by Jenna Gloeb
The City of Minneapolis has announced the first recipients of its Arts & Culture Vibrant Storefronts initiative, a pilot program providing over $224,000 to help local arts organizations turn empty storefronts into “vibrant cultural hubs.”
In a press release, Mayor Jacob Frey praised the initiative as a “game-changer,” adding, “This is just the beginning,” while pointing to plans to expand the program into Uptown with even more taxpayer dollars.
Building vibrancy, one tax hike at a time
The announcement comes after Frey proposed the city’s largest property tax hike in 16 years—a whopping 8.1%—to cover rising expenses. That’s on top of the Minneapolis School Board’s recent approval of a maximum levy increase of 4.5% and a $20 million school technology levy passed by voters.
The Vibrant Storefronts program is a key recommendation from Frey’s Vibrant Downtown Storefronts Workgroup and aligns with the city’s Minneapolis 2040 plan.
In its first year, $250,000 was set aside in the city’s 2024 budget for the program, with hopes for a threefold funding increase in the 2025-2026 budget.
Council Member Katie Cashman praised the initiative as a way to “write the next chapters for our community,” while Arts and Cultural Affairs Director Ben Johnson called it a step toward reimagining “downtown as the creative arts epicenter of our region.”
All of this optimism comes as Minneapolis struggles to recover from the devastating riots of 2020, during which countless storefronts were left in ashes.
The new program looks to “transform vacancy to vibrancy” through “dynamic quarterly programming” and by helping entrepreneurs “strengthen their business models and engage the public through their art.”
Among the recipients are Blackbird Revolt, Black Business Enterprises, Flavor World, Twin Cities Pride, and Skntones™—all set to transform spaces in the Harmon Place Historic District.
One of the recipients, Blackbird Revolt, is described as an “abolitionist design studio” that seeks “collective liberation through the support of anti-racism, anti-sexism, anti-ableism, sustainability, and other forms of anti-oppression in Minneapolis.”
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Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
Photo “Blackbird Revolt” by Minneapolis Arts and Culture Affairs.
