A generation ago, the Lake Harriet Bandshell was painted a pale blue that reflected lake and sky. Many area residents would like to see it blue again and are petitioning the park board to repaint it in Spring 2023 when it is renovated.
I encourage all Lake Harriet Bandshell lovers to overwhelmingly support the repainting to the original classic, festive blue hue which led to multiple national architectural awards when it was designed by the architectural firm Bentz-Thompson-Rietow and built in 1986.
This is a rare opportunity to correct an earlier decision by former MPRB Superintendent John Gurban, who made the unilateral decision to change the color to beige at its last major renovation in 2004. According to a Southwest Journal Article from July 22, 2004, when asked if the Park Board should have consulted the public, Gurban responded: “Why?”.
Please sign the petition at https://www.change.org/p/paint-the-harriet-bandshell-blue and contact your local Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Commissioners.
