Ugh. 2020.
What an onslaught. And yet Minnesota artists persisted, creating and sharing amidst the constraints of isolation, disease and social injustice. MinneCulture producers at KFAI found innovative ways to work around the pandemic and through the unrest, connecting us with timely art and history stories from around the state. The year was terrible, but the work was a triumph. Here are our editors’ picks for Most Memorable Stories of 2020.
The year started in ordinary fashion Minnesotan artists doing their thing, KFAI producers sharing their stories. Producer Anna Stitt gave us a beautiful story about the Voices of Hope women’s prison choir, Emily Bright brought us a story about a Hmong hip-hop artist who performed alongside his grandma, Dixie Treichel introduced us to interdisciplinary artist and dancer DejaJoelle, and KFAI program director Mason Butler profiled a film fest that actually encourages audiences to heckle.
When the future of an iconic music venue is on the line, artists and music lovers haven’t just stood around. Colleen Cowie reports from Minneapolis where a group of volunteers created the First Love Project, a compilation album that gives back to the famed music venue, First Avenue. Listen here:
Like many Minnesotans, musician and guitar technician Molly Maher has many favorite memories from inside First Avenue’s star-studded walls.
“First Avenue is truly the holy grail of venues,” says Maher. “Emmylou Harris turned 50 and she was playing First Avenue and somebody in the crowd made her a birthday cake. And to see Lucinda Williams get married! It’s not just a local iconic stage for us – it’s embraced all around by the music community all around the states and all around the world.”
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