minneculture Archives | KFAI - Minneapolis + St. Paul

Signage on Auto Garage states "Dogs have family, Cats have staff."

MinneCulture | Mechanics Expound on the Perfect Roadside Quip

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The art of writing a good joke welds a lot of power. A good joke can drive the plot of a TV sit-com, can spark political controversy … or, in this case, sell an oil change. KFAI’s Matthew Schneman spoke with a few auto mechanics about how they’ve made writing jokes part of their business. KFAI’s Matthew Schneeman has the story.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Mechanics Expound on the Perfect Roadside Quip

Since 2013 Ethan Derhy Has been delighting St Paul residents and commuters with incredibly gentle, sometimes surreal, jokes on the sign in front of his family’s three Signal Garage Auto Care locations. Lighthearted jokes like ‘Cat Puns Freak Meowt’ and strange ones like ‘Cup Holders are just Cup Cups’ provoke laughs, smiles, or eye rolling depending on your comedic sensibilities.

Ironically these signs have been an effective marketing tool. By not advertising your services people pay more attention and, according to Ethan, help People think of his business the next time they need their suspension checked out or oil changed.

But the signs also serve the purpose of spreading general positivity, something Ethan’s dad, who originally did the sign, instilled in Ethan. Before Ethan took over his dad was just playing with alliteration, signs like, ‘If you value your Volvo We’re the place for you.’ Ethan took it up a notch and posted signs like ‘Domestic cars, foreign cars, alien cars…’ and ‘Try our pumpkin spice motor oil!’ When he ran out of car puns he branched out to anything that was short and funny enough to be on a sign like ‘I wonder what my dog named me?’

Ethan says running a business is hard but doesn’t have to be so serious. He’s shown that, in fact, running a business can be easier if you’re not so serious.

Support for MinneCulture on KFAI comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Banner Image featuring 1980s photo of curly-headed Leif Brush, a Native Teacher instructing a child, A.B. Cassius grinning, and Ty Yule sitting on scaffolding at his gay bar in Minneapolis

MinneCulture’s Most Memorable Stories from 2021

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2021 tempted us to “get back to normal,” but the Twin Cities arts scene largely resisted and innovated by staging events outside, charging bouncers with the task of checking vaccination statuses, producing virtual art exhibits and fusing art forms to continue healing. Through it all, MinneCulture producers brought you timely arts stories as well as Minnesota history stories, told with modern and progressive voices. Here are some of the most memorable stories from 2021, as selected by the MinneCuture editorial team.

Emily Michaels King and Her Digital Detritus for the Zoom Era

Performance artist Emily Michaels King dropped a new production last wintercalled ‘Digital,” which invited the audience into the bedroom, into the computer screen, and into the body, for an immersive, tangible virtual experience for the zoom era. KFAI’s Sheila Regan reports.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Emily Michaels King and Her Digital Detritus for the Zoom Era

The Sonic Legacy of Leif Brush and His Terrain Instruments

Duluth-based sound artist Leif Brush passed away in March of 2021. His Terrain Instruments were just some of the audible sculptures that isolated and emphasized the sounds of otherwise natural phenomena. KFAI’s Ben Heath celebrates the work of a remarkable Minnesotan.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · The Sonic Legacy of Leif Brush and His Terrain Instruments

Ty Yule Remembers Pi: “The Dyke Bar of Our Dreams”
Pi Bar infused the Twin Cities with an ecstatic, high energy jolt of queerness for the year and a half it was open. They catered to lesbians and queer women, but was also open to the entire LGBTQ scene, making its embrace of the transgender community explicit. In his recent memoir, “Chemically Enhanced Butch,” former Pi proprietor Ty Yule reflects on Pi’s brief but impactful existence in the Twin Cities. KFAI’s Sheila Regan reports.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Ty Yule Remembers Pi: “The Dyke Bar of Our Dreams”

Self-Determination and Other Teachings of the Red School House
Created through a partnership between Migizi Communications and KFAI’s MinneCulture, First Person Plural used recordings from archived episodes of First Person Radio to tell Indigenous history stories rooted in Minnesota. In this edition, Dixie Treichel shares the story of the Red School House, formed in response to the discrimination experienced by Native youth in our education systems. Listen here:

