FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Announcing the Creative City Challenge
at the Minneapolis Convention Center

New competition for Minnesota architects, artists and designers

(Minneapolis) Oct. 25, 2012 - The Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC), Meet Minneapolis, Convention & Visitors Association, and the City of Minneapolis announce a new annual, $50,000 competition for Minnesota-resident architects, landscape architects, urban designers, planners, engineers, scientists, artists, students and individuals of all backgrounds to create and install a temporary, interactive, site-specific, eco-focused portal to the City of Minneapolis on the Plaza of the Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC) beginning summer 2013. The Plaza is a green roof that is located directly across from the MCC on Second Avenue South.

Minneapolis is a city infused with creative energy. From internationally raecognized theatre and world-class museums and music venues to community art projects that transform neighborhoods, the arts are a critical element of what makes Minneapolis, City by Nature, a destination of choice for convention goers and leisure travelers, alike.

The Creative City Challenge will highlight the cutting-edge work of local architecture, art and design communities for the 1.5 million annual visitors to the Minneapolis Convention Center, said Gulgun Kayim, Director of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, City of Minneapolis.

The MCC is a site of convergence for visitors to Minneapolis from around the country and the world, as well as being a part of the local neighborhood, and Minneapolis downtown.

The Minneapolis Convention Center is more than a meeting place, said Jeff Johnson, executive director, MCC. Its a building that is all about building relationships. Our goal is to connect with our community as an activity center while also acting as a gateway to Minneapolis for convention center visitors.

The Creative City Challenge will take place in several steps. In early December 2012, initial proposals will be posted on the MCC website for public voting. The top five feasible proposals will be provided a $1,500 honorarium to create full proposals. There will be a public presentation of the finalists proposals at the University of Minnesota (date is to be determined). A jury of nationally and locally prominent architects and designers will review the five and the winning entry will be selected and installed on the Plaza beginning June 7, 2013, for the duration of the summer.

Minnesota has one of the most renowned architecture and landscape design communities in the country, said Tom Fisher, dean of the College of Design at the University of Minnesota. We are excited by the opportunity of the Creative City Challenge to highlight our artists creativity for a worldwide audience, and to consider how to better use the convention center as a local amenity.

Initial responses to the Creative City Challenge at the Minneapolis Convention Center are due by 4:30 p.m. Central time, Monday, Dec. 3, 2012. The prize for the final selected project is $50,000, inclusive of all artist fees, installation and deinstallation costs.

Minneapolis city partners for the Creative City Challenge include the office of Mayor R.T. Rybak, Minneapolis City Council and the city coordinators office.

Additional information is online at http://www.minneapolis.org/art-in-the-plaza, where a complete request for proposal can be downloaded. Specific questions can be directed to conventioncenterplaza@northern.lights.mn. Registration to participate in the competition is here: http://www.minneapolis.org/art-in-the-plaza/registration.

ABOUT MEET MINNEAPOLIS

Meet Minneapolis is a private, not-for-profit, member-based association. It actively promotes and sells the Minneapolis area as a destination for conventions and meetings, works to maximize the visitor experience and markets the city as a desirable tourist destination to maximize the economic benefit of the greater Minneapolis area.

ABOUT MINNEAPOLIS CONVENTION CENTER

A blend of form and function, the MCC provides aesthetically pleasing and innovative solutions for a variety of conferences, trade shows and events. With nearly 480,000 square feet of trade show space, 87 column-free conference meeting rooms, a 28,000-square-foot ballroom, and an auditorium with superb production and flexible technology options, the facility can handle any event from a small meeting to a large convention or trade show.

Online: www.minneapolis.org

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/meetminneapolis?ref=ts

On Twitter: http://twitter.com/meetminneapolis

MEDIA CONTACTS

Kristen Montag, media & communication manager, 612.767.8038, kristenm@minneapolis.org, Minneapolis_PR on Twitter

Matt Lindstrom, City of Minneapolis Communications Department, 612-673-2148, matthew.lindstrom@minneapolismn.gov

###