Podcasts about Minnesota History Center

Fifty years ago Wednesday, Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese Army and the U.S. war in Southeast Asia came to an end. In the aftermath, more than three million people to fled their homes in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Many eventually came to the United States and Minnesota. Now, a group of writers is using poetry and creative writing to document the stories of Lao refugees and their descendants over the last 50 years. Bryan Thao Worra is leading this effort by the SEALit Center, a literary organization, and the Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota. They received one of 14 grants from the Minnesota History Center to recognize the state's Southeast Asian diasporas. Worra is the Lao Minnesotan poet laureate and chair of the community board of the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans. He joins MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the project — and why poetry and prose are his chosen tools for working with history.

On Minnesota Now, we get to hear from so many different people in Minnesota over the phone and in the studio. But we don't often meet them in the community, where news — and life — happens. In our series Out to Lunch, we sit down for a meal with people from Minnesota news and culture to get to know them better.This time, we take a short trip through downtown St. Paul to the Minnesota History Center, where Minnesota Now host Nina Moini sat down with Anton Treuer. He's a professor of Ojibwe language, history and culture at Bemidji State University. His most recent book, “Where Wolves Don't Die,” won the 2025 Minnesota Book Award for young adult literature.

Penned by one of Minnesota's most favorite sons, "The Great Gatsby" turns 100 on Thursday. A big celebration is planned a the Minnesota History Center. Find out more on The WCCO Morning news. Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Penned by one of Minnesota's most favorite sons, "The Great Gatsby" turns 100 on Thursday. A big celebration is planned a the Minnesota History Center. Find out more on The WCCO Morning news. Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

People gathered Wednesday at the Minnesota History Center to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Similar events across the country recognized girls and women's achievements in sports and promote equality. Among the honorees in Minnesota is Washburn High School alumnus Amy Cooper. Her list of accolades is long, beginning with her time as a Minneapolis high school athlete. She exceled in swimming, track, basketball and soccer. Then, at Howard University, she became the first soccer player for a Historically Black College and University to earn all-conference honors. She has gone on to create opportunities for other women and women of color as a coach and administrator. Today Amy Cooper works as Senior Associate Athletic Director for Administration at the University of St. Thomas. She is this year's recipient of the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award, which honors women who have overcome physical challenges in their pursuit of sports and created a path for others. She joins MPR News host Nina Moini to share her story.

Starts today at 10 am at the Minnesota History Center

Starts today at 10 am at the Minnesota History Center

A new documentary will debut on Sunday at the Minnesota History Center

A new documentary will debut on Sunday at the Minnesota History Center

Jazz88 honors our Minnesota Jazz Legends 2024 Mikkel Romstad, Dr. Henry Blackburn, Brian Grivna and the late Roberta Davis and hosted by Patty Peterson. The live concert and conversation took place April 14th at the Minnesota History Center's 3M theater. Minnesota Jazz legends 2024 is funded by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and Jazz88.

In many ways, Lee Hawkins' childhood in Maplewood was typical for families in the 1980s. He rode bikes, spent hours exploring the landscape, played rudimentary video football games. He and his sisters were raised by two loving parents and spent hours at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church each week. But in other ways, Hawkins' experience was unique. His family was Black in a mostly white suburb, part of the “integration generation.” He found community both with his peers at North St. Paul High School and at the barbershop he frequented in the Rondo area of St. Paul. And his parents, especially his dad, could be volatile, wrestling with the effects of intergenerational trauma that had roots in Alabama, where Hawkins' father grew up. North Star Journey Live: What Happened in Alabama? Ending cycles of trauma in Black AmericaReconciling those two truths led Hawkins to dive into his family's history. The result is his new podcast, What Happened in Alabama? It's an honest look at what 400 years of unaddressed trauma can do in individuals, in families, in communities. It's also a nuanced narrative of Hawkins' own life. How could the father he idolized also be violent? How could he break the cycle of trauma so that future generations would know their history and be able to heal from it? Hawkins lives in New York now, but he came home to Minnesota in May to talk with MPR News host Angela Davis about his journey for a special North Star Journey Live. On stage at the Minnesota History Center the night of May 22, before a crowd of several hundred people, they discussed the significance of exploring family history and intergenerational trauma, highlighting the lasting impact of Jim Crow on America and the power of truth-telling as we seek to understand our past and break cycles of trauma. You can listen to What Happened in Alabama? wherever you get your podcasts. Hawkins is also the author of the forthcoming book, “Nobody's Slave: How Uncovering My Family's History Set Me Free,” which is available for preorder now.What Happened in Alabama? on Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-happened-in-alabama/id1743990592

