Art in all directions

Utility boxes on East Lake St. feature 20 Longfellow artists

Longfellow is home to some amazing artists. And now more people know about them thanks to an art installation along East Lake Street that features 20 artists.

Earlier this year, 10 utility boxes along East Lake Street and five on the Midtown Greenway were covered with artwork. The 10 boxes on East Lake Street are under the "I'm A LoLa Artist" theme, which is a series of public art installations the Longfellow Community Council (LCC) and the League of Longfellow Artists (LoLa) have coordinated throughout the neighborhood.

In 2012, a series of 56 posters were placed in storefronts along East Lake Street that included an image of a LoLa artist, an image of their art, and a quote from them as to why they do what they do. This idea was replicated on the utility boxes.

"I believe there are double benefits to the art on utility boxes: it takes what can be an eyesore and makes it visually interesting," said Longfellow artist Bob Schmitt of Laughing Waters Studio. "But also it is featuring not just the work of artists, but the work of artists who live/work in this particular Minneapolis neighborhood."

"The primary goal of the project is to prevent and reduce graffiti," noted Spencer Agnew of the Longfellow Community Council (LCC). "Utility boxes in their natural state are a blank canvas for graffiti and are frequently tagged. Other neighborhoods, like Kingfield, have had success preventing graffiti by installing public art. LCC has taken a similar approach in the past through mural projects at neighborhood commercial buildings, but this is our first utility box art project."

Schmitt was responsible for selecting which artists were featured on the utility boxes. With an eye to whose work would look good enlarged to that scale, Schmitt also factored in compatibility with another work and coolness of their quotes.

His own work is featured at Lake and W. River Parkway. Schmitt is a landscape painter, art teacher, designer, gardener, with a passion for children and their families.

“I paint the landscapes I love (Lake Superior, Minnehaha Falls) but in the traditions of Chinese brush painting. I hope to convey hope and peace in my work,” said Schmitt.

Before pursuing art full-time by opening Laughing Waters Studio, he owned a graphic design business for 25 years. See more at http://www.laughingwatersstudio.com.

“The whole experience of LoLa has been this uncovering of an incredible group of artists residing in this little corner of the city,” observed Schmitt. “In the past, Lowertown, NE Minneapolis, Seward were known to be hotbeds of artistic talent and showcased in their art crawls. Who knew that this quiet little corner of Minneapolis contained so many and such a variety of art and artists.”

He added, “Another richness of LoLa, and by extension this great streets project, is that it represents people who are professional artists and making their living that way, to people who are just creating for the love of creating, to inexperienced or young artists who are just beginning to show their work.”

The utility box project was funded by a grant from the city of Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling Division through the "Innovative Graffiti Prevention" program.

ABOUT LOLA
The League of Longfellow Artists is dedicated to bringing to light the treasures of artistic expression created by artists living or working in the Greater Longfellow neighborhood of south Minneapolis (the geographic area defined as east of Cedar Avenue to the Mississippi River, and south of 28th Street to the Crosstown).

Having begun in the summer of 2009 as a small grassroots effort initiated by artists Anita White and Bob Schmitt (and creatively named by neighborhood activist Shirley Nielson), LoLa now flourishes as an annual art crawl that is managed as an artist-run community.

During its first year, 42 artists were featured at 20 different sites. Last year, it had grown to 69 sites and 115 artists. This year, expect 150 artists at 80 sites.

LoLa is committed to raising the visibility of local artists in the Longfellow neighborhood and to building a true sense of community for these artists.

Throughout the year a variety of informal gatherings are offered to support neighborhood artists around topics, types of work, use of electronic media and more. Learn more at lolaartcrawl.com.

Gandhi Mahal owner seeks self-sufficiency for his restaurant

This year he has invested in 12 garden plots scattered throughout the city, a tilapia tank in his basement, and rickshaws that avoid the use of fossil fuels

by Tesha M. Christensen

Be the change. Start small. Lead by example. Lake Street restaurant owner Ruhel Islam believes this is how you build community.

After a 2010 trip with HECUA (Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs) to his home country of Bangladesh, Islam, the owner of Gandhi Mahal restaurant, came back inspired. He was no longer content to just talk about the issues. He wanted to take action.

