Author Archive
Ventura Village August ’25
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Meet Midtown Global Market Resident Artist Ron Brown
Free Artist Workshop on August 9 By MIKE HABERMAN Midtown Global Market is excited to announce the continuation of its 2025 Artist in Residency program by welcoming Ron Brown to its artist space through August 31. Artist Ron Brown will be leading an artist workshop at the Midtown Global Market on August 9. Brown’s artistic practice is rooted in Afrofuturism, a movement blending African culture with science fiction and speculative futures. He uses art as a tool for cultural affirmation, historical reflection, and spiritual resistance. Brown will host a free artist workshop at Midtown Global Market on Saturday, August 9 from 2 – 4 p.m. This event is free and open to the public but registration is required as space is limited. Register at midtownglobalmarket.org/meeting-artistspace. About Ron Brown Ron Brown’s 35 year + artistic journey began early, shaped by imagination and experiences. Art is a limitless universe. Ron’s work is a testament; creativity should [...]
James J. Welna 1953-2025
By SUE WELNA Jim Welna, guided by a genuine interest in how he might make life better for those who shared his world, lived a life of servant leadership. He embodied Maya Angelou’s reflection, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” People lucky enough to cross paths with Jim knew they mattered more than anything else on his agenda. To our great loss, Jim died of recently diagnosed pancreatic cancer on May 26, 2025. James Jonathan Welna was born on August 17, 1953, in Minneapolis, MN, the first child of Patricia and Virgil Welna. He was soon joined by his sister, Virginia, and then brother, Mark. For the first nine years of his life, the family lived with his maternal grandmother. His foster sister, Pauline, joined the family later in their own home. Early on, Jim learned the value of economy and resourcefulness, and that lesson served him and his family well for his entire [...]
