West Broadway Business and Area Coalition cancels FLOW Arts Crawl
Laurel Prenzlow, an assistant ceramics lab lead at Juxtaposition Arts, shows Nicolette Fleming how to create a clay cylinder on a potter’s wheel. Photo by David Pierini
By David Pierini, Editor
The West Broadway Business and Area Coalition said it will end the FLOW Northside Arts Crawl after 17 years.
The organization made the announcement in a written statement this morning, saying it needs to focus more attention in supporting West Broadway businesses potentially displaced by the proposed light rail construction project.
The WBC’s governing board wrote a letter to transportation officials last month to express formal opposition to building light rail down West Broadway.
"We are proud of what FLOW has accomplished over the past 17 years, but we recognize that we need to pivot our efforts to better serve the needs of our community," said Kristel Porter, WBC’s executive director. "We believe that by concentrating our resources on supporting local businesses and promoting economic development, including anti-displacement efforts, we can have a more significant impact on the community and help to build a more vibrant and sustainable future for North Minneapolis. Especially with the coming light rail, it is vital that we remain focused on the success of these businesses and anti-displacement efforts to ensure that our business district can thrive.”
This is a developing story with more information to follow. It is unclear whether another organization will step forward to continue the arts crawl.
FLOW was launched in 2006 and has been a popular summer event, showcasing Northside artists and musicians. Opponents have called light rail on West Broadway a death blow to the cultural significance of the iconic business corridor.
The Minneapolis NAACP is hosting a community meeting tonight 6-8 at 1101 West Broadway as an effort to “save our neighborhood and the tremendous investment we’ve made in our community.” The meeting was scheduled before the WBC’s announcement.