Making connections in our communities through art

This July, Glass Endeavors, 2716 E. 31st St., will once again join the Minnehaha + Lake Open Streets event.

Glass Endeavors, a longtime Longfellow retailer has teamed up this year with the Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI) for upcoming Open Streets events in July and August. Glass Endeavors is always looking for ways to make new connections and celebrate the art of stained glass and fused glass. Through their new relationship with NACDI, local artist Natchez Beaulieu was chosen through sponsorship to add another medium to her repertoire and will be showcasing her stained glass instruction at the Open Streets Event.

Photo right: (l to r) John Sandy, Zoi Sandy, and Natchez Beaulieu inside of Glass Endeavors, 2716 E. 31st St. (Photo provided)

Beaulieu is a born Minnesotan of the White Earth Anishinabe Tribe. As a young child, Beaulieu had art around her, rich traditional stories of her ancestry, and she knew early on that art was very much a part of her too.

Growing up in South Minneapolis, Beaulieu has fond memories of playing in her father’s gift shop of authentic regalia. Mostly self-taught, she added to her array of knowledge by taking every art class she could during her college years.

Making art came easy for Beaulieu, and she was called upon at an early age to adorn her community with artwork. Her early years were spent helping her community beautify their world—painting murals, designing books, adorning traditional regalia with underpaintings and beading.

Flowers are her inspiration and painting them in their native style is her forte. Beaulieu remembers painting Ojibwe Florals on everything. Finding old drawings and paintings she has carried with her over the years has also inspired her to know she is on the right path.

Now as a mother of four and the sole breadwinner for her family, this artist has a studio called Ashagi in the Northrup King Building in NE Minneapolis and continues to provide the community with any artful need. She is a self-starter, loves learning new things and is always willing to take on a challenge.

Beaulieu believes that her art-making has been about connections, being in the right place and knowing the right people. It has been her experience that The Creator is going to give her what she needs and she is ready to see the opportunities.

Greet Beaulieu and the Glass Endeavors representatives as they embark on a newfound relationship at two Open Streets events—Longfellow July 22 and Franklin Aug. 26.

More info can be found at www.glassendeavors.com, nacdi.org, and www.openstreetsmpls.org.