Believe it or not, Southeast Como is home to more than just basement parties and Row House concerts (R.I.P.).

The Minneapolis neighborhood just outside of Dinkytown has more of a laid back feel with one of a kind vintage and streetwear shops to casual restaurants you can explore when you’re craving that residential feel on campus.

Caffeinate

Black Coffee and Waffle Bar: You may be familiar with Black Coffee and Waffle bar because of their infamous big-as-your-head sweet and savory waffles, but their coffee menu is just as expansive and tasty as their waffle menu. They source their coffee beans from Vitality Roasting, who are known to roast only five pounds at a time. They also make their own flavoring syrups in house. During the day, the natural light shines through the big front window, giving the space a warm and bright ambience for the perfect breakfast and coffee spot with friends. At night, the string lights turn on and it moonlights as a chilled hangout or study space.

Shop

Piff: If you’re a self-proclaimed hype beast or simply enjoy looking at cool shoes and clothes, make sure to drop in to Piff. Piff is a streetwear store that sells everything from Yeezy slides to Supreme skateboard decks. If you’re also looking to get those old Jordan 1’s off your hands, Piff is open to buying, selling, and trading.

Water Wave TV: Across the street from Piff, Water Wave TV is also another place to buy and sell shoes. Water Wave TV has a bigger vintage tee and Minnesota based-brand inventory. If you’re feeling daring, go to their website to purchase a Mystery Box. These Mystery Boxes range in prices from $150-$500, where you can choose to purchase a box containing shoes or clothes.

Eat

Ramen Kazama: With a menu that expands beyond ramen to desserts like matcha mille crepe slices, this cozy spot is a great place to rejuvenate after a long day. If you make your way here around the evening, they also serve beer and wine.

Relax

Van Cleve Park: Van Cleve Park has a lot of different spaces to offer for whatever type of park outing you’re looking for. If you’re feeling up for some movement, grab some friends and play kickball at the baseball diamonds, or a game of pick up soccer in the open grass field. You could also find a shady spot under a tree and read a good book, or invite some friends to join you for a picnic. Van Cleve is the perfect place to take a breather and reconnect with a bit of nature when the college campus can start to feel like a concrete jungle.

Drink

Blue Door Pub: If you are over 21 and want to enjoy a warm summer night with food and friends, head to Blue Door Pub’s outdoor patio. Honorable mentions for drinks are the Fulton Blood Orange Seltzer and the War Pigs Foggy Geezer — and all drinks are between 2 dollars and up to 8 dollars for a bottle of wine. They also offer a happy hour for the first and last hour of every day they are open. Make sure to save some room for food as Blue Door Pub is home to the “Blucy,” which is their own version of a Juicy Lucy.

An exciting part of a Minnesota summer is the abundance of farmers markets the Twin Cities has to offer. Whether it’s a self-started herbal remedy company or a family-owned coffee vendor with beans delivered weekly from their family’s farm in Guatemala, these local farmers and artisans have been waiting for this summer to showcase and sell all their hard work.

The Twin Cities has a lot of different en plein air shopping experiences with unique qualities and neighborhoods. A&E gives you the rundown on just a handful of these markets to add to your to-do list this summer.

St. Paul Farmers Market — $

Every Saturday from 7 a.m to 1 p.m & Sunday from 8 a.m to 1 p.m

290 East 5th St, Saint Paul

Just blocks away from the Mississippi River and the St. Paul Saints’ CHS field, the St. Paul Farmers Market greets you with an abundance of magnolias, poppies and the smell of fresh, buttery pastries every weekend.

The St. Paul Farmers Market is a happy medium of busy, but not overwhelming, energy. At the market you can find a variety of products from salsa, jams, pasta, hot sauces, chocolates, cheeses, eggs — basically any craving you’re having, they got it. It would take a lot of willpower to leave this market empty handed. 

An honorable mention for produce vendors goes out to Edgie’s Veggies. Fan favorites of theirs are the pea shoots and radishes, perfect on an avocado toast or fresh salad.

After an hour of hanging out at the St. Paul Farmers Market, Isabella Azzaro and Kate Johnson, rising third-years at the University of Minnesota, made their way to Mears Park where they planned to have an afternoon picnic with fresh pastries and iced coffees purchased from the market. 

