Minot Daily News SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2019 MinotDailyNews.com • Facebook • Twitter
Economic Development
T H G I N E V I T A E R N C W A N TH E TO O T OU
Submitted Photos
By ASHTON GERARD
Staff Writer agerard@minotdailynews.com
Creative Night Out brings emphasis to local artists, businesses downtown
After a gruesomely lengthy downtown infrastructure project that left the area under construction for years, Minot’s Wendy Kimble saw a need to help local businesses pick back up after all was said and done. “After seeing how hard it was on some of my favorite local shops and art galleries, I felt the need to do something about it,” Kimble said. “Minot has a vast and diverse group of local creatives and I figured what better way to share their talent than by creating an event to showcase them and draw the community back downtown.” Thus, Creative Night Out First Thursdays “Minot was born. It’s a free community event where has a vast and they feature local visual artists, musicians, diverse group of performance artists and more in local local creatives and I downtown businesses on and near figured what better way to Main Street. They have artist demos, share their talent than by farmers market items, home baked creating an event to goods, live music, food trucks and more. showcase them and draw Artmain and Budget Music & the community back Video jumped onto the idea right away downtown.” and have since been huge supporters — Wendy Kimble, and promoters of the event. Eli Kjelson, Creative Night Out Creative Booking Guru/Agent, has been a coordinator huge asset to helping Kimble keep the event running as a co-organizer. Amanda Francis has consistently helped with designing posters and fliers. In addition, Kimble also has the support of almost every other local business along and off of Main Street. “When Wendy came along with this idea about artists to pull them out to have a creative Thursday, we wanted to make sure we were supportive of that,” Beth Kjelson of Artmain said. “Because it’s a relatively new thing, we’ve been trying to understand our niche.” So what makes Kimble so passionate about downtown? Kimble was born in Edmonds, Wash., but was raised in Minot and is a graduate of both Minot High and Minot State. She received a BA in art with specializations in graphic design, drawing, printmaking and photography with a minor in creative theater and a concentration in sculpture. She also received a bachelor of fine
By ASHTON GERARD
Staff Writer agerard@minotdailynews.com
2019 First Thursdays June 6th July 11th August 1st
arts in integrated media and a minor in art history. Kimble also comes from a long line of creatives and has a passion for local artists and businesses in Minot. “I always knew that I needed to be involved in the arts even at a very young age,” Kimble said. “I have been involved at the Taube Museum of Art teaching and volunteering since 1997, a member at Artspace Suite 1 Gallery and have a studio on Central Avenue where I play with several art media.” With a passion for local art and business, Kimble along with other downtown players have made the Creative Night Outs possible for the last few years. “I think it’s the only way that downtowns thrive is if you can work together with your neighbors,” Kjelson said. “We all don’t always get along or agree with the idea but I think by us all banning together at one time or another is essential for the downtown area and I’m really seeing that in the last few years with the help of people like Wendy and local people investing in the downtown area.” In the past, the First Thursdays went from May to September but in 2019, the First Thursday events will take place June, July and August. “We plan on bigger, better and more,” Kimble said. “We are hoping to add poetry readings, improv groups, car clubs, street performers and more.” Their first Creative Night Out have Minot City Band kicking off its first event of 2019 and will also feature Linda Olson demoing ceramic wheel throwing outside of Artspace 1 Gallery, Kalyn Dewitt with her Hand Built Ceramics and Nancy Walter’s handmade jewelry and more that they are getting lined up. “I feel like (the event) brings like-minded people together to talk, experience and enjoy by sharing a community creative driven event that brings in new people, all while supporting our beautiful downtown businesses,” Kimble said. The arts are a life-force that helps people of all ages enjoy a moment of relaxation and escape from everyday life. It has also helped unite downtown businesses. “The creative world is vast; enjoy it!” Kimble said. “Hope to see you Downtown at Creative Night Out’s First Thursday events.”
For the love of craft beer
Have you ever wanted a liquor store where you could crack open a cold one while looking for cold ones? Ever wanted to sample a bit of that fancy whiskey before buying the bottle? How about meeting the brewer behind making that delicious craft beer you’ve seen popping up around town? Broadway Liquor has all that and more to offer the people of Minot. On the corner of Broadway and 11th Avenue Northwest across from Minot State University on North Hill, the liquor store strays from the ordinary to give residents a unique experience while also heavily supporting local breweries. Sheila Goehring, owner of Broadway Liquor, has been in the liquor business for many years. She started with a bar in a bowling alley in Williston and bought a liquor store in 2008. After talking with some friends from Minot, Goehring saw a need for something more on North Hill. For the region, having a liquor store with a bar is a pretty new concept and one that Goehring feels has been well received by Minot residents. “There’s no other place in the state like it so people are really liking it,” she said. “The wine and whiskey machines have been very, very popular because people can sample stuff before they purchase an entire bottle.” With their bar, Broadway Liquor’s resident beer expert Jason Huus has made it an emphasis to highlight local brewers and breweries at the store. If there’s a craft beer brewer in the city, state or neighboring states, Huus plans to meet them and get their product in the door at some point. Being a local business, Goehring gives Huus the freedom LOCAL BREWERIES FEATURED AT to go after freshly released beers BROADWAY LIQUOR right away without having to wait Black Eagle Brewery — Montana for tags or approvals. New products are easily added to their sysAtypical Brewery & Barrelworks — Minot tem so that they get the first swing at what’s new in craft beer. Bismarck Brewing — Bismarck “It’s fresh off the truck and I’ve Laughing Sun Brewing — Bismarck got a price for it in five minutes or less,” Huus said. “It’s always revolving.” Craft beer wasn’t always the bees knees. Huus and Goehring both thought back to times where there were only
Broadway Liquor highlights local breweries with different events
See LIQUOR — Page 3
Ashton Gerard/MDN
Broadway Liquor features a bar area with a 12-tap line that is great for hosting different events like their Meet the Brewer series and Cask Parties.