2012
Read MoreIn the newly remodeled offices of Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association (PPNA). you will find Sarah Lopez, PPNA’s Community Organizer. She was hired on August 1 this year and has immersed herself in meeting and greeting people in the neighborhood. Her grassroots approach and friendly manner have already brought people together. Becky Timm, PPNA Executive Director, says of Sarah, “I think she’s been a great hire, and there’s been very positive feedback from the neighborhood. She’s already met a number of people who work in different organizations that PPNA hasn’t been involved with before, and now we are. So we expect big things from her!” Besides working with ongoing PPNA programs and projects, like Powderhorn365, Powderhorn Empty Bowls, and the Powderhorn Art Fair, Sarah has several new projects in the works. A current one is the Powderhorn Podcast Audio Tour, created and narrated by community members. Sarah writes, “Thanks to a partnership with the Minnesota History Center, the Pillsbury House, PPNA, and the Park Board, you as a neighbor will have an opportunity to share with us stories you think people should hear about the park and identify storytellers.” There will be five recorded vignettes describing experiences in Powderhorn Park. Youth from Pillsbury House will interview storytellers and write the script with the help of Masanari Kawahara. A professional sound engineer will assemble the stories that will be recorded and used for audio tours in the park. There have been two community meetings, and there is one last meeting to hear and discuss which stories to use and which storytellers should participate. She believes this intergenerational conversation will help build community, develop pride in the diverse roots in our city, and explore the history of our neighborhood. Sarah was raised in Uruapan, Mexico, where her family resides today. She majored in history at Carleton College in Northfield, MN. Recently, she was Outreach Coordinator at the Latino Economic Development Center. Visit the office and meet Sarah and learn about PPNA and their projects or you may read or buy our Powderhorn365 books. You’ll probably see her at many events around Powderhorn, so introduce yourself. You won’t regret a moment of her energetic and generous spirit. A belated big welcome from the neighborhood to Sarah! The PPNA office is at 821 E. 35th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55407, 612-722-4817. (We have a link on this website.)
"Good Morning Powderhorn" Sunrise, December 30th, 2012. This is my last Powderhorn365 photo. You begin something, and it grows. In the end, what I learned isn't what I expected. The space around Powderhorn - the space, the land, the air, the light - these are what nourish me. I live a block off the park, and every morning, walking my pups, I head for the same overlook, to see the space, the light.. a chance for this country boy to take a deep breath in the middle of this city. The beauty is here, I just need to look. The beauty is everywhere I look in the morning. I lean towards the vista, the wide view, especially with my photos. I can relax, taking in this morning life, knowing that life is a force as old, as deep, as sure as the sunrise. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning.
"Thank you" Just got done shoveling! Anyways, being the Thursday photographer for Powderhorn365 in 2012 was an amazing experience. This project taught me much more about Powderhorn Park and myself than I thought possible. I wish this experience upon everyone. All the best to future Powderhorn365 photographers!
"3 Supportive Friends" Erin Moren (left), Cristina Benz (middle), my wife Laura Byard (right) and I met at the Powderhorn Park Rec Center while serving in City of Lakes AmeriCorps during the 2007-2008 school year. We came together to participate in Cristina's Empty Bowl Project hosted by her Washburn High ceramic arts students. The event was held at the Pillsbury House Theatre which was recently updated with a new desk, box office sign and a store and script library by Erin's amazing business Tandem Made (www.tandemmade.com) that she co-owns with her husband, Nate Moren.
"December 2nd, 2012. Sunday Morning Fog." There are mornings where the beauty of Powderhorn reaches out and holds me, captivated. This morning, I was about to rush off into my day when I looked out the window and saw the fog. "Freezing Fog over southern Minnesota" I had heard on the weather report. They didn't mention how beautiful it would be. The morning light filled the park with a silver light. It called out silently, stop! Look. Be.