Made Here fills 40 Showcase storefront windows with Minnesota art in new urban walking gallery

June 2, 2014

Made Here Fills 40 Showcase Storefront Windows with Minnesota Art in New Urban Walking Gallery

MINNEAPOLISMade Here, downtown Minneapolis new urban walking gallery, today announced that some 40 storefront window Showcases will be installed throughout this June 2014 as part of the largest storefront window initiative in the country. Encompassing 15 venues and covering nearly15 city blocks, Made Here features work by more than 50 individual artists and 11 artist collaborations. On Friday, July 11 at 7 p.m. there will be a Made Here Launch Celebration free to the general public in downtown Minneapolis. Details will be released shortly.

Made Here is an ongoing collaboration as part of the Cultural District in downtown Minneapolis, celebrating creativity from across Minnesota by temporarily filling empty storefronts or commercial spaces with the work of local artists and Minnesota heritage brands. It activates the Cultural District, a walkable center of arts, culture and economic activity to benefit residents, business and property owners, artists and visitors.

In addition to visual artists, the Showcase windows are being created by a variety of organizations including Arts Institute International, the University of Minnesota College of Design, Dunwoody Institute and the University of Minnesota Duluth School of Fine Arts; the architectural firms of Perkins + Will, U + B and DLR Group; and Minnesota-based companies including Andersen Windows and Faribault Woolen Mill Company. The window displays encompass 16 mediums including painting, photographs, textiles and even an art vending station. Many incorporate digital technology and encourage viewers to capture or alter their own image, such as Playatta, an interactive photo/video digital playground; and three Infinite Selfie Stations, a series of mirrored displays created by Vee Corporation.

Anchoring projects include a pop-up gallery featuring work from the Somali Museum of Minnesota, in particular an authentic hut shipped from Djibouti, Somalia, as well as artifacts, digital media and paintings demonstrating nomadic life. Window Showcase highlights include a display celebrating photographer Edward Curtis and the North American Indian; and a project by artist Robin Schwartzman, a 2014 Jerome Grant recipient, who will install No Vacancy, a video projection of ghostly figures on the second floor of the Chevys building on 7^th Street and Hennepin Avenue. Artists Venus DeMars and Mach Fox are mounting Space Lounge with music and film projections in the former National Camera Exchange Building on 10^th Street and Hennepin Avenue. Other Made Here window Showcases will commemorate the Minnesota Twins All Stars and artists performing in the New Century Theatre. These will be on display on 7^th Street, south of Hennepin Avenue.

Made Here Artists:

Venus DeMars, Mach Fox, Ta-coumba Aiken and Steven Lang (930 Hennepin Ave. - the former Northern Camera Exchange Building.)
Sreekishen Nair, Beverly Cottman and Interact Center (811 LaSalle Ave.)
Monica Rundquist and Caitlin R. Warner (City Center)
Steve Cohen (20 N. 4^th St.)
Michael Dear (28 N. 4^th St.)
Greg Preslicka, Erik Farseth (327 N. 1^st Ave.)
Hannah Quinn Rivenburgh (314 N. 1^st Ave.)
Robin Schwartzmans No Vacancy (701 Hennepin Ave. former Chevys Building)
Playatta with Hal Lovemelt, and Andrea Carlson (705 Hennepin Ave.)
Super Secret Sewist Society (Hennepin Theatre Trust offices, City Center)
Kirk Washington Jr./Jakari Perry, Camille Gage, Rachel and Doug Limon, Kevin Scheid (730 Hennepin Ave.)

Made Here Organizations:

Art Institutes International, multiple student displays (800 Hennepin Ave.)
University of Minnesota College of Design, University of Minnesota, Duluth School of Fine Arts, Edward Curtis and the North American Indian (Gaviidae Common)
Andersen Windows, DLR Group, U + B, Perkins + Will, Dunwoody Institute (Renaissance Square, 520 Nicollet Mall)
Somali Museum of Minnesota with Mohamoud Ali and Aziz Osman (319 N. 1^st Ave.)
Faribault Woolen Mills (119 N. 4^th St.)
Vee Corporation, Showcase (730 Hennepin Ave.), Infinite Selfie Stations (various locations)
Twins All Star window and New Century Theatre window (7^th Street between Hennepin Ave. and Nicollet Mall)

These Made Here projects, directed by Joan Vorderbruggen, the Trusts Cultural District Arts Coordinator, highlight the rich diversity of our cultural community. The Cultural District is a collaborative initiative with partners including Hennepin Theatre Trust, Walker Art Center, Artspace and the City of Minneapolis. Previous Made Here projects include a series of storefront window displays on the former Block E, other selected windows in downtown Minneapolis and pop-up galleries in City Center. For the July 11 launch event, the Pedalstar Galactica, a bicycle powered kinetic sculpture which debuted in City Center, will be re-installed at the Highland Bank Court building.

The presenting sponsor for Made Here is Andersen Windows with additional support from Art Institutes International, University of Minnesota Duluth, Dunwoody Institute, Vee Corporation and Faribault Woolen Mill Company. These companies contribute to the economic health of the region and recognize the value of an engaged public and a dynamic downtown.

Andersen Corporation: Headquartered in Bayport, Minnesota, Andersen Corporation is the largest window and door manufacturer in North America. Founded in 1903, Andersen is an international corporation employing more than 9,000 people in locations across North America, with sales worldwide. The company is committed to supporting the community, donating more than $50 million to nonprofit organizations through its foundation. Visit www.andersenwindows.com for more information.

For more information about Made Here visit HennepinTheatreTrust.org/MadeHere

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Hennepin Theatre Trust, owner of the historic Orpheum, State, Pantages and New Century Theatres, is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to arts-inspired community cultural development.