“It’s such a different experience getting to actually meet the person who actually grew and made the food we’re eating,” Azzaro said.

Mill City Farmers Market — $$

Every Saturday from 8 a.m to 1 p.m

704 S 2nd St, Minneapolis

Abutting the Guthrie Theater and Stone Arch Bridge, the Mill City Farmers Market is a prime location for spending an afternoon in the heart of Minneapolis.

Besides the location being enough of a reason to make the trip, the Mill City Farmers Market develops a theme every week with speakers and demonstrations on everything from planting, raising urban chickens and cooking. Follow their Instagram for updates.

A vendor to check out is Ever Wild Herbal Company, a women-owned body care company founded in 2016 by farmer and maker Gina Kuhn. Kuhn creates and sells bath and beauty products like serums, lotions, salves, essential oils and botanical herbal remedies grown and processed locally. 

Aayush Patkar, a rising third-year at the University, appreciates this market in particular because “everyone always seems happy to be there.”

After the market, folks like to head to Gold Medal Park to sit on the grass hill and indulge in their new purchases.

Minneapolis Farmers Market on Lyndale Avenue — $

Daily from 6 a.m to 1 p.m

312 East Lyndale Ave North, Minneapolis

The Minneapolis and Nicollet Mall Farmers Markets are the largest farmer managed markets in the state, with the flagship Lyndale location having up to 170 vendors on the weekends. If you prefer a more intimate experience with vendors and browsing with less people, going during a weekday is recommended, as the weekends get fairly busy. 

According to Minnesota Grown, the produce that are in season now are beets, carrots, cauliflower, blueberries, cucumbers, herbs, peppers, potatoes, raspberries, summer squash, sweet corn and tomatoes. 

The early bird gets the worm when it comes to getting the pickings, so make sure to bring your grocery list to stock up on these fresh goodies while you can. With loads of affordable produce options and  farmers who are ready to answer your questions about how their products market, the market provides an education and enriching market experience.

Linden Hills Farmers Market — $

Every Sunday from 10 a.m to 1 p.m

2813 W 43rd St, Minneapolis

A 10-minute walk from Lake Harriet, the Linden Hills Farmers Market is a great spot if you’re looking for a smaller, more intimate market experience. Occupying the Settergren Ace Hardware parking lot, this market has vendors of everything from produce, plants, meats, pastries and coffee.

Talk to the farmers at First Blush Farm & Garden about what heirloom starter plant to get for your garden — the oregano and sage are a popular option for a lot of folks.

The Biscuit Babe vendor bakes at the crack of dawn every Sunday morning to make sure there are warm, freshly made sweet and savory biscuits for the early market go-ers. 

With this market being on the smaller side, stop by one of the many surrounding lakes and take a walk, rent a paddle board and hang around until night comes and check out the Lake Harriet Bandshell for some possible outdoor live music or outdoor movie screening.

In June we celebrate Pride; a month that honors countless folks who paved the way for the lives of LGBTQ folks today: Marsha P. Johnson, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy and Stormé DeLarverie to name a few. The physical celebration of Pride takes place over a couple days at the end of June, but there are so many ways to show love and honor what LGBTQ folks bring to our community.

One way is finding small, local and queer-owned businesses to support. A&E rounded up five different businesses you can check out this month — and every other month — from a Tarot reader, Curly Hair Salon to a delicious pie shop.

Curl Power Salon – IG: @curlpowersalon
5015 Ewing Ave S, Minneapolis & 8 East Franklin Ave, Minneapolis

Curl Power Salon is a salon with an emphasis on cultivating self love and confidence. Owned and founded by Rosie Jablonksy in 2016, Jablonsky has a team of curl specialists that provide customized cuts, colors, styling and curl coaching sessions working with all ages.

Along with the fully functioning salons, Jablonsky operates a Curl Camp, which is a “hands on workshop for parents and caregivers to learn how to cultivate strong healthy self-care routines for curly, coils and wavy haired children.” In her Ewing location in 2020, Jablonksy added the plant and art shop Here We Grow for the purpose of “continuing to create more ways to engage with the communities around me and my businesses and build in ways to foster joy.”

Blue Collar Supper Club – IG: @bluecollarsupperclub
A pop-up dining experience — follow IG for upcoming event details!

