Documenting every outdoor mural in the Twin Cities is a lot of work — photographer Mark Allan Peterson has snapped over 550 different walls and buildings. The Twin Cities Daily Planet looked through his archives and picked their favorite pieces of street art. We’re partial to these houses-come-to-life behind the 331 Club. What’s your favorite?
Source: Twin Cities Daily Planet
Detroit just broke ground on the new streetcar route that will run along Woodward Avenue between Lamed Street and West Grand Boulevard. The D:hive Welcome Center is right along the construction route and their staff took advantage of the temporary street closure to break out a game of cornhole. We want to play!
Source: D:hive
Everyone knows Shepard Fairey as the artist behind the iconic Barack Obama “Hope” poster, but Fairey’s making a new mark on Chicago. The artist put the finishing touches on a new mural this week on the side of Columbia College’s 916 S. Wabash building.
Source: Columbia College
The Padron Watch Company started as a restoration shop for vintage watches, but it wasn’t long before founder Leo Padron set out to make his own. His first model, the Tessera, was the first watch to be manufactured in Minneapolis in nearly a century. Padron recently launched their newest watch model, the Hennepin, via Kickstarter, where they raised over $100,000 — four times the original goal. Padron is definitely one to watch!
Source: Padron Watch Company
Open Streets took over Central Avenue on Sunday, creating a pedestrian and bike friendly corridor in the heart of Northeast Minneapolis. The street was closed to cars for the afternoon, but it was plenty busy with live music, local food and other booths.
Source: Open Streets Minneapolis
Thrilist traveled from the Twin Cities to Duluth on a beer-tasting tour recently and the results are in. The competition was fierce, but their list of the Best Breweries in Minnesota is as follows: powerhouse Summit Brewing took the top spot, followed by beloved Northeast taprooms Dangerous Man, 612 Brew and Indeed. Rounding out the top 5 is Surly Brewing, who helped kick off the local beer craze in the first place. Cheers to all!
Source: Thrillist
When an Old Navy store went belly up, Tiffany and Chris Best took the opportunity to transform the vacant big box building into a space for art and collaboration. The Rust Belt Market was born. The market is home to up to 70 independent retailers and artisans at any given time. On weekends, the market buzzes with activity, from tarot card readings to DJ sets to 50 booths carrying art and goods.
Source: Metromode
Take advantage of the summer weather with a tour of Detroit from the water. Pure Detroit and Detroit River Sports have teamed up to offer a guided kayak tour up the Detroit River and through the canals around Klenk and Harbor Island.You’ll take some of the same routes the Prohibition-era rum runners took on their clandestine trips from Canada.
Source: Detroit River Sports
When Kent Begnaud’s previous employer outsourced manufacturing to China, Kent was able to pick up a load of leather production equipment for pennies on the dollar. He and his wife now operate Leather Works MN out of the Tilsner Artist’s Co-op in Lowertown, St. Paul. It’s a definite upgrade from their previous workshop in their garage. Business is now booming: their belts, wallets and other goods have caught the attention of Martha Stewart and Northern Grade Market.
Source: Pioneer Press
Chicagoans, keep an eye out for this bright orange 1976 RV — it’s hard to miss. Where it stops, there will be fashion. The RV is home to the Lost Girls mobile vintage shop. Founders Sarah and Kyla drive it around the city to markets, bazaars, cafes and taco shops, setting their stylish wares up on the sidewalk. Find out where they’re stopping next: The Lost Girls.
Source: Free People
Bring up Kansas City and people will rave about the barbecue, but how about the architecture? Kansas City is quickly becoming a hub of creative and sustainable design. Pictured is architect Jamie Darnell’s home, which brings a splash of modern to the Missouri landscape.
Source: Dwell
Watch new metal sculptures take shape at the annual Franconia Hot Metal Pour this August. Artists from around the world will be working with a 2700 degree Fahrenheit furnace to melt 8,000 pounds of iron for new artworks. The public is invited to get in on the fun, from a safe distance, of course.
Source: Franconia Sculpture Park
Fitger’s Brewhouse opened in 1995, and today it brews 3,000 barrels a year. The destination brewery has become an anchor of Duluth tourism, drawing beer lovers from all over the state. The founders of Fitger’s have played a key role in what Mayor Don Ness calls the “new Duluth,” a place defined by the arts and the outdoors.
