Recent content from Jenna Ross
How a decades-old shoe repair shop survived the Target-ization of Dinkytown
Fast Eddie's has been fixing shoes in the same small Dinkytown workshop for decades.
New opera targets a younger audience: babies and toddlers
Babies are the target audience for a Minnesota Opera work that dares to think small.
Agnostic Minneapolis painter gives the Old Testament a colorful, surreal new look
Struggling for a subject, an agnostic Minneapolis painter found his purpose in the King James Bible.
Facing revenue shortfall, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra cuts Liquid Music Series
The cost-cutting measure comes after the orchestra lost major sources of corporate funding.
Rochester maestro is the Johnny Appleseed of Minn. orchestras: 'Sleep is optional'
Wherever he goes, this Rochester maestro builds community around his passion for song.
As MayDay parade comes together, puppet theater struggles for survival
"The business model for midsize arts organizations just doesn't work anymore," Heart of the Beast's executive director says.
Minnesota arts groups worry about losing corporate funding: 'We were shocked'
As corporate giving is steered elsewhere, "the future is a little scary for the arts sector," says the author of a recent study.
Black culture takes the ice with Twin Cities skating troupe Brownbody
Modern dance meets African-American culture — on skates — in the work of Twin Cities troupe Brownbody.
For the late Woody Jewett, Lake Minnetonka was the center of a life spent on the water
There were the two years in the Peace Corps. The time in the Marines. But every other summer of his life Frank Greenwood Jewett III…
Hmong saga will be first to be translated to operatic stage
Minnesota Opera is adapting St. Paul writer's memoir "The Song Poet" for young audiences.
Minnesotan becomes White Castle royalty after serving up sliders for nearly 40 years
The 64-year-old Bloomington resident is known as "the heart and soul of that place."
110-year-old Polish dive bar is one of South St. Paul's hidden treasures
The Polish National Alliance outpost is tucked away in a basement.
Minneapolis fashion designer Joy Teiken takes latest collection to New York, Los Angeles
Rooted in the Midwest, fashion designer Joy Teiken's latest couture collection aims for a national stage.
Meet the Duluth woman behind hit Instagram feed selling 'elevated' secondhand fashions
It started with a pair of shoes: the Instagram story that's rewriting how women shop.
Ice jams, melting snow escalate flooding in Minn., region
Fueled by a powerful winter storm, the water overwhelmed infrastructure, threatened a nuclear power plant and cut off access to some towns and cities.
Giant golden egg-shaped sauna lands in Mpls. to spark sweaty conversation
The 16-foot-tall "Solar Egg" hatched this week at the American Swedish Institute where visitors can sauna in its steamy, 180-degree heat.
Dominick Argento, acclaimed Minnesota opera composer, dies at 91
"For me, it's been a love affair with my community here," he once said. "I do think of myself as a Minnesota composer."
'Voice of the Minnesota Orchestra,' Mary Ann Feldman, 85, illuminated music for all
Mary Ann Feldman didn’t step onstage with an instrument or a baton. She commanded Orchestra Hall with words. For decades, Feldman gave smart, funny pre-concert…
Twin Cities residents 'Say Home' in new work by SPCO composer in residence
What does home mean? A host of Minnesotans responded, for a work being debuted by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.
Mother's spirit moved soul singer to write a 'Requiem' for St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
PaviElle French wanted to "make a big sound" to honor her mom. SPCO granted her wish.
Auditor sees 'room for improvement' in State Arts Board oversight of Legacy funds
Report calls on State Arts Board to tighten up some of its funding practices.
For young composers, Minnesota Orchestra workshop brings blast of nerves and thrills
A Minnesota Orchestra workshop invites young artists to Minneapolis to challenge and celebrate their music.
Want to ogle chic vintage hats? Minnesota Historical Society unveils vast digital archive
Thanks to a dedicated staffer, the Minnesota Historical Society has a vast digital headwear archive.
For a diverse new generation, poetry is a 'growth industry'
More people are reading and buying the reinvented art form, with an assist from social media.
Native artist Rosy Simas pulls various threads to build a bold new dance work, 'Weave'
An ambitious dance work premiering Saturday in St. Paul is "an invitation to true inclusiveness."