In 2011, they planted a garden in the backyard of employee Riz Prakasim, who resides in the Corcoran neighborhood. They planted late, but still managed to harvest 2,000 pounds of vegetables. This year, they have recruited 12 partners in Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs. Each landowner has provided a plot for a garden. Some are small, such as the single raised garden bed at Minnehaha Liquor and the containers outside Gandhi Mahal’s doors. Others are larger. There is a site manager for each location, and one coordinator to oversee them all. High school and college students are tending the gardens.

This year’s goal is to grow 10,000 pounds of vegetables. Some of the produce will be used fresh. Some will be frozen and canned for use over the winter in Gandhi Mahal’s kitchen.

Having homegrown vegetables is just one piece of Islam’s overall plan to be self-sufficient. He also intends to raise his own chickens, farm tilapia and possibly shrimp in his basement, and place bee hives on his roof (for honey in his signature mango lassi). Islam is not sure how long this overall effort will take and what pieces will come first, but he is confident his dream will be achieved.

And when it does, Islam hopes to offer a complete economic model for others.

Part of Islam’s drive to be self-sufficient is rooted in his own culture and home country of Bangladesh, where he grew up on a far that his family still runs.

“I want to know where the food is coming from that I cook here,” explained Islam.

Islam is also concerned about the food chain here in America. As a restaurant owner, Islam has faces food shortages this winter. He was unable to buy eggplant, corn oil or naturally raised chicken from wholesalers. Onions tripled in price, and ginger rose from $18 to $28 a case to $50.

The food industry is not secure, he pointed out. Most of the farmers in the U.S. are over 65, and young people are opting for careers in medicine or law instead of agriculture.

“Gardening is very important,” said Islam.

There is no long-term supply of food, and the problem of not enough food for people becomes apparent during disasters.

Islam pointed out that the American food system is based on fossil fuels. He encourages others to buy local and grow local.

 “We’re hoping to chain people’s mindsets about how we view and interact with our food chain,” said Prakasim. “A food chain based on fossil fuels is not sustainable.”

Islam noted, “Food is the true wealth.”

A PLAN TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT

By late summer, Islam hopes to install a 500-gallon tank in his basement to house tilapia. The waste will be used to fertilize gardens and grow the cilantro, tomatoes, chilies and more they use in the restaurant. The tilapia themselves will be fed with chicken scraps.

“We are starting an aquaculture,” noted Islam.

He is also working with researchers at the University of Minnesota that are dedicated to making basement gardens a reality. New technology will port sunlight from the roof into the basement with zero loss. “We really want to work on the cutting edge of technology to propel indoor farming forward,” said Prakasim. He pointed out that Europe is 20 years ahead of the United States. “We’re playing catch-up,” Prakasim observed.

Another slice of Bangladesh will hit local streets later this summer when it is time to harvest vegetables from Gandhi Mahal’s 12 garden plots. Rickshaws are being specially built to transport vegetables from the garden to the restaurant and thereby avoid using any fossil fuel.  A Kickstart campaign will kick off on Thursday, July 11. Proceeds from dinner at Gandhi Mahal that day will go towards the campaign.

“I can’t wait to see those,” said Islam. “It’s very exciting.”

In the kitchen, all the used cooking oil is gathered and picked up by Cat Biodiesel for use as biodiesel.

“Teamwork makes this possible,” stressed Islam.

He operates on the principal that the more you give, the more comes back to you. Every Tuesday night, 10% of every meal goes to MN350, a group dedicated to building a climate movement in Minnesota. Proceeds from dinner every second Wednesday go to the Midtown Farmer’s Market.

Islam offers a community room for use free of charge to non-profits and community groups such as the Longfellow Restorative Justice Committee and the Longfellow Business Association, two groups he is active in. Other groups, such as the Permaculture Research Institute and HECUA, have held classes there.

A few months ago, the restaurant was designated a World Peace Site.

“We have to be the change we want to see in the world,” said Prakasim. It’s a lesson he’s learned from Islam, and one he’s passing along.

It’s been just five years since Islam opened up his Lake Street restaurant, but he has joined the ranks of those who have made a mark on the community and transformed East Lake Street into a place that can stand as its own destination location.

The new E. Lake Street

by Tesha M. Christensen

Lake St. between the river and Hiawatha is no longer the vacant space people drive through on their way to the busier sections west of Hiawatha.

Instead, it is coming back to life, filling up with innovative new restaurants and businesses.

In the past few months, two new restaurants have opened their doors on Lake Street: Parka Restaurant at 4023 E, Lake St. and Zeke’s Unchained Animal at 3508 E. Lake St. Forage Modern Workshop has opened next to Parka in the former carpenters’ union building.

