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NEXT STEP for the Central Ave Art Walk is SPACE. MNDoT's street reconstruction designs must include enough space for art pieces and weekly street market stalls. We need our city council (especially Northeast's Elliott Payne and Michael Rainville) to encourage MNDoT to expand the west sidewalk and boulevard area by 4' to accommodate these elements.

We also want space for two "gateway" installations at the intersections of Central & Lowry and Central & Broadway, the gateways to the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. (See our design mockups here.)

- YOU CAN Write to the Mpls City Council and MNDoT. Here's our template for a letter of support for the art walk.

STEP 2 is the installation of Barrel Boy climbing the side of Recovery Bike Shop. This massive sculpture by local artist Joel Sisson will be a billboard and a beacon, calling attention to our efforts in a fun and playful way.

- YOU CAN Donate to the cause! We need a few thousand dollars to hire engineers, contractors, and electricians (and to pay Joel for his work).

STEP 3 is drawing up the plans for the expanded pedestrian areas of the Art Walk. This is the nuts and bolts for electrical outlets, plumbing, art pads, green space, market stalls, and so on.

- YOU CAN Donate to the cause! We'll need legit consultants to help us get through this step and those people are worth the money.
- YOU CAN also give us your vision. What do you want the Art Walk to actually look like?

ONGOING
We need art! (This is the fun stuff.) We need to identify art and artists that will work on our new Art Walk! We need a criteria for making selections

We will need a structure for maintaining the Art Walk over the long term. This is an entity to deal with the physical space, but also insurance and events and marketing and so on. This will involve a handoff from the pages of this site to the responsibility of a new group of people. And the next steps will come from there!

- YOU CAN Donate to the Art Walk
- YOU CAN Offer your ideas and examples for the Central Ave Art Walk
- YOU CAN Participate in our events and join the conversation
- YOU CAN Write to elected officials and other decisions makers and ask them to support the Art Walk
- YOU CAN Get the word out! Share posts and talk about the Art Walk.

8/28/25

We talked about all things Art Walk with Mayor Frey during our weekly walk (meet at Reco Thursdays 5:30pm). This is critical because Central Avenue is a MNDoT project and the state does not care if Minneapolis has an art walk. Minneapolis city leaders (like the mayor and city council) need to advocate for the features and amenities that residents want on their section of Central Ave (or it just won't happen).

Next week will be our third (of 3) explorations of Central Ave as a future Art Walk. All are welcome. We would like as many voices and visions as possible.

Art Walk meeting on Central Ave

8/15/25
Attended the Dauntless Indigent Geography art opening at the Sculpture Factory. Talked up the Art Walk and handed out cards. Brought some artists and arts supporters up to speed.

8/14/25
Josh Blanc (NEMAD board) and I met with Council Member Payne and got some updates from his meeting with Public Works. They are now discussing advocating to MNDoT for an additional 4 feet of sidewalk/boardwalk space for the Art Walk.

8/13/25
Got Art Walk business cards printed (finally). Went to the Sheridan Neighborhood ice cream social and connected with MN State Senator Doran Clark (NE Mpls) who suggested writing a bill together for the Central Ave Art Walk.

8/12/25
Went to Counsel President Elliott Payne's office hours just to do a quick check in.

8/11/25
Attended the Minneapolis Arts Leaders Gathering & Vibrant Storefront Art Walk and connected with Mary Altman and Ben Johnson of the Minneapolis Arts & Cultural Affairs Department.

8/2/25
We had a table at the Central Ave Open Streets! So much fun talking to everyone.

Holland Neighborhood's chalk walk and talking Art Walk and skate parks at Open Streets 8/2/25

7/29/25
We met with Mpls City Council members Elliott Payne and Michael Rainville today. The city council will be meeting with MNDoT to discuss the street plan designs so far. This is how we will get the space we need for the art walk and street market.

Rainville was at the St Anthony East Neighborhood board meeting where we asked the board for a letter of support. They have the letter and will review it.

7/20/25
Met with artist Joel Sisson and NEMAD board member Josh Blanc to discuss attaching Barrel Boy to the Recovery Bike Shop building.

7/17/25
Met with the Holland Neighborhood Improvement Association. The Holland Neighborhood Art Walk Committee was formed and will be keeping Holland up to date and making recommendations.

6/30/25
Northeast Minneapolis Arts District writes about Barrel Boy's appearance in the Northeast Parade.

6/17/25
Barrel Boy "walks" (bikes, actually) in the Northeast Parade!

Barrel Boy in he NE Parade 6/17/25