Mankato Free Press (May 29, 2025) — It could be said that when Justin Ek dreamed up the idea for a Mankato art crawl in 2023, it was the first ingredient to a vibrant arts stew, of sorts. The final flavorful addition is likely the direct involvement with the Twin Rivers Council for the Arts, where he now serves as community specialist.

Now, with the third annual “meal” just around the corner on June 7, the dinner table is set for the many local artists, makers and a community of supporters to once again partake in a feast.

“This came from talking to different art spaces from an artist’s perspective and wanting kind of guerilla representation,” he said of the event’s origins. Spaces already used primarily for the arts — as well as businesses and organizations that support the arts — answered that call.

This year the organizing of the event is a little different, Ek said.

“I am doing my organizing from the perspective of Twin Rivers Council for the Arts, so with that backbone organization, along with my connections at Bellissimo (Paint and Coatings, owned by his family) and other spaces, I’ve been able to activate with organizations really supporting that work.”

In other words, this year’s event reaches deeper to more organizations that — in keeping with the eating analogy — have taken a couple of tastes and asked for a third course.

This year the tour will include 22 spaces across downtown Mankato and North Mankato, including Fiesta de Belgrade, sort of a mini version of another Ek creation, Mankato Day of the Dead. This addition will close off a portion of Range Street that runs alongside co-sponsor of this portion, NaKato Bar & Grill.

It will bring lucha libre wrestling, cultural demonstrations and vendors, plus music to the North Mankato side of the river in an artistic bridge.

Included on the Mankato side is the Blue Earth County Historical Society, which will open up a gallery space as well as host its own lawn party where people can step back in time to play lawn games.

And Bridge Plaza will host the Mankato Area Foundation, where the photography of late Greater Mankato Growth executive Jonathan Zierdt will be available, topped off with a glass of old-fashioned lemonade. In keeping with the spirit of the day, pianist Michelle Roche will be on hand to provide an appropriate atmosphere.

As well as “guerilla representation,” the day allows arts spaces to work with their creatives and expand their audience by being part of a bigger event, Ek said.

“I’m not involved with every program, so I love watching what develops from that and the great ideas that come by trusting those spaces to do their own thing.”

Mankato Makerspace, 1700 Third Ave., will have lots of activity, as will the Carnegie Art Center at 120 S. Broad St., organizers said. In addition to what they have as part of their day-to-day operations, many sites such as the Carnegie will have guest performers or educational presentations to raise awareness about their programming.

In addition, Bellissimo and Southern Minnesota School of Music will provide the opportunity to paint art on instruments just outside of the Carnegie. The results later will be installed at the music school as a continuation of the collaboration.

As the event approaches, more information will be available at the Mankato Art Crawl 2025 event page, and as in the past, a map will be created by Helen Bednar highlighting the venues participating.

Ek said each of these opportunities underscores the importance of the relationship that has been built between organizer and the art spaces in Mankato and North Mankato.

“Having a lot of trust with the organizer, myself, and the spaces really can’t be underscored enough,” he said. “Letting the trust just flow and letting the spaces really thrive and do what they do best is really the key to the success and growth of this thing.”