The redevelopment will continue with a new grocery store at 3815 E. Lake St. and two new tenants at the former Molly Quinn’s building.

Plus, the installation of artwork on utility boxes along Lake St. has brought the creativity of the area up a notch.

“Let’s be honest, 10 years ago East Lake was a bit of a dump,” remarked Kris Kiel of HOLOS Creative.

Today, the energy on E. Lake St. helped Longfellow earn one of City Pages Highest Distinctions: 2013 Best Neighborhood.

ART ON THE STREET

The utility box art installation along E. Lake St. features 20 local artists on 10 utility boxes, all members of the League of Longfellow Artists (LoLa), which helped coordinate the project with the Longfellow Community Council (LCC).

 “I believe there are double benefits to the art on utility boxes: it takes what can be an eyesore and makes it visually interesting,” said Longfellow artist Bob Schmitt of Laughing Waters Studio. “But also it is featuring not just the work of artists, but the work of artist who live/work in this particular Minneapolis neighborhood.”

 The primary goal of the project, according to Spencer Agnew of LCC, is to prevent and reduce graffiti. “Utility boxes in their natural state are a blank canvas for graffiti and are frequently tagged. Other neighborhoods, like Kingfield, have had success preventing graffiti by installing public art,” he observed.

The utility box project was funded by a grant from the city of Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling Division through the Innovative Graffiti Prevention program.

TRANSFORMATIVE WORK

For several years now, East Lake Street has been struggling. Redevelopment on E. Lake St. in the 1960s and 70s replaced much of the traditional retail storefronts with auto-oriented designs. That, coupled with lingering effects from the 2006-08 reconstruction project and the economic downturn, left the street inactive. There have been more commercial vacancies on this portion of Lake Street than the rest of the Street from Hiawatha to Lake Calhoun combined, according to Redesign.

“Vacancy levels lead to blight and disinvestment. People feel like their neighborhood is not being taken care of,” noted Eddie Landenberger of Redesign, who has been helping to change that trend and fill empty buildings.

“It’s transformative work,” stated Landenberger.

Most recently, Redesign has focused on the vacant Molly Quinn building at 3300 E. Lake St. A collapsed foundation had doomed the property to vacancy since 2008. There wasn’t a bank that would provide capital until Redesign stepped in and cleaned up the messy issues. “It was one of those impossible buildings,” remarked Landenberger.

By fall, there will be two new tenants at 3300 E. Lake.

The former Peterson Machinery site is also undergoing a $4.5 million transformation. A few buildings will be razed and the Peterson structure renovated to house a grocery store with character.  Owner Joel Ahlstrom envisions a store that will resemble the one his grandfather once ran years ago at 2700 17th Ave. S.

LIVE LOCAL, SHOP LOCAL, HELP YOR NEIGHBORS

The E. Lake St. area has had the dubious distinction of having one of the highest vacancy rates in the city of Minneapolis, noted Scott Cramer of Northern Sun (2916 E. Lake St.).

He has seen recovery start at the Lake and 27th triangle and spread out from there.

Even at its worst, E. Lake St. was supported by a wonderful community that believed in living local, shopping local, and helping your neighbors, noted Kiel.

“Independently-owned businesses like The Craftsman, Harriet Brewing, Gandhi Mahal, and Miller Upholstering recognized something special about the area and chose to open shop here,” said Kiel. “Midori’s, El Norteno, and others stuck around through the challenging road construction and the community supports them.”

Gandhi Mahal’s owner Ruhel Islam is a prime example of a business owner focused on helping his community. Local non-profit organizations are welcome to use a community room in the restaurant free of charge, and he regularly donates food to various worthy causes.

This year, he is embarking on a project to provide his restaurant with vegetables grown from local garden plots, tilapia farmed in the Gandhi Mahal basement, and honey from rooftop hives. Islam hopes to offer a complete economic model for others.

“Teamwork makes this possible,” stressed Islam. (See related story on page ??)

Northern Sun is also leading by example. The first solar garden in Minneapolis will soon be installed on its rooftop. It will have the capacity to produce 40 kilowatts of clean, solar energy—enough to power 8-10 homes.

“There are wonderfully creative businesses opening up all the time that draw people from all over the city – Harriet Brewing, Trylon Microcinema, Peace Coffee, Gandhi Mahal, The Craftsman, Longfellow Grill, Prairie Woodworking, Merlin’s Rest, and the list goes on and on,” said Kiel.