Breaking from predecessors, Dayton picks a Minnesotan to paint his official portrait
Though reluctant to be painted at all, the governor chose a Minnesotan after Ventura and Pawlenty chose out-of-state artists.
7 favorite holiday movies picked by Minnesota film lovers and experts
From dark foreign films to comic classics, these features come highly recommended.
Tiny Minnesota town's historic jail-turned-B&B lets you sleep behind bars
Preston's Jailhouse Inn offers a "slumbering in the slammer" experience.
MIA director to become first woman to lead D.C.'s flagship art museum
Kaywin Feldman will be the National Gallery's first female director.
Yoga mats become concert seats for new Minnesota Orchestra workout series
Minnesota Orchestra musicians provide live, invigorating music for a new series of classes.
Osmo Vänskä will leave Minnesota Orchestra in 2022
Search for a new leader begins as he prepares for his departure in 2022, which is when his contract expires.
Minneapolis Institute of Art aims for 'surprise and delight' with new escape room app
Inspired by escape rooms, a new app sparks mini-adventures at the vast Minneapolis Institute of Art.
With new magazine, Minnesota writer curates stories for global Somali diaspora
Safy-Hallan Farah launches a platform for young Somali writers and artists.
Artist marks Mpls. homecoming with DIY exhibit of WWI photography
Matthew Bakkom marks his Minneapolis homecoming with an exhibit featuring hundreds of archival discoveries.
Minnesota artists remember World War I's 'enormous sacrifice'
With plays and music, Minnesota arts groups reanimate World War I 100 years after the armistice.
8 Minnesota music lovers reveal favorite movie scores, soundtracks
What are the undercelebrated triumphs in nearly 100 years of musical movie moments?
Todd Bol, creator of the Little Free Library movement, dies at 62
Todd Bol hammered together the first Little Free Library. Then he built a movement around it. Bol believed the now-ubiquitous little boxes of books —…
After terminal cancer diagnosis, Little Free Library founder feels like 'most successful person I know'
Todd Bol reflects on the movement he sparked, and the seeds he planted in neighborhoods across America — and beyond.
Rochester sauna evangelists say steamy Finnish tradition saved their marriage
The couple started a website and a Facebook group to share their obsession.
Feminist author Rebecca Traister talks 'female rage' ahead of St. Paul appearance
Her new book praises the revolutionary force of female anger.
Former St. Paul beer master tells hidden history of old Schmidt Brewery
As Schmidt Brewery is being restored to its former glory, one man never lost sight of the building's ancestry, and he gladly shares its secrets.
Legendary set designer for Guthrie, Dayton's, Holidazzle reveals lifetime of paintings
After decades designing sets for the Guthrie, Children's Theatre, Holidazzle and Dayton's eighth-floor auditorium, Jack Barkla is putting on his first gallery show.
Wetterling family expresses sorrow on eve of release of investigative files
Stearns County sheriff will release thousands of pages pertaining to the 1989 abduction and murder.
Minnesota hip-hop star Dessa breaks into NYC publishing with new memoir
Known primarily as a hip-hop artist, Dessa's latest release comes from a New York City book publisher.
After record attendance on Lake Harriet, Art Shanty Projects won't return this winter
The organization is running a shortfall after missing out on a major Minnesota State Arts Board grant.
Why autumn is the best time for a trip to the Boundary Waters
Autumn visitors to the wilderness area find fewer bugs, less campsite competition and a new season of beauty.
A young South African symphony takes its cue from the Minnesota Orchestra
After a 2014 visit, Osmo Vänskä had promised to return. He and his musicians gave the South African National Youth Orchestra a week of intense training — and a lot of confidence-building.
Concert in anti-apartheid Soweto church is an ode to joy — in many languages
The performance brought the crowd packed into the historic Regina Mundi Catholic Church to its feet, singing, stepping and clapping.
An extended goodbye in Johannesburg as the trip wraps up with an emotional finale
Powerful lessons learned, the musicians look back and look forward. But next stop: home.
In teaching young South African talents, Minn. Orchestra musicians find their own inspiration
While encouraging young South African talents, Minnesota Orchestra musicians are finding inspiration of their own.
Meet the orchestra's new CEO: 'The Minnesota model really resonates with me'
Incoming CEO Michelle Miller Burns vows to continue open, collaborative leadership at Minnesota Orchestra.
