The Guthrie Theater

The place that I chose for this exhibit was the Guthrie theater. With its rich history dating back to the 1960s, this exhibit demonstrates that to be recognizable and one of the best, willingness to work together and a surmountable amount of investment needs to be done. In the “A History of the Guthrie Theater” stated that the T.B. Walker Foundation donated the land behind the Walker Art Center for the building and contributed $400,000 for construction. The committee behind this idea agreed to raise at least $900,000 from the community. The construction of the Guthrie Theater for many symbolized the birth of the not for profit resident theater movement. With the help of many dedicated volunteers, a statewide fundraising effort was launched and more than $2.2 million was raised. The theater was completed in 1963.

The image of Edward Binns and Glynn Turman in the production of “Harpers Ferry” makes the idea of creating the Guthrie Theater comes to life. People wanted something that was great and different from what they already had, and the standstill of this image captures just that. The Guthrie Theater undertook a model program for graduate students as interns for acting, directing, design, playwright and management. This overtook the promise that the Guthrie Theater had been built for.

Similarly, this tweet about Guthrie Summer Camps demonstrates how over the years, the Guthrie Theater has expanded and grown into the well-known and prestigious education that it was intended to be since the beginning. It is no longer just available for the undergraduate to pursue a degree in the arts and theater, but it had expanded to include programs that involves those who in the future can attend as an undergraduate. The opening of summer camps for children highlights and comes to prove what the founders wanted when it was created, having achieved being one of the best theaters in the area.

One of the reasons that the theater had such a success besides the force of supporters and helpers that contributed to undertake this project, was the place in which the theater was constructed. The founders of the theater visited seven cities but were ultimately drawn to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area because of its location. Minneapolis/St. Paul was considered the heartland of America with its presence of a vibrant cultural community, the presence of a large state university and many small collages around it and the enthusiasm that was shown by the people for the new theater project. Having the theater in the heart of Minneapolis/St. Paul makes it a popular and well known for the locals but also an intriguing spot for the visitors.

Such a popular and prestigious place rich with history like the Guthrie Theater would not have been possible if it wasn’t for the effort that was put behind by volunteers, organizations that were willing to donate money and their help in any way possible. Their willingness to work as a team for a common goal and invest on it is what made the Guthrie Theater what it is today.

Sources:

1. www.guthrietheater.org/globalassets/pdf/guthrie_history.pdf
2. “LibGuides: Guthrie Theater: Secondary Sources: Books & Articles.” Secondary Sources: Books & Articles – Guthrie Theater – LibGuides at Minnesota Historical Society Library, libguides.mnhs.org/guthrie/secondary. https://libguides.mnhs.org/guthrie/secondar
3. “2019 Guthrie Summer Camps.” 19 Mar. 2019. https://twitter.com/GuthrieTheater?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
4. “Guthrie Theater – Shows, Tickets, Map, Directions.” JamBase, 24 Aug. 2015, http://www.jambase.com/venue/guthrie-theater

Guthrie Theater

Razing of Sharei Zedeck

This exhibit demonstrates that the Jewish Orthodox is expanding their population by their renovated and thriving synagogue in Minnetonka despite of their hardships of their demolished synagogues in North Minneapolis on Bryant Avenue and their relocation on Morgan Avenue.

Sharei Zedeck synagogue which was also known as “Greener shul” (green synagogue, was established during the immigrant era. Those who represented the synagogue during the immigrant era were also called the “greenhorns.” Orthodox Jews fled their homelands in Israel. They found their ways to Minneapolis as they found jobs in their community of business fabrics. Sharei Zedeck synagogue was the last Orthodox in Minneapolis during the immigrant era. Before 1920, it was originally called Bet Ahron. The synagogue was located on on 726 Bryant Avenue North. In 1936, the synagogue was demolished to make room for Sumner Field housing project, a community for African Americans.

