Archive for November, 2022
Peace House Community: To the Unsung Heroes
Marti Maltby. Photo: Courtesy the author. By MARTI MALTBY Today I attended the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits’ annual conference, and I got to see four people receive Unsung Heroes awards for work they have done to improve their communities. As you would guess, these individuals go about their volunteering quietly, but their dedication and concern has inspired others. I love the idea of unsung hero awards, because so much recognition goes to people who are already well known, or whose work is plain for all to see. With few exceptions, Nobel prizes, academy awards, and many other awards go to well-known individuals, while few “everyday people” are recognized or rewarded for what they do. I think that’s a shame, because so many people work so hard to maintain sanity and stability for themselves and those around them, without the advantages that the big names have. Yes, it would be fabulous if a scientist found the cure for cancer, but they would do that only if they [...]
City Songs for Loving the Earth: “Wherever we protest we will go planting”*
Late blooming aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) is an important late season food source for bumblebees and other insects. The name “aster” comes from the Greek word for “star.” Photo: Ben Heath By LINDSEY FENNER As I write this in the middle of October, I am surrounded by the last blazing russet leaves of the wild plum and the rich burgundy leaves of the serviceberry. Most of the goldenrod and aster blossoms have turned into fluffy seedheads, all but the aromatic aster, which remains a spangled purple cloud even after snow and a hard freeze. Winter hasn’t quite begun yet, but I am already planning for spring in my garden because I have applied for a Lawns to Legumes grant. Lawns to Legumes is a program of the State of Minnesota’s Board of Water and Soil Resources that provides folks with up to $350 to create pollinator habitat in their yards. Most specifically, these grants are to help provide pollinator habitat for endangered insects like the rusty [...]
November 2022 Events
Picture Gallery of the SoulThrough December 10University of Minnesota Regis Center for Art (East)405 21st Avenue South Free The Katherine E. Nash Gallery presents A Picture Gallery of the Soul, a group exhibition of over 100 Black American artists from the 19th through 21st century whose practice incorporates the photographic medium, including Phillips’ own Walter Griffin. The exhibition honors, celebrates, investigates, and interprets Black history, culture, and politics in the United States. For gallery hours and information on related events, go to https://cla.umn.edu/art/galleries-public-programs/katherine-e-nash-gallery Performers Pedra Pepa (R) and Sam Aros Mitchell (L) in she who lives on the road to war. Photo: Valerie Oliveiro she who lives on the road to war, 2022 installation view. Photo: Rosy Simas she who lives on the road to warThrough December 15All My Relations Arts1414 East Franklin Avenue Free she who lives on the road to war is an immersive [...]
