After two years of pandemic-induced shrinkage, Art-A-Whirl returns to northeast Minneapolis this weekend with about 800 artists and gallery members participating.
Anna Becker, executive director of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA), thinks this year's event will be a healing one.
"Every artist and business owner I've talked to is really excited to welcome people back into the neighborhood," she said. "There's something irreplaceable about connecting face to face. We've all been missing those interactions."
Launched in 1995 by a handful of artists in Northeast who banded together to invite the public into their studios, Art-A-Whirl grew into the nation's largest open-studio tour, drawing as many as 50,000 people as bars and restaurants joined the party with live bands and performing artists.
In 2020, organizers had to shift online, scrapping its plans for the 25th anniversary event. Last year's Art-a-Whirl ended up being a hybrid online-offline event.
Here are 10 not-to-miss activities — all free, except where noted.
Woodcut cards: Printmaker Emily Gray Koehler will show visitors how to print woodcut designs onto hand-collaged greeting cards using an etching press. Walk away with a cute print of a bee or a bird. (Thorp Building, 1618 Central Av. NE., wheelchair-accessible via Brickmania retail store.)
Punk patching and visible mending: Even punks need help patching up their tattered wears. Artist Jules Niemi helps people fix their own stuff, or provide a patch, which is great to place over the massive, gaping hole in your heart or soul. (Holland Arts, East Building, 639 22nd Av. NE., 2-5 p.m. Sat. bitternorthworkshop.com)