Julian Korger grew up in a very conservative and Catholic household, “where queer and trans identities were not an option to explore, understand or even have language to describe,” they said. It was only through being a part of a queer community as they got older, that Korger said they found permission to love, value and be themself.

Because of this, they wanted to open a space where others could feel the same sense of belonging.

Ever since their first event — a horror-themed supper club hosted in 2015 — Blue Collar Supper Club (BCSC), Kroger’s underground gem, has thrown over 25 clubs and created over 90 unique dishes (fan favorites include their pineapple smoked ham or their strawberry cheesecake “fruit pizza” ice cream). BCSC strives to create an environment that welcomes new people and supplements a space to authentically create bonds with new people and create strong relationships.

Pie & Mighty – IG: @pieandmightymsp
3553 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis

Pie & Mighty, a small pie shop with the tagline “putting pie into the hands of people who need it” because they believe everyone needs pie, has been operating since 2017 but didn’t open their physical location on Chicago Ave until March 14 2020 — yes, two days before the whole state was told to stay home.

Co-owned by partners Rachel Swan and Karen “Ratchet” Mattison, the pie shop has garnered a subscription-based pie-loving community with their tiny, but mighty kitchen! Customers can now go into the shop for slices and other treats when they are open Thursday through Saturday. With a high pie demand and their radically small team, the owners have implemented the Pie Loop lottery, where you’re able to submit a pie request, and hopefully, by the grace of the pie gods, receive a pie. If you’re lucky enough, maybe you’ll receive the Apple Cranberry Pecan Crumble, Swan’s personal favorite, which she said is, “just sweet enough to be dessert — also totally appropriate for breakfast.”

Big Mouth Tarot – IG: @bigmouthtarot
Look to Instagram and their website for bookings!

Nicole Mayefske is a Minneapolis-based tarot reader and Reiki II practitioner (Reiki is a Japanese form of alternative therapy and medicine that focuses on the transfer of energy from the practitioner’s hands to the palms of the patient). Nearly seven years ago, Mayefske picked up a tarot deck on a whim from a metaphysical shop in Appleton, Wisconsin and went into the practice recreationally. She performed readings on family and friends and received such positive feedback from them that she decided to turn it into her own business. Her focus is a “you do you” approach to tarot, she said. She not only gives readings, but teaches tarot reading classes as well.

Scout – IG: @scout.stp
327 7th St W, St Paul & 3925 Market St, Edina

Scout, co-owned by partners John and Ben Thompson, is an apparel and gift shop with a planet positive focus. The St. Paul location opened in August of 2018, and they recently opened an Edina location this past April.

Scout carries an array of planet positive brands and instills an overall focus on using environmentally conscious materials, manufacturers and contributers. Scout prides themselves on being a queer-friendly space that “welcomes anyone who is interested in having a handsome style” explains the Thompsons.

While everyone was deciding where to spend the next four years of their lives for school, Minneapolis creatives Ananda Cordova Stuart, 20, and Meara Molitor, 20, had a different idea for their future in mind. They both envisioned a gap year with an emphasis on work and travel. That is, until the pandemic came and plans changed.

In February of 2020, Cordova Stuart and Molitor posted their first podcast episode and, since then, amassed a following of over 500 Instagram followers, averaging around 400 listens per episode, and connected themselves with small businesses and creatives in Minneapolis.

A&E spoke with Cordova Stuart and Molitor to discuss FOMO, heartbreak and taking the road less traveled.

Where did the idea to start the podcast come from?

Molitor: My senior year of high school was super rocky. Long story short: a lot of things happened and my dreams changed. I decided to take a gap year, and two weeks before I left for a trip to Bali, I got dumped. I was at my lowest of lows and I did a lot of crying on my own on the beach, in the airport, and in a lot of random places and through that I kind of was like, ‘I’m learning so much about life right now,’ and I was kind of in this weird in-between stage where I had to act like an adult because I didn’t go to college. When I was sitting on a beach on my trip, it hit me: I was like ‘I’m literally just fake adulting’ and I thought, ‘Oh my god, I need to use that.’

When you started the podcast, what was the intention behind it?

Cordova Stuart: We thought that it was going to be for my friends, Meara’s friends, and our family, mostly updating them on what’s going on during our gap years. Then after a couple episodes we realized that most of our support — and our supporters — started to come from people who weren’t our closest friends or family. It was coming from people who had followed us both on Instagram for a while.

