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Video by Dying to Film. Recipes by Jenna Brower Von Siebolds.
Chef Jenna from Prairie Bay Grill prepares a special menu to show how tomatoes can be used in a variety of cultural dishes. What's on the menu? Click each dish below to get the recipe!
PICKLED TOMATOES - RUSSIAN PEBRE CON YUZU HALIBUT - CHILEAN CAPRESE SALAD - ITALIAN SHAKSHOUKA - NORTH AFRICAN When we share a meal together, we share our stories. Who's at your table? Share your story with us here! Sponsored by Region Five Development Commission and ArtPlaceAmerica. PICKLED TOMATOES - RUSSIAN
PEBRE - CHILEAN
CAPRESE SALAD - ITALIAN
SHAKSHOUKA - NORTH AFRICAN
Leech Lake Early Childhood has been making many strides to revitalize language and indigenous foods. Ryan White Photography & Design, a Leech Lake local company, captures these budding initiatives in a powerful and artistic manner to show the strength within the Leech Lake communities. Using a combined skill set White beautifully weaves together the many parts of this cultural and community revitalization movement.
For more information about Ryan White Photography & Design or the Leech Lake Early Childhood please see the following links: facebook.com/RyanWhitesPhotographyDesign llboearlychildhood.com/headstart Miigwech. Leech Lake Early Childhood Development: Aabinoojii Oshkii Bimadiziiwin Center (AOB)
The creative commissioned projects showcased in the video engaged five local artists:
Sharon Nordrum: Sharon is an experienced artist that started painting in 2012. Her inspiration comes from her dreams, her Ojibwe heritage, language, and stories and the natural world. Her work is filled with traditional Ojibwe symbolism. She is active in the communities of northern Minnesota and they range from art projects, youth work and radio shows. She has been a member of the Indigenous Foods Experts’ committee which keyed the foods highlight in AOB’s Farm to Early Care initiative and has been a key piece to its success in the classroom and in the kitchen. For this project, she created the traditional floral designs with needle felt work and taught of how we use our surroundings in our art and how they connect to tell a story. Lolly Aguilar: Lolly is an experienced artist and has offered various classes with women teaching them different techniques and teachings that go along with her art as well as teaching involving the Three Sisters. She is a lover of mandaamin (corn) and reaches beyond central Minnesota to become known as “the corn lady” in the tribal communities of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. She has been gifted many beautiful corn seeds, teachings and stories from all across Turtle Island and Mexico. One of the teachings she highlighted during this project is how to make the traditional corn husk dolls and the teachings of mandaamin and the Three Sisters. She created a beautiful corn husk doll that is now displayed at Sprout. Wesley Mays: Wesley is an experienced artist whose art gained popularity in 2011 and later evolved into authentic Native American Wearable Art. He views his art as a positive image for ourselves and has provided a positive influence and a positive example with the words and images he shares with everyone he comes into contact with. His art and his businesses help him raise American Indian people up, increase self-esteem, and increase pride in one self. Wesley created a collaborative canvased painting with some of the youth and families that are part of the Leech Lake Early Childhood program. This provided a more modern take on indigenous paintings and highlighted the importance of those teachings and the impact of community. Ryan White: Ryan is an experienced artist with 5 years of professional photography. He currently works with the Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC) as their Multimedia & Marketing Specialist and also does professional photography outside the LLTC and at several community events. He has captured amazing photos from different cultural events and the community of Leech Lake as a whole. He documented the various teachings through photographs and video and compiled them to create the video above. This highlights the intergenerational transfer of knowledge and skills in Indigenous culture as a whole and the methods and the meanings of their stories told through their art. David Northbird: Dave is currently the Director of Operations of the Boys and Girls Club of the Leech Lake Area. Dave is a life long learner of Anishinaabe song and dance culture. Dave has instructed drum teachings in the Leech Lake area for 20 years in the Cass Lake-Bena School District, Boys and Girls Club, and Leech Lake Tribal College. Drum making is an important part of a singers development so learning how to construct ones owe drum provides a high level of respect for his/her drum. This project was facilitated by Claire Chase, Leech Lake Area SNAP-Ed Coordinator. By Faith, Owner of Made By Faith My name is Faith, you may know me from past Sprout Markets. When I first started Made By Faith I didn’t think it would go anywhere. Sprout has made it a dream come true I wouldn’t be where I am now without them. I’ve met amazing people who’ve taught me so much and tried new things. To all kids out there that are creative and talented you don’t have to be an adult to be successful. So to anyone who wants to try something new and fun come to Sprout Market. Faith chats with Sprout after winning "Best Vendor Booth" at the 2017 Vendor Awards.