In many ways, Lee Hawkins' childhood in Maplewood was typical for families in the 1980s. He rode bikes, spent hours exploring the landscape, played rudimentary video football games. He and his sisters were raised by two loving parents and spent hours at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church each week. But in other ways, Hawkins' experience was unique. His family was Black in a mostly white suburb, part of the “integration generation.” He found community both with his peers at North St. Paul High School and at the barbershop he frequented in the Rondo area of St. Paul. And his parents, especially his dad, could be volatile, wrestling with the effects of intergenerational trauma that had roots in Alabama, where Hawkins' father grew up. North Star Journey Live: What Happened in Alabama? Ending cycles of trauma in Black AmericaReconciling those two truths led Hawkins to dive into his family's history. The result is his new podcast, What Happened in Alabama? It's an honest look at what 400 years of unaddressed trauma can do in individuals, in families, in communities. It's also a nuanced narrative of Hawkins' own life. How could the father he idolized also be violent? How could he break the cycle of trauma so that future generations would know their history and be able to heal from it? Hawkins lives in New York now, but he came home to Minnesota in May to talk with MPR News host Angela Davis about his journey for a special North Star Journey Live. On stage at the Minnesota History Center the night of May 22, before a crowd of several hundred people, they discussed the significance of exploring family history and intergenerational trauma, highlighting the lasting impact of Jim Crow on America and the power of truth-telling as we seek to understand our past and break cycles of trauma. You can listen to What Happened in Alabama? wherever you get your podcasts. Hawkins is also the author of the forthcoming book, “Nobody's Slave: How Uncovering My Family's History Set Me Free,” which is available for preorder now.What Happened in Alabama? on Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-happened-in-alabama/id1743990592

Annie Johnson from the Minnesota History Center details the exhibit which details the life of Charles M. Schulz as a Minnesotan and how his comic strip "Peanuts" became an international sensation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After moving from Mexico City to the United States, Xavier Tavera learned what it felt like to be part of a subculture- the immigrant community. Subjected to alienation has transformed the focus of his photographs to share the lives of those who are marginalized. Images have offered insight into the diversity of numerous communities and given a voice to those who are often invisible. Tavera has shown his work extensively in the Twin Cities, nationally and internationally including Germany, Scotland, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay and China. His work is part of the collections of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Plaines Art Museum, Minnesota Museum of American Art, Minnesota History Center, Ramsey County Historical Society and the Weisman Art Museum. He is a recipient of the McKnight fellowship, Jerome Travel award, State Arts Board, and Bronica scholarship. Website: https://www.xaviertavera.com/

“Through inspiring exhibits, thought-provoking programs, live performances, and action-packed discovery, the History Center feeds your curiosity about Minnesota's stories, people, and places.” To celebrate this center, we suggest that you read a book set in a museum. In our show notes for this episode, we link each book to one of our state's great independent bookstores: Zenith Books in Duluth, MN. It gives you a description, so you can get more information about the book to help you make a decision about your reading or recommendations.  

Minneapolis-based artist, Maria Cristina (Tina) Tavera investigates the constructions of racial, ethnic, gender, national and cultural identity via numerous mediums including printmaking, installation, and public art. Tavera is a dual citizen with Mexico and the United States. Her artwork focuses on the Latinidad within the United States by examining cultural signifiers determined by our society on how people define themselves and their cultures in everyday life. Tavera holds a Master of Leadership in the Arts from the Humphrey School and a BA in Spanish and BA in Latin American Studies from the University of Minnesota. She has received fellowships and grants: McKnight Visual Artist Fellowship, Bush Leadership Fellowship, Shannon Leadership Institute, Smithsonian Latino Museum Studies program, Museum of Modern Art-New York, Forecast Public Art, Minnesota State Arts Board, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC), and Institute of Mexicans Abroad (IME). Tavera has exhibited nationally and internationally, and artwork can be found in the collections of the City of Minneapolis Public Art, Weisman Art Museum, Fargo Plains Art Museum, Oglethorpe Museum, Tweed Museum of Art, Minnesota History Center, and the Biblioteca Central de Cantabria, Santander, Spain. Her writings have been published by the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, as well as in a book titled, Mexican Pulp Art. Website: https://www.mariacristinatavera.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/tina.tavera/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tina.tavera/ Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Cristina_Tavera

