Field Trip Day MPLS: Explore the quirkier parts of northeast Minneapolis

Whether you've recently moved to the Twin Cities or have spent a lifetime here, how well do you know its nooks and crannies? One of the ironies of living in a culturally rich town is that you might spend less time exploring it than you would as a tourist somewhere else.

This Saturday is your chance to get to know northeast Minneapolis during Field Trip Day MPLS. The event is presented by Permanent Art and Design Group and Atlas Obscura. The afternoon will be spent exploring the area's architecture, art, and history, with the help of a map and your own wits.

We talked with Permanent Art and Design Group's Kate Iverson over email about the event, and here's what she has to say. 

Permanent was approached to co-produce the event by our friends who run the website Atlas Obscura in NYC, an online encyclopedia of the world's wonders and curiosities.

The concept for this weekend's happening is similar to other events AO has done in the past in cities worldwide called Obscura Day, but this one has a new twist. We are working with a TBA mystery partner as well, who is a big part of it on the technology side. Similar events will occur on the same day in New York, L.A., San Francisco, Boston, and Chicago. 

Northeast is the oldest established neighborhood in Minneapolis. It's also a very creative community. These things combined make for plenty of interesting content. For instance, did you know that there is an area in Northeast that holds the world record for most churches on one block? Or that one of our favorite Northeast parks used to be a massive cemetery in the 1800s... from which thousands of graves were never relocated?

There are 30 locations on the map. 

Who picked them out? 

Permanent chose all the locations, as most of us are longtime Northeasters and have plenty of strange knowledge about the area. 

A number of artists are involved, and a lot of the locations on the tour include spaces that are not typically open to the public, so it's nothing like Art-A-Whirl. The destinations include everything from classic Northeast businesses that have been around forever, quirky landmarks, historic churches, and, yes, artists' studios that we find especially fascinating.

I'll give you a small taste: We've convinced mixed-media artist Lauri Svedberg to open up her home studio in upper Northeast. It's one of the locations that's more on the outskirts of the neighborhood, but absolutely worth the trek. Her home is a living piece of art, with hand-painted floors and walls, murals galore, and even a solarium-style gallery space. Not to mention that Lauri is one of the most cheerful, energetic, and friendly artists we know -- you'll be very welcome in her studio/home!

You'll also get a peek inside the studio of our pals, sculptor Michael Thomsen and photographer Keith Holmes, who have the run of the second floor of an old school building which they've turned into an installation space and workshop. It's covered floor to ceiling with oddities, curiosities, and cool art. This space is never open to the public, so it will be a really fun stop. For a hint at what the studio holds, check out a recent MN Original's clip about Thomsen's work here. 

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