Jesus Li creates intereactive cultural map for Meet Minneapolis

MCAD alumni and faculty member Jesús Li ’23 created an interactive map of the seven cultural districts of Minneapolis, Lowry Avenue, Central Avenue, West Broadway, Cedar Avenue, Franklin Avenue, East Lake Street, and 38th Street in partnership with Meet Minneapolis. In 2019, Meet Minneapolis set out to establish the cultural districts as landmarks as a means of drawing in tourism and encouraging exploration and engagement with the local unique communities. This new map is part of their continued efforts to rebrand and better portray the cultures and historical significance of each district, leading to their choice of bringing on Li, citing his ‘nuanced perspective’ as their reason for believing he was the best fit for this project.

That perspective shines through in Li’s decisions to do on-the-ground research for this project, visiting each district and talking to locals which helped inform his design choices for the interactive map. Franklin Ave features symbols and motifs specific to the Native heritage dominant within that district, while Cedar Ave highlights its performing arts and pub life.

Learn More

• Cultural Map
  (minneapolis.org)
• New map of seven Minneapolis cultural districts created to attract visitors
  (mndaily.com — December 2, 2024)