Minneapolis arts and parks came together for the 5th Annual Posters for Parks event. It was a week-long celebration and sharing of parks-inspired design. And after all the posters were counted, it was the most successful poster show yet. A grand total of 811 posters found their way into the hands and onto the walls of fine folks from northern Minnesota to Atlanta, GA, and from Portland, OR, to Brooklyn, NY, along the way generating more than $33,000 to support the Minneapolis Parks Foundation’s People for Parks Fund and local artists.
Going virtual was not our preferred choice, but hosting a live indoor gathering during the pandemic did not seem responsible. As many parts of our personal and professional lives are morphing, we push our comfort zones with the hopes of resembling former successes – or at least normalcy. It worked. The 2020 online poster show translated and resonated in the now-common online Zoom space. More than 600 folks registered for the happy hour and in that first hour more than 250 posters sold!
Some other nifty numbers:
- 20 Number of states from which we received orders
- 13 Artists who sold out
- 521 Votes for the People’s Choice Award (Cheryl Peick’s Chain of Lakes took home the recognition)
- 22 Artists who received 10 or more People’s Choice votes
Posters for Parks was originally a one-night partnership between People for Parks and Dan Woychick’s Love Mpls Parks. This year, with the support of the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, a week of parks-inspired posters kicked off with a music-infused virtual happy hour. Between segments that highlighted each poster and what inspired the artist, cocktails and mocktails were shaken and stirred, DJ King Otto laid down a cool groove – all from his abundant collection of 45s – and a looping slideshow of the 33 posters filled in the hour-long opening night.
“Attending” an online art show, like a family gathering on Zoom, is nothing like the real thing. It’s novel and it will suffice. And, elements of the pandemic modifications in our lives will likely stay with us (perhaps a hybrid version of a live and online poster event in 2021?!).
Thanks to all the artists for participating and sharing how parks inspire you! You can see the posters from this year’s sale on PostersforParks.org.
Behind the Scenes from the virtual 2020 Posters Show
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Featured Image: Chain of Lakes by Cheryl Peick