KFAI’s MinneCulture · First Person Plural | Self-Determination and Other Teachings of the Red School House

Savannah Bustillo’s Tongue Twisters in Graphite
In the world of audio recording, sound is visually represented in what’s called a wave form. They often look like tall ovals with vertical spikes. In the world of visual art, a Minnesota artist uses such wave forms to illustrate accents and tongue-twisters with printmaking and stencils. Get to know the artist, Savannah Bustillo, in this story by KFAI’s Sheila Regan.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Savannah Bustillo’s Tongue Twisters in Graphite

Marking 100 years with Celebration and Reflection at Ingebretsen’s
December is the busiest time of the year at Ingebretson’s, a Scandinavian market and gift shop on Lake Street in Minneapolis. As Ingebretson’s marks its 100th anniversary, it’s a time for celebration and a time for reflection at the shop. Britta Greene reports for KFAI’s MinneCulture.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Marking 100 years with Celebration and Reflection at Ingebretsen’s

Ep. 30: The Godfather of Black Space in Minneapolis
Season 5 of the MinneCulture Podcast was devoted solely to Minnesota history. Anthony Brutus Cassius was questioned by the FBI, fought to be the first Black person in Minnesota to get a liquor license, and his famous greasy burgers were once mentioned on the Johnny Carson show. But above all, starting in the 1930s, Cassius created space for the Twin Cities Black community to eat, drink, organize and connect. Hear Cassius’ story in this episode of the MinneCulture Podcast, produced by Nancy Rosenbaum and Mecca Bos.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Ep. 30: The Godfather of Black Space in Minneapolis

Ep. 35: The Toonsmith: Dave Mruz, Minnesota’s Cartooning Historian

KFAI’s Britt Aamodt shared three tremendous feats of storytelling in Season 5 of the podcast, including a chronicle of Minnesota connections to famous comics and cartoons. Listen here and learn a thing or two about Donald Duck, Superman, Charlie Brown and more.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Ep. 35: The Toonsmith: Dave Mruz, Minnesota’s Cartooning Historian

Fly Robin Fly: That Disco-Crazed Moment When The Gay 90’s Came Out Of The Closet

In downtown Minneapolis, there’s a gay bar with several dance floors conveniently named the Gay 90’s.

But… the Gay 90’s hasn’t always been gay. The bar began as a supper club for a straight crowd. It opened in the 1950s and the name was a reference to an earlier decade, the 1890s. Then, in 1975, the vibe changed in a big way. The owners of the Gay 90’s bought a disco ball, hired DJs, and turned the 90’s into a club catering to gay men. In this original KFAI documentary by KFAI’s Todd Melby, you’ll hear a history of the bar featuring some of the people who worked, danced and connected at the Gay 90’s.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Fly Robin Fly: That Disco-Crazed Moment When The Gay 90’s Came Out Of The Closet

MinneCulture productions on KFAI are supported by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

MinneCulture | Richfield Couple Embark on Musical Mission Down the Mississippi

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Richfield couple Peter and Michele Borne are on a mission to unite communities along the Mississippi River through music and education. But before they set sail, they first need to resurrect a once-sunken luxury houseboat into a world-class recording studio. With a whole lot of help from their friends, Peter and Michele will soon bring “Joyful Noise” to river towns from St. Paul to New Orleans, and all points in between. KFAI’s James Napoli report.

Listen here:

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Richfield Couple Embark on Musical Mission Down the Mississippi

Photo: Peter Borne aboard Joyful Noise by James Napoli.