Molitor: The intention was to talk about gap years, travel, our work, seeing we were both working full-time jobs, and mental health. We ended up talking a lot about relationships in general because I was going through a break up as she was experiencing her first real love.

Also, in our “Dear Men” epsiode I talked about an assault that happened to me that I had never talked about before. All of a sudden I felt like I had this safe space to be able to talk. Since doing that I’ve gotten the support that I needed, and others reached out saying it helped them too.

What were some of the challenges you faced with doing this podcast when all your other friends were in school?

Molitor: At the time, I think we both felt super alone. Taking a gap year is kind of an isolating feeling because all of the people you know are doing what they’re “supposed to do.” I never had anything or anyone giving me advice about this or telling me reasons why this was a good idea, so we decided to be that voice for the people.

Cordova Stuart: We wanted to emphasize talking about taking the road less traveled. It’s so easy to be like ‘It’s my decision right?’ We saw all those college freshmen parties, dorm life and meeting your friends — we watched that and we wanted that. We had extreme FOMO.

What does being a Fake Adult mean to you?

Molitor: Our first ever definition is adulting with imperfections. A fake adult is someone who tries to be the best they can every day and do ‘adult things’ but still makes mistakes. A fake adult is someone who does things like run errands, work hard for their money, apply for jobs, but has no idea how a mortgage works. It’s also a lot of “you should be doing this, you should be doing that.” A lot of people our age can relate to some degree that we’re independent and we’re supposed to be doing things on our own, but no matter what’s going on, at any inconvenience, your first instinct is to call your mom — even though my mom was just saying the other day she also feels like a fake adult.

This interview has been edited for length, grammar and clarity.

Spring is officially here. The birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and Fashion Week MN is back!

The event is organized by Fashion Week MN (FWMN), a volunteer-run, community-oriented, not-for-profit organization. Fashion Week MN is typically a biannual event of runway shows, presentations and panels used to highlight the recent collections of Minnesota-based designers, brands and retailers.

Just like everything this year, Fashion Week MN will look a little different. The lineup will span four days, April 28 – May 1, and consist of a limited number of events that include a mixture of virtual and smaller, socially distanced in-person events.

The FWMN team is making the statement this year that the Twin Cities fashion scene is just as strong as traditional fashion meccas like New York or Paris.

FWMN’s core concept centers around the diverse local talents the Twin Cities fashion scene has to offer, according to Sarah Edwards, FWMN’s co-founder and CEO.

“When you think of the fact that we have these incredible assets like the music scene, food scene, theater, art, design and Fortune 100 companies, there’s a lot of cool stuff happening in the Twin Cities,” she said. “Fashion was happening, but it needed a centralized hub. When we started putting together the idea we were asking ourselves, ‘Ok what can it look like and how can it serve people?’”

Chandler Weir, marketing and creative director for FWMN, commented on the importance of embracing and uplifting local creatives.

“We’re working to create and amplify a creative community here that can thrive and live sustainably,” she said. “I know a lot of designers who have to work another job in order to support themselves. We talk a lot on our team about how we can enable folks to make their passion their paycheck.”

This passion for supporting local extends to the other themes FWMN is embodying this season, including sustainability, ethical practices and thrift/vintage.

All these themes and centralized ideas around the fashion community have really transcended into something bigger than Fashion Week cliches like fancy dresses, prestigious venues and elitist gatherings. FWMN is setting a precedent for a new wave of fashion that’s accessible for everyone.

Diversity and inclusion was a must for all designers this year. As designers applied to be a part of FWMN, they had to sign a statement of inclusivity before even submitting an application. The statement basically said that they have to include diversity within their models.

“Fashion Week Minnesota is evolving into something much bigger than just clothes and I am so thankful to be a part of it,” said University of Minnesota second-year student and FWMN intern, Grace Giblin.

Inclusion is a big part of FWMN this year. Weir encourages anyone interested in getting involved in local fashion to check out this year’s lineup and find their fit.

“Everybody kind of recognizes that fashion feels intimidating, so I think everyone’s hyperaware of avoiding that. It really comes back to people who have a passion to get involved in the community, and there’s always a place for that,” Weir said.

