Masthead
September 23, 2014
Executive Director Update
 
MCC member Patty Connelly has a gift for creative ideas and making valuable connections! In addition to being Co-Chair of Mill City Commons Program Committee, she is also on the Program Committee at the Minneapolis Club. Via that connection, someone from the Minneapolis Club contacted me this week regarding opening up one of their exclusive programs to Mill City Commons members. It's a day trip to the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona. You'll find details below in this email (registration deadline is Monday, September 29th). It should be an extraordinary time of year to enjoy the changing colors on the way to this beautiful destination! Thank you, Patty, and the Minneapolis Club!
Tomorrow should be a perfect day to walk to the Somali Artifact and Cultural Museum's Pop Up Gallery located on 1st Avenue North at 3rd Street. For details on this one of a kind museum, see below. Hope to see you there!  -- Linnea
Somali Artifact and Cultural Museum's Pop Up Gallery
Wednesday, September 24, 1:00 - 2:30 pm
Pop Up Gallery, 319 1st Ave N
Have you met a Somali textile artist before?  If not, this is your chance!  This "pop up" gallery is presented in partnership between the Somali Museum of Minnesota and Hennepin Theater Trust, and offers more than a unique display of Somali painting and artifacts.  The Museum's Executive Director will provide a tour of the first ever Somali nomadic home to be built in Minnesota, and you'll see a traditional weaving workshop.  Classic Somali treats from the museum's partner restaurant, Sanaag Care, will be served.  Cost is $7/person, payable at the door.
 
Members sign up here.
Men's Coffee and Conversation 
Thursday, September 25, 7:30 - 8:30 am
Elsie's Restaurant, 729 Marshall St NE

Coffee and camaraderie for the male members of MCC! This group meets every other Thursday and is hosted by various members who get the conversation going. This week's conversation leader is Roger Hale on the topic of "Nuclear Weapons: Past, Present and Future."

 

Men MCC Members sign up here; Guests email MCC.

Minnesota Twins:  Behind the Scenes with a Curator
Friday, September 26, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Target Field, 1 Twins Way

Join us for a behind-the-scenes tour and talk by the Minnesota Twins' Curator, Clyde Doepner.  Mr. Doepner will explain his responsibilities as curator of the Twins, why a curator is needed, and the methods he employs to prove various artifacts are legitimate.  Then take the opportunity to view the museum displays and other locations in the stadium including the press boxes and Budweiser Roof.   Free parking provided, details on the website.

 

Members sign up here.

Elderquest the Movie:  Central Station 
Tuesday, September 30, 1:30 - 4:30 pm 
RiverWest, 401 S 1st St
Professor Robert Yahnke will introduce us to Central Station, an Elderquest film. Central Stationis a 1998 Brazilian-French drama that tells the story of a young boy's friendship with a jaded middle-aged woman.  After watching the film together, Professor Yahnke will guide a discussion about the central character's search for wisdom, connection, and integrity in later life. We hope this format will lead to future Elderquest movies and discussions. 

Members sign up here.
Last Tuesday Happy Hour
Tuesday, September 30, 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Mattie's on Main, 43 Main St SE
Join us for the Last Tuesday Happy Hour. Catch up with friends and neighbors over drinks and small bites.  Dutch treat - no reservations required!  Cobalt Condo MCC Members host at Mattie's on Main. 

Members and guests welcome.  No reservations required!
Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat
Wednesday, October 1, 9:30 - 10:30 am
Guthrie Theater, Level 5 Express, 818 S 2nd St

Join us to discuss The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro.  In this piece of fiction, you'll read a thrilling story about seeing - and not seeing - the secrets that lie beneath the canvas.  Almost twenty-five years after the infamous art heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum--still the largest unsolved art theft in history--one of the stolen Degas paintings is delivered to the Boston studio of a young artist. Claire Roth has entered into a Faustian bargain with a powerful gallery owner by agreeing to forge the Degas in exchange for a one-woman show in his renowned gallery. But as she begins her work, she starts to suspect that this long-missing masterpiece--the very one that had been hanging at the Gardner for one hundred years--may itself be a forgery. 


MCC members and guests.  No reservations required.

Social Bridge

Wednesday, October 1, 3:00 - 5:00 pm

Stone Arch Lofts Community Room, 600 S 2nd St

Join advanced or intermediate bridge players for a round of social bridge.  You are expected to come with a partner at your level.  (Advanced players play all major conventions comfortably).  If you need help finding a partner, contact Carol Jordan at 612-817-0466 or caroljordan@millcitycommons.org and she will assist you.  Play beings immediately at 3:00 pm.

 

Members sign up here; Guests email MCC. 