The irony, according to Kiel, is that the residents haven’t changed much over the past 10 years. “We’ve always know this was a great place to be!” said Kiel. “The biggest change is that the secret is getting out and more people are choosing to live in this area.”

“I see younger folks moving in and asking for amenities they’re used to going to malls for and wanting them in their neighborhood,” said  Landenberger. They want variety and choice, he added.

“Lake Street is a destination location and a awesome commercial corridor to frequent,” stated ZoeAna Martinez of the Lake Street Council.

Affordable family fun at Como

One spot has it all: pool, zoo, amusement rides, and conservatory

by Tesha M. Christensen

Kids and water go together like peanut butter and jelly. If your kids are anything like mine, they spend the summer asking for pool days.

Give them their wish without stretching your budget.

An affordable afternoon is as close as Como Regional Pool Park. There’s no need to drive out to the suburbs anymore. My family of four bought a family pass of $16 for the day. Those with more than five in the family pay an additional $3 for each person.

Got a smaller group? The fee for children under 48 inches is $4.50, and those under age 16 is $5. Adults are $6.50 and seniors cost $6. If you don’t want to get wet, pay $2 for a non-swimming deck fee. Those coming with more than 10 people qualify for reduced group rates.

You may want to check out the family season pass. For $195, your family can swim whenever they want at any of the city’s three water parks: Como Regional Pool Park, Highland Aquatic Center and the indoor Great River Water Park.

Open since June 2012, the city-run Como Pool has something for everyone.

The younger kids will love the zero-depth entry area with sprinklers, and the water fun table situated under a shade canopy. There are three waterslides kids of all ages can enjoy that empty into a two-foot-deep area. The wide slide was a big hit with my four-year-old daughter. It’s not easy to find waterslides she go on, let alone a slide she can ride with a parent.

Older kids (and parents) will love the zip line, cliff jumping area, and aquatic climbing wall.

There’s also a 25-yard lap pool with basketball hoops, and a 400-foot lazy river.

Plus, you can feel good about swimming in a pool that has half the chlorine of others, thanks to sphagnum moss filters.  St. Paul was the first city in the nation to adopt sphagnum moss treatment in its municipal pools and with its partner, Creative Water Solutions, Inc., won the Governor’s Award for Pollution Prevention in 2011. Other green features at the one-year-old water park include high-efficiency Neptune-Benson filters in the mechanical room that allow the pool to use less water than conventional filters; 12 solar tubes on the roof heat that water for the showers and concession stand; and rain gardens in the parking lot that reduce run-off.

Open swim hours at Como are weekdays from noon to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Learn more about the pool at the St. Paul City web site http://www.stpaul.gov.

LOTS MORE TO DO

When the kids are done swimming, check out the many other attractions that are just a hop, skip and a jump away. (Browse http://www.comozooconservatory.org/) If you’re like us, you might not have time to see everything in one day, but we’ll be back.

THE CAROUSEL

For just $2 a person, you can take a spin on Cafesjian’s Carousel. Originally located for 75 years at the Minnesota State Fair, it is now owned and operated by the nonprofit organization Our Fair Carousel, Inc. Volunteers have restored the carousel to its 1914 appearance. It was installed in a new pavilion next to the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in 2000.

THE ZOO

Como Zoo’s gorillas got a new home in June 2013 when the Gorilla Forest opened. The larger space of 10,000 square feet is about two and half times larger the former outdoor space. The new exhibit is raised so that visitors get an eye-to-eye, up close and personal views of the gorillas.

Admission to the zoo is always free. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the summer.

Como Zoo features a seal island, a large cat exhibit, a variety of aquatic life, primates, birds, African hoofed animals and a world class polar bear exhibit. Don’t miss the ever popular Sparky the Sea Lion’s show, held weekend days at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.

COMO TOWN

Soar like an eagle 85 feet in the air on Como Town’s newest attraction, an exhilarating zip line. A double seat comfortably and safely accommodates two riders from one end of the amusement park to the other. There are more than 18 rides and attractions in Como Town, including the Splash Zone. In addition to the paid rides, there are free entertainment, events, and activities for the kids. After 4 p.m., an unlimited ride wristband is $14.95.

THE CONSERVATORY

Don’t forget to bring mom to the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory before your day is over. The conservatory’s half acre indoor and outdoor facility features several wings dedicated to a variety of plant life including bonsai trees, ferns, orchids and seasonal flowers.