Art Walk Letter of Support Template

(Please feel free to adapt this template to suit your purposes. Thanks for getting involved!)

Right now we need MNDoT to grant us the space in their designs to make the Art Walk possible. We need lots of people to show support for this project so that MNDoT (and Minneapolis) understand how important this is for our city.

Click here to automatically create a draft of the email below

To the Minnesota Department of Transportation:
Christina.Perfetti@state.mn.us

CC Northeast Minneapolis City Council Member Elliott Payne
elliott.payne@minneapolismn.gov

CC Northeast Minneapolis City Council Member Michael Rainville
ward3@minneapolismn.gov

CC Recovery Bike Shop’s Seth Stattmiller
cutter@re-cycle.com

I am [NAME], President of the [XXXX NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION]. I am writing to express the [XXXX NEIGHBORHOOD] board’s [UNANIMOUS] support for a Central Ave NE art walk between 14th Ave NE and 27th Ave NE, “front door” of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. An art walk will give the Minneapolis arts community a visual presence unlike anything else in the country, create a draw for our city and state, and support local artists and businesses. The art walk will also serve to calm traffic on one of our city’s busiest streets by creating edge friction and visual stimulation and activity yielding more engaged drivers and a safer corridor.

The Northeast community has been formally calling for the creation of the Central Ave art walk since the 2008 Central Ave Small Area Plan and the Central Ave reconstruction project represents the only chance many of us will see to bring this project to life.

In support of this project the [XXXX NEIGHBORHOOD] is contributing [$xx,xxx for the installation of the first art piece of the art walk] with ongoing support as the art walk develops.

We are requesting that MNDoT increase the west side pedestrian area by 4’, yielding an 8’ sidewalk and an 11’ boulevard area to accommodate permanent large format art pieces and weekly street market stalls. We also request that MNDoT set aside space for four (4) large art pads (15 x 15’) adjacent to the Central and Lowry intersection and four (4) large art pads adjacent to the Central and Broadway intersection (one on each corner). These two intersections are the gateways to the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District and will be reserved for something especially grand.

Please visit www.recovery.bike/artwalk to continue the conversation.

We look forward to seeing this project grow and the [XXXX NEIGHBORHOOD] community expects to enjoy and support the art walk for generations to come.

Sincerely,
[NAME]
[TITLE]
[CONTACT INFO]