Support for MinneCulture on KFAI is made possible by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

KFAI’s MinneCulture Is Hiring a Project Manager and Editor

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Minnesota Legacy Project Manager for KFAI Fresh Air Radio

KFAI Fresh Air Community Radio in Minneapolis/St. Paul is hiring a Project Manager and Editor for its award-winning State of Minnesota Legacy Amendment program, MinneCulture. This is an hourly, independent contractor position running through December 2022. The Legacy Amendment Project Manager is expected to provide the following services:

Ensure that Legacy Amendment project producers adhere to deadlines and journalistic standards;
Assist producers in defining and revising story ideas;
Provide script editing and sound design guidance of completed stories, documentaries, and podcasts;
Create and archive contracts and invoices;
File contracts and invoices with KFAI staff on behalf of all Legacy contractors;
Coordinate and/or serve as liaison between producers and other independent contractors hired by KFAI to document Legacy Amendment projects;
Cultivate relationships with existing Legacy contractors while networking to expand the pool of contractors, especially to include more producers from BIPOC communities, LGBTQ+ communities and producers of diverse abilities and professional backgrounds;
Collaborate with Ampers Network staff to create program budget and workplan, refresh and adjust budget and workplan as needed;
Plan events such as video shoots and live concerts;
Ensure compliance with artist recording agreements for recording rights for broadcasting and/or archiving live or sound recordings;
Ensure programs conform to Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage guidelines;
Regularly upload produced programs to Public Radio Exchange, KFAI.org, and soundcloud;
Promote content via social media marketing and local media ad buys;
Work closely with KFAI management, including the General Manager and Program Director;
Submit reports and monthly reimbursement requests as required to the State of Minnesota and the Ampers Network;
Engineer Legacy Amendment programming airing on KFAI as needed;
Other duties related to this project as assigned by GM and Ampers Network;

The successful candidate will provide their own transportation related to any and all work performed. The position is open to all individuals, without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, political affiliation, national origin or ancestry. The individual hired must legally conduct this work within the State of Minnesota, and it is highly preferred that the workplace be in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

Preferred qualifications for this position:

Strong administrative and organizational skills
Ability to manage and guide contract producers
Experience in journalism and radio production
A positive team-player attitude with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to see MinneCulture program grow
Proficiency with Excel, Powerpoint, and Google docs
Extensive experience with audio editing and mixing
Excellent writing, communication, and storytelling skills

Contracts and letters of agreement related to execution of the Legacy Amendment project are internal documents for KFAI usage only. The independent contractor is prohibited from sharing such documents outside of KFAI’s immediate staff.

KFAI Fresh Air Radio will compensate the Legacy Project Manager at the rate of $40 per hour. The Legacy Project Manager position may be shared among one other co-manager, depending on the applicant pool. The Legacy Project Manager role requires 60-80 hours per month. Payment will occur monthly upon the submission of a task-based, itemized invoice.

The independent contractor is not entitled to and shall not claim any of the rights, privileges, or benefits of an employee of KFAI Fresh Air Radio. The independent contractor is solely responsible for payment and withholding of all contract income and other taxes.

The contract for the Legacy Project Manager runs from December 15, 2021 to December 15, 2022. KFAI reserves the right to extend and or revise the terms of this contract beyond December 15, 2022.

The deadline to apply is December 3, 2021 at 5 pm CDT.

Applications, including a cover letter and resume, should be emailed to KFAI’s General Manager <gm@kfai.org> or mailed to:

General Manager
KFAI Fresh Air Radio
1808 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454

MinneCulture | Add Toni Stone to the Roster of Minnesota Baseball Legends

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This fall marks the 30th anniversary of one of Minnesota’s most celebrated baseball moments: the Twins’ 1991 World Series championship. But 2021 marks another milestone tied to the region’s baseball legacy. This year, Toni Stone would have been 100 years old. Stone, who spent a formative era of her youth in St. Paul, was the first woman to play professional baseball.

“People didn’t really know why she was signed. They thought it was like a gimmick,” says baseball historian Frank White. “But she played, and could play defense. Very quick runner, very fast runner.”

Listen to our story, produced by KFAI’s Mike Moen.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Add Toni Stone to the Roster of Minnesota Baseball Legends

Banner image by Mike Moen, Soundcloud and social media image courtesy of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Support for MinneCulture on KFAI comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

KFAI’s MinneCulture Recognized with Three Awards from the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists

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The 2021 Page One Awards from the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists has recognized the work produced by local journalists throughout the tumultuous year prior. Stand-outs from the year’s awards include “Journalist of the Year” presented to Libor Jany with the Star Tribune for his coverage of the murder of George Floyd and First Place for “Hard News Report” presented to Nina Moini and Laura Yuen at Minnesota Public Radio for their coverage of violence interrupters in the Twin Cities.

