Bloomington, MN is home to 97 parks and green spaces, miles of trails, dozens of fun, active, inclusive and engaging programs and events, and seasonal and year-round recreational facilities, all adminstered by the city’s Parks and Recreation department—including the Bloomington Center for the Arts, where StoryFest 2023 will be held. The spacious building houses galleries, theaters, art studios, and classrooms, with plenty of inviting space for mingling and networking. There is ample free parking. We’re grateful for the city staff’s enthusiastic assistance in planning and promoting StoryFest. To learn more about upcoming performances and other programs offered by the Parks and Recreation department, please visit their website.
Volunteer at StoryFest!
Many volunteers will be needed at SAM’s all-day festival of storytelling on Saturday, April 29, at the Bloomington Center for the Arts. Please consider serving as a workshop room host or staffing the welcome table. Shifts are 1 to 2 hours long, leaving you plenty of time to enjoy other sessions during the day. Learn more about volunteer duties and choose your shift on our SignUpGenius page. Your help will make the day a success for all!
Meet a StoryFest sponsor: The Givens Foundation for African American Literature
We are delighted to announce that The Givens Foundation for African American Literature is a sponsor of StoryFest 2023, “Shared Stories, Shared World.” The foundation’s generous contribution is made in memory of storyteller Beverly Cottman, who passed away unexpectedly on March 10 while traveling in Egypt. Beverly, known to many as “Auntie Beverly,” was a COMPAS teaching artist and a member of the Black Storytellers Alliance and Story Arts of Minnesota. A memorial statement on the Givens Foundation website notes that “Beverly was a long-time teaching artist with the Archie Givens Sr. Collection for African American Literature and The Givens Foundation for African American Literature, conducting residencies and workshops for all grade levels performing the works of African American authors and illustrators.” Beverly was known for sharing stories, folktales and fables of the African Diaspora with audiences young and old.
The Givens Foundation for African American Literature is dedicated to enriching cultural understanding and learning through programs that advance and celebrate African American literature and writers. It remains the only organization in Minnesota exclusively dedicated to advancing and celebrating black literature and writers. Each year, the foundation serves nearly 5,000 students, educators, readers, and writers. Learn more about their programs at http://www.givens.org/
April 29: StoryFest Morning Workshop Intensives
StoryFest 2023, Shared Stories, Shared World, will kick off on Saturday, April 29, with two 90-minute workshops in the 9:30-11:00 am time slot. Pre-registration is required. The cost is $35, or $30 for SAM members with the promo code. (To obtain the promo code and/or check on the status of your SAM membership, please email us at storyartsmn@gmail.com)
“A Bicycle Built for Two: The Balancing Act That is Tandem Telling” will be presented by Michigan storytellers Jennifer Pahl Otto and Eileen DeLorenzo.
“Larger Than Life: Putting Your Stories on the Stage” will be presented by Allison Broeren, Twin Cities storyteller, teacher, and theater owner.
Find full details and register at https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/storyfest-2023-90-minute-intensive-workshops-1915459
March 24: Hear Her Stories
Hear Her Stories
March 26 • 7pm-8:30pm • Mill City Museum • 704 S. 2nd St. Minneapolis
Join Mill City Museum and Story Arts of Minnesota for an evening of storytelling in recognition of Women's History Month.
Hear true stories–funny, poignant, and inspiring–from contemporary women inspired by history and women of the past. Storytellers are:
● Jan Borofka
● Colleen Casey
● Sally Childs
● Hillary Lor
● Oogie_Push
● Tseganesh Selameab
● Roya Taylor
● Nothando Zulu
The evening is hosted by Twin Cities performer Jen Scott.
Doors open at 6:30pm. Pre-sale tickets are available on Mill City Museum’s website at sliding scale price, $10 and up. Door price is $15.
This program is made possible in part by the Emily Anne Staples Tuttle Fund For Women's History and the Rothchild Endowment for Women’s History.