Source: MPR
Erik Noren handcrafts high-end custom bikes, drawing inspiration from pop culture, cult movies and heavy metal. His finished products are works for art. Don Walker, president of the North American Handmade, says “For years now we’ve called Erik the Liberace of bicycle frame building. He obviously enjoys being flamboyant, but he can also be subtle.”
Source: American Craft Council
Detroit has seen more change in the last century than most American cities. The Detroit Free Press has created an interactive survey of historic Detroit — visit the site and watch the archival photos morph into the modern day Motor City. Mesmerizing.
Source: Detroit Free Press
World, we have a winner. The eighth annual Tales of the Cocktail event handed out the Spirited Awards this past weekend in New Orleans. Two Chicago hot spots triumphed: the new tiki-inspired Three Dots and a Dash took home Best New American Cocktail Bar, and the raved-about favorite The Aviary won World’s Best Cocktail Menu, beating out bars in New York, San Francisco and London. Cheers to Chicago, who knows how to drink!
Source: The Chicagoist
Artist Kevin Spencer is trying to kick start his latest art project: reducing the iconic Eames Lounge Chair down to 1/20 scale. At just 2 inches high, the stylish miniature fits in the palm of your hand. Spencer plans to use a 3D printer to reproduce these mini-Eames gems. We want enough for a whole miniature office!
Source: Mocoloco
The Zagat team sampled barbecue across the country and, after emerging from the subsequent food coma, settled on the top 15 must-try meat joints. St. Louis newcomer Spare No Rib made the list with their signature ribs with cumin-coriander-cinnamon rub and specially sauced pulled pork.
Source: Riverfront Times
Can Motor City become Bike City? ARTCRANK will host their first show in Detroit this Friday, and they posted a sneak peek of a few of the posters by local artists. Hit the show, hosted at Shinola, to see more!
Source: ARTCRANK
Ben Horn spent a year abroad in Finland in high school as a foreign exchange student. Thirty five years later, he’s built his own slice of Scandinavia in Minneapolis’ Bryn Mawr neighborhood. The StarTribune recently toured his home, which shows off the clean and simple lines of Scandinavia. Horn knows a thing or two about style: he owns FinnStyle, a design store that specializes in Scandinavian home goods.
Source: StarTribune
The Henry Ford museum now has its own brew, courtesy of Mountain Town Brewing Co. Make that three brews: the Eagle Tavern Ale, the Industrialist Ale and good Old Liz. The name comes from Mr. Ford himself; he dubbed the Model T “Tin Lizzie.” You can try the new custom beers at the Henry Ford’s Local Roots Blues, Brews & BBQ event.
Source: The Henry Ford
The pressed tin ceiling is from 1890, and the wooden tiger oak bar is also over a hundred years also. These might not be the first things you notice about the Slippery Noodle bar in Indianapolis, but that’s what the National Trust for Historic Preservation is for. The Trust is traveling the country for their series on historic bars, and they shared this shot of the beloved Indianapolis night spot. Built in 1850, the Slippery Noodle is now one of the premier blues clubs in the Midwest, in addition to being on the national register of historic places. Take your drink with a side of history.
Art is…? You’ll have to come to the 555 Art Bazaar next Saturday to find out. 555 is a non-profit art gallery and residency space in Detroit, and they shared this snapshot of artist-in-residence Sammy Dardas prepping for next week’s festivities.
Source: 555 Gallery and Studios
Bauhaus Brew Labs opened their doors in Northeast Minneapolis last Friday. The minds behind the city’s latest tap room are artists, musicians, scientists and beer lovers, naturally. They promise not only new twists on classic German beers, but endless entertainment. Whether it be karaoke or screen printing, the Bauhaus has something to keep you busy.
Source: Bauhaus Brew Labs
Mid-century enthusiasts rejoice! Now even your mail can be delivered in style. ModBox USA has started production on mailboxes modeled after those produced during the 1950s and 60s. It all started when founder Greg Kelly renovated his home, but couldn’t find a mailbox to match his mid-century aesthetic. The solution? Make them himself. Now that they’re on the market, the problem is choosing which color: turquoise, paprika, sunflower or pumpkin?
Source: Retro Renovation