Accepting Applications: Orange Crane Asian Pacific American Artist Retreat 2011

The Council on Asian Pacific Americans recently announced that they will be accepting applications for the Orange Crane Asian Pacific American Artist Retreat 2011, which will help support beginning-level emerging Minnesota Artists who wish to develop professional-level skills and perspectives. While my natural talent for artistic endeavors is much more limited than my appreciation for great art, I'm certainly a fan of supporting its role in helping to shape a healthy and rich society. Are you a lover or creator of art? Even as beginners in the latter, we can still become pros at promoting art and its myriad contributions to our local communities!

The significance of "orange crane."

In many Asian cultures, the color orange symbolizes happiness and positive energy. The crane is often a symbol of peace, equality, wisdom and longevity.

Art, in whichever form, wherever you are, is universal for being an outlet for anything and everything, as long as it allows the artist to find happiness. Our hopes for this retreat is to help aspiring artists to realize the things that they make them happy and to find a balance between an artist's intent and an appreciator's intepretation.

About the APA Artist Retreat.
The APA Artist Retreat is open to beginning-level emerging Minnesota artists who seek to cultivate new skills and ideas to enhance and transform their skills and creativity. The retreat will offer interactive workshops and presentations by established and award-winning artists for beginning artists who want to develop professional-level skills and perspectives to their art.

Applications are now available.
Please click here to fill out the application.

The deadline for applications is April 30, 2011 at 5:00pm. Applications will be reviewed and retreat participants will be announced May 6, 2011 via e-mail.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

An overnight success

Image Credit: Jeff Milner

"Instead of thinking about where you are, think about where you want to be. It takes twenty years of hard work to become an overnight success."

-Diana Rankin

Accepting Applications: YPOTC VP of Social Media

Are you social media savvy? Or find incessant tweeting or posting minute-by-minute status updates to be a guilty pleasure? Since the Young Professionals of Twin Cities (YPOTC) is recruiting for a new board position, here's your chance to put your talent and tweets to good use! Read on for the description of the VP of Social Media position and consider throwing your hat in the ring to help young professionals connect with other young professionals in the Twin Cities.

Mission: Bring value to YPOTC's member's professional lives through organizing and coordinating educational events. Job Description The VP of Social Media will have responsibilities for driving digital, word of mouth marketing and social media business development opportunities for YPOTC. In collaboration with the VP of Marketing and other members of the YPOTC, the VP will have various types of opportunities to market Tuesday happy hour events, educational and community events.

Candidates must be familiar with various Social Media outlets including but not limited to, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. This position will require weekly updates or messaging about upcoming YPOTC events.

Requirements:

• High level of professionalism
• Ability to effectively communicate via email and phone
• Self starter with the ability to maximize networking skills
• Must be organized
• Able to attend one board meeting and one event per month and one education and community event annually
• Use YPOTC’s name and your affiliation in good faith
• Have fun with it

Interested Applicants should submit their Resume to Alanna Spotts at amkpeer[at]yahoo.com by 4/20/11. The top three candidates will be required to interview with the board for 15-20, the evening of 4/26/11. Candidates will be notified of the decision by 4/29/11.

Sol Inspirations Eco-Fashion Gala & Fundraiser

I'm ecstatic to be serving as a Host Committee member for the upcoming Sol Inspirations Eco-Fashion Gala and Fundraiser, along with the delightful Bridget Ulrich! Sure to be unlike any other event Minneapolis has seen, you can anticipate a great show that includes guest judges, amazing local designers, a cause that can't be beat, and much more. See below for more details and get your eco-friendly tickets today!

A fundraiser and gala event to raise awareness about eco-fashion and to stage local and nationally known designers and green businesses and organizations, proceeds from the Sol Inspirations Eco-Fashion Gala & Fundraiser will benefit the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society and will also be used to help Haiti rebuild.

Saturday, April 23, 2011
7:00 pm
The Depot
225 Third Avenue South
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401

Buy Tickets

Sol Inspirations will be Minnesota's first ever large scale Eco Fashion show and production featuring Ignite Models showcasing eco-friendly looks from local designers and boutiques as well as several nationally known clothing brands. The highlight of the show will be a design competition with a $5000 prize. With a silent auction, green vendors, DJ, Live Music and Eco Fashion show, the event will be the first of its kind as a call to action to get people thinking about how they can be green in their lives in a variety of ways, donate money for two fantastic causes and have a fabulous night out in Minneapolis.

You're Invited: City Trek! Equity and Transportation Workshop

As a member of the Transit for Livable Communities (TLC) Policy and Programming Committee, I'm extremely excited about the upcoming City Trek! Equity and Transportation workshop that TLC is helping to co-facilitate. On May 3, current and future Metro teachers, youth workers, education and youth outreach organizations, and more, are invited to take part in an exciting experiential workshop. Read on for more details and to see whether this Trek might be the right vehicle for you to learn about and take action on equity and transportation!

The City Trek! Equity and Transportation workshop will explore metro region land use and infrastructure examples to create a context of equity around transportation issues. Participants will experience first-hand the transportation options in the Twin Cities and consider which alternatives will serve the community best with a lens of justice for all living beings. While investigating, educators will practice and share learning strategies that can be applied in the classroom.

Throughout the day, you’ll hear from people working in the field of urban transportation and infrastructure, have a chance to ride Nice Ride bikes in downtown Minneapolis, and, after lunch, hop on the light rail and bus to meet neighborhood representatives who will discuss transit realities and changes along the Central Corridor.

Be ready for a lot of fun, problem-solving and engaging conversations as you find your way by foot, bus, bike and train through the Twin Cities. No sitting (except as you ride), no lectures, and no homework.

Discover:

• How can you get around the Twin Cities without a car?
• How does not having a car impede or improve job access, family, school and health?
• What is the transportation infrastructure in the Twin Cities and whose job is it to protect equity?
• What’s happening with Central Corridor issues?

Investigate land use in the metro region- core and “burbs” from two perspectives:

• Life as part of living in a community
• Life as a commuter to work/school

Take-away:

• Lesson activities and resources to use with youth in the classroom
• A one-day pass for Nice Ride or for Metro Transit bus or light rail

If you are unable to ride a bike, that’s okay—we promise to offer gentle options along the way and are committed to making this workshop doable for everyone.

WORKSHOP CO-FACILITATOR
City Trek! will be facilitated in partnership with Transit for Livable Communities (TLC) which is a nonprofit organization working to reform Minnesota’s transportation system. Through advocacy, organizing, and research, TLC promotes a balanced transportation system that encourages transit, walking, bicycling, and development with justice.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Register by Friday, April 29th to reserve your place. Take-away gifts for the first 25 registrants and for any participants that use bus, light rail, bike, bus of some combination to get to the workshop! To register, please complete the registration form below and email to Program Development Manager, Randee Edmundson, at redmundson@ecoeducation.org. Teachers can receive substitute stipends as needed and CEUs are also available.