Locked inside a glass case at the Warren's Occult Museum in Connecticut is what may be its most sinister artifact: a rag doll named Annabelle. The museum's curators say it's linked to a visitor's sudden death. But what is the real story behind this devilish doll? A long-forgotten blueprint is stored in the archives of the Minnesota History Center. Does this 40-year-old plan hold the key to the apocalyptic collapse of the I-35W Bridge? And a leather-bound journal on display at the Nantucket Whaling Museum recounts a legendary story of sacrifice and survival. What classic piece of American literature did this memoir inspire?For even more Mysteries at the Museum, head to discovery+. Go to discoveryplus.com/mystery to start your 7-day free trial today. Terms apply.

Today we have the opportunity to speak with Xavier Tavera, a photographer who builds deep, longterm relationships with communities and creates work that expresses the humanity, and the historical currents, within the complexities of contemporary Latinx culture. Please find show notes and a transcript on this conversation's page on High Visibility. After moving from Mexico City to the United States, Xavier learned what it felt like to be part of a subculture -- the immigrant community. Being subjected to alienation has transformed the focus of his photographs to share the lives of those who are marginalized. Images have offered insight into the diversity of numerous communities and given a voice to those who are often invisible. Xavier has shown his work extensively in the Twin Cities, and nationally and internationally including Germany, Scotland, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay and China. His work is part of the collections of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Plains Art Museum, Minnesota Museum of American Art, Minnesota History Center, and the Weisman Art Museum. He is a recipient of the McKnight fellowship, Jerome Travel award, Minnesota State Arts Board grant, and a Bronica scholarship.Along the way in this conversation, we learn more about how Xavier came to photography, and his sense of the philosophical questions within the act of taking a picture – and we get to learn more about the town of Crookston, Minnesota, with which he's had a decades long relationship. We also discuss his evolving Latinx in the Rural Midwest project, in particular his time with charro community and migrant dairy workers across this region. In this wide-ranging conversation, Xavier also shares the work of Grupo Soap del Corazón, a dynamic, ever-evolving Latinx art collective he co-founded with Dougie Padilla. The exhibition La Línea: 22 Years of Grupo Soap del Corazón is currently on view at the Plains Art Museum through August 13, 2022.High Visibility is an initiative of Art of the Rural and Plains Art Museum. Gratitude to the National Endowment for the Arts and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts for their support of this work. 

In a week where many people have voting on their minds, Elizabeth Dunn of the Commonweal Theatre in Lanesboro, Minn., wants to draw attention to the show “Votes for Women! MN Rally 1920.” One hundred years after the adoption of the 19th Amendment, the show features five Minnesota suffragists, Scandinavian immigrants and an African American woman, who fought hard for women’s right to vote. The show was produced by History Alive Lanesboro. A planned statewide tour was canceled due to COVID-19, but there are free in-person and digital viewing options at the Landmark Center in St. Paul through Nov. 15. Want more? Learn about the many women who fought for the right to vote at the Minnesota History Center here. 100 years of women voting 3 Minnesota women who paved way for women's suffrage St. Paul music writer Youa Vang has a recommendation for ghostly theater. An enthusiast for spooky stories and haunted homes, Vang recommends the new audio play “The House at Echo’s End.” The show follows city-dweller Allison, who inherits the rural farm where she grew up, only to discover that the house is inhabited by three ghosts who want their stories told. The 36-minute audio play streams for free on the Everwood Farmstead podcast “Conversations from the Barn.” The show’s original music and lyrics were written by Cat Brindisi-Darrow; the book was written by her husband, David Darrow; the show was conceived by them and Derek Prestly. The show was voiced by Minnesota actors Serena Brook of “Live from Here” and Cat’s mother, Michelle Brindisi of Chanhassen Dinner Theatres. Photo by David Sherman Acrylic on Rives BFK paper by Anne Labovitz. Visual artist Carolyn Brunelle recently saw Anne Labovitz’s show titled “Response” at the Burnet Fine Arts Gallery in Wayzata. Brunelle appreciated the energy of the artwork, on display through Nov. 28. “This exhibit of abstract paintings are wildly colorful and exciting,” Brunelle said. “‘Response’ investigates the intimacy of color and space,” Labovitz said in a statement on Burnet’s website. “For me, color is a personal reflection, a language that crosses boundaries and can connect us. I believe color is a life force. These works are about hope for the future; for a connection between people as we struggle through current complexities." Labovitz will be in the gallery to greet visitors on Nov. 21. “She’s really committed to public art work,” Brunelle said, noting an installation at Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport,“122 Conversations: Person to Person, Art Beyond Borders”. It’s a series of large, brightly colored paintings on different materials displayed in Terminal 2. The work arose from conversations with 10 people from each of  the city of Duluth’s five sister cities around the world.

