Northfield Downtown Development Corporation

The NDDC took another step forward on the next “Historic Northfield” sign last week. The property owners of the site signed the lease for our second location along Highway 35.

Clockwise around the table are Marlys Bauer, Nancy Downhour (known as “the sisters”), David Downhour, NDDC Vice President Joe Grundhoefer, and First National Bank notary Angela Busch. It was raining pretty hard that morning, so Marlys was able to leave the family farm and come into town for the signing.

The sign is another partnership between the NDDC and the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the implementation team once again includes Brushworks and Duane Fredrickson.

The second sign will be much like the first one, except it’ll be blue instead of red. Apparently, the red would fade too quickly in the southern sun.

Tonight (Thursday October 16th) at 5:30 p.m., in the new “Sesquicentennial Legacy Plaza”, the culmination of years of collaborative efforts will be recognized. Ray Jacobson’s “Harvest” sculpture , commemorating Northfield’s economic roots in milling, will be dedicated in a ceremony held in the recently reworked public plaza across from the historic downtown post office. Pictured at left is Ray with the model at the NDDC’s ArtSwirl’07 Downtown Forum.

Also tonight is the popular ChARTdonnay Thursday, 5 to 8 p.m. at ArtOnWater Gallery, just down the river from Ray’s sculpture at 217 South Water Street; take a peek at the new show “A Favorite Cup“. Up on the western hill, Susan B. Woods gives a dance performance, Cocoon, at Dittmann Center, 7 p.m., at the Wagner/Bungaard Studio One on the St. Olaf campus, Scandium, Nordic Folk with a twist, performs, 8 p.m. at the Contented Cow (302B Division Street), and Mark Mraz is at the Tavern Lounge, riverside of the Archer House, 212 Division Street.

Friday (October 17th), it’s the Opening Reception for “Pulled from the Earth“, 6 to 9 p.m., at the Northfield Arts Guild, 304 Division Street, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 7:30 p.m., at the Northfield Arts Guild Theater, 411 West Third Street, the Aquila Theater Company’s The Iliad, 7:30 p.m., in the Concert Hall at Carleton College (up on the eastern hill), the fifth annual Japanese Animation Festival, 7:30 p.m., Room 104 of Boliou Hall also on the Carleton Campus, Tom Franek at The Contented Cow, and Lonesome Dan Kase at The Tavern Lounge.

Then Saturday (October 18th), it’s the Opening Reception for the black-and-white photography of Robert McCall at Grezzo Gallery, 16 Bridge Square, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 7:30 p.m. at the Northfield Arts Guild Theater, Bonnie and the Clydes at The Contented Cow, and Anthony Newes at The Tavern Lounge.

An exhibition featuring the works of Minnesota women ceramic artists, “Pulled from the Earth” opens today (Wednesday, October 15th) at the Northfield Arts Guild Gallery, 304 Division Street. Over 50 functional and sculptural pieces by 24 artists were juried into the show.

“In a state with such deeply-rooted and rich clay tradition, it seems appropriate to celebrate the talents of the many women who are creating ceramic art here”, says Colleen Riley, ceramic artist and curator of the exhibition. It represents a wide-ranging group of artists from all corners of the state working in a variety of styles. Many of the pieces are by familiar artists with national name recognition, and many are by women who have rarely shown their work regionally.

As in most states with large geographic areas, rural artists in Minnesota can experience isolation, says Riley. “I wanted to create an opportunity for us to meet more ceramic artists, show our work and see what’s being produced in our home state. My hope is that this will help us make long-lasting connections”.

The opening reception is Friday, October 17th from 6 to 9 p.m. “It’s inspiring to see the work of these artists shown together”, concludes Riley.

Also this weekend is “A Favorite Cup” at the Art-On-Water Gallery, 217 South Water Street, curated by Donovan Palmquist. It is an evolving exhibition of cups of all shapes and sizes. See how creative people can get with simple variations on a theme.

The show opens tomorrow, Thursday, October 16th, with the popular weekly ChARTdonnay experience, from 5 to 9 p.m..

The Northfield Downtown Development Corporation (NDDC) will host its annual Partnership Celebration on Thursday, October 23rd from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Grand Event Center, featuring a presentation by noted author and community advocate Jay Walljasper. Designed to celebrate the efforts and accomplishments of the NDDC and its many partners in the community, the special evening event is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

A social hour with cash bar and refreshments begins at 6 p.m.; the program begins at 7 p.m., hosted by the staff and board members of the NDDC. Walljasper will begin his presentation at 7:30 p.m., followed by a booksigning of his popular hands-on guide to placemaking, “The Great Neighborhood Book”, available at area bookstores including Monkey See Monkey Read (425 Division Street South) and River City Books (306 Division Street). The audience is then invited to stay for dessert and conversation with Walljasper.

Based in Minneapolis, Walljasper is a Senior Fellow of Project for Public Spaces (PPS) and writes extensively on community and urban issues. A long-time editor of Utne Reader, he currently serves as Executive Editor of Ode Magazine.

In November 2004, PPS recognized downtown Northfield as one of “The 20 Best North American Districts, Downtowns, and Neighbors.” Other honorees included New York’s East Village, San Francisco’s North Beach, Vancouver’s Granville Island, and Toronto’s Kensington Market.

The NDDC is a non-partisan, non-profit community organization dedicated to the vitality of downtown Northfield. For more information on the event, call (507) 663-0319. The Grand Event Center is located at 316 Washington Street in downtown Northfield. For more information, including disability accommodations, call (507) 663-1773.

This Saturday, October 11, from 12 to 4 p.m., on Bridge Square, we’re having the annual Fall Festival. It’s full of family fun.

There will be face painting, pumpkin carving, hayrides, a pet adoption sponsored by the Rice County Humane Society, a bonfire, s’mores, caramel apples, and live music. The event is planned and implemented by the downtown retailers and sponsored by First National Bank, econofoods, Bridgewater Produce Farm, and the NDDC.

So come on down(town) and join the fun, this Saturday.