KFAI is proud to be among those recognized for three awards in two radio categories. Listen to KFAI’s winners below.

Ryan Dawes won First Place in the “Feature” category for his story “Gig Loss Pandemic” about how artists responded to wide-spread venue closures due to crowd-size limits ordered by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Gig Loss Pandemic

James Napoli won Second Place in the “Feature” category for his sound-rich, in-depth chronicle of Minnesota’s polka scene called “Stay Young, Go Dancing.”

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Stay Young, Go Dancing

Katie Thornton was recognized with a Second Place award In the “Special Project/In-depth” category for her documentary called “A Brief History of Women in Bars: A Minnesota Story in Three Rounds.” This doc marked the centennial of both the 18th and 19 amendments of the US Constitutional, sharing an interconnected history of both Temperance and Suffrage movements.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · A Brief History of Women in Bars: A Minnesota Story in Three Rounds

See the full list of winners here.

Support for MinneCulture on KFAI comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Graphic: MinneCulture Podcast, Season 5: Minnesota History

MinneCulture Podcast on KFAI

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Ep. 35: The Toonsmith: Dave Mruz, Minnesota’s Cartooning Historian**

Season 5 is all about Minnesota history.

Superman. Charlie Brown. Donald Duck. These ‘toons all have roots in Minnesota. In this episode of the MinneCulture Podcast, KFAI’s Britt Aamodt introduces us to a cartooning historian who helped preserve the backstory of some iconic characters.

Catch new episodes throughout the summer. Listen at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, PodMN and at Soundcloud below:

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Ep. 35: The Toonsmith: Dave Mruz, Minnesota’s Cartooning Historian

Ep. 34: A Living History of the Boundary Waters

In wilderness settings, there are connections people can make to the land, regardless of their age, race or gender, by walking in the footsteps of those who have come before them.

With this in mind, a group of Minnesota paddlers set out in the fall of 2020 to travel across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to retrace the steps of a wilderness pioneer named Arthur Carhart. Their journey took them across abandoned portages, streams plugged by beaver dams and through remote territory inside the nation’s most visited wilderness area.

Carhart made his journey to the Boundary Waters in 1921. Though a century has passed since his expedition, there were generations of people who lived in this landscape that is now defined as a ‘wilderness area.’ The Indigenous communities were here long before white voyageurs and government officials put their canoes on this countless collection of lakes, streams and pathways through the Boundary Waters.

In this episode of the MinneCulture Podcast, producer Joe Friedrichs takes a look at what the term ‘wilderness’ means in the past, present and future of the Boundary Waters.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Ep. 34: A Living History of the Boundary Waters

Ep. 33: James Garrett Jr. on Why Black Architecture Matters

James Garrett Jr. is an architect at 4RM+ULA architects, one of the only Black-owned architecture firms in Minnesota. Garrett and his family have deep ties to St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood. During his childhood in St. Paul, James fell in love with buildings and the bustle of urban landscapes. Later, while in college, he would discover that he himself had a connection to these landscapes through a man who helped create them, Clarence Wiggington, the first Black municipal architect in the country, serving St. Paul from 1915 to 1949.

In this episode of the MinneCulture Podcast, reporter Katie Thornton speaks with James Garrett Jr. about his life, his passion for architecture and how community-driven design can be a type of activism.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Ep. 33: James Garrett Jr. on Why Black Architecture Matters

Ep. 32: Stay Young, Go Dancing

Polka dancing was once a staple of small-town Minnesota, enjoyed by German, Polish, and Scandinavian immigrants who settled in farming communities. It was a popular activity in ballrooms throughout the Midwest in the 20th century. Today, polka dancing and ballrooms have mostly disappeared. But, for the residents of rural Sibley County, the legacy of one legendary polka venue still looms large. Producer James Napoli has the story.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Ep. 32: Stay Young, Go Dancing

Ep. 31: Murder Cliff: The Death of Mary Fridley Price

The plain, uninteresting Mary Fridley Price. Not the sort of girl anyone would notice—except now she’d gone and leapt over a cliff to save her poor dog. The dull—and very dead girl—was suddenly front-page headlines. No one was supposedly more grief-stricken than her charming husband Frederick Price, who found comfort in his wife’s inheritance—and in the arms of his mistress…

Are you suspicious? Mary’s father sure was.

