The New York Mills Cultural Center and Niijii Radio will be holding a family-friendly community art and cultural exchange event on Wednesday, June 1st.

The 2nd Annual “Spring Into Summer” event is free and open to the public from 4-7 PM on June 1st and will take place at the New York Mills Sculpture Park/Barn just off Highway 10. There will also be cultural activities and pay-as-you-go art.

This year, the Cultural Center will be partnering with Niijii Radio. There will be a variety of Indigenous artists and quill sharing, bead work, Indigenous foods, and more.

Finnish culture will also be on display thanks to Concordia Language Villages located in Bemidji. “Salolampi in a Suitcase” is a unique experience to immerse campers in a Finnish experience. The goal is to help people learn the Finnish language and culture, and more broadly, discover what it means to be a citizen of the world.

The Cultural Center is also proud to announce its participation in “4Ground: Midwest Land Art Biennial” and plans to dedicate a new sculpture created by Minnesota Artist Paul Albright during this event. The festival takes place June-August 2022. There will be more than 20 community partners including tribal organizations, art museums, and land conservationists in attendance. 4Ground reaches four states spanning from (North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin). The goal is to boost tourism of the region through suggested road trips to experience site-specific land art and to raise awareness around important land and water issues affecting the region while celebrating the art.

For more information, you can call 218-385-3339 or visit www.kulcher.org.

By — Hanky Hazelton