Later that year, they built a new synagogue on 1119 Morgan Avenue. An architectural firm even designed the new synagogue to be green since the nickname decided to stay within their community. They also had a new nickname, “Morgan shul.” In 1969, Sharei Zedeck sold its synagogue to Missionary Baptist Church. This forced Sharei Zedeck to merge with another synagogue that goes by Gemelus Chesed that was located in St. Louis Park. In 1973, both synagogues combined their names to Sharei Chesed Congregation. The two legendary Rabbis from each synagogue, S.I Levin (Sharei Zedeck synagogue) and George S. Sektor (Gemelus Chesed synagogue) successfully led the new Congregation.

Essentially, Sharei Chesed Congregation relocated to a new home in Minnetonka, 2008 and is now thriving because of their community center, Shabbat programs, their religious services, and children’s opportunities to attend school that are lead in English and Hebrew. Their spiritual leader currently is Rabbi Daniel Ettedgui.

S.I Levin, who led the Sharei Zedeck Synagogue and the merged Sharei Chesed Congregation for more than sixty-three years. Was acknowledged to be one of the highly and respected dean of Minneapolis Orthodox rabbis. He was also a writer for the Hebrew journals and was also a founder of the Minneapolis Federation and the Jewish family and Children’s Service. He died in 1984.

In conclusion, all my sources indicate that renowned synagogue Sharei Chesed is quite successful because of their beautiful and Modern location in Minnetonka. Regardless of the difficulties the Jewish Orthodox had to endure when Sharei Zedeck was razed on Bryant Avenue and the selling of their synagogue on Morgan Avenue. Sharei Chesed Congregation is among one of the best and well respected religious institutions here in Minnesota.

**Bibliography**

Primary Source One: Images 

“Razing of Sharei Zedeck Synagogue, 726 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis.” MNopedia. Accessed May 03, 2019. http://www.mnopedia.org/multimedia/razing-sharei-zedeck-synagogue-726-bryant-avenue-north-minneapolis.

“Sharei Zedeck Synagogue, 726 Bryant Avenue North, Razed for Sumner Field Project, Minneapolis.” Mnhs.org. Accessed May 04, 2019.http://collections.mnhs.org/cms/largerimage?irn=10104440&catirn=10722713&return=q=sharei zedeck.

Primary Source Two: Timeline

“Sharei Chesed Congregation, Minnetonka.” MNopedia. Accessed May 15, 2019. http://www.mnopedia.org/group/sharei-chesed-congregation-minnetonka.

Secondary Source One: Words

“Sharei Zedeck Synagogue.” Sharei Zedeck Synagogue – City of Minneapolis. Accessed May 04, 2019.http://www.minneapolismn.gov/hpc/landmarks/hpc_landmarks_morgan_ave_n_1119_sharei_zedeck_synagogue.

Secondary Source Two: Words

“Sharei Zedeck.” Placeography RSS. Accessed May 04, 2019.http://www.placeography.org/index.php/Sharei_Zedeck.

Secondary Source Three: Social Media

“Old Minneapolis.” Old Minneapolis – Sharei Zedeck Synagogue 726 Bryant… Accessed May 04, 2019.https://www.facebook.com/oldmpls/photos/a.119636488056535/705089496177895/?type=1&theater.

Secondary Source Four: Words

Shareichesed.org. Accessed May 15, 2019. http://www.shareichesed.org/history.html.

Jenny Lind Elementary

The students of Jenny Lind Elementary during the years of 1978 to 1988 had a unique elementary experience that they will never forget.

The students of the 1978 to 1988 Jenny Lind Elementary school were educated in a building that was erected in 1937. The school was later renovated in 1950 and 1954. A 1931 inspection of Jenny Lind Elementary resulted in the requirement of a new boiler room, along with more fire safety. To say the least the school was old, and the students and staff recognized that and respected it, giving the building care to help it withstand the test of time.

Plot Plans. Jenny Lind, scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/27982685_117561929064441_5705477444569341405_o.jpg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_ht=scontent-sea1-1.xx&oh=d3f63e202baf7f31a63ba361aa7113af&oe=5D60DAB0. Pictured above is the plot plans for Jenny Lind Elementary.