Most shows that are in-person are sold out already, but more information on virtual showings and events this spring season can be found on their Instagram and website.

Festivals have laid dormant since the pandemic started, but as things start to open up and the weather is getting better, there’s more opportunity to attend all your favorite festivals that make the Twin Cities the best place to be in the summer.

April/May

Fashion Week MN (April 28 – May 1): Fashion Week MN is a biannual event full of runway shows, presentations, panels and shopping events highlighting the most recent collections of Minnesota-based designers, brands and retailers.

Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (May 13 – May 23): The 40th annual international film festival will take on a hybrid format with an array of virtual and outdoor screenings in both Minneapolis and St. Paul. The full line up and ticketing will be announced April 22. Student all-access passes are currently at the discounted price of $19.99.

June

Stone Arch Bridge Festival (June 19 – June 20): The Stone Arch Bridge Festival is a Father’s Day weekend tradition that has been going on for over 25 years on the Minneapolis riverfront. Over 200 visual artists, 40 musical acts and countless food vendors can be seen at the festival. Keep an eye out for the vintage and vinyl market — along with the art of the car show!

Twin Cities Pride Festival (June 26 – June 27): All LGBTQ people and allies are welcome for the premier celebration of the LGBTQ community in downtown Minneapolis! The festival is currently reviewing options for this year’s pride celebration. Twin Cities Pride doesn’t believe it will be able to host the large festival at Loring Park like in past years, but it is looking at alternatives like a series of smaller gatherings.

July

Basilica Block Party (July 9 – July 10): Come ye sinners and worship at the best party ever held at a church. Back in 1995, the Basilica Block Party began as a fundraiser to help pay for the structural restoration of the Basilica of Saint Mary. Now, 26 years later, it’s one of the best summertime events in the Twin Cities with an incredible lineup of indie rock.

Loring Park Art Festival (July 31 – August 1): Loring Park Art Festival consists of 140 visual artists selling their original work in 12-by-12-foot booths, strolling musicians, scheduled stage performances, children’s activities and exceptional food. The artwork presented will be from a variety of different media, including painting, photography, printmaking, wood, jewelry, clay, sculpture, fiber and glass.

August

Uptown Art Fair (August 6 – August 8): The Uptown Art Fair, produced by the Uptown Association, is a fine arts festival known as one of the most exceptional art fairs in the United States. The Uptown Art Fair showcases a variety of unique art for everyone.

Edina Art Fair (August 20 – August 22): The fair is held annually in the streets of 50th and France in Edina. The neighborhood is a hot shopping destination in the Twin Cities, known for all the luxury and lifestyle boutiques.

A&E hit the streets of Dinkytown to find the most fitted up students; here’s what’s in style for spring 2021.

Denim on denim

(from left to right, Kirstin Knudsen and Katie Johnson)

Who knew the Canadian tuxedo look would make its way back into the streets? Good denim is a must in anyone’s wardrobe. A good pair of jeans can really make or break an outfit, and these ladies found just that with these outfits.

Kirstin Knudsen, a second-year student, is wearing The Ragged Priest jeans and a thrifted top. She is sporting a printed denim with a different denim on top, which is a good way to not wash out the outfit and give a little more attention to the printed jeans.

Katie Johnson, a first-year student, is wearing an all thrifted outfit, giving off a “‘70s chic meets ‘90s chill” vibe with the added headband hairpiece.

Leather jackets

(from left to right, Holly Fjeldstad and Emma Kostecki)

With a Minnesota spring, you never know what to expect. Having a couple of jackets on hand — to put over an outfit and pull it all together rather than wash it out — is essential. These leather jackets add an edge to these softer looks.

The oversized look that Emma Kostecki, a first-year student, is wearing is one that has been very in with the recent wave of ‘90s trends hitting the streets again. This style can be fun to add to looks that might be a little more fitted. Holly Fjeldstad, a second-year student, adds a leather jacket with fur lining, giving more of a Y2K look that is not only fun and funky but also practically warm for those cooler nights walking around campus.

Collared and vintage tees

(from left to right, Sony Kika, Alexus Songa and Max Fleming)

The casual sneakers paired with jeans keeps the outfit neutral, and adding a top with a little statement really brings these looks to life. First-year students Sony Kika and Alexus Songa juxtaposed their casualness on the bottom by adding short-sleeved collared shirts, elevating the look.