StoryFest 2023 Update & Call for Sponsors
Planning is in full swing for StoryFest 2023, “Shared Stories, Shared World.” Follow updates at https://www.storyartsmn.org/storyfest2023
FEB. 28: Online Story Circle Open Mic
Please join us for our next monthly Story Circle on Zoom on Tuesday, February 28, 7-8pm Central Time. SAM’s newest board member, Molly Jessup, will host this month’s sharing of stories. There’s no theme, no judging — and no cost to participate. But you must register to get the Zoom link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sam-online-story-circle-tickets-509787918387. You’re welcome to tell a 7-minute or shorter story or just listen.
Feb 20 deadline: Call for tellers for "Hear Her Stories"
Mill City Museum, in partnership with SAM, will again host a live, in-person storytelling event in celebration of Women’s History Month 2023. The museum is located in downtown Minneapolis. We are looking for female-identifying performers to tell their true stories, inspired by history and women of the past.
Stories should be no longer than seven minutes. Preference for Minnesota-based stories.
The stories can be personal, familial, or historic (if historic, we’d love to know how this history impacts you!) A variety of tone and content is welcome and encouraged.
We offer an honorarium of $75 for the performance and an additional $25 for dress rehearsal (either on the afternoon of Monday, March 13 or the evening of Wednesday, March 15 - attendance to one of these rehearsals is expected).
An additional benefit of this event is StoryArts of MN will offer story coaching sessions for storytellers of all experience levels. We encourage new storytellers to submit.
The program will be an in-person event on Friday, March 24, 2023 in Mill City Museum’s Mill Commons at 7 p.m. Tickets will be available to the public.
Deadline for submission is by February 20, 2023. Storytellers will be notified by Monday, February 27th if their story has been selected.
Find full details and the form for pitching your story at https://forms.gle/yfyyckddmDHVQfkS9
Join or Renew Today!
In a recent vote, SAM members overwhelmingly approved a new membership dues rate and structure. As of Febrary 1, 2023, annual dues are $35. However, we continue to offer a pay-what-you-can option so you may set your annual contribution at less or more than $35, as your personal finances allow. The separate annual “activity fee” has been discontinued, and any paid member may submit a profile for inclusion in SAM’s directory of storytellers.
To make it easier to track current membership status, we no longer expire all memberships at the end of the year. Instead, your membership will run for a year from the date you pay your annual dues. Our volunteer membership manager will remind you when it’s time to renew.
Please visit the Join / Donate section of this website to learn more and to join or renew online. If you have questions about your membership status, please email us at storyartmn@gmail.com or use the Contact form.
Storytellers honored at Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration
Two couples who employ the art of storytelling to create positive change and community healing in the Twin Cities were honored at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service celebration sponsored by Sweet Potato Comfort Pie and the Breck School. At the event on Sunday, January 15, 2023, Larry Johnson and Elaine Wynne (left) and Nothando and Vusumuzi Zulu (right) posed before banners that highlight their contributions in “poetic profiles.” Their banners are among the new additions to the 25 banners in “Character Values: Upholding Beloved Community,” an exhibit initiated in 2021 by Sweet Potato Comfort Pie to celebrate community members whose lives reflect values underlying the nonprofit’s mission: to advance racial justice and equity, heal damage caused by race-based trauma, and elevate marginalized voices and experiences. Led by activist and storyteller Rose McGee, Sweet Potato Comfort Pie achieves its mission in part by convening story circles where participants share their thoughts and feelings about race. And, of course, by baking and sharing what Rose calls “the sacred dessert of Black people.”
Larry and Elaine, known as the Key of See Storytellers when working in tandem, spread a message of peace through storytelling. Elaine, an EMDR therapist, is a founder of the Veterans Resilence Project. Larry, himself a veteran, media literacy educator, and author, for many years organized the Twin Cities celebrations of World Storytelling Day.
Nothando and Vusumuzi Zulu founded the Black Storytellers Alliance and have sustained it for nearly four decades. They are dedicated to the preservation of the oral tradition of storytelling. In addition to sharing African and African American folklore, they also tell true stories of Black history. With a deep love for the community of North Minneapolis, they teach the next generations of tellers to carry on the Black griot tradition. Every year, they organize the Signifyin’ & Testifyin’ Black Master Storytellers Festival, bringing outstanding Black tellers from across the US and beyond to the Twin Cities to entertain and inspire.
