Spring Into Summer with NYM

New York Mills Cultural Center & Niijii Radio

All are invited to Spring into Summer with the Cultural Center and Niijii Radio at this fun and family-friendly community art and cultural exchange event! Join us at the New York Mills Sculpture Park / Barn off Highway 10 in New York Mills 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 1st, 2022. This event is free to attend, open to all, and will include both free and pay-as-you-go art and cultural activities.

This is the 2nd Annual Spring Into Summer event and the Cultural Center is thrilled to partner with Niijii Radio this year. This partnership will bring the Buffalo River Dance Troupe to New York Mills to share Native dancing, drumming, and storytelling. As well as a variety of Indigenous artists and makers sharing quilling, beadwork, Indigenous foods, and more.

Finnish culture will be shared through “Salolampi in a Suitcase” from the Finnish Concordia Language Village located in Bemidji, MN. Salolampi offers a unique experience that immerses campers in a Finnish experience, with a goal to help people learn the Finnish language and culture, and more broadly, discover what it means to be a citizen of the world.

All cultures are welcome at this cross-cultural exchange. Do you have stories, traditions, artistic practices, or cultural food to share? Please join us! All those offering positive, family-friendly cross-cultural sharing are welcome.

The Cultural Center is proud to announce its participation in 4Ground: Midwest Land Art Biennial and plans to dedicate a new sculpture created by Minnesota Artist Paul Albright during this event. 4Ground is an inaugural contemporary art festival taking place June-August 2022. Conceived by Franconia Sculpture Park in collaboration with 20 community partners including tribal organizations, art museums, and land conservationists. 4Ground is a far-reaching initiative spanning four states (North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin) and tribal lands of the Upper Midwest. 4Ground is designed to raise awareness around important land and water issues affecting the region while celebrating the art, land and history of the rural Midwest. As well as boosting tourism of the region through suggested road trips to experience site-specific land art.

This annual event will once again focus on family-friendly community art activities after a fun and successful first event in 2021, including free children’s activities, PAY-AS-YOU-GO adult art activities, performing arts, artist and maker booths and demos, cultural exchange sharing, food trucks, Otter Tail County’s Precious Plastics “We Are Water” creation station, and more.

We will also kick off a Silent Art Auction at this event with a curated offering of locally made art. Silent auction will continue at the Cultural Center following this event and conclude at the Great American Think-Off on June 11th.

We are working hard to offer something for everyone at this open community event. Thanks to all the artists, makers, organizational partners, and businesses for coming together for this fun cross-cultural art event! Please note, in case of extreme/inclement weather, rain date is Thursday, June 2nd; visit kulcher.org and social media for updates. Questions? Call 218-385-3339 or email [email protected].

This activity is made possible in part by voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

About the Cultural Center

The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center is a rural hub for creativity, community vitality, and lifelong learning in the arts. The Center offers visitors intimate opportunities to encounter art and artists in its 80-seat concert listening room, visual art gallery in a historic building, gift shop featuring local artists, artist residency program, sculpture park, and a variety of opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. Since its incorporation in 1990, the Cultural Center has been passionate about connecting people to artists and rich cultural experiences in rural Minnesota, celebrating the local and being a window to the world. For more information, call 218-385-3339, or visit www.kulcher.org.