Max Fleming, a fourth-year student, took the vintage graphic tee route with a top from Electric Fetus. Sporting vintage tees can be a fun way to give an outfit some extra character.

University of Minnesota student Olivia Anizor saw the lack of representation and accessibility of vintage clothing for plus-size folks and decided to do something about it.

Anizor began curating and selling plus-size vintage clothing during the slow months of the pandemic summer of 2020. She created and runs the Instagram account @doowopvintage, where she directly posts and sells to her almost 400 followers.

“I am the audience. I know what I want, and I know what I think other girls with curves want,” Anizor said about her motivation for starting Doo Wop.

In a culture where a certain body type influences media and retail, it can be especially hard and discouraging for plus-size folks to find clothing that appeals to them. In 2018, Plunkett Research estimated that 68% of women in the United States are size 14 and up, yet market research company NPD found that 56% of women still said it was hard to find plus-size clothing of equal quality to “regular” sizes.

Anizor has considered herself an active thrifter in the Minneapolis scene for a while now and has seen the positives and negatives of the thrifting community as a plus-size vintage curator. “I’ve always loved the Minneapolis vintage market. I just think they could branch out more size-wise, and I know it’s hard because vintage isn’t known for being super size inclusive, but it’s out there; you just have to find it,” she said.

The slow but steady rise of Doo Wop Vintage is better than Anizor could have expected.

“A really big spike came after I did a pop-up for Small Business Saturday at Les Sól boutique in Minneapolis. After that, I got a lot more of the vintage community in Minneapolis to recognize Doo Wop, which is amazing,” she said. “Now I have out-of-state orders! It’s growing faster than I could have ever thought it would.”

The reaction from local thrifters has been nothing but positive, noting the intention of Doo Wop and the wide array of standout, vintage finds.

Liv May, a University of Minnesota student, reflected on Anizor’s business, saying, “The vintage market is dominated by fashion for thinner people, and it’s so refreshing to see a plus-size woman of color putting her spin on it. It’s cool because more often than not, plus-size women have to rely on fast fashion to meet us halfway regarding size and price. It’s really special that Olivia’s meeting us at the intersection of size, inclusivity, sustainability and affordability.”

Doo Wop has a colorful page of eclectic and one-off patterns, but finding these pieces isn’t an easy task, with most thrift stores in Minneapolis not necessarily catering to plus-size folks. Anizor swears by a couple of places to find her perfect pieces for Doo Wop — mainly Savers and Goodwill.

Anizor’s intentions have never been about money. “I feel like because plus size vintage is such a niche [market], that it makes it a really good opportunity to like, price it up, which I think is absolutely ridiculous,” she said. “I try to sell it for almost what I bought it for. I just love the idea of helping other girls who never find things thrifting, to find things a little bit easier.”

Sophia Meza, a friend of Anizor who follows Doo Wop Vintage, had nothing but good things to say about Anizor and her mission.

“Everything Olivia touches is magic and filled with love and thoughtfulness and truly in an effort to make the world a brighter and more inclusive place,” she said. “Doo Wop Vintage is a perfect example of all of that!”

Local artist Anika Schneider is preparing for the opening of her new multimedia exhibition “Chinese-ish,” which showcases Chinese imagery through monoprint etchings, ceramics and paintings. The works translate the visual influences she grew up with into her own story, which Schneider uses as a way to connect with her culture.

A&E sat down with Schneider to talk about work that went into this exhibition, delving into love, loss and memories.

When did you start making art?

I think I have been making art in some form my whole life. I was not seriously interested in pursuing a life in the arts until my undergraduate studies. Until taking undergraduate art courses, I don’t think I really understood what being a contemporary artist meant. My art became focused on family and memory during my time in graduate school. I started graduate school soon after my grandmother passed away. I began making figurative paintings that explore her dying process and that series of paintings naturally transitioned into work that delved into greater themes of both family and memory.

Do you have a specific piece of art in the exhibition that is the most important to you?

Honestly, I think kind of the whole thing [is important] because I think that as an artist I’m really like a narrative artist. I’m always also trying to tell stories and experiences with my work. So even though I have specific pieces, I’m really thinking about the show all together as a whole, and how all the pieces are going to resonate together and then resonate with the audience. So, in some ways it’s also kind of like the whole show is kind of one installation or one piece.