 Uncle Wheat & Eddie, a musical duo made up of Brad Wallace on cajón and Ed Koehler on guitar, performed at the Sprout Growers & Makers Marketplace on January 26th, 2019. While Brad “Uncle Wheat” Wallace grew up in Indiana, early connections to Minnesota pulled him and his wife to move to Cross Lake in 1977. “My wife vacationed in Longville as a kid and my family spent summers in Cross Lake,” Brad said. “We started dating in high school, got married in 1976, and knew we wanted to live here in Minnesota. We thought, if we were ever going to do it, we should do it right now.” Brad’s bandmate, Ed “Eddie” Koehler, also has roots in Minnesota, growing up in Hibbing and then teaching in Brainerd. Ed continues to teach on Thursday evenings to guitar students at Bridge of Harmony. "It would be hard to find a better guitar player than Ed Koehler, and it is just a pleasure to sing with him,” said Brad, whose stage name is “Uncle Wheat.” Uncle Wheat was a term lovingly given to him by his nieces and nephews. “My sister-in-law is from Chicago and she has a pretty strong accent. She says ‘Brad’ and my nieces and nephews tease her asking, ‘What kind of bread is he?’ And so, I became Uncle Wheat.” Brad and Ed have been playing together for 20 years, but only as a duo in recent years. “We've been friends for 20 years and were both in different bands over the last few years. Both of those bands broke up, so we got together as a duo,” said Brad. While both Brad and Eddie played in large bands of six to nine members, Brad says it became more difficult to find venues for the larger bands. “The band I was in, Decade Seven, had nine members and we really filled out the sound for music by Blood, Sweat & Tears as well as Chicago and Steely Dan. There was a lot of pride in that band because we played a lot of songs that other bands couldn't do. We used to say we played ‘Everything from Chevy Van to Steely Dan,’ and we did that for about eight years. Venues have become more reluctant to take a chance on hiring a bigger band. ” said Brad. Both Ed and Brad played in a six member band called SKATYRS (Still Kids After All These Years), which played music from the 50's, 60's, and 70's. As Brad says, “It was during a time when there were more events happening and people would hire bands for private parties. That band was around for about 15 years.” Brad says he hopes the region gets back to hiring larger bands, and that summer musical festivals in Pequot Lakes and Cross Lake have demonstrated the regional demand for more performance opportunities. Finding more consistent, year-round opportunities is an important factor to being able to keep a larger band together. “Our band Decade Seven practiced a lot, every week. When you have only six to eight opportunities to perform a year, it can be hard to sustain.” When Brad and Ed decided to play as a duo, they knew they would have many more opportunities to perform. “We went into the duo knowing that we could, if we wanted to, play every weekend in the summertime. But, I do still miss that big band sound.” Uncle Wheat and Eddie play a mix of tunes from 60's rock to Summertime by Ella Fitzgerald. New breweries and summertime venues in the region are great places for smaller musical acts. It’s clear when watching Uncle Wheat & Eddie that they are having a blast performing. “We just loved the opportunity to play at Sprout because it was something new to us, and helped give us an opportunity to play in the wintertime to stay sharp.”
