public Library.

For more information, contact Bonnie Jean Flom, chair of Northfield’s Arts and Culture Commission at bjflom@gmail.com.