Where does the name “Chinese-ish” come from?

I was working on something, like, a year or two ago which was completely separate from this project, and the name was kind of bouncing around my head. My family, being an immigrant family, we change the way we use [Chinese]. We primarily speak English at home, but we’ll throw in some Chinese words sometimes too. I was writing my artist statement and then “Chinese-ish” kind of popped back into my head and I put it at the top of my artist’s statement with a question mark. Then my friend was like, “Wait, was Chinese-ish an idea for a title?” She told me, “I really like that,” and I just didn’t know if it fit this work. I think it does, but for some reason, I was stuck on the fact at first that I didn’t know if it sounded too edgy for my work.

How do you feel your art connects you to your Chinese heritage?

I think the processes I am using in my art now help me to think about and understand my Chinese heritage in new ways. Since I am a mixed-race Chinese American, being Chinese at once feels very integral to who I am, but also very foreign. Print-making has become incredibly important to my new work because the process itself creates metaphors that I use to connect to and understand my heritage. With my print-making, the print itself is a translation of the original, always with unexpected variances, that both change the meaning and create new meaning. I also build layers on my prints and reuse my “ghost prints” as the ground for other prints. Through this process, I am connecting to my heritage by creating a personal translation of it which allows for a renewed understanding of how my Chinese heritage shapes me. These methods of making that involve translation and layering provide me with visual metaphors that I use to re-understand my relationship with my Chinese heritage.

What: “Chinese-ish” Multimedia Exhibition
When: March 27 – May 9, 2021
Where: Soo Visual Arts Center
Cost: Free
Ages: All Ages

This interview has been lightly edited for style and clarity.

From appearances in major publications like Vogue, Wired, GQ, The World of Interiors and Chelsea Life to her recent appointment as a Rolling Stone Culture Council member, Stephanie Dillon’s story is colorful.

Dillon’s journey has led her to become a mixed-media artist, philanthropist and advocate for change, operating out of her gallery studio space in St. Louis Park. Dillon is dedicated to making art on canvases and clothing that already exist. Her mantra: “Old is beautiful; what exists is enough, and art is everywhere.”

What separates Dillon from other artists is her story, said Summer Kath, a colleague and friend.

Dillon’s story includes her past with addiction and sobriety today. In December 2016, an unexpected diagnosis came her way: breast cancer.

Dillon said it wasn’t until she was diagnosed with breast cancer that she asked herself the daunting question, “What do I want to leave behind?”

“I think I was compelled to find a space in which I could leave something behind that also was about cultivating my own creativity in the process — and also emotionally. Navigating the feelings that I was experiencing, it was sort of like finding my magic,” Dillon said.

Finding her magic was a journey that brought forth important values to Dillon. In Dillon’s art, she strives to reflect on beliefs like caring about other people’s greater good and the environment at large. Keeping in line with this mission, everything she creates has been preloved.

Dillon’s artistic endeavors range from mixed-media canvas art to clothing. She creates collections of reinvented clothes for her clothing company, Citizen-T. Each piece, selected from landfills and secondhand stores, is reimagined as a canvas for her art, and she gives a portion of all the proceeds to charity. Citizen-T dedicates itself to reinventing the idea of “new is better.”

“Who wants the same t-shirt that 800 million people have? So, I just thought, “There has to be a marketplace for what they call ‘slow fashion,’” right — the idea that you can take an old t-shirt from the dump and rescue it. And then I thought, ‘Well, I’m an artist, so why not put art on it?’” Dillon said.

Morgan Kelly, a University of Minnesota student and intern for Dillon, spoke highly of her artistic philosophy.

“She is 100% hell-bent on changing the world for the better, whether it be environmentally, socially or politically. She is driven by progress and compassion,” Kelly said.

Dillon believes everyone has the power to be a changemaker.

“There are a lot of things that you guys can do to implement change immediately — the amount of water and carbon you save just by rescuing one piece of clothing. Can you imagine, if the entire student body of the 50,000 students [each] rescued one t-shirt, what you guys would be doing for the environment?” Dillon said, referring to University of Minnesota students.

“Besides pointing out what needs to be done, the most important thing that you can do is implement change,” Dillon added.