Jackson Square Park Innovations

Phase II of the Holland Gateway project is taking shape this summer. Sculptor James Brenner, who previously created In Flux for the southeast corner of the park, has turned the Edison High School auto shop into an artist’s studio. From this convenient location he will be fabricating and installing Innovation Backstop in the park itself, Double Flux across the street at the Basin, and a brand new Edison sign on the northwest corner of the Edison campus.

This ambitious project represents a collaboration between a number of stakeholders, including Holland Neighborhood Improvement Association, NRP, the City of Minneapolis, the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board and the Firefighters Hall & Museum. The backstop itself celebrates both the high school’s namesake, Thomas Alva Edison, and Firefighter Louis Rober, who is credited with bringing the sport of softball to Minneapolis. It promises to be the most unique softball backstop in the state, perhaps in the world. Go to www.chicagosculptureworks.com to check out the artist’s renderings of the various pieces or just stop over at Jackson Square Park to watch the progress.

Message from Council Member Kevin Reich

This fall continues to be an exciting, productive time for Eastside neighborhoods. The SE Como neighborhood’s 2nd MIMO (Move-In/Move-Out Waste Reduction Project), timed with the start of the University of Minnesota semester, was a ringing success and diverted 9,141 pounds of reusable material from the waste stream. This neighborhood has also welcomed two schools into the newly-reopened Tuttle School building – Heritage Academy and Tatanka Academy.

The Holland neighborhood is also bustling. Edison High School has been reinvigorated with three hundred new students, a vital Community Education program, and the newly arrived Morris Park Players, who will open their new season with a production of Annie. Across the street from the school, Jackson Square Park is the home to a new installation of Musical Art Sculptures, a generous gift of the Minneapolis City of Lakes Rotary Club. These innovative pieces are a wonderful addition to the park and have proven from the moment they were in the ground to be an irresistible magnet to kids and adults alike. Meanwhile, sculptor James Brenner’s Double Flux and Innovation Backstop continue to progress and will be dedicated later this fall.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and a number of Eastside businesses are donating a portion of their sales to AccessAbility, Inc. to recognize their work this month. AccessAbility is a Northeast non-profit headquartered in the Mid-City Industrial neighborhood. This organization has provided opportunities for self-sufficiency for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment since 1948. For further information about their work, go to www.accessability.org.

New Musical Instrument Installation in Jackson Square Park

Residents of the Holland neighborhood have seen many exciting upgrades at Jackson Square Park in recent years, including new play equipment, the installation of In Flux, and the slowly rising Innovation Backstop. The newest development is the installation of seven outdoor musical instruments, generously donated by the Minneapolis City of Lakes Rotary Club as part of their mission to have a direct, positive impact on their community. These large, colorful, free-standing instruments were dedicated on September 24. The instruments will offer students and community members the opportunity to engage in creating musical sound, while a related University of Minnesota study will involve Edison students in monitoring and assessing the impact of the presence of these instruments in our community. Much thanks to the Rotary Club, Minneapolis Park Board, Knutson Construction, Doug Schmitt from Schmitt Music and John Vandermyde Sr. (Edison class of ’58) for making this project possible.

New Public Art Sculpture in Holland

The Center for Energy and Environment (CEE) has commissioned Northeast Minneapolis-based sculptor James Brenner to create a public art installation that will educate the community about energy conservation. The Northeast Green Light Project will be located at the corner of Quincy Street and 22nd Avenue, adjacent to the Edison High School parking lot. Conceived as a group of light sculptures fabricated from Cor-ten steel, sculpted glass and led lights, the installation will be connected to a wireless data management system and will change color from red and orange to green and blue in correlation with energy savings achieved by the surrounding community through CEE energy audits and programs. The ultimate goal is to realize energy savings in the Holland neighborhood equivalent to the amount of energy required to power Edison High School.

Brenner conceives of the project’s mission as “a visual representation of how an active and intentional community can educate the public in energy awareness and conservation. The installation operates as both a beacon to draw in and educate the larger community and as a catalyst to spur that community to action.” The Holland Neighborhood Improvement Association (HNIA) is a partner in the project and their current Medallion Public Art Connector (MPAC) Initiative will both raise funds for a future phase of the project and serve as a conduit for information about CEE’s energy conservation programs. Edison High School will also partner in the project, with students assisting in the energy usage data collection and analysis. The Northeast Green Light Project will offer a unique opportunity for practical, hands-on science education. An informational kiosk and Q-Reader at the site will offer members of the public an easy way to learn more about the project and follow the energy conservation process.

This project will be an exciting complement to the water quality projects being initiated by Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) on the Edison campus this summer. Data on stormwater capture and re-use rates will also be tracked by the data management system and analyzed by Edison students. The light sculptures will also be aesthetically related to the public art installations already in place on the Green Campus, including Innovation Backstop, In Flux, Double Flux and the Edison School sculptural sign.

New Edison Sign Unveiled

A brand new Edison High School sign was unveiled on August 23 during the Eastside Community &  Schools BBQ. Designed by local artist James Brenner and SignMinds Ben Janssens, and funded by the Edison Community & Sports Foundation (ESCF), Holland Neighborhood Improvement Association (HNIA) and the school itself, this unique dynamic sign is constructed of cor-ten steel and glass to complement the Brenner-designed Innovation Backstop, In Flux and Double Flux art installments across the street.