minn2_130
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The eastern wall of the Minneapolis American Indian Center (MAIC) at 1530 E. Franklin Avenue has been turned into a 3,306 square foot canvas. Guided by Native youth, mural artists Gregg Deal and Votan have created a stunning new mural alongside George Morrison’s wood collage on the MAIC that showcases the wealth of Native public art in the Phillips Community. This new mural acts as an entrance to the American Indian cultural corridor along Franklin Avenue. The MAIC mural was a collaboration between ClearWay Minnesota, a non-profit working to reduce commercial tobacco usage; the Native Youth Alliance of Minnesota; and community organizer Charlie Thayer. The project was further supported by Mary LaGarde, Executive Director of MAIC, and Frank Downwind and Ozzie Snowdon from Little Earth of United Tribes. (Coco VIillaluz with Lindsey Fenner - The Alley Newspaper)
Franklin Avenue - American Indian Cultural Corridor is the only urban American Indian corridor in the country. Through the federal relocation period of the 1950’s and 60’s where the federal government encouraged thousands of American Indian people to leave their reservations and move to cities, Franklin Avenue became an important gathering place for Indian people. Franklin Avenue developed a national reputation as the heart of Minneapolis’ urban American Indian community. To this day, the area surrounding the Cultural Corridor is the densest concentration of urban American Indian people in the country.
