Commerce East – April showers brings May flowers

A few weeks ago, our Seasonal Creations class planted Cosmos in newspaper planters. They germinated and grew. Without wind, the plants stems were thin and weak and they fail to thrive.

On Thursday, May 10^th, our Science class obtained permission, borrowed tools from the assistant director and transplanted the Cosmos into the ground. We were able to place them outside the Commerce East work floor window. To prevent mistaken identities with weeds, we made a fence out of colorful Popsicle sticks, hot glued together and reinforced with silver ribbons. Hopefully, this will ensure their survival from imminent termination from the lawn mower. Unfortunately, due to the recent rain and wind, our makeshift fence did not survive.

The Cosmos survived the weekend. We observed some of the plants already showed signs of health with stockier stalks, and thicker foliage.



Healty



Not Healthy

Some are still recovering from the lack of exercise and some appeared to be giving up; but we remain optimistic they will thrive and become like this: 



What our Cosmos strive to be



We even observed flowers!



Our flower.



Commerce East – Activities

May is here, which means that camp season is just around the corner. This year, some clients are already talking, making plans, and excited about camp! Camp will be a topic we will revisit when the time approaches.

The discussion about camps led to talking about other activities to do this summer. Our own resident DJ Richard was interested in up coming concerts so this we found some big names coming to Minnesota:

·        Van Halen – Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN May 19, 2012

·        Nickelback – Target Center, Minneapolis, MN May 23, 2012

·        Neil Diamond - Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN July 11, 2012

·        Cold Play – Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN August 10^th and 11^th, 2012

·        Jason Mraz – Target Center, Minneapolis, MN September 16, 2012

·        Madonna – Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN November 3^rd and 4^th, 2012

For more information on concerts and other show tickets, checkout Ticketmaster.com.

Another fun activity for the summer is catching all those summer movie hits. One such movie is The Avengers, released in theaters today. It stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Scarlet Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye.

To find out where the movie is playing and show times, visit Moviefone.com.

Westside explores local sculpture parks!

There are many places to see sculptures in the twin cities area and here are a few examples of our favorites!

Minneapolis sculpture garden at the Walker art museum

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is located on Vineland Place, across from the Walker Art Center. The 11-acre garden is a joint project of the Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. The Park Board maintains the Garden grounds and provides a public information staff in the Cowles Conservatory. The Walker Art Center oversees all artistic programs, including exhibitions of works of art, performances, and educational activities that take place in the Garden. The Walker also provides for the conservation of the sculptures themselves.

About 75 years ago, the area the Garden now occupies was called the Armory Gardens, which featured a large brick National Guard building and formal gardens. The building was torn down in 1933, but the elaborate garden remained under the management of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. In the late 1960s, Interstate Highway 94 severed the connection between Loring Park and the garden, and eventually the acreage in front of the Walker Art Center became a playing field. In 1988 the Walker and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board collaborated to turn that playing field into the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. In 1992 it was expanded from 7.5 to 11 acres, making it the largest urban sculpture garden in the country at the time. There are more than 40 works on permanent view. Additional temporary installations keep the Garden experience continually fresh.

Western Sculpture park

Western Sculpture Park is located on Marion Avenue between Interstate 94 & University Avenue, just west of the Minnesota State Capitol and in the heart of the City’s most densely populated and diverse neighborhood. It is open during daylight hours year-round.

Western features pre-existing sculptures works loaned by artists and installations created on site. The exhibition is produced by Public Art Saint Paul with support from private funders.

The Anderson Center

163 Tower View Drive, PO Box 406
Red Wing, MN, 55066

Named one of the top artistic destination points in the upper Mississippi River region by National Geographic Traveler Magazine, the Anderson Center has served the artistic community and the citizens of Minnesota through artistic leadership, program development, and support since 1995. A national registered landmark, the Anderson Center's mission is to uphold the unique wealth of the arts in the region; to develop, foster, and promote the creation of works by artists of all kinds; and to provide leadership and services that help to insure a strong, healthy arts community and a greater recognition of the value of the arts in society.

Sculpture Garden and Nature Walk:

Developed by the Center in 1996, with assistance from the Red Wing Environmental Learning Center and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, this 15 acre park is one of Minnesota's largest sculpture gardens and includes works by nationally and internationally acclaimed sculptors, including Charles Biederman, Siah Armajani, and Zoran Mojsilov. Complete with observation deck, walking trails, benches, picnic areas, interpretive signs, mesic prairie areas, a model of the solar system, and stunning vistas of the Cannon River valley, this spacious open-air gallery serves as an artistic and educational resource, a natural habitat, and a quiet place where one can glimpse a sampling of the region's original native ecosystem. There are currently over 30 sculptures in the garden and Anderson Center grounds.

Franconia Sculpture Park

Franconia Sculpture Park is located 45 minutes northeast of the Twin Cities at the intersection of Hwy 8 (Lake Blvd) and Hwy 95 (St. Croix trail) in Chisago County, Franconia, Minnesota.

Franconia Sculpture Park is an innovative community arts organization that provides residence and work space to emerging and established artists. A lively schedule of programs and events for art lovers of all ages includes 3D Concert Series, Kids Make Sculpture Workshops, Community Collaboration Hot Metal Pour, artist-led tours , the Fall Annual Art & Artists Celebration, and specific programs for at-risk youth. The 20-acre park, with a rotating collection of over 95 contemporary sculptures, reflects the creative talents of local, national, and international artists and is free and open to the public 365 days a year, dawn to dusk.