Although the students of Jenny Lind Elementary were educated in a historic building, the things they remember most are the educators and staff of the school. Art Sloth, a principal of Jenny Lind, is recognized as a caring man, who always cared for the well being of all of the students within the school. Mr. Sloth also maintained a nursery, which the students were able to learn about the nurturing of plants. Many students share memories of gym class with Mr. Andersen, and his “Chicken Fat” workout DVD. They recall having to climb ropes, running in place, and doing sit-ups to the DVD’s instructions. Other students shared personal stories of their homeroom classmates and teachers, each one of them interactive and intriguing in their own way.

Works Cited

Barse, A C. “Fire-Report-1931-Lind.” Minneapolis Public Schools History, 2013.Jim Franzen, and Jude Richter.
https://mpshistory.mpls.k12.mn.us/uploads/fire-report-1931-lind.pdf

“Chicken Fat – Robert Peterson.” Https://Www.facebook.com/Permalink.php?story_fbid=635922683125941&Id=15180289820
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=635922683125941&id=151802898204591&__xts__[0]=68.ARB1QRXU_yxYNP8bXBe1WNGKanpW-vwMowJnV2Q_2UcuClPqxYoeJSGGyKGdCSRfKU1fTE3d4EskXbK8yD_PiXPX9M5M15qeTGm7nW9cEorxG-_hTwuEUDiQfhu8LcYF1y0IrYFyK6kAdj_E0tZXRdtcL9j15NemlcOKgsd0XGWyvuZz1lR31viW0zFx-9IeVB—BuV0HOF56Dfc1b6dk0xXjeciSX0tWV4QaFdanhPvvcV1nnqVOb_N0vBW_oS7LW_ObEr4SB-7Qr6MdJxaioG9t6ZtJC30uvm7GAcJat-37ZzBpXCc8Owg67cwqemdYjDf0OqHYCPpeELOpuV_i0&__tn__=-R 4591&__tn__=-

Plot Plans. Jenny Lind, scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/27982685_117561929064441_5705477444569341405_o.jpg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_ht=scontent-sea1-1.xx&oh=d3f63e202baf7f31a63ba361aa7113af&oe=5D60DAB0. Minneapolis.” 

https://mpshistory.mpls.k12.mn.us/uploads/pff-1963-lind.pdf 10 Feb. 2018.“Pff-1962-Lind.” Minneapolis Public Schools History, 2013.

Bryant Ave: History of Education

This exhibit demonstrates that during the early 20th century southern Minneapolis saw an increase in the number of schools centered around Bryant Avenue.

When looking at education around Bryant avenue two schools in particular come to mind. These two being the “Clara Barton School” and the “Lake Harriet Montessori School” The Clara Barton school was initially founded in 1905 with some minor renovations being made in 1923. The school was named after Clara Barton a civil war nurse who helped found the American Red Cross. In the early years the school served mainly families which lived on Bryant, Lyndale, Aldrich and Colfax Avenues. Although the school started with an intimate class size and maintained this for much of its history, by the 50’s had swollen from its recommended rate of 450 students to the 548 which actually inhabited the school. These rates help to showcase just how important the Clara Barton school was to the surrounding community and how the rapid growth of the student body and expectations placed immense strain on the schools resources.

Lake Harriet served a similar role to Clara Barton, being founded in 1906 with subsequent renovations in both 1908 and 1911. Although smaller the school helped to alleviate some of the pressure being placed on other schools in the area and also increased the coverage for education in the region. This smaller size however led to similar issues the Clara Barton schooled faced in which the school had dramatically been overpopulated by the 50’s. Efforts to fix this helped to bring the numbers down however they once again skyrocketed by the end of the next decade. Although schools have been added to the surrounding area these first two have an indelible mark on the education of the community and its fabric as a whole.

All of my sources help to show the increase in schools in southern Minnesota, and the impact this had on the surrounding community. This impact increased over the years, just as the schools did. Ultimately the impact of these schools forever changed the face of modern education in southern Minnesota. Being an important wave of modern schools for their time.

Sources:

“Barton.” Barton. Accessed May 04, 2019. https://mpshistory.mpls.k12.mn.us/Barton.html.

“Lake Harriet.” Lake Harriet. Accessed May 04, 2019. https://mpshistory.mpls.k12.mn.us/Lake_Harriet.html.