South African gospel choir brings 'healing' post-apartheid message to Orchestra Hall
Touring the Midwest this summer, the 29:11 choir found an unlikely partner in Minnesota Orchestra.
Musicians make a grim pilgrimage to Mandela's prison cell: 'I know I don't have that strength'
A former prisoner led the grim trek through Robben Island, where South Africa's future president spent 18 years.
Touring involves a 1,000-mile, high-stakes truck ride with precious cargo
Some of the instruments also need their own kind of visas to travel.
Minnesota Chorale joins voices with South African singers: 'It's magic all the way'
Minnesota Chorale loosens up, while the South Africans get a lesson in German.
At a historic concert in Cape Town, music echoes the words of Nelson Mandela
During a rousing, sold-out start for the Minnesota Orchestra in South Africa, the former president's words were sung by a soaring soprano.
'Music became a weapon against apartheid,' Mandela's daughter says as orchestra previews its program
"We're not in Kansas anymore, are we?" joked the evening's host, Brian Newhouse of Classical MPR, after the drums had quieted and the applause died down.
'It's not just a tour': Orchestra announces another first
The organization will perform in five cities, playing classical works and a new Mandela-inspired piece.
Trip to South Africa is the flowering of 'a new way' for Vänskä and his veterans
The orchestra embarks for South Africa this week, realizing "a big dream" for its players and partners.
Minnesota's 'Bachelorette' brings friends together for 'guilty pleasure' viewing parties
With tongues in cheeks, savvy Minnesotans gather with friends for weekly "Bachelorette" viewing parties.
Project Diva founder bolsters black girls with intensive, immersive mentorship
Neda Kellogg is "being who she needed at the time when she was young."
Collection of old European paintings and contemporary art hangs in Northwoods of Minnesota
What's a collection of old European paintings and vibrant contemporary art doing in the Northwoods? Go find out.
Hip-hop artist, educator Toki Wright says goodbye to Minneapolis: 'It's pushing me to make decisions'
Hip-hop luminary Toki Wright is leaving for Boston, but first comes a going-away concert packed with favorite artists and friends.
Philando Castile exhibit at Minneapolis Institute of Art embraces beauty and trauma
Bringing Castile's story into the Minneapolis Institute of Art gives it weight, artists say about "Art and Healing: In the Moment," which opened this weekend.
Heights Theater lands rare Minnesota screening of feel-good musical from East Germany
1968 film "Hot Summer" is the centerpiece of a rock 'n' roll film fest at the Heights Theater.
Springboard to turn ex-auto dealership into St. Paul arts hub
Springboard for the Arts purchased an old auto dealership in St. Paul.
10 years later, Minnesota's Legacy Amendment fueling small town arts
The impact is clearest, leaders and artists say, in outstate Minnesota, where grants have boosted artists' projects and rooted fledgling organizations.
HBO shows seek to 'normalize' full-frontal male nudity
Notorious for baring women, the network now leads the way in putting naked men on-screen.
Minnesota's Becca Kufrin gets another shot at love on 'The Bachelorette'
After a big breakup last season on "The Bachelor," the Prior Lake native returns as the star of "The Bachelorette."
Jason Lewis holds town halls, in person this time
Empty seats inside the ticketed event rankle protesters outside.
Eaux neaux! Justin Vernon keeping Wisconsin music fest lineup a secret
The Bon Iver ringleader wants to "disrupt normality" by keeping names under wraps at Eaux Claires' fourth annual installment.
How this superfan sees 64 movies in 17 days at Minnesota's largest film festival
An aficionado camps out for maximum moviegoing at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival.
Minnesota Orchestra unanimous in CEO pick: 'We were startled and pleased'
Michelle Miller Burns impressed board, musicians as a collaborator.
Bon Iver and TU Dance offer a 'moving' mix of music and dance
Bon Iver and TU Dance see past "very challenging times" with their new show, premiering Thursday at St. Paul's Palace Theatre.
Too Close for comfort? Museums face questions about works of accused artists
Since the National Gallery of Art announced in January that it would indefinitely postpone its Close exhibition, museums have been debating how to handle works by artists accused of harassment.
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