MADE HERE to Launch Pop-Up Galleries in Vacant Storefronts; Applications Open Today

MADE HERE, an innovative, new initiative led by Hennepin Theatre Trust as part of the Hennepin Cultural District, is being launched in Block E to showcase the work of Minnesota artists through eclectic, temporary visual art displays in downtown storefronts. The program utilizes art to energize the Cultural District and promote leasable space in a new light to potential tenants.

MADE HERE started in the Witt Mitchell Building on the corner of Hennepin Avenue and 7th street in Minneapolis with an ongoing exhibition of locally crafted furniture. The project is now expanding to Block E's street-level windows on Hennepin Avenue between 6th and 7th streets. The Trust and local artist Joan Vorderbruggen are leading the creation of nearly 40 illuminated visual storefront displays.

Starting today, August 1, applications to create these displays will be accepted online through the Trust's website. Individual artists as well as arts organizations, collectives and cooperatives are encouraged to apply. The deadline to submit proposals is Tuesday, September 3. The target opening date is Saturday, September 28 and includes guided public walking tours.

MADE HERE is part of Hennepin Theatre Trust's ongoing collaborative work to activate the Hennepin Cultural District, which stretches from the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden to the Mississippi Riverfront. The project stems from the City Council endorsed Cultural District plan and provides a unique way to fill empty storefronts that benefits artists, residents, property owners and visitors. Property owners lend their space to Made Here for a minimum of 90 days. Once a space is leased, the exhibition is disbanded.

"Vacant storefronts can be challenging for our community," says Tom Hoch, Hennepin Theatre Trust President/CEO. "The MADE HERE project is an opportunity to not only activate and enliven our downtown streets, but to also showcase the famous creativity and talent of Minnesota artists, contribute to Minneapolis' diverse and high quality arts community and draw attention to properties that are available for new businesses."

To apply and for more information, visit hennepintheatretrust.org/madehere or contact Artist Coordinator Joan Vorderbruggen at joan.vorderbruggen@hennepintheatretrust.org or 612.205.8516. Vorderbruggen is the founder of Artists in Storefronts, a public art project. Her work in the "Eat Street" commercial district of South Minneapolis helped create more than 120 artist storefronts in a single year resulting in lease agreements for seven commercial properties that, combined, had been vacant for more than 15 years.