3500 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis (Walldogs)

Located on the north side of the building that currently houses B-Squad Vintage and Yeti Records, this mural was painted by David and Susie Butler as part of the Walldogs on Nicollet mural project.  Walldogs is a collaboration between the Lyndale and Kingfield Neighborhood Associations.  Ten murals at eight sites along Nicollet Avenue were painted from July 24th-27th, 2008.  It was "one of the largest creations of public art in Minneapolis’ history" (here).
 
This mural commemorates both Nicollet Park and the Minneapolis Millers baseball team.

"Nicollet Park is a former baseball ground located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The ground was home to the minor league Minneapolis Millers of the Western League and later American Association from 1896 to 1955. During its first season (1896) it was officially known as Wright Field name for one of baseball's founding fathers Harry Wright. The wood stadium was replaced by a steel and concrete stadium in 1912. Lights were installed in 1937.

"The ballpark was on a small block bounded by Nicollet Avenue on the east, 31st Street on the south, Blaisdell Avenue on the west and Lake Street (or 30th Street) on the north in the present-day Lyndale neighborhood. Home plate was in the southwest corner. A small ticket office building with a Spanish-style roof stood outside the right field corner, at the Nicollet-31st intersection.

"Joe Hauser hit 69 homers for the Millers in 1933. Ted Williams also made a bit of a splash here in 1938, on his way up to the major leagues, registering 43 round-trippers to lead the league. Willie Mays was enjoyed by the Minneapolis fans for only a month or so in 1951 before the parent club New York Giants rushed the young ballplayer to the big leagues.

"The park also held early National Football League games as the Minneapolis Marines and Minneapolis Red Jackets played some games there during the 1920s. In 1944 the Minneapolis Millerettes of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League called Nicollet Park home. Nicollet Park was also the place that the cereal Wheaties was first advertised. Augsburg College's football team played their home games at Nicollet from 1946 to 1950. The New York Giants and Green Bay Packers played a preseason game on August 29 1948 at Nicollet Park." (here)

Nicollet Park closed in 1955 and was demolished in 1956 after the Millers moved to the Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, MN. 

The Minneapolis Millers had a heated rivalry with the St. Paul Saints.  Unfortunately, the Millers team folded following their 1960 season after the Minnesota Twins arrived the following year.  In 1994, a new team called the Minneapolis Millers was formed as part of the Great Central League.  They played at Parade Stadium within the confines of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.  Though the league existed for only one season, the new Millers finished in second place. 

3019 Minnehaha Avenue, Minneapolis

The Resource Center of the Americas (RCTA) began as a grassroots organization in the 1980s, working on issues related to the Latino communities in the Twin Cities.  In 1999, the headquarters renovated and moved to this 15,000-square-foot building (originally built in 1921) on Lake and Minnehaha.  

The two-story mosaic on the southern wall was commissioned by the RCA in 2001 and is known as the "Mosaic of the Americas: Many Strengths, Many Struggles."  Led by Minnesota artists Gustavo Lira, Lori Greene, Deborah Ramos, and Mexican artists José Luis Soto, María Guadalupe García Rojas, Isa Campos, and Crescencio Méndez Gaspar, it included over 200 volunteers on the project. 

"They worked in a giant rented studio on Minnehaha Ave where they cut and painted a life-sized cardboard model of the mosaic. The mosaic helped reclaim Minnehaha and Lake Street, as the Resource Center worked to close an adjacent sauna and to have unwanted billboards and advertisements removed. The resulting work represents the connections between the United States and Latin America." (here)

The RCA closed in 2007 due to financial difficulties.  In 2008, it sold the building to Mosaic Properties, LLC for $1 million.  The Mosaic Building currently houses Glaciers Cafe.

For more information, check out this.

Zipps Liquor, 2618 E Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis

Outside of Zipps Liquor is a fabulously fun and bright mural.  PBR used the illustrations of Tofu Squirrel, aka Elizabeth Siegel, and a similar billboard hangs in Boston.

2627 E Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis

These were found on the utility boxes just outside True Thai restaurant.

1538 E Lake Street, Minneapolis

On the way to eat at Guayaquil Restaurant on East Lake (fabulous fried plantains, fyi), I noticed a bunch of graffiti along the alleyway to the west of Cadillac Pawn.

West side of alley, closest to East Lake Street

Far west side of alley



East side of alley, closest to East Lake Street

 

Middle east side of alley



Far east side of alley



Art is everywhere

We've got a decent amount of public art here in the Twin Cities.  Murals and graffiti decorate pockets of Minneapolis and St. Paul, especially in the neighborhoods that I work in, live in and drive through.  I wanted to document them in case businesses closed or the art was painted over. 

This image actually inspired this blog. 

Its all that's left of a butterfly mural on the corner of 36th and Nicollet in Minneapolis.  I've passed this wall for five years, and then one day it was gone. 















I hope to include information about the artists whenever possible.  If I make a mistake, or if you can attribute the artwork when I can't, please email me.  Also, if you know of any murals and graffiti in your neighborhood, let me know.