An Ojibwe men’s moccasin game, a birch bark box from 1890 and a star quilt made by a Dakota artist are just a few of the items found in Our Home: Native Minnesota, a new permanent exhibit at the Minnesota History Center. In addition to historical artifacts, the exhibit also includes hands-on activities and art from contemporary Ojibwe and Dakota artists. But those who worked on the exhibit will tell you it’s much more than a collection of information about the history and current lives of Native people in Minnesota, it is about resiliency and healing. We’ll talk with the curators about how this exhibit and what inspired it.

In this hour, music critic, Chris Riemenschneider of the Star Tribune discusses the Minnesota History Center's new exhibit that gives you an all-access pass to First Avenue where you'll hear great stories that have come out of that venue. At the bottom of the hour, Courtney Harrness, Executive Director & program lead of Get Summer at YMCA joins Esme to discuss his program that will give thousands of teens across the Twin Cities a free membership to the Y thanks to a grant from the Richard M Schulze Family Foundation.

Emily Reese and Justus Sanchez take a guided tour through the new First Avenue exhibit at the Minnesota History Center. Exhibit developer Erin Cole guides through the history of the venue and the memorabilia inside the exhibit.

There's a new exhibit at the Minnesota History Center celebrating the 50th Anniversary of First Avenue: Minnesota's Mainroom

Emily Reese and Justus Sanchez take a guided tour through the new First Avenue exhibit at the Minnesota History Center. Exhibit developer Erin Cole guides through the history of the venue and the memorabilia inside the exhibit.

Bobb Fantauzzo, playing Native style flute, led a stellar group in the third “A Weaving of Traditions” concert at the Minnesota History Center in April 2017. "A Weaving of Traditions" honors jazz musicians with Native roots, including Thelonious Monk (Tuscarora), Miles Davis (Cherokee), and Dave Brubeck (Modoc), among others.

Featuring inside information on the Minnesota State Fair, Nicollet reconstruction, Minnesota Vikings, U.S. Bank's Community Possible Tour, Minnesota Renaissance Festival, Brave New Workshop's "Lady and the Trump", Minnesota History Center's "Gridiron Glory" and the Selfie Sweepstakes! For further event information visit minneapolis.org/insider Music: http://www.bensound.com

Adam Scher, senior curator at the Minnesota Historical Society, joined Current Morning Show hosts Jill Riley and Brian Oake to talk Prince memorabilia -- including Prince's suit from the 1984 movie 'Purple Rain.' The Minnesota History Center in St. Paul put the suit on display the same day the news broke that Prince had died.

Adam Scher, senior curator at the Minnesota Historical Society, joined Current Morning Show hosts Jill Riley and Brian Oake to talk Prince memorabilia -- including Prince's suit from the 1984 movie 'Purple Rain.' The Minnesota History Center in St. Paul put the suit on display the same day the news broke that Prince had died.

Kate Roberts is senior exhibit developer at the Minnesota Historical Society, where she has worked in various capacities since 1989. She has served as lead developer on projects including Minnesota 150, a crowd-sourced exhibit marking the state’s sesquicentennial (Minnesota History Center, 2008); and Toys of the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s, which opened at the Minnesota History Center in 2014 and is now touring nationally. Today we talk with her about her career and her work.

Early in 2008 the papers of legendary Minnesota businessman James J. Hill and several of his family members were transferred from the James J. Hill Reference Library in St. Paul to the Minnesota History Center, just a few blocks away. In this podcast, learn about the history and contents of the collection and the [...]