You are browsing an archived site for a previous Northern Spark event. To visit the current site click here.

You are browsing an archived site for a previous Northern Spark event. To visit the current site click here.

 

Festival Overview

Northern Spark is a late-night art festival that lights up the Twin Cities.

Keith Braveheart,, A Buffalo Nation: Creating Community,The Commons, Northern Spark 2018. Presented by Native American Community Development Institute with Northern Lights.mn. Photo: Sean Smuda.

In early June, tens of thousands of people gather throughout the city to explore giant video projections, play in temporary installations in the streets, and enjoy experimental performances in green spaces.

Late into the night the city surprises you: friendly crowds, glowing groups of cyclists, an unexpected path through the urban landscape, the magic of early morning after a night of amazing art and experiences.

Since 2011 we have collaborated with nearly 313 organizations and presented the work of over 2,154 artists to make Northern Spark happen.

In 2018 we experimented with a new model: a two-night festival that runs from sunset to 2 am each night.  This new schedule spurred just as much magic and connection as previous years so it continues in 2019.

Partners and Collaborators

Northern Lights.mn is grateful for the generous involvement of these organizations in the support and programming of Northern Spark 2019: The Commons, The Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy program of the City of Minneapolis, Green Minneapolis and The Commons, Native American Community Development Institute, Hallie Q Brown Community Center, Aurora St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation, Model Cities, and Penumbra Theater.

Program Council

Northern Lights recognizes that equity work is long and continuous, and that progress doesn’t happen without intentionality. With the Program Council, a group of artists and organizers from various disciplines, we have created a Vision and Mission that will continue to evolve into the future.

Thank you to the 2019 Program Council:

Alex Buffalohead, Sara Endalew, Pa Na Lor, Khadijah Zahra Muse, Aki Shibata, Donald Thomas Jr., MaryAnne Quiroz, and SEE MORE PERSPECTIVE.

For more information, visit the Program Council page on the Northern Lights.mn site.