KFAI’s Britt Aamodt shares the story of Minneapolis’ most notorious murder trial of 1916.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Ep. 31: Murder Cliff: The Death of Mary Fridley Price

Ep. 30: The Godfather of Black Space in Minneapolis

Anthony Brutus Cassius was questioned by the FBI, fought to be the first Black person in Minnesota to get a liquor license, and his famous greasy burgers were once mentioned on the Johnny Carson show. But above all, starting in the 1930s, Cassius created space for the Twin Cities Black community to eat, drink, organize and connect. Even today, there are hardly any Black-owned bars or restaurants in the Twin Cities. Cassius’ story helps us to understand how we got here.

“The Godfather of Black Space in Minneapolis” traces Cassius’ life and impact as a labor organizer, civil rights leader, and entrepreneur. This episode of the MinneCulture Podcast was produced by food writer and chef Mecca Bos and audio journalist Nancy Rosenbaum. It’s the first installment in the Hidden Black Foodways of Minnesota — an audio documentary and podcast series that will spotlight untold and under-told stories of Minnesota’s Black food makers and pioneers.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Ep. 30: The Godfather of Black Space in Minneapolis

Ep. 29: Generation AIDS

Minnesota was never a host zone for HIV/AIDS, but for Minnesotans living the disease the struggle was the same: to stay alive and to fight the homophobia that wanted to ignore an epidemic dismissed as a gay man’s disease. This is their story, reported and narrated by KFAI’s Britt Aamodt, hosted by Ahanti Young.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Ep. 29: Generation AIDS

Ep. 28: When the Gay 90’s Came Out

Hear Todd Melby share a history of the famous gay bar that began as a supper club for a straight crowd. Hear stories from behind the bar, on top of the bar, at the coat check and in parking lot. KFAI’s Todd Melby Reports.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Ep. 28: When the Gay 90’s Came Out

Stream seasons 1-4 of the MinneCulture Podcast here:

Connect with KFAI’s MinneCulture editorial team at legacy[at]kfai.org. Arts press releases, underwriting opportunities and story ideas are always welcome.

Support for MinneCulture on KFAI comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Support also comes from Hennepin History Museum.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · MinneCulture Podcast

MinneCulture | ‘Dear Neighbor,’ This Poster Is for You

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University Avenue in St. Paul has become the canvas for a new public art project called “Dear Neighbor.” Spearheading the project is the gallery XIAART, run by the Asian Economic Development Association. Located in the heart of Frogtown, the gallery is uniquely positioned to use art as a way to make sense of the deep problems faced by the Twin Cities.

The project pairs together Black, Indigenous, Asian, Desi, and Latinx artists and writers. They’ve created a series of posters displayed on businesses, homes, and libraries along University Avenue and the Green Line Light Rail. Writer Adlyn Carreras was paired with visual artist Gita Ghei. For their poster, Carreras wanted to create a message for unity.

“…I felt that here in St. Paul, not a lot of attention was given to the destruction and what was happening,” says Carreras. “And to me, this felt kind of like a little way to tell my neighborhood to unify and to come together after all this has happened and to just be together and move forward together.”

Listen to our story by KFAI’s Sheila Regan.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · ‘Dear Neighbor,’ This Poster Is For You

Images courtesy of XIAART and Sheila Regan. To see the posters, visit dear-neighbor.com. Support for MinneCulture on KFAI comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

*** Ep. 35: The Toonsmith: Dave Mruz, Minnesota’s Cartooning Historian

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Ep. 35: The Toonsmith: Dave Mruz, Minnesota’s Cartooning Historian**