[0:00] (gentle music)

[0:01] - I've always been interested in art.

[0:03] The decision to like officially

call myself an artist,

[0:07] has come in fits and spurts.

[0:09] I'm Jamie Schumacher Kalakaru-Mava.

[0:11] I am an artist, author, and

mom living in Bloomington.

[0:14] - I've never had a boring life.

[0:16] I love costumes, you know.

It's a big part of it.

[0:19] So my name is Riet

Velthuisen van der Blij,

[0:21] and I'm the founder and director

[0:24] of the Continental Ballet

Company for 35 years.

[0:28] - Perk Up Kitchen is a place

for the community to gather,

[0:31] meet friends and family, and

enjoy a unique homemade meal.

[0:34] We also own West Side Perk Coffee Shop.

[0:37] I think that we fell in

love with the community.

[0:40] We were able to build a

really great clientele

[0:43] of people at the coffee shop.

[0:44] - Being raised by my grandmother,

[0:46] she was all about making

sure I know my family

[0:49] and know my friends, but

also know my history.

[0:51] My name is Chris Peterson.

[0:52] I work at Normandale Community College

[0:54] in the campus store bookstore area.

[0:55] So I wanted to give the

students the opportunity

[0:57] to learn a little bit of history,

[0:58] whether it's Hispanic Heritage Month

[1:00] or Black History Month,

to do a pop-up museum.

[1:02] - This was my dream

from when I was a little

[1:04] to open an arcade place.

[1:06] I love claw machines.

[1:08] I love everything that

I have into this place.

[1:11] I'm Andrew Tan. I'm a

co-owner of ClawZone Park.

[1:14] It's our first business

that we actually opened.

[1:16] - So this is my most recent book.

[1:18] It's a children's book. It's

called "Half a World Away."

[1:21] I wrote it and did the illustration.

[1:22] I received a LOFT Fellowship.

[1:24] They have a really great program

for children's literature,

[1:27] which is meant to encourage more diversity

[1:29] in children's literature.

[1:30] I'm really lucky to get to serve

[1:31] on Bloomington's Creative

Placemaking Commission.

[1:34] We've got a really great commission here.

[1:35] - [Riet] I was born in

Rijswijk in Holland.

[1:38] One of my friends took me to a studio.

[1:40] Right away, I knew I was

going to do that. I loved it.

[1:43] There is not a classic company

[1:46] who brings all the classic

pieces like "Swan Lake,"

[1:49] "The Sleeping Beauty."

[1:50] Bloomington is so lucky

to have the Company.

[1:52] Not about me, but about the company.

[1:54] We have professional, beautiful dancers.

[1:57] - Most of our staff they're

our Bloomington residents,

[2:00] so we just really love the people

[2:03] and knew that they would

be supportive of us

[2:05] coming in this new venture here.

[2:07] We are a family-owned local business,

[2:09] and we appreciate the

support from the community.

[2:12] - [Chris] When I hear stuff

that they didn't know,

[2:14] it just gives me an opportunity

[2:15] to see what I'm gonna do next year.

[2:16] I think that's one of the big

importance of me trying to do

[2:20] what I can for the students, you know,

[2:21] because I don't know where they're from,

[2:23] but I would love to know

where they're going.

[2:26] - [Andrew] ClawZone Park is

a place for family and kids

[2:28] and everyone to come out to have fun

[2:31] and good time for entertainment,

[2:33] and we are glad to have this

in the city of Bloomington.

[2:36] (upbeat music)