Take a class in 2023!
Make a resolution to light the fire of inspiration to tell stories in the new year. Whether you’re a novice who’s eager to explore the art of storytelling, or an experienced teller looking to master new techniques or branch out into a different genre, you’ll find a wealth of learning opportunities both in person and online, taught by Minnesota storytellers, writers, and performers. Check out the information we’ve gathered for you on this site’s Classes and Coaching page.
Did we miss listing an upcoming class or workshop? Please drop us a note at storyartsmn@gmail.com so we can add it.
Dec 27: Story Circle Online Open Mic
Our final Story Circle of the year takes place on Tuesday, December 27, 7-8pm Central Time. Loren Niemi will host this month’s sharing of stories. There’s no theme, no judging — and no cost to join in. But you must register to get the Zoom link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sam-online-story-circle-tickets-378393604457. You’re welcome to tell a 7-minute or shorter story or just listen.
SAM’s board voted to continue Story Circles in 2023, so mark your calendar for the fourth Tuesday of each month, 7pm Central time. And invite your friends and fellow story lovers!
New Year's Eve Story Blowout!
SAM is taking part in the third annual Story Blowout! Minnesota tellers will step onto the virtual stage at 2pm Central Time (1pm Eastern). Read on for the full day’s schedule:
Story Blowout III hosted by Artists Standing Strong Together & Partners – Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022
STORY BLOWOUT III!
Story Blowout 2021-22 was extraordinary as ASST hosted it from the library of MacDowell in Peterborough, New Hampshire, and 2 partnering organizations assisted – Virginia Storytelling Alliance and Voices in the Glen. People came and listened for a while, got up and did whatever was on their schedule, came back, brought friends and just enjoyed a day of story and community. We had one British fellow who left to go celebrate the coming of the New Year with his family in UK, and then came back on before the USA New Year ended and shared a story! It was a delightful success with people giving away prizes and also giving to ASST for further programming. We featured many youth, shared some interesting videos and recognized those who died during the year.
But in stories – “Three” is the magic number so….WE ARE BACK AGAIN!
STORY BLOWOUT III will begin on Saturday, Dec. 31 at 11 am ET and end at 1 am ET on January 1, 2023. The program is FREE, however registration is required: https://tinyurl.com/StoryBlowoutIII2022
This year Artists Standing Strong Together (ASST) is hosting this day of story and community along with ELEVEN storyteller/artist organization partners who will feature their community of storytellers for 55 minutes and share about their organization. ASST will feature USA storytellers from 11 am – 12 noon & from 11 – 11:45 pm. These storytellers will be Charlotte Blake Alston (Pennsylvania), Darci Tucker (Virginia) and Regina Stoops and Claire Hennessey from Six Feet Apart Productions (California).
The storyteller/artist organizations are (all times are ET):
Asian American Storytellers in Action (AASIA) at 12 noon
Love of Dunbar (LOD) at 1 pm
Voices in the Glen at 2 pm
Story Arts of Minnesota (SAM) at 3 pm
Illinois Storytelling at 4 pm
Storytellers Association of California at 5 pm
Storytellers of San Diego at 6 pm
Southern Order of Storytellers at 7 pm
West Virginia Storytelling Guild (WVSG) at 8 pm
Patchwork Storytelling Guild at 9 pm
Rocky Mountain Storytellers (RMS) at 10 pm
Feel free to come and go from the program as you’d like; consider this event like an audio/video podcast to accompany you all day. Throughout the day there will be ASST and partner highlights of 2022, along with a honoring of those who left us in body this past year, but remain in our hearts and ears. Starting at 9 pm more adult-themed stories might be shared. Our night ends with dancing and celebration from 11:55 pm to 1 am EST. Bring your champagne and pop into the new year with us.
Jan 8: New due date for StoryFest proposals
We’ve extended the deadline for workshop proposals and stories to be told at StoryFest 2023, our first in-person storytelling festival in five years! Reflecting the theme of “Shared Stories, Shared World,” we encourage you to share your amazing talents and knowledge with other story lovers and listeners. All the details and links to submission forms are here. Please submit your proposals by midnight January 8.
