Public Art Week

The Hennepin Theatre District and broader downtown is rebuilding after more than a year of devastating impact of the pandemic and unrest. Many are concerned with shuttered businesses and a lack of the robust activity the District is known for. Hennepin Theatre Trust is flipping this narrative through public art and District engagement efforts. We’re rolling up our sleeves, and we need your help to make downtown more vibrant than ever. The week of July 12, the Trust is launching more than $250,000 worth of public art investments for the Hennepin Theatre District through a variety of public art projects. We’re bringing together artists, neighbors, youth and community organizations to celebrate how the arts create positive change. Join us!

A larger-than-life mural, sponsored by ESPN (X Games), on the NRG Clearway building (730 First Ave. S.) begins!
Hennepin Theatre Trust and Meet MPLS have partnered with the X Games to install a large-scale mural in partnership with the MN African American Heritage Museum and Gallery featuring work by Minneapolis artist Reggie LeFlore. The X Games mural brings together multiple local and national partners to share positive stories, create opportunities for young people and provide affirmative representation for youth from communities of color in the District.

We are installing nine large-scale portrait banners on five buildings in the District for It’s The People sponsored by UBS Wealth Management USA and Clear Channel Outdoor.
It’s the People is an outdoor gallery of fine art portraits by renowned Minnesota artists capturing the heart and soul of the people who make Hennepin Avenue a unique and colorful place. Now in its third year, It’s the People joins existing murals and public art projects in the Hennepin Theatre District. It that will showcase captivating images of frontline healthcare providers, multicultural dance community, social justice and identity among youth, back-of-house Latine workforce, emergency shelter advocates and empowered immigrant African artists.

A week-long visit from the We Are Still Here Indigenous public art cohort, in partnership with NACDI and All My Relations Arts, will take place the week of July 12 to discover, learn and share fundamentals of public art in downtown Minneapolis.
Part of their visit will include working with other artists, including Reggie LeFlore, on the X Games mural. We Are Still Here is a multi-year initiative to uplift Native voices and stories in Minneapolis. With grant funding through the McKnight Foundation, We Are Still Here will bring large-scale, high-profile public art by emerging Native artists to both downtown Minneapolis and the American Indian Corridor. The art highlights contemporary Native culture while dispelling stereotypes. The initiative will also establish a sustainable framework for ongoing engagement among Minnesota’s First People, the Trust and other downtown Minneapolis stakeholders.

Youth from the Trust’s 5 to 10 on Hennepin project contributed to Downtown Council’s Pianos on Parade, presented by PNC Bank, by painting several of the pianos with a downtown Minneapolis theme.
These pianos will be added to the rotation of Pianos on Parade, which places uniquely designed pianos throughout downtown from June to August, making for impromptu concerts and scheduled performances by local musical talent. 5 to 10 on Hennepin, now in its fifth year, is the Trust’s local and national award-winning placemaking program that provides art and cultural experiences for youth in the Hennepin Theatre District in partnership with Kulture Klub Collaborative and StreetWorks with generous support from Ameriprise Financial.