The Bee Hive Collective in Minnesota!

Today, fate struck. You see, one year ago I found myself in Unity Maine. I was at a friends house staring at one of the coolest posters I had ever seen:



I asked my friend..."what is this?" "The Beehive," he responded matter of factly. "What is the beehive?" I asked with my eyes still fixed on the poster. Turns out, Maine is home to a collective of artists that collaborate on artwork that is based around environmental injustices around the globe. The collective brainstorms the idea, does research, and then composes the next big mural. The group calls themselves the
Beehive Collective.

Now, I was already in love with the beehive based solely on this description and the one amazing poster. Just a few weeks later I went to the Common Ground Fair. The Common Ground fair is the spirit of celebrating the rural and agricultural traditions of Maine and it was the most inspiring, encouraging and worthwhile fair I have ever been to. My favorite booth at the fair, as you may have already guessed, was the
Beehive Collective. There I was standing in front of a 15 foot mural entitled the 'Cost of Coal'. It was incredible. There was a wall of pockets, in which you could take any amount of beehive designed patches and you could donate money into a jar to support the group. The artists/speakers were intelligent, passionate, dirty, MY kind of people.

I spent the next 8 months learning about the Beehive, wishing I was part of the collective and seeing their influence all over the New England area. I met many former members. I would go to a protest, and there was Beehive selling posters. I went to my favorite shop Local Sprouts and there was a Beehive Poster on the walls. I went to hang an art show at the Meg Perry Center and there was a sign that the Beehive was coming to give a lecture. The Beehive Collective was everywhere I wanted to be, and they were doing really amazing things.

This brings me to today. Working at Staples in Minnetonka, Minnesota. I look over to the Copy Machines and three very intriguing people (MY kind of people) are printing mass amounts of material, from what I could see there were drawings and images. I knew I had to know what they were making. I sneak up to the copy machines and the machine is spitting out these images I recognize... the BeeHive Collective is in Minnesota! It was like the two worlds of the last two years of my life had collided in one moment, and I got goosebumps.

I talked to the three BeeHive members for a while and found out that they are in the middle of a long tour across the country giving lectures about their newest mural. After worked I raced home to write this blog and send out a mass e-mail to all my friends and try to get them to see and fall in love with the BeeHive and what they do. I want people to hear their message, and experience their passion.

For those of you in Minnesota this week let's go support the
Beehive Collective



The BeeHive's Schedule:

September 16-18th (see website for hours)
Twin Cities Anarchist Book Fair
powderhorn park, Minneapolis, MN

Saturday, September 17th 7pm
Boneshaker Books
2002 23rd Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55404

Tuesday, September 20th 7-9 p.m.
(potluck at 6:30 p.m.)
Minnehaha Free Space
3458 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis

I am just starting to volunteer at the Minnehaha Free Space, and have been to the Anarchist Book Fair in New York, and have been meaning to visit Boneshaker books. I am going to try to make it to as many of these events as possible over the next few days and support the Bees!



Beehive Collective