Facing the Fire: A Community Moving Forward

In late September visual artist and long-time Howe resident Paul Herwig will present “Facing the Fire”, a public art project consisting of several live music and projection art performances at sites along East Lake Street.

Paul’s aim is to amplify the voices of residents of Longfellow and temporarily transform the scarred physical properties of the area into hauntingly beautiful temporary artistic installations that resonate with the experiences of the summer of 2020, and the aspirations of the community today.

Paul would like to invite residents in the 55406 & 55407 zip codes to submit responses to this questionnaire. Your responses will help directly inspire and inform the artists as they prepare and create their work. Paul wants to truthfully reflect the feelings, memories, and hopes of the people who actually live in the neighborhood, and who were present during the civil unrest that unfolded the week of May 26th 2020.

Paul is specifically interested in what you as residents remember, what you were seeing, hearing, and feeling during that week, and with two years having passed, how you feel about those events today. In addition, and most importantly, what are your hopes for the future of the community. Paul is also especially interested in responses from residents who do not often have a voice in these types of projects, including children, and elders. We invite parents to submit on behalf of their kids. All respondents will remain anonymous.

Additionally, Paul is currently looking for sites for this performance.  If you are interested in hosting a performance, there is a space in the Questionnaire below where you can indicate your interest.

Please take your time to read, fill out, and submit the questionnaire below. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to the project leader, Paul Herwig, at .

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT – September 1st