Got questions? Please contact us at storyartsmn@gmail.com.
Dec 18: StoryFest proposals due
We’re calling for workshop proposals and stories to be told at StoryFest 2023, our first in-person storytelling festival in five years! Find out all the details and links to submission forms here.
Nov 20: Online Tellabration!™ Open House - North Central Region, National Storytelling Network
It’s a National Storytelling Network North Central Region Tellabration!TM Open House!
Let’s share stories from across the North Central Region on Sunday, November 20, 2022 from 1:00-7:00 pm CST/2:00-8:00 pm EST. This is an Open House, so feel free to drop in for any or all of it. Minnesota Tellers will be on from 3:00-4:00 pm CST, 4:00-5:00 pm EST. The Tellers will be Howard Lieberman, Laura Packer, Sue Searing, and Richard Rousseau with emcee Dorothy Cleveland.
Nebraska 1:00-2:00 pm CST, 2:00-3:00 pm EST
Indiana 2:00-3:00 pm CST, 3:00-4:00 pm EST
Minnesota 3:00-4:00 pm CST, 4:00-5:00 pm EST
Wisconsin 4:00-5:00 pm CST, 5:00-6:00 pm EST
Illinois 5:00-6:00 pm CST, 6:00-7:00 pm EST
Ohio 6:00-7:00 pm CST, 7:00-8:00 pm EST
This is a free Zoom event with a maximum of 100 people at any one time. Audience members and tellers can come and go as long as there is room. Everyone MUST register here:
http://tiny.cc/NCRegionTellabration
While this is a free event, we are asking those who are able to please make a voluntary donation to the National Storytelling Network.
Have you never joined NSN, or has your membership lapsed? Check out our website, see what’s going on, think about joining or renewing:
Nov 12: Twin Cities Tellabration!™
TELLABRATION!™ is a night of storytelling celebrated worldwide on or about the third Saturday in November. (The Twin Cities Tellabration!™ is occuring on the second Saturday of November in 2022.)
The National Storytelling Network originated and sponsors Tellabration!™. All around the globe, guilds and storytelling enthusiasts will share their storytelling talents in concerts held in cities and towns to celebrate the art of storytelling. Locally, Tellabration!™ will bring together some of our area’s most celebrated storytellers, to delight, captivate, and mesmerize the audience with their stories. Tellabration!™ creates a network of storytelling enthusiasts bonded together in spirit.
For more background, see https://storynet.org/events/tellabration/
Renowned tellers appearing in Winona, October 14-15
The Sandbar Storytelling Festival will take place in Winona, MN, on October 14-15, featuring award-winning storytellers from around the country:
Bil Lepp
Carolina Quiroga-Stultz
Rev. Robert Jones, Sr.
Alton Takiyama-Chung
Regi Carpenter
Find the schedule of events, learn about the tellers, and purchase tickets at https://sandbarstorytellingfestival.org/
Kevin Kling featured at National Storytelling Festival
Minneapolis-based storyteller Kevin Kling is among the featured tellers at the 50th National Storytelling Festival this year. The festival takes place in Jonesborough, Tennessee, October 7-9, and includes a virtual program too.
Find out more and purchase tickets at https://www.storytellingcenter.net/festival/main/
Monthly Online Story Circles Continuing Through December
Story Circles on Zoom on 9/27, 10/25, 11/22, and 12/27
It’s a fascinating time to be a storyteller! In-person venues are once again hosting live storytelling shows, slams, festivals, and open mics. At the same time, many online programs that evolved in response to COVID restrictions are still going strong. Story Arts of Minnesota has opted to continue our monthly open mic Story Circles on Zoom at least through the end of 2022. (A decision about 2023 programs will be made later.)
We invite you to join us on the fourth Tuesday of September, October, November, and December at 7-8pm Central US/Canda time. With no theme and no judging, SAM's online Story Circles provide a relaxed environment for you to tell a 7-minute story or simply to enjoy listening to others' tales. Admission is always free, but we're wildly grateful for donations in any amount.
Please register at https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/story-circles-online-storytelling-open-mics-716329