“Lake Harriet” Accessed May 04, 2019.  https://mpshistory.mpls.k12.mn.us/uploads/pff-1963-lakeharriet.pdf“Clara

Barton School” Accessed May 04, 2019.  https://mpshistory.mpls.k12.mn.us/uploads/pff-1963-barton.pdf

R.P Russell’s House and Claim Shanty

This exhibit demonstrates how R.P Russell contributed to the bryant avenue community with his house and claim shanty while also providing goods to customers at his R.P Russell store.

My first source discusses the structures chosen location and when it was built:

R.P Russell built the claim shanty in 1852 six years before Minnesota became a state. The shanty was built in the particular location so that he can claim land east of Lake Calhoun. The shanty was turned into a garage at some point. This source shows me that back when R.P Russell bought the shanty people were eager to claim areas near Bryant avenue. (Picture Bellow)

My second source shows R.P Russell’s store, I chose this source to demonstrate how Bryant avenue is close to Minneapolis MN and how many residents in Bryant avenue benefited from his store since it was in the community. His store was also the first store in St. Anthony later known as Minneapolis MN 1849. (Picture Bellow)

For my third source it discusses how the real estate developer Roswell P. Russell created subdivisions for the neighborhood so that it can be better styled, properties like his claim shanty helped this process. This building and many others of his influence Bryant avenue and many neighboring housing areas.

sources:

1. Minneapolis Minnesota Gallery – 1800’s, www.lakesnwoods.com/Minneapolis/1800s.htm.

2.Thomas, Dylan. “A Slice of Wedge History.” Southwest Journal, 1 June 2016, www.southwestjournal.com/focus/neighborhood-spotlight/2016/06/a-slice-of-wedge-history/.

3. “Lowry Hill Neighborhood Association.” Lowry Hill Neighborhood Association, 8 May 2019, www.lowryhillneighborhood.org/.

These sources support my thesis because they show how R.P Russell’s claim shanty becomes a part of  Bryant avenue. The sources also demonstrate how his claim in Bryant avenue was an influence to the neighborhood and many other areas. His home adds on to the many people that have a history in Bryant avenue and how each of them had an influence on the community. All in all the home that he left behind has an important story behind it and that is what makes it unique in Bryant avenue.

John G. Gluek Family Estate: Mansion and Carriage House

Exhibit By: Brooke Sheehy

This exhibit will show that the Gluek Estate, built in 1902, has housed a famous family of brewers and maintained itself as the first house on Bryant Ave and has served as the model of Victorian architecture with Georgian Revival detail and ornamentation for later Minneapolis homes in the early 20th century.

John G. Gluek Mansion & Carriage House on a sunny spring day in early May

The John G. Gluek Mansion and accompanying Carriage House create a significant estate that is one leading examples of the Georgian Revival architectural style in Minneapolis. Also, the house by itself is a masterpiece of one of Minneapolis’ most important early 1900’s residential architects by the name of William Kenyon.

The Colonial Revival architectural style first appeared in Minnesota in the late 19th century, starting with the Hinkle Murphy House in the vicinity of downtown Minneapolis. Shortly after this first introduction, the style made its way to a small suburb of Wayzata, where a whole street row of neo-georgian villas lined up along Lake Minnetonka. Proper economic conditions in Minneapolis kept homeowners in the city from building these elaborate and embellished masterpieces until after the turn of the century leaving Minneapolis filled with Georgian related buildings by the time that World War I came around.

The Gluek Mansion was designed and built in 1902 at the beginning of this extraordinary surge of neoclassical populism in the typical Minneapolis home design. Strikingly more clear than its Nineteenth Century precursors, this mansion in particular set the character and created the framework for the stages of the Georgian style that would shortly influence countless Minneapolis streets. Its resplendent front porch, opposition of luxuriant window ornamentation to extensions of free wall, and delicate blend of genuine Georgian embellishment with Kenyon’s expanding fancy for rectilinear waveform as a principal testament of the conversion from late Victorian to early modern architectural design.

