The City of Minneapolis has announced a $700,000 investment through the 2025 Cultural District Arts Fund to support local artists, creative entrepreneurs, community placemakers, and cultural organizations that aim to enrich community life through arts and culture. A total of 65 awards will be distributed across the city’s seven designated cultural districts.
Mayor Jacob Frey emphasized the city’s commitment to arts and creativity, highlighting the diverse range of supported projects, from dance and storytelling to puppetry and public art. He praised the initiative as a reflection of Minneapolis’s cultural identity and community spirit. Similarly, Ben Johnson, Director of Arts & Cultural Affairs, underscored the importance of empowering artists to shape a more inspired future for all city residents.
The funding supports a wide array of initiatives, including festivals, cultural venues, pop-up art projects, and creative activations. The selected projects aim to enhance artistic expression and cultural celebration throughout the seven cultural districts: Lowry Avenue North, 38th Street, Cedar Avenue South, Central Avenue, East Lake Street, Franklin Avenue East, and West Broadway.
In the 38th Street district, projects feature multicultural dance and music performances, iron-casting workshops, piñata events, sauna rituals, and storytelling workshops centered on trust and healing. Cedar Avenue South will host shadow puppet performances with live music and heritage celebrations for Afghan and Somali communities, including youth-focused workshops and concerts.
Central Avenue’s projects include music events, art markets, a sci-fi/fantasy arts convention, and demonstrations of Chinese folk arts. There will also be creative workshops in poetry, crafts, and beading. East Lake Street will engage the community through Urban Art Village builds, winter festivals, bilingual puppet shows, choral performances, and Brazilian miniature puppetry.
Franklin Avenue East will feature a large community gathering with art-making activities for families, Native traditional arts workshops, storytelling, and civic engagement events. On Lowry Avenue North, the focus is on placemaking and public art, including sculpture installations, music festivals, and open mic events.
West Broadway’s projects include immersive theater, youth-focused programming, film screenings, and dance events that promote health and community bonding. Collectively, these initiatives showcase the vibrancy and diversity of Minneapolis’s cultural landscape.
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