MinneCulture | Becoming Claire

Claire Zachary Swenson is a local multi-disciplinary artist and creative. She is a visual artist, a musician, and the host of the online radio show “Zeecsart.” She also infuses her bartending and serving work at Palmer’s, the Hook and Ladder, and the Weinery with her creative style and infectious sense of humor.

Claire is continually exploring her gender fluidity in her fashion, art, work, and life. KFAI’s Cyn Collins had the opportunity to talk to Claire about how she’s grown more comfortable with her own self-expression — and how she hopes to inspire others to do the same.

KFAI's MinneCulture · Becoming Claire

You can hear Claire’s radio shows featuring eclectic mixes of music at: https://zeecsart.mixlr.com/

Support for MinneCulture on KFAI has been provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

MinneCulture | Inside Owamni by the Sioux Chef, the James Beard Best New Restaurant of 2022

Sean Sherman, Oglala Lakota, has been a chef for 30 years. He is the CEO of The Sioux Chef, which he began in 2014 as a caterer and food educator in the Twin Cities. He is co-owner — with Dana Thompson — of Owamni by the Sioux Chef restaurant which opened in July, 2021 at OwamniYomni, the sacred site of peace and well-being for the Dakota and Anishinaabe people.

KFAI's MinneCulture · Inside Owamni by the Sioux Chef, the James Beard Best New Restaurant of 2022

Owamni won the James Beard Best New Restaurant in America award on Monday July 13, 2022. Owamni is located inside the Water Works Pavilion in Mill Ruins Park, between 3rd Ave S and 5th Ave S. Photo courtesy of Owamni by the Sioux Chef.

Support for MinneCulture on KFAI has been provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

Annie Enneking, center right, teaches fight choreography for a production of Romeo and Juliet

MinneCulture | Annie Enneking: Fight Director, Frontwoman

Annie Enneking has made her life in the performing arts since childhood, and finds that muscularity – both physical and metaphysical – is at the heart of all the art forms she is passionate about: teaching, songwriting, fight choreography, acting, and being the front woman of her rock band Annie and the Bang Bang. She quit acting six years ago, and has since embraced fight direction in theatre, and performing music in her band.

KFAI's MinneCulture · Annie Enneking: Fight Director, Frontwoman

KFAI’s Cyn Collins spoke with Annie and her collaborator Sophina Saggau about consent, movement, and collaboration in fight choreography.

Support for MinneCulture on KFAI has been provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

An architectural drawing shows the projected new exterior of MSP Film at the Main. Photo courtesy of the project's architect, Marcelo Valdes.

MinneCulture | MSP Film Society Builds a Permanent Home for Cinema with Lease of St. Anthony Main Theater

The 2022 MSP International Film Festival (MSPIFF) returns May 5-19 —the first time in-person since 2020. This festival also marks the launch of MSP Film’s newest endeavor: taking over the St. Anthony Main Theater for good. They’ll relaunch as MSP Film at the Main.

“The experience that the film festival has, and the energy that it creates with our audiences…is something that we want to be bringing on a daily basis here,” said MSP Film Programming Director Jesse Bishop.

KFAI’s MinneCulture · MSP Film Society Builds a Permanent Home for Cinema with Lease of St. Anthony Main Theater

To get ready for MSPIFF, MSP Film will host an open house on Saturday April 30 .They’ll show people around the theatre, feature trailers on the screens, and have concessions available, All staff and board members will be there to answer questions.

For more information about MSPIFF or the expansion of MSP Film at the Main, visit MSP Film’s website is MSPfilm.org.

Architectural drawing courtesy of the project architect, Marcelo Valdes.

Support for MinneCulture on KFAI has been provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

MinneCulture | Patrick Scully Brings Walt Whitman Out Into the 21st Century

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Leaves of Grass – Illuminated is a live performance film of Patrick Scully’s acclaimed stage play by the same name. Scully performs the role of revered American poet Walt Whitman, transported to the 21st century with a mission: to proudly come out as a gay man, and witness a time his dreams have manifested, when men could love men freely.

In this production, Scully illuminates and impersonates Whitman, by sharing his story and his personal battles with the puritan morals of his time, via spoken word, art, video and dance.

“I realized by substituting Walt Whitman for my own autobiography as the content, I could take the same intention, which was to bring stories of same sex loving people out into the world,” says Scully. “But I could possibly do it more effectively than I’ve been able to, to this point with my own story, because more people recognize Walt Whitman’s name.”

Documentary filmmaker Mark Wojahn directed and Greg Winter filmed the stage performance at the Guthrie Theater in 2019.

KFAI’s Cyn Collins filed this audio feature about the production. Listen here:

KFAI’s MinneCulture · Patrick Scully Brings Walt Whitman Out Into the 21st Century

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