Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Minneapolis Fountains Poised to Make a Splash
STEVE BRANDT, Star Tribune
Water will shoot up from marsh grass, from the shells of river mussels, from a cleft in a giant boulder. Sculpted fountains will represent city water as ice and as a cloud of gas.
And if the designs for Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak's 10 controversial drinking fountains capture the public's fancy like he hopes, you'll hardly be able to take a walk in the City of Lakes without running into a fountain offering city water.
The designs for $50,000 artist-designed bubblers were unveiled with ceremony Tuesday at the Guthrie Theater, which overlooks the site of the city's original water intake -- before a typhoid outbreak forced it upstream.
"The good news is people are talking about water in Minneapolis again," Rybak said before the unveiling, a reference to the criticism he's taken for the cost of the fountains.
Arts advocates say the project -- half from property taxes, half from water charges -- is a continuation of the city's ongoing public arts program, which has brought the city projects ranging from an oversized bunny sculpture at E. Minnehaha Parkway and Portland Av. S. to artist-designed manhole covers.
The program has its roots in a perennially broken water fountain at Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, a onetime porn palace on Lake Street. That got the theater's artistic director Sandy Spieler musing on the world's water supply, quality and ownership.
"We forget when we bow to take a drink where it is coming from and where it is going," she said. Her watery explorations led to a theatrical work and eventually got the ear of the city's First Spouse, Megan O'Hara, and through her, Rybak.
Spieler worked with a team to design one fountain, to be installed on the plaza next to the Guthrie. On Saturday at 3 p.m., Heart of the Beast also will dedicate a replacement of its own fountain.
Other artists and locations chosen by a selection panel include Mayumi Amada, Northeast Community Library; Lisa Elias, two designs on Marquette and 2nd Avenues; Douglas Freeman, Plymouth and Penn avenues; Gita Ghei, Sara Hanson and Jan Louise Kusske, Midtown YWCA; Seitu Jones, Dinkytown; Andrew MacGuffie, Mozaic development in Uptown; Peter Morales, Ancient Traders Market on Franklin Avenue; and Marjorie Pitz, Nicollet Mall.
None of the designs is ready for installation. Five still need sponsors who will agree to clean them daily and pay for the costs of fall draining and spring pressuring, a restriction set by the City Council. Billed as lasting for 25 years, the designs are getting a rigorous examination for sustainability from sculpture conservator Kristin Cheronis. She looks at factors that undercut durability, such as incompatible materials, and watches for unsafe features such as projecting points.
"Sometimes she has hard questions," said Jones. "She sees things that sometimes we don't see. She sees art in a whole different way from an artist."
Some City Council members initially questioned the initiative, with issues ranging from cost to maintenance. But Rybak eventually got his way, arguing that the project will promote city water at a time when public consumption of it is shrinking, leading to higher water rates.
Rybak said he's hoping that the city's investment in public fountains will stimulate a public demand for like investment by private developers and landowners.
And if they're looking for designs, Spieler, who sat on the selection panel, said she could refer them to "so many beautiful designs" that didn't make the cut.
Steve Brandt • 612-673-4438
Water will shoot up from marsh grass, from the shells of river mussels, from a cleft in a giant boulder. Sculpted fountains will represent city water as ice and as a cloud of gas.
And if the designs for Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak's 10 controversial drinking fountains capture the public's fancy like he hopes, you'll hardly be able to take a walk in the City of Lakes without running into a fountain offering city water.
The designs for $50,000 artist-designed bubblers were unveiled with ceremony Tuesday at the Guthrie Theater, which overlooks the site of the city's original water intake -- before a typhoid outbreak forced it upstream.
"The good news is people are talking about water in Minneapolis again," Rybak said before the unveiling, a reference to the criticism he's taken for the cost of the fountains.
Arts advocates say the project -- half from property taxes, half from water charges -- is a continuation of the city's ongoing public arts program, which has brought the city projects ranging from an oversized bunny sculpture at E. Minnehaha Parkway and Portland Av. S. to artist-designed manhole covers.
The program has its roots in a perennially broken water fountain at Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, a onetime porn palace on Lake Street. That got the theater's artistic director Sandy Spieler musing on the world's water supply, quality and ownership.
"We forget when we bow to take a drink where it is coming from and where it is going," she said. Her watery explorations led to a theatrical work and eventually got the ear of the city's First Spouse, Megan O'Hara, and through her, Rybak.