The architect of John G. Gluek and Minnie Gluek’s house, William M. Kenyon, designed over 70 residences with the Georgian Revival style in the greater Minneapolis area, the Gluek Mansion being one of his firsts. While Neo-Georgian style continued to be an option, brick became the material of choice to many house owners which became “scholarly” designs. While the market wanted these scholarly brick houses, the Gluek mansion remained Kenyon’s “pre-scholarly or anti-scholarly approach” according to architectural historian Paul Larson because one of the most striking features of the house is that each of the rooms are designed slightly different with dissimilar coving in junction of the wall with the ceiling and glazing patterns in the windows.   

The Mansion and the Carriage House were not designed by the same architect. The Carriage House was actually designed by a different firm in the exact same year as the mansion. Two men by the name of Boehme and Cordella were distinguished architects from Minneapolis at the time who were responsible for the designs of many brewery related buildings in the area. Choosing these two architects known for their brewery designs was no mistake as John Gluek himself was an owner of the Gluek Brewing company downtown.

While the John and Minnie Gluek wanted to build home on Bryant Ave away from their brewery downtown, they still wanted to hire the architects who designed the Gluek Brewing Company and the Gluek Bar and Restaurant to bring a huge part of their life to the Bryant Ave neighborhood. All of Boehme and Cordella’s designs with the brewery, restaurant and mansion reveal that they were skilled neoclassicists who never failed to introduce absolutely distinctive eccentricities. The ostentatious style and cost of seven grand (over two-hundred grand in today’s market) were uncommon for additional residential structures in Minneapolis after the 1800’s. Because after the turn of the century horses were no longer a popular means for transportation, the structure was essentially immediately converted to a garage.

Sources Used:

**Source 1 PRIMARY**

Gluek Family Mansion & Carriage House. 2 May 2019.

**Source 2 PRIMARY**

 Bickal, Jim. “New Life for the Gluek House.”Minnesota Public Radio News, 16 Mar. 2007, http://www.mprnews.org/story/2007/03/15/glueckmansion.

**Source 3 SECONDARY**

 “Minneapolismn.gov.” Official Website of the City of Minneapolis, 8 Feb. 2019, http://www.minneapolismn.gov/.

**Source 4 SECONDARY**

Sowden, Cynthia. “Home.” MyNortheastercom, 17 Sept. 2018, http://www.mynortheaster.com/news/ne-a-long-time-a-brewing/.

**Source 5 SECONDARY**

“National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. “United States Department of the Interior National Park Service, 9 Jan. 1990. 

Bryant Ave Streetcar Line

The streetcar line that went from W Lake street to W 5oth street along Bryant Ave S served as a major catalyst in the local growth of Minneapolis, specifically the areas around lake Calhoun and lake Harriett, during the decade of 1895 to 1905.

The two maps below show growth of construction and housing along Bryant ave and the surrounding areas. Additionally, the streetcar line has expanded with the general construction over the witnessed decade.

1892 Map of Minneapolis

1903 Atlas of Minneapolis

The streetcar line on these maps is indicated by a black stripe and a blue stripe. The maps show the streetcar line growing by 6 total blocks south on Bryant Avenue. To the east, the line grows several more blocks around Lake Harriet. In conjunction with the growth of streetcar lines, we see a large increase of city blocks that are labeled. This labeling indicates their development status. The increase of construction that correlates with the growth of the streetcar line in the Bryant Ave S area shows the streetcar impact on housing.

Population of Minneapolis 1880 to 1910

Data gathered from IPUMS USA Census Data.

1880: 35,273

1900: 205,415

1910: 281,963

This Data shows objective growth within the city of Minneapolis during the discussed time period.

Housing Records along Bryant Ave S

With use of records sourced from Hennepin County, one may identify the construction date of households located near the Bryant Ave Streetcar Line. Looking at house records along the specific sections of Bryant Ave, it is seen that most construction occurred during the early 1900’s. This shows the increased residential access provided to the area via streetcar line. Within 10 years of the Line’s construction, housing was surrounding the street.

