First City of Lights

It's a week away! Black Friday. Buy Nothing Day. Whatever you call it, the best part of the day after Thanksgiving is not the fabulous sales or the satisfaction of boycotting the sales or even the turkey leftovers. Its the First City of Lights parade in Bemidji.

Thousands of people converge on the downtown to watch the parade and celebrate the lighting of the downtown and trees in Paul Bunyan Park.


Like every year for many (how many years? 10? 15?) floats are under construction, costumes are being created, downtown businesses are planning specials, lights are being strung, and Santa is scheduling his arrival. There's only one problem: the fund to pay for the lights still needs help.


If you can donate a bit to help this fun community event, please drop your donation at the Chamber building or even better, go online and make a donation to the First City of Lights fund hosted by the Northwest Minnesota Foundation. Its safe, secure and easy. The Chamber website has a link to the online giving site. AND, don't forget to gather the family and get downtown for the event. The parade's at 6:00pm.

Downtown Changes

Changes are coming for the huge expanse of asphalt at the Pamida site in downtown Bemidji. The property has been subdivided into two parcels and the north 2/3 of the site will be redeveloped with a 2-storefront building. I'm not sure of the timeline for the redevelopment, but the Joint Planning office has received a preliminary plan for a structure on the site.

At first blush, the site plan does not appear to provide space for the Farmer's Market. As BemidjiMike notes in his blog post this week, having the market downtown is a real asset.
The City Engineer, Craig Gray and I have made comments on the preliminary plan, but it will be the Joint Planning Office that reviews the plan for compliance with the zoning ordinance. Craig's comments were centered around the stormwater management on the site and street access. I had a variety of comments and concerns including parking for Pamida, access onto Paul Bunyan Dr, landscaping, and parkland dedication, (which is required with this commercial lot division).

It will be interesting to see how the plan develops.

Standing on the Corner, Watching All the Girls Go By

There are a lot of odd characters hanging out on Bemidji’s downtown corners. They arrive in June and stay for about a year, braving the elements and posing for tourists. The most famous is Patton on the corner of Third and Minnesota, but he is not necessarily the most popular sculpture.



The Sculpture Walk is just one way that the downtown arts scene brings people into downtown and gives them a reason to get out of their cars. Murals downtown and all the businesses that display local artwork make downtown special and add economic benefit too.

Last year I was researching information for a grant application and came across Making the Case for Culture. This site provides a wealth of information about the positive contributions of a vibrant cultural sector in a community. One section, Culture as an Economic Engine, outlines nine ways that culture-based businesses and organizations provide economic benefit to a community. Their research confirms what we already knew: a vibrant arts and culture sector are an essential part of a successful community.


In Minnesota, the arts generate more than $1 billion in economic activity per year. We support arts and culture through the State Arts Board. This state agency was created by the state legislature to advance the interests of the fine arts. They provide funding for several arts initiatives like artists in residence at schools and grants to local artists. The Board functions in part through Regional Arts Councils, including the local Region II Arts Council and oversees the percent for art program that secures artwork for publicly funded buildings. (The Bemidji Regional Event Center will have a percent for art component.)

Locally, the County provides support to the Beltrami County Historical Society, which is located in the Beltrami County History Center. Recently their support has been reduced, perhaps in part because of the County’s support of the Blackduck History and Arts Center.


The City of Bemidji provides public space for the Sculpture Walk and the Veteran’s Memorial sculptures. The City also owns the Depot, home of the History Museum and the City owns the Carnegie Library building, which houses the Bemidji Community Arts Center. Both buildings have historic or cultural importance; the History Center is the last depot built by railroad tycoon, James J. Hill and the Carnegie Library is on the National Register of Historic Places. The buildings are provided rent-free with the tenants responsible for utilities and maintenance.

Unfortunately, the pinch of our economic downturn will hit arts organizations hard. Even with free rent, the high cost of utilities makes it difficult for the BCAC and the Historical Society to make ends meet. And the State Arts Board may not survive our current (and future) budget deficit. The Governor’s proposed budget slices them by 50% in 2009 and ultimately would have them transition from a public entity to a private non-profit by 2011. Funding from the Legacy Amendment will help, but it isn’t clear how it will be distributed.

One thing is sure; public and private support make strong and successful art and culture organizations possible. Supporting arts and culture is everyone’s job. So if you haven’t joined the Historical Society or visited the History Center or the Arts Center recently, this would be a good week to do it. The Arts Center gallery and gift Shop 426 are open Tuesday through Friday 12-5pm and Saturday 12-4pm. The History Museum is open M-Saturday 10-4. And of course, the Sculpture Walk is available 24 hours a day. Get out and support our local art and culture.

On the Cover of ......Womens's Press

Congratulations to local artist Paula Swenson whose work is featured on the cover of this month's Women's Press magazine. Swenson's painting "Be Here Now" represents a "self-portrait of sorts" and features her signature vibrant colors.

I am lucky to own one of Paula's paintings--this bright vase of daisies and goldenrod. I purchased it at the Uptown, (before it was the Wild Hare Bistro).

You may have seen the mural that graces the north exterior wall of the Wild Hare building. That's Paula's work too. It's just one example of the wonderful art that enriches our downtown. I hesitate to make a list because I can't name them all, but the Sculpture Walk, Gallery North, Bemidji Community Arts Center, and all the businesses that host artists, are places that make downtown Bemidji a great destination for viewing and buying art.