Spieler worked with a team to design one fountain, to be installed on the plaza next to the Guthrie. On Saturday at 3 p.m., Heart of the Beast also will dedicate a replacement of its own fountain.
Other artists and locations chosen by a selection panel include Mayumi Amada, Northeast Community Library; Lisa Elias, two designs on Marquette and 2nd Avenues; Douglas Freeman, Plymouth and Penn avenues; Gita Ghei, Sara Hanson and Jan Louise Kusske, Midtown YWCA; Seitu Jones, Dinkytown; Andrew MacGuffie, Mozaic development in Uptown; Peter Morales, Ancient Traders Market on Franklin Avenue; and Marjorie Pitz, Nicollet Mall.
None of the designs is ready for installation. Five still need sponsors who will agree to clean them daily and pay for the costs of fall draining and spring pressuring, a restriction set by the City Council. Billed as lasting for 25 years, the designs are getting a rigorous examination for sustainability from sculpture conservator Kristin Cheronis. She looks at factors that undercut durability, such as incompatible materials, and watches for unsafe features such as projecting points.
"Sometimes she has hard questions," said Jones. "She sees things that sometimes we don't see. She sees art in a whole different way from an artist."
Some City Council members initially questioned the initiative, with issues ranging from cost to maintenance. But Rybak eventually got his way, arguing that the project will promote city water at a time when public consumption of it is shrinking, leading to higher water rates.
Rybak said he's hoping that the city's investment in public fountains will stimulate a public demand for like investment by private developers and landowners.
And if they're looking for designs, Spieler, who sat on the selection panel, said she could refer them to "so many beautiful designs" that didn't make the cut.
Steve Brandt • 612-673-4438
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Another Guthrie Destination
It took first-time restaurateurs Nuntanit Charoensit and Kong Tiyawat to take advantage of what seems to be a prime dining location. The storefront kitty-corner from the Guthrie Theater now hums with their new Kindee Thai Restaurant.
That's Charoensit, a Bangkok native, cooking with her crew behind a great-looking copper-lined bar (the warmly contemporary room -- with prime Guthrie views -- was designed by Thai architect Jiroj Ittiwetchai). Charoensit is cooking the food she said she grew up eating: ground chicken seasoned with mint and lime and rolled into lettuce cups, delicately battered and fried hard-cooked eggs, spicy soups laced with galangal and kaffir lime leaves, super-spicy rice noodles, several curry variations and a few vegetable stir fries -- all served with an eye toward good looks and clean, bright flavors. Top price is $14, and beer and wine should be on their way.
719 S. 2nd St., Minneapolis, 612-465-8303, kindeethairestaurant.com. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday.
That's Charoensit, a Bangkok native, cooking with her crew behind a great-looking copper-lined bar (the warmly contemporary room -- with prime Guthrie views -- was designed by Thai architect Jiroj Ittiwetchai). Charoensit is cooking the food she said she grew up eating: ground chicken seasoned with mint and lime and rolled into lettuce cups, delicately battered and fried hard-cooked eggs, spicy soups laced with galangal and kaffir lime leaves, super-spicy rice noodles, several curry variations and a few vegetable stir fries -- all served with an eye toward good looks and clean, bright flavors. Top price is $14, and beer and wine should be on their way.
719 S. 2nd St., Minneapolis, 612-465-8303, kindeethairestaurant.com. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Soup Nazi is Back! SoupMan Sets Up Shop in Downtown Minneapolis
Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal - by Carissa Wyant Staff Writer
Soup for you! The Original SoupMan restaurant -- of Seinfeld fame -- has set up shop in downtown Minneapolis.
Its located in downtown Minneapolis' 225 South Sixth Street building. Operated by franchisee Michael Barr of Minneapolis, the restaurant is slated to have a grand opening on Tuesday. The flagship restaurant was started in 1984 as Yeganeh's Soup Kitchen International. The chain, which is based in Linden, N.J.
It features a menu of 50 varieties of soup such as lobster bisque, mulligatawny and jambalaya. Meals are served with a piece of baguette, fruit and a piece of chocolate.
At the Twin Cities opening, one customer will win a free cup of soup every day for the rest of their life.
cwyant@bizjournals.com | (612) 288-2108
Soup for you! The Original SoupMan restaurant -- of Seinfeld fame -- has set up shop in downtown Minneapolis.