3412 Bryant Ave S: Constructed 1904

4100 Bryant Ave S: Constructed 1913

4111 Bryant Ave S: Constructed 1895

4416 Bryant Ave S: Constructed 1917

The lack of direct correlation between southern positioning along Bryant Ave and construction date shows the impact of the streetcar line. Due to the fact the streetcar line was built before the housing, one may deduce that the line enabled increased housing within the area.

From a more general perspective, it becomes easy to identify the value of streetcars within the greater Twin Cities area. The Twin City Rapid Transit Company was the main manager of the streetcar system during this discussed period. The TCRTC saw a peak ridership during the year 1920, with 238 million passengers. Additionally, the TCRTC experienced a worker strike in the year of 1917. During this event, more than 15,000 people showed up to strike the company, as the company was not acknowledging the newly formed union. Considering the number of people present during the strike, it is clear the streetcar industry played a large role in the Twin Cities community of the early 1900’s.

Works Cited

Cameron, Lina A. “Twin Cities Streetcar Strike, 1917.” MNopedia. February 29, 2016. Accessed May 03, 2019. http://www.mnopedia.org/event/twin-cities-streetcar-strike-1917. This article gives insight to the size and importance of the streetcar industry. These factors are indicated by the strike of 1917 where many workers showed force.
Cameron, Linda A. “Twin City Rapid Transit Company and Electric Streetcars.” MNopedia. February 22, 2016. Accessed May 03, 2019. http://www.mnopedia.org/thing/twin-city-rapid-transit-company-and-electric-streetcars. This article gives information regarding the history of the Twin Cities Rapid Transit Company and the history of electronic street cars in the Twin Cities. Specifically mentioned is the figure telling of the peak of streetcar use in the area.
Egan, James E., comp. “Atlas Of The City Of Minneapolis.” Map. John R. Borchert Map Library. Accessed May 3, 2019. https://www.lib.umn.edu/borchert/digitized-plat-maps-and-atlases#H. An atlas of Minneapolis from 1903. Shows the growth of the Bryant Ave streetcar line and the development of housing around the line and the area.
Foote & Co., CM, comp. “City of Minneapolis, 1892.” Map. John R. Borchert Map Library. Accessed May 3, 2019. https://www.lib.umn.edu/borchert/digitized-plat-maps-and-atlases. A real estate atlas of Minneapolis of the year 1892. Shows the established streetcar line along Bryant ave and the developed housing in the area.
Kahn, Deborah Morse. “Lynnhursts 50th & Bryant: Once a Streetcar Corner.” Southwest Journal. March 03, 2010. Accessed May 03, 2019. http://www.southwestjournal.com/news/2010/03/lynnhursts-50th-bryant-once-a-streetcar-corner/. This article tells tales of the specific streetcar corners along Bryant ave during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Ruggles, Steven, Sarah Flood, Ronald Goeken, Josiah Grover, Erin Meyer, Jose Pacas, and Matthew Sobek. “SDA 3.5: Tables United States 1850-2017.” Version 9.0, 2019. Accessed May 3, 2019. IPUMS USA. Path: United States 1850-2017, Minnesota, Census year, Person weight, City. This IPUMS Data refers to a table I created to reference the population of Minneapolis from 1880 to 1910.

Public records accessed through Hennepin County: http://www16.co.hennepin.mn.us/pins/addrresult.jsp

Clara Barton School

 Maryama Ali 

Minnesota History 

Jack Norton 

5/14/2019 

For the Bryant avenue project, Clara Barton open school has changed and improved throughout time, in year 1980through 2000 student who were going to Clara Barton were white students. Before blacks were not allowed to go to white children school. Going to School in Black and White offers unique opportunities for deepening our understanding about implicit biases and stereotypes by relating personal experiences to shared systemic concerns. Barton represents progress in the effort to increase racial and cultural diversity in the classroom.  

My first articles show the growth and improvement of the school and how time can improve and teach people to change things so the school can be a good environment where anyone can learn. It shows the schools achievements and them accomplishing their goals of making their school a better place.” About half the school is white and one-quarter is Somali, and staff said families ranging from American Indian to Somali are attracted by the school’s word-of-mouth reviews, community ties and progressive education”. 

