A foam block print created by Helena Howard inspired by their work providing free bicycle repair. Upper left, a piece of foam used to make the print. PHOTO BY LEA WITTMAN
Residents experience hands-on art and jazz at the Parcel Arts event in Prospect Park
Residents experience hands-on art and jazz at the Parcel Arts event in Prospect Park
Luxton Park was the location for community art exploration hosted by Hennepin County Libraries and featuring Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Project __________________
By Lea Wittman / The Hubbard School
By Lea Wittman / The Hubbard School
Helena Howard drew an image of a bicycle next to a tree onto a piece of foam.
Howard, who uses they/them pronouns, covered the foam in purple paint and pressed it onto a piece of paper before finally hanging it up to dry. It’s just one of many examples of community-made art at Parcel Arts’ block-printed cards class in Luxton Park on Wednesday evening.
Helena Howard (they/them) and Ilse Griffin (they/them), members of the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota, work together to repair a bicycle event staff brought in. PHOTO BY LEA WITTMAN
Parcel Arts, a local group providing art supplies and instruction to the public, was one of several organizations gathered at the park along with staff from the Arvonne Fraser Library as part of an event hosted by the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board.
Howard, one of more than 50 people who attended, cycled to the event as part of the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota, an advocacy group working to make communities more bicycle friendly, according to its website.
Howard’s print was inspired by their work. During the event, which included music from the Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Project, Howard was able to repair an abandoned bicycle, offering it for anyone to take for free.
“My favorite part of my job is doing free bike repair for kids,” Howard said.
Parcel Arts is a Minneapolis-based organization that puts on art classes as a way of making art accessible, according to its website.
Helena Howard pressing their foam block print onto a piece of paper, transferring the image from the foam to the piece of paper. PHOTO BY LEA WITTMAN
“The goal is to get people into it,” said Jenny Stice, 32, a teaching artist for Parcel Arts, who demonstrated how to make the foam block printing.
Parcel Arts classes require online registration through the Hennepin County library system. The library also provided free tote bag decoration and modeling clay at its station.
“It looks like slime, but it’s actually clay!” one child said, excitedly holding up her creation.
Residents from the nearby Glendale Townhomes, the oldest currently standing public housing development in Minneapolis, began to trickle in to the event on foot and bicycle after the International Reggae All Stars began playing familiar hits from Bob Dylan and Prince in its set. The group, part of the Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Project, provides free concerts to Minneapolis over the summer.
Lynval Jackson (left) and Tenn “Jah-Bee” Jackson (right), members of the band International Reggae All Stars, performing as part of the Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Project. PHOTO BY LEA WITTMAN
Children ran around the park freely without close supervision, enjoying the scavenger hunt set up by the Libraries. But when something happens, the adults show up to help. When a child fell off a bicycle, multiple adults rushed in to help.
Howard said members of the Glendale Townhomes community care about each other.
“I hope you can capture how tight-knit this community is,” Howard said.
The Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Project’s next show is slated for Aug. 14, according to its online calendar.
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