Follow Uncle Wheat & Eddie on Facebook for upcoming performances.  A Sprout Art Mural designed by Julie Ingleman When Region Five Development Commission sent out a request to local artists for artwork to be displayed at the Sprout Growers & Makers Marketplace in Little Falls, local designer Julie Ingleman was both excited and inspired by the opportunity. Julie had been to the market building a few times and, from the beginning, had wished there was a more impressive entrance. Julie envisioned a large mural and began brainstorming for just the right content. She wanted to show the seasonal images of farm fields and while going through hundreds of stock farm photos, she found some bold aerial shots and knew this was the creative direction she wanted to pursue for the mural. The five large panels would represent spring, summer, and fall when the earth is awake and most productive. Julie wanted to let the mural artwork “sleep during the winter, as the earth does also,” she said. “I wanted to exhibit the color and vastness of what the earth gives and gives and then also remind all of us of our need to care deeply for the earth in gratitude for everything that it gives to us.” Julie also knew the ideal production method would be to print on exterior vinyl from Digital Ink Design & Graphics in Brainerd, MN. The substrate comes in rolls so the mural design could be 4-feet by 20+-feet long, which would be essential for the size of the proposed mural.  Julie reflected on childhood farm images and writing as she continued to develop the artwork and proposal. In her proposal Julie wrote: In his essay “Horizontal Grandeur,” the late Bill Holm, Minnesota poet and writer, wrote “The prairie is endless! It goes for a thousand miles...lit by brilliant sunsets and geometric beauty. As a mountain is high, a prairie is wide, horizontal grandeur, not vertical. It requires time and patience to comprehend. It unfolds gradually, revealing itself a mile at a time.” This is the land I grew up in...the prairie, my grandfather’s farm, the earth that I was taught to respect and honor, a gift to cherish. I am still mesmerized by the vast fields that change so dramatically from the first of spring until the last autumn harvest. Dry brown, then bright lime sprouts, then thick lush dark green, turned golden, then quickly darkened earth again. When creating my piece “Earthen” I wanted to reflect the geometric richness and delight that the earth gives us, has always given us, and which now, unfortunately, gives us deep concern for its very well-being. Julie’s proposal was submitted and after a couple of weeks she heard that her mural had been selected to move forward. She was thrilled, however, there was one caveat: the photos needed to reflect Minnesota farms. It was suggested to hire a drone photographer, but in order to depict the three seasons, the project would have gone into late fall with no guarantee that the photos would be as bold and interesting as the ones Julie had found after going through hundreds of them online. Julie asked for a few days to think about it and try to find a solution. After hours of googling, Julie found a photo with potential on a Minnesota Department of Agriculture website. Several emails and calls turned up zero leads. She then called Explore Minnesota, the State’s tourism resource, and spoke to Communications Manager, Erica Wacker. Erica said she’d dig around a little and within hours, came up with four aerial photos which were perfect for the project. After cleaning up the photos and carefully manipulating them in Photoshop and Illustrator, the mural was finished. “It was fabulous,” Julie said. “Even better than the original.” Inspired by Zen master, poet, and peace activist, Thich Nhat Hanh’s Love Letter to the Earth (Parallax Press, 2013), Julie added the words “We are The Earth and The Earth is Us.” and then her mural, EARTHEN....Honoring the Earth Beneath Us from Above, was ready for print.  _ _ _ _
Julie Ingleman has owned and operated her own design business for 40 years. With a beginning in graphic design, she evolved into designing home products, and ten years ago returned to graphic design full-time living in the Brainerd Lakes Area. Her studio is in her home among 40 tall pines trees on lovely Lake Margaret. She is passionate about color, space, and visual creativity in both residential and commercial settings. Those interested in work by Julie Ingleman Designs can contact Julie at julieingleman@gmail.com.
Miguel Mahlich of Tusk Metalworks talks about his art installation of harvest tables. The tables are each eight feet long with benches, creating a 50-foot picnic table for future harvest dinners at Sprout and where Growers & Makers Marketplace shoppers can sit, relax, and watch cooking demonstrations while enjoying lunch, beverages, and entertainment. The harvest table displays Mahlich’s creativity and skill using a combination of metal and woodworking.
Artist Statement:
The Harvest Tables & Benches, custom made for Sprout, are all about having a great place to sit and converse with others over a freshly cooked meal. With both red oak and white oak being used on the tables and benches, plus the addition of metal frameworks, these tables show uniqueness in their grain, colors, and different natural mediums. Such visual differences beautifully bring this project together, much like Sprout's goal to bring people of different cultures and places together. Miguel Mahlich Tusk Metalworks Combining Metal Fabricating and Woodworking to create custom pieces which will last a lifetime Video by Dying to Film. This project is made possible by ArtPlace America’s National Creative Placemaking Fund, awarded to Region Five Development Commission.
Tipi installation by Annie Humphrey and young women from Inger, Ball Club, Prescott, Mission, and Cass Lake.
This tipi was painted by young women from Inger, Ball Club, Prescott, Mission, and Cass Lake. The plant, animal, and sky symbols represent levels of earth and birch branches display the seven teachings: Truth, Honesty, Love, Humility, Wisdom, Courage, Respect
Find this permanent installation at Sprout in Little Falls, MN. #sproutmarketplace Video by Dying to Film. This project is made possible by ArtPlace America’s National Creative Placemaking Fund, awarded to Region Five Development Commission. |
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March 2019
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