Community members chose the popular Minneapolis loch for Minne’s 2013 summer home

Minneapolis, Minn. – Minneapolitans chimed in on where __[_ (Minne, the Lake Creature) should cruise this summer. Nearly 50% of voters “Liked” Lake Nokomis over four other bodies of water in a Facebook poll that ran on the Minneapolis Parks Foundation’s Facebook Page from May 21 – June 3, 2013. Minne is a dinosaur-like dignitary with a winsome smile who surfaces in a Minneapolis lake every summer.

Lake Harriet started strong in the weeklong poll that invited Facebook users to vote for Minne’s destination by “Liking” a photo of the lake they prefer. But Lake Nokomis soon sailed past the competition – Lake Harriet and Cedar, Powderhorn and Wirth lakes – ultimately earning 293 of 603 “likes.”

As in 2012, Minne will make Lake Nokomis her one lake home this summer. In previous years Minne has moved up to three times in a season, but she’s anchored again this year because updated invasive species prevention measures implemented by the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board require a two-week holding period when moving Minne from one lake to another.

As a free public art project supported the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, the $3,000/installation cost is another consideration. “We depend on donors to help us keep the Mona Lisa of Minneapolis in the swim,” says Mary deLaittre, Executive Director of the Minneapolis Parks Foundation.

Minne fans and supporters of public art can visit MplsParksFoundation.org/Donate to help keep Minne afloat. Contributions can also be made by mail to the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, 4800 Minnehaha Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55417.

A Minne History
Minneapolis artist Cameron Gainer, inspired by the infamous 1934 “Surgeonʼs Photo” of the Loch Ness Monster, created the 13-foot fiberglass sculpture and dubbed her __ [ _.

Minne first made a splash in 2009, when she mysteriously appeared in Lake Harriet. Prior to her 2009 adoption and naming by the Parks Foundation, Minne also made appearances in Brooklyn, New York, and Tampa, Florida. Most recently, Minne was featured in the 2012-13 exhibition We Could Be Heroes: The Mythology of Monsters and Heroes in Contemporary Art at the Brigham Young University Museum of Art.

About the Minneapolis Parks Foundation
The Minneapolis Parks Foundation is creating the Next Generation of Parks™. Through the generosity of our donors and grantmakers, we provide private-sector leadership and support for RiverFirst and Water Works, innovative urban design projects that build on our 100-year legacy of visionary parks. We work collaboratively with multiple government and non-profit partners on these parks projects, as well as our education programs – SiteSeeing Urban Design Curriculum and Next Generation of Parks™ Lecture Series. The Minneapolis Park System enhances the quality of life in our city and creates social and economic environments that strengthen communities throughout the region. Learn more and donate at MplsParksFoundation.org.

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Featured image: Lake Nokomis courtesy MPRB