Bloomington Central Station
A group of thirty-five or forty people came out on the morning of the second day. Many of them worked in the nearby HealthPartners Complex while some were longtime Bloomington residents. One man spoke for many when he asked, “What is the South Loop?” only to be informed that he was standing in it. Obviously, the identity of this region of Bloomington is a work-in-progress.
A group of thirty-five or forty people came out on the morning of the second day. Many of them worked in the nearby HealthPartners Complex while some were longtime Bloomington residents. One man spoke for many when he asked, “What is the South Loop?” only to be informed that he was standing in it. Obviously, the identity of this region of Bloomington is a work-in-progress.
For the rest of the Daily Charrette Record click here to view a pdf.
Off and Running
Day one of the Discovery Charrette is over, and we're off and running. It was a day of neighbors meeting neighbors and artists connecting with prospective project hosts, a mock City of Bloomington Development Review Committee (DRC) meeting, and lots of teamwork on the part of project staff. The day culminated in a launch party, during which everyone gathered into an outline of the South Loop created with blue tape. Fun!
The mock DRC meeting was enlightening. We invited seasoned public arts administrators/advocates Regina Flanagan and Joan Vorderbruggen to describe several recent public art projects in St. Paul and Minneapolis, respectively. The members of the DRC considered what issues these projects would raise if artists proposed to implement them in Bloomington, and what barriers would need to be overcome in connection with everything from restrictive sign ordinances to fire marshal concerns.
I was encouraged by the conversation at the mock DRC meeting. One of the most salient comments was that the practical hurdles inherent in public art projects can readily be cleared as long as funding is available and the City's elected officials communicate their expectation that the City will say "yes" to public art and placemaking. Our Creative Placemaking in the South Loop project is about, among other things, finding sources of funding to carry out this work in the years to come, and making the case for "yes." After today, I am even more optimistic that we'll accomplish those objectives.
Exploration Record: Neighborhood Expo / Project Launch Party
Creative Placemaking in the South Loop launched publicly at the Mall of America today with a discovery charrette that will continue through June 20. Today’s events included a Neighborhood Expo, where businesses, organizations, and government agencies with a stake in the South Loop could mix with one another. They also mixed with artists and other creative people who attended two information sessions about the Placemaker’s Idea Prize and future demonstration projects. Other first-day activities included a mock City of Bloomington Development Review Committee (DRC) meeting, at which DRC members considered examples of recent public art projects that were implemented in Minneapolis and St. Paul; mural-making with artist Ta-coumba Aiken; and an evening launch party that brought together Expo participants, artists, elected officials, and other Bloomington community leaders.
For the rest of the Daily Charrette Record click here to view a pdf.
Ready to Launch
I'm excited that after so many months of planning, the Creative Placemaking Discovery Charrette (and the public aspect of project as a whole) finally get underway tomorrow at the Mall of America. Everything's in place for a pair of great artist/host mixers and info sessions, Ta-coumba Aiken's mural project, the South Loop Neighborhood Expo, and launch party at 5:30. Just a few hours to go!
Tent's Up!
After our kick-off at the Mall of America Great Room tomorrow, we move to Bloomington Central Station (BCS) Park as our base for the discovery charrette. Come find us under the tent near "the Big A." Many thanks to Peter Haakon Thompson and The A Project for allowing the latter/letter to hang out with us for a few days!
Living Mural Kick Off
Ta–coumba Aiken is an artist and educator who focuses on public art and collaborative projects. His “rhythm paintings” on paper and canvas are loose and lively. He has participated in the creation of over 300 murals and public art sculptures with themes ranging from local history to the artist's own style of rhythmic pattern and spirit writing. His works can be found in public and private collections including those of the Walker Art Center, General Mills, Herbie Hancock, Taj Mahal, and Maya Angelou. Check out more of his work at ta-coumbaaiken.com
As a part of the South Loop Design Charrette, Ta-coumba will be creating a Living Mural, a vision of the future and the past woven to create a new story to give a visual voice to the South Loop. Yesterday we kicked off the creation of the Living Mural at Art in the Parks leading up to the Minnesota Symponic Winds performance at Normandale Lake. The event had a great turn out and we had the opportunity to meet and make art with a ton of Bloomington residents.
The Living Mural is off to a good start...I hope we have enough canvas!
Beatles at the South Loop
The connection between the arts and the South Loop is a well documented one. A fine example - Paul McCartney in The Beatles days, warming up at Met Stadium on August 21, 1965.
(Photographer unknown, image courtesy of Clyde Doepner, Minnesota Twins Baseball)
Join us "In the Loop" June 12-20!
Imagine a major swath of Bloomington transformed into a distinctive, walkable urban neighborhood—complete with four light rail stations and immediate access to a world class wildlife refuge, an international airport, and a range of shops, restaurants, and entertainment options. Welcome to the South Loop of the future!
With a matching grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and support from numerous partners, Bloomington Theatre and Art Center and the City of Bloomington are launching a project to engage artists and other creative people in helping to realize the above vision. Creative Placemaking in the South Loop kicks off with a discovery “charrette”—a week-long series of events and activities that are free and open to the public—from June 12-20 in and around the Mall of America and Bloomington Central Station.
Join us as we explore the South Loop’s past and present and re-imagine its future. Charrette activities range from a guided hike of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge to a tailgating party complete with kickball and art cars! Click here for a Day by Day Guide to the charrette and to learn more about the South Loop and our Creative Placemaking project.
We are grateful to Creative Placemaking in the South Loop partners Mall of America, McGough, and the Bloomington Convention and Visitors Bureau, and to the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, and HealthPartners for their support.
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