Our Turn: A Conversation for Women
Thursday, October 2, 9:30 - 11:00 am
Stone Arch Lofts, 600 S 2nd St, #306
MCC women, you are invited to attend Our Turn: A Conversation for Women.  This group meets every other Thursday alternating between morning and afternoon times.  Lois Libby Juster and Patty Connelly host guest speaker Melanie Ebertz on the topic of "Women as Connectors."  Melanie started traveling to Peru in the mid-eighties with interest in textiles and hiking in the villages of the Andes.  Melanie has brought an awareness and appreciation of Peru to this community. She will speak to the issues of women as connectors from her experience working with the weavers in the region of Ayacucho, through the political crisis they endured.

Women MCC members sign up here; Guests email MCC.
Day Trip and Tour of Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona 
Saturday, October 4, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Meet in Minneapolis Club Lobby, 729 2nd Ave S
The Minneapolis Club has extended an invitation to Mill City Commons members to join them for a special art event scheduled for October 4th with RSVP's required by Monday, September 29th. Join us for a day trip to Winona for an exclusive curated tour of the newly expanded Minnesota Marine Art Museum (MMAM) and be one of the first visitors to the newly added Richard and Jane Manoogian Gallery. An expert from the Minneapolis Institute of Art will join us for the trip. Pick up scheduled at 10:00 am at the club with expected return at 6:00 pm. Food and beverages available on the journey as well as at lunchtime. $50 inclusive; payment by cash, check or credit card at the Minneapolis Club the day of the event.

MCC members sign up here by September 29th.
Author Celebration:  Peter Brown
Tuesday, October 7, 5:00 - 6:30 pm
Lourdes Square, 184 Bank St SE
New insights into how memory is encoded, consolidated, and later retrieved have led to a better understanding of how we learn.  Peter Brown will read from the book "Make it Stick:  The Science of Successful Learning," a book which will appeal to all those interested in the challenge of lifelong learning and self-improvement.  Peter Brown is a writer and novelist who wrote the book with two leading experts in learning and memory at Washington University in St. Louis.

MCC members sign up here.

News from Members

MCC member Suzanne Joyce would like you to know that she has set up a CaringBridge site for her husband and MCC member, Bill Joyce.  Here is a link to Bill's page. 

MCC member Dick Kavaney wants members to know that there is a meeting on September 24 from 6:30-8:00 pm, at University Lutheran Church of Hope, 601 13th Ave SE, regarding the University's intention to connect East River Rd to either Main St or 2nd St SE.
 
MCC member Frances Wilkenson shares her excitement for the play Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet.  Reviews from the Star Tribune Rohan Preston: "This 'Marcus,' a play that manifests McCraney's abundant creativity, is sublime."  St. Paul Pioneer Press Rob Hubbard: "The Pillsbury House/Mount Curve production deftly brings out both the mystical and earthy in McCraney's play..." From TalkinBroadway.com's Arthur Dorman: "Pillsbury House Theatre and its producing partner, The Mount Curve Company, are to be commended for bringing us this sterling final chapter of The Brother/Sister Plays." Congratulations Frances and Mount Curve Company!  Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet is currently playing at the Dowling Theater through October 5th. 

MCC member Margee Bracken wants members to know that this year "Thursday Musical" will present its 2014-2015 Thursday Morning Artist Series at MacPhail Center for Music.  This series features some of the best local musicians performing a variety of works by classical composers.  The opening concert is free and is scheduled for October 9 at 10:30 am.  The second concert is scheduled for October 23 at 10:30 am ($10 tickets at the door).  For more information, click here.
 
MCC member Ken Searl would like members living in Downtown East or Downtown West to know that the Annual Meeting for the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association (DMNA) is meeting Tuesday, October 21 at 6:30 at The Depot, 225 3rd Avenue South. Elections to the DMNA Board will be held at this meeting and Ken is running. 
 
Around Town

 

Reading and Conversation with Author Beth Baker

Sept. 26, 3:00-4:30 pm, Common Table Community Center, 2001 Riverside Avenue

Come meet, hear, and converse with Beth Baker, who has just published the book "With a Little Help from Our Friends, Creating Community As We Grow Older."  A special invitation has been sent to MCC members to attend the event and share their experience of being part of a Village to age in place.  For details, click here. Please RSVP by email.

 

Artist Talk with Dylan Miner

October 2, 7:00 pm, Weisman Art Museum, 333 East River Road

Preview the exhibition Anishinaabensag Biimskowebshkigewag (Native Kids Ride Bikes) and hear from artist Dylan Miner.  The exhibit will run from October 3 - January 4 and features lowrider bicycles created by urban Native youth, contemporary Indigenous artists and non-Native university students in Michigan based on core values from the sacred Anishinaabeg teachings.  

