Liquid Zoo at Bauhaus over Art-A-Whirl weekend. (Luis de Leon)
Visitors and Northeasters alike showed up to support the arts, bringing with them the sense of pride and energy that emanates from Northeast this time of year.
From block after block of artists selling their work at front-lawn displays, to local hotspot breweries and the bustling Northrup King Building hosting hundreds of makers and musicians, it was clear: Art-A-Whirl was back for its 30th year.
“This isn’t just a local event anymore,” Anna Becker, executive director of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA), said. “We’ve got people coming from Iowa. We’ve got people coming from Seattle. We’ve got people coming from Massachusetts.”
Becker, who has served as executive director of the festival’s parent organization since 2018, said the event continues to get bigger year after year. On the weekend of May 16-18, around 1,400 member artists were interspersed between 100 sites throughout Northeast, according to Becker.
“As it’s grown, we’ve just become more polished in how we manage it,” Becker said.
Becker explained that, for several years, NEMAA membership sat at around 1,000 member artists, a number which dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic. But in 2022, NEMAA saw a 40% jump in membership, which meant growth for the event. This growth has continued to hold strong ever since. Local musicians also held a strong presence throughout the weekend, with popular spots like Bauhaus and Sociable Cider Werks hosting stages alongside dozens of artists, vendors, and food trucks.
While it’s not yet known what the estimated attendance was, Becker said she starts with monitoring their website traffic around the weekend of events. Compared to last year’s numbers, Becker says they saw a 10-15% increase in website visitors.
“Art-A-Whirl is not just an art event. It is an economic boon for the entire community, for the city and for the region. The amount of positive impact that Art-A-Whirl causes is almost immeasurable.”
For the past decade or so, Peter Vanni has been displaying his sculptures and allowing visitors to explore his workshop at his studio and gallery, Archipelago Metalworks, based in the Northrup King Building. Vanni says Art-A-Whirl often helps him get new projects.
“There are specific jobs I got because of it,” Vanni said as visitors filed in and out of his studio. “People have come in and they see me over the years and they came back when they needed a sculpture.”
This year, painter and clay artist Sue Christensen of Sideshow Gallery, a longtime Art-A-Whirl vendor, returned to selling artwork from her lawn. She previously spent eight years displaying and selling from Sociable Cider Werks and Brickmania Toys.
Having seen the growth of the event for years, she explained the significance of continuing to have such a unique event during a time when the arts are needed most.
“This is probably more important than it’s ever been, and it’s important to be doing it on our own,” Christensen said.
While attendees filled Sociable Cider Werks’ front lawn to enjoy live music and walk through a sea of booths, designer and digital artist Hawwaa Ibrahim was at her second year of Art-A-Whirl with her store, HAWWAA Studios. She traveled to Minneapolis from her home in Mankato to display and sell her handmade clothing and accessories, among other items.
“I try to make sure that the things that I’m creating and the designs that I want to put out there, whether it’s clothing or accessories or anything in between, really represent what I stand for as a Muslim woman who designs,” Ibrahim said. “There’s obviously not a lot of us in that space.”
“Being an artist, it’s important to pay attention to what we’re also putting out there, but also how are we making the other people who are viewing our art feel, right? What emotions do we want to evoke within that space?” Ibrahim said. “I want to be there for people — let them see that they can do it as well, but also that there are people like me who are here who are trying to provide people with sustainable, ethically made, handmade clothing.”
That sentiment of inclusivity, expression and creative connection could be felt throughout the weekend. For Becker, it’s exactly the kind of gathering she believes needs to be preserved to continue supporting the arts.
“It’s these events that create a sense of community and positiveness that helps people feel less isolated and really drives home the ‘we’ instead of the ‘me’ in the world that we absolutely need,” Becker said. “The fact that Art-A-Whirl can do this for the community and bring people together and generate this positive impact is really important, and it should be replicated all over the place.”