Diversity is important for student a recent study in the journal “Child Development” found that students feel safer in and out of school when they have a diverse education. Learning about different cultures allows students to become comfortable with cultural difference across social groups and comfortable with themselves; leading to a deeper sense safety and self-confidence.  

Also, Clara Barton school start having Diversity classes, Because When students are given the opportunity to work with a diverse group of peers, or with topics that discuss diversity, they can confront stereotypes and discover similarities with their classmates. 

Sources  

1 Raghavendran, Beena. “At Minneapolis Magnet Schools, Diversity Is on the Rise.” Star Tribune. Star Tribune, 17 Apr. 2017. (Secondary, article)  

2 “Minnesota Report Card.” Minnesota Report Card, rc.education.state.mn.us/#demographics/orgId–30001106000__p–3/orgId–30001000000__groupType–district__p–3. (secondary)  

3 “Page 10.” CONTENTdm, digitalcollections.hclib.org/digital/collection/p17208coll7/id/9350/rec/2. (primary, newspaper)  

4 “Barton Elementary School Planning for the Future.” _Minneapolis Public Schools History_, 1963, mpshistory.mpls.k12.mn.us/uploads/pff-1963-barton.pdf (primary,

https://www.kickboardforschools.com/blog/post/5-benefits-of-teaching-classroom-diversity

How the establishment of the Church of the Ascension demonstrates the increase in Irish immigrants and Irish culture in late 19th century Minneapolis.

In the 19th century Ireland faced many problems. Famine, strife, political instability, and other issues. Due to these issues many Irish immigrants made their way to the U.S. and as they spread out around the country, one of the places they chose as their new homes was Minnesota, more specifically, Minneapolis.

The Church of the Ascension was built in 1890 by Father Alexander Christie. it became a place of community for Catholic immigrants in Minneapolis in what is now the Old Highland neighborhood. The area consisted mostly of Irish immigrants as well as some Catholic German immigrants. The first look of the church can be seen in the image at the bottom of the page. The Church of the Ascension parish continued to become a bigger part of Irish culture in Minneapolis over time, In an Irish newspaper titled “Irish Standard” there are many things posted about the Church of the Ascension, which continued to demonstrate it’s presence as a physical place where Irish immigrants could come together under similar beliefs to gain a better sense of community in a foreign country.

The location in Minneapolis helped contribute to an increase in the size of the surrounding Old Highland neighborhood which became a heart for Irish immigrants in an ever-growing city. The original parish of the church consisted of only about four families but as time went on it grew to become a large place of meeting for immigrants. In 1894, Father Jeremiah Harrington opened the Ascension school which help provide many immigrant children with the opportunity to an education. The Church of the Ascension was an important part of the history and development of Irish culture and community in Minneapolis from the late 19th century all the way up through today.

References

Old Highland Neighborhood Association, “1723 Bryant Avenue North: Church of the Ascension,” Minneapolis Historical, accessed May 2, 2019, http://minneapolishistorical.org/items/show/7.

“The Irish Standard.” MNHS Hub – Viewer, The Irish Standard, newspapers.mnhs.org/jsp/viewer.jsp?doc_id=mnhi0031/1HMAPJ59/99101401&query1=&recoffset=0&collection_filter=All&collection_name=38baad88-7c77-44da-93ec-3f50ff215e88&sort_col=relevance&cnt=0&CurSearchNum=1&recOffset=0.

Map

http://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=e0e82ddc0022469dbde4d09d6fa0bff7

“Catholic Church Records for St. Paul/Minneapolis.” Catholic Church Records for St. Paul and Minneapolis, irishgenealogical.org/cpage.php?pt=22.

 

The Guthrie Theatre

The Guthrie Theatre has brought a lot of history to the state of Minnesota. This exhibit is a huge part of history due to its great theatre shows and different cultures it has represented throughout time. It has also appeared on different TV shows over the years. It has also given many people a good education with the content of its shows.

