For the eighth year, Minneapolis MOSAIC will celebrate the city’s diverse arts and culture with a FREE arts-packed event on June 5 from 1-10 p.m. New to the 2010 celebration is Minneapolis MOSAIC’s partnership with Twin Cities World Refugee Day. The joint day-long event is an educational experience and “arts sampler” that will feature more than 40 acts performing at featured venues along the avenue, which include the Pantages Theatre, Hennepin Stages, and two outdoor stages just off Hennepin Avenue between 7th & 8th streets.
Festival-goers of all ages will also delight in the sights and smells of local ethnic and Midtown Global Market food vendors.
From 1- 5 p.m., festival-goers can enjoy free performances from local refugee talents, including: Hoang Anh Dance Group (Vietnamese dancers), Waddhanak of MN Cambodian Buddhist Society, Oromo Community of Minnesota Dancers, Russian Soul (traditional Russian dance), Hmong Qeej Players, Red Hot Peppers (Hmong youth dancers), Motion Crew (Hmong youth breakdancers), Karen Organization of Minnesota Dancers, Ibe Kaba (Guinean spoken word artist), Eh Taw Dwe (Karen storyteller), Tenzin Ngawang (Tibetan musician), Marian Hassan (Somali children’s book author), Nothando Zulu (African storyteller), Sansei Yonsei Kai (Japanese dance group), and Bhutanese children’s play.
From 6-10 p.m., the celebration will continue with an artistic and cultural performance line-up that includes: MPLS TLNT SHW! (Talent show finals featuring teens from 11 Minneapolis neighborhoods), Katha Dance Theatre and Robert Robinson Music (Official Minneapolis MOSAIC Commission performance), Johnson Family Band (American Bluegrass music), Tim O’Keefe/Batucada du Norte (Brazil Parade music), Mitch Walking Elk (American Indian folk and rock music), Mick LaBriola and Zion Tribe (Reggae music), Sergio Quiroz (Aztec dance and music), Eliecer Ramirez (Salsa dance), Lois Donnay (Argentinean tango dance), Yoji Senna (Capoiera, Brazilian martial art and music), Maia Maiden Conscious Spirit (African and hip hop dance), Nick Haas (Jazz Flamenco fusion music), Friendship Set to Music (American Square Dance), Cherolyn Fischer (Pachamama Latin Band), Paul Harding (World music DJ from Radio K), Jill Bernard (Twin Cities Improv Festival), Main Street School, Youth Performance Company, Zhan Xu (Chinese acrobat), CAAM Theater (Chinese dance), and Gao Hong (Chinese pipa player).
Events celebrating the city’s diversity and artistic talents continue city-wide throughout the year. A guide to all the Minneapolis MOSAIC events is available online at
The Minneapolis MOSAIC website is also a great opportunity for arts, culture and humanities nonprofit organization to further promote events and projects to the public. Organizations may go online to the website to register their information and submit details about upcoming events.