Its located in downtown Minneapolis' 225 South Sixth Street building. Operated by franchisee Michael Barr of Minneapolis, the restaurant is slated to have a grand opening on Tuesday. The flagship restaurant was started in 1984 as Yeganeh's Soup Kitchen International. The chain, which is based in Linden, N.J.
It features a menu of 50 varieties of soup such as lobster bisque, mulligatawny and jambalaya. Meals are served with a piece of baguette, fruit and a piece of chocolate.
At the Twin Cities opening, one customer will win a free cup of soup every day for the rest of their life.
cwyant@bizjournals.com | (612) 288-2108
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Minneapolis, St. Paul Parks Shine in National Report
PAUL WALSH, Star Tribune
When it comes to ball fields, tennis courts and recreation centers, St. Paul and Minneapolis rank at or near the top in those categories and numerous other measures taken by a leading park land conservation organization.
As for land dedicated to parks, 16.6 percent of Minneapolis is parkland, first among cities with immediate-high population densities. St. Paul is second (14.7 percent) in the same density category.
The nonprofit Trust for Public Land today reports the following for the state's two largest cities:
• Recreation centers per 20,000 residents: St. Paul, 1st, 3.0; Minneapolis, 2nd, 2.6.
• Tennis courts per 10,000 residents: Minneapolis, 1st, 4.9; St. Paul, tied for 3rd, 3.7.
• Ball diamonds per 10,000 residents: St. Paul, 1st, 5.6; Minneapolis, 2nd, 5.3.
• Skateboard parks per 100,000 residents: Minneapolis, 3rd, 1.6; St. Paul, 16th, 0.7.
• Park-related spending per resident: St. Paul, 3rd, $224; Minneapolis, 8th, $151.
• Non-seasonal municipal park employees per 1,000 residents: Minneapolis , 5th, 1.56; St. Paul, 14th, 1.08.
The Twin Cities also landed one of its park destinations among the most visited in the nation. The Lake Harriet/Lyndale Park area in Minneapolis receives about 2.25 million visitors a year, placing it 30th.
The Trust for Public Land is a national, nonprofit, land conservation organization. It describes its mission as conserving land "for people to enjoy as parks, community gardens, historic sites, rural lands, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come."
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
When it comes to ball fields, tennis courts and recreation centers, St. Paul and Minneapolis rank at or near the top in those categories and numerous other measures taken by a leading park land conservation organization.
As for land dedicated to parks, 16.6 percent of Minneapolis is parkland, first among cities with immediate-high population densities. St. Paul is second (14.7 percent) in the same density category.
The nonprofit Trust for Public Land today reports the following for the state's two largest cities:
• Recreation centers per 20,000 residents: St. Paul, 1st, 3.0; Minneapolis, 2nd, 2.6.
• Tennis courts per 10,000 residents: Minneapolis, 1st, 4.9; St. Paul, tied for 3rd, 3.7.
• Ball diamonds per 10,000 residents: St. Paul, 1st, 5.6; Minneapolis, 2nd, 5.3.
• Skateboard parks per 100,000 residents: Minneapolis, 3rd, 1.6; St. Paul, 16th, 0.7.
• Park-related spending per resident: St. Paul, 3rd, $224; Minneapolis, 8th, $151.
• Non-seasonal municipal park employees per 1,000 residents: Minneapolis , 5th, 1.56; St. Paul, 14th, 1.08.
The Twin Cities also landed one of its park destinations among the most visited in the nation. The Lake Harriet/Lyndale Park area in Minneapolis receives about 2.25 million visitors a year, placing it 30th.
The Trust for Public Land is a national, nonprofit, land conservation organization. It describes its mission as conserving land "for people to enjoy as parks, community gardens, historic sites, rural lands, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come."
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Minnesota Culture
While we know that AMTC is all about business, the following website may be of interest to those of us who spend a few minutes outside of the education and committee work grind at AMTC. A few short minutes to relax with friends, catch up on personal infromation, and reconnect.
In those few minutes, there is a possibility that beer may be involved- and in Minnesota, beer is not a beverage, it's a culture.
Check out the following website to learn more about the Minneapolis Beer Culture- see you in MN-
http://mnbeer.com/
In those few minutes, there is a possibility that beer may be involved- and in Minnesota, beer is not a beverage, it's a culture.
Check out the following website to learn more about the Minneapolis Beer Culture- see you in MN-
http://mnbeer.com/
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