It all started in 1959 when Sir Tyrone and his two colleagues Oliver Rea and Peter Zeisler discussed “the notion of establishing a theater company outside of New York. They were disenchanted with Broadway. They wanted to create a professional theater with a resident acting company that would perform the classics in rotating repertory”. According to Minnesota Public Radio. So with the Guthrie Theatre being so old, there is going to be a lot of history to it. Then we can jump all the way to 1982 when the Guthrie received a Tony Award for its outstanding contribution to the American Theater. Also according to Minnesota Public Radio. This was a huge accomplishment for the theatre and it brought a lot of attention to the theatre. Now we can fast forward to 2003 when the Guthrie got some re-modeling done. Minnesota Public Radio had this to say: “January: The Guthrie unveiled its final design for the new complex. The most notable difference is the exterior color, which was changed to a midnight blue. Guthrie officials launched another push at the Capitol for $35 million in bonding money to help pay for construction. June: The Legislature approved $25 million, and Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed it into law. September: Guthrie officials and political leaders broke ground for the new facility, the cost of which is now at $125 million”.

The design of the building is quite unique. It gets its design from a couple different sources who ultimately made up a few ideas from each and put it all together into one building. When doing research I was able to find this on Wikipedia: “The Guthrie’s design arose out of Ralph Rapson’s work with the Walker Art Center, and concepts the Walker was considering for a small auditorium near their museum. The result was a theater designed by Rapson, that seated 1,441 people when it first opened its doors in 1963.” Now 1,441 people doesn’t seem like that much to us nowadays so they have added seats to get more people to come out and watch the shows they put on. I also went on to read this from Wikipedia: “In 2006, the Guthrie finished construction of a new $125 million theater building along the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis. The design is the work of Jean Nouvel, along with the Minneapolis architectural firm Architectural Alliance and is a 285,000 square foot facility that houses three theaters: (1) the theater’s signature thrust stage, seating 1,100, (2) a 700-seat proscenium stage, and (3) a black-box studio with flexible seating. It also has a 178-foot cantilevered bridge (called the “Endless Bridge”) to the Mississippi which is open to visitors during normal building hours. The outside of the building’s walls are covered in large panels which display a large mural of photographs from past plays visible clearly at night.”

According to Meet Minneapolis, The Guthrie Theatre partnered with Gustavus Adolphus College to give kids in grades ten through twelve who are serious about performing or being in the field of fine arts as their career. The program mostly showed you proper techniques and how to properly read a script for a play. “The Guthrie Theater values offering distinctive educational opportunities for young actors,” says Guthrie Director of Education Louise Chalfant. “We are thrilled to be working with Gustavus Adolphus College on this project. ”The weeklong camp will be directed by Henry MacCarthy, Gustavus assistant professor of theatre and dance. It will take place at Gustavus in its state-of-the-art facilities including its 280-seat thrust stage, black box, two dance studios and several classrooms. The daily schedule will incorporate instruction in ballet, movement, voice, acting and script analysis, as well as one-on-one coaching sessions.”

In 2015, the Guthrie needed a new artistic director as Joe Dowling took his last season as the director there. He was then replaced by Joseph Haj after a very long and serious search. “The 2014–2015 season was Joe Dowling’s final as the Guthrie’s artistic director. After an extensive search, on February 17, 2015, it was announced that Joseph Haj would become the Guthrie’s eighth artistic director on July 1, 2015. With his appointment, Haj’s professional journey comes full circle as he made his Guthrie debut as an actor during the theater’s 1989–90 season.”

After all the history that has taken place at this exhibit, there are plenty of reasons to respect and thank Sir Tyrone for coming up with the idea to make this theatre. It has provided us with lots and lots of information and education for the future.

Works cited:

1. Minnesota Public Radio. “A Timeline of the Guthrie Theatre” MPR: A Timeline of the Guthrie Theatre, May, 2006. http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2006/05/guthrietimeline/
2. Wikipedia. “Guthrie Theatre Production History” March 30, 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guthrie_Theater_production_history
3. “A History of The Guthrie Theatre”. https://www.guthrietheater.org/globalassets/pdf/guthrie_history.pdf
4. Guthrie Theatre. “About Us” https://www.guthrietheater.org/about-us/
5. https://www.minneapolis.org/media/news-releases/guthrie-theater-and-gustavus-adolphus-college-offer-summer-audition-boot-ca/