Most readers are fondly familiar with Isles Bun & Coffee on West 28th Street and Hennepin Avenue. I grew up looking forward to devouring their famous “puppy-dog tails” on special occasions — small, twisted versions of their mouth-watering cinnamon rolls and I still treat myself to one every now and then.
What I didn’t realize until relatively recently is that the shop also functions as a gallery. Owner Catherine Veigel and her husband, Jeff, describe it as a “third space” in Uptown that has provided a sense of place, belonging and community for over 20 years:
“As proud owners of Isles Bun & Coffee since 2000, we look for ways to pay our good fortune forward to our neighbors, near and far. Supporting local artists has been part of our business model since the beginning, and we specifically look for work that informs and enlarges the worldview of those who frequent our iconic Uptown business.”
From Nov. 3 through Jan. 29, the space is displaying a series of socially conscious broadsides by George Roberts, long-time resident of North Minneapolis, letterpress artist and owner of Homewood Studios.
The exhibit is titled, “The North Minneapolis What We Want Project.” It emerged from George’s interviews with local residents, in which he asks what they want for their community. He places a bench outside of his studio on Plymouth Avenue, where he sits and waits until inevitably, someone stops and talks with him. At some point in the conversation, George asks, “what do you want?” and then proceeds to design and print a broadside poster of their response.
George notes, “My community, North Minneapolis where I have lived and worked for 50 years is often portrayed in the media and in the attitudes of people who do not live here as without assets, dangerous, impoverished or unworthy of careful listening.” By taking his broadsides to other parts of the city, he aims to shift those attitudes and show that “the hopes and desires of North Minneapolis residents are just like anyone else’s.” With the broadsides displaying answers like, “I want universal healthcare” … “I want everyone to show more concern for one another” …and… “I want people to take hold of education,” he seems to have accomplished just that.
On an early morning walk with my roommate in the first week of November, we stopped into Isles Bun & Coffee for warm drinks and a pastry and happily stumbled upon the exhibit. The shop was bustling with people eating, meeting and working, with the broadsides prominently dis played in the backdrop. The exhibit fit almost seamlessly into the space, and it seemed obvious that the patrons’ hopes and desires could not possibly be dissimilar from George’s interviewees.
Isles Bun & Coffee occupies an iconic building that harkens back to an earlier time when a streetcar ran down Hennepin and West High School stood across 28th Street. Now, as Kenwood Isles Condominiums, the space is an enduring reminder of the history of this community and neighborhood one that has experienced its own set of challenges, especially over the last few years.
“The North Minneapolis What We Want Project” not only connects us to the residents of North Minneapolis, but also to our own hopes and desires for Uptown during a period marked by political divisiveness and economic unrest. The broadsides elicit a reimagination of our outlooks on communities beyond our own, all while provoking contemplation on what we want for the future of this community.
Four of the broadsides from this series are available for purchase, and the remaining ones are given for free to small business owners across the Twin Cities who agree to display a broadside in a prominent window. If you are interested in displaying a broadside in your shop or purchasing one, you may reach out to George to set that in motion:
George Roberts DownStairs Press at Homewood Studios 2400 Plymouth Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55411
612 587-0230