 

Poetry Out Loud:  East African Voices with Special Guest Keith Ellison

October 3, 7:00 pm, The Loft at Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave S

Join the Loft's program for a special evening of readings centering on East African voices.  Special guest Congressman Keith Ellison will read from his book and relate the story of connecting with Minnesota State Poetry Out Loud champion Faiza Abubakar at the National Competition in Washington, D.C.  The readings will be followed by a moderated discussion and Q&A session. Click here for more details.   

 

Pathways 25th Anniversary Celebration

October 14, 5:30-9:00 pm, American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Ave S

Pathways is celebrating 25 years of providing complementary care to people in health crises.  This unique fundraiser will include some of the top artists in the Twin Cities, who will auction their talents off to guests.  Guests will enjoy a dinner, cocktails, and a silent and live auction.  Registration by October 7 is appreciated. For more information or to register, click here.

 

Mill City Times

It's a metro website devoted specifically to our neighborhood and a place to go to find out what's happening, whether it's a new restaurant opening, a local event, proposed construction, etc. Check it out at MillCityTimes.com. 

MCC Upcoming Events 
View the September Calendar here
View the October Calendar here

 

September 24:  Rendezvous on 5.  No reservations required.

September 24:  Somali Artifact and Cultural Museum's Pop Up Gallery.  Members click here.

September 25:  Men's Coffee and Conversation.  Members click here; Guests email MCC.

September 26:  Minnesota Twins:  Behind the Scenes with a Curator.  Members click here.

September 30:  Elderquest the Movie:  Central Station.  Members click here.

September 30:  Last Tuesday Happy Hour.  No reservations required.

October 1:  Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat.  No reservations required.

October 1:  Social Bridge.  Members click here; Guests email MCC.

October 2:  Our Turn:  A Conversation for Women.  Members click here; Guests email MCC.

October 4:  Day Trip and Tour of Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona. Members click here.

October 7:  Program Committee Meeting.

October 7:  Author Celebration:  Peter Brown.  Members click here.

October 8:  Rendezvous on 5.  No reservations required.

October 8:  Orchestra Hall: Behind the Scenes.  Members click here.

October 8:  MCC Board Meeting.  Members click here.

October 9:  Men's Coffee and Conversation.  Members click here; Guests email MCC.

October 12:  Sunday Soiree.  Members click here.

October 13:  Great Decisions.  GD 2014 Members click here.

October 14:  HCMC:  Haute Cuisine and New Digs.  Members click here.
 
Volunteer Opportunities 

  Click here for community volunteer opportunities on the MCC Website!  
 

Looking for a healthy fitness program? Enjoy exercising with friends at one of

 

  Mill City Commons

Ongoing Fitness Opportunities


SBS Class

                        Thursdays

2:00-3:00pm
501FIT,
501 Washington Avenue
Created exclusively for MCC, this class at 501F1T focuses on strength, balance, and stretching. 
First time participants, please contact 501F1T at 612-767-4415 and arrive 20 minutes early to complete paperwork. Cost varies depending on commitment.

  

  River Walkers

Tuesdays and Thursdays,

7:30-8:30am

Stone Arch Lofts Riverside Parking Lot

All level of walkers welcome for this early morning walk along the banks of the Mississippi River. An MCC volunteer leads each walk.

  

Hatha Yoga

Wednesdays and Fridays,

8:00-9:15am

Yoga Center Minneapolis, 212 3rd Ave N., Suite 205

This is an alignment-based class. Purchase a 12-class pass for $132 directly from YCM to use as your schedule allows, or drop in on a class for $12.50. Contact Dena at 612-436-4700 for details.

Drop-ins welcome.

 

MCC Ongoing Social Opportunities

 

Rendezvous

Readers' Book Chat
1st Wednesday of the month
Guthrie Theater Level 5 Express
   No reservations required.
The Art Forger
by B.A. Shapiro

Rendezvous on 5

Wednesdays

Guthrie Theater Level 5 Express

Drop in and join your friends and neighbors for fellowship at this neighborhood haunt.  This weekly adventure requires no reservations!

 

Men's Coffee and Conversation  

Elsie's Restaurant,

729 Marshall Street NE

Caffeine and camaraderie for the male members of MCC! This group meets every other Thursday morning and is hosted by various members who get the conversation going.

Our Turn: A Conversation for Women 

Relax and chat with other MCC women. This group meets every other week and alternates between morning and afternoon times. Look for details in the body of this newsletter.

 

 
Ongoing Member-Led Activities

 

Men's B&BS Lunch
Elsie's Restaurant,
729 Marshall St NE
Alternating Thursdays at 11:30 am
 October 2 & 16
This casual, dutch treat lunch alternates weeks with Men's Coffee and Conversation. No reservations required! Questions? Contact  Allan Burdick
Mill City Commons | 219 Main Street SE, Suite 401, Minneapolis, MN 55414
www.millcitycommons.org | info@millcitycommons.org  
612-455-3329