The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is starting its “Alley Atlas” Project opening October 17! The purpose of “Alley Atlas” is to give an unofficial name to every alley in the city of Minneapolis during the two-and-a-half month run of the show, as chosen by the people who live or work on them. As you may know, alleys—unlike city streets—don’t have official names. What if, instead of naming them for land developers, politicians, or numbers, like our city streets, their names corresponded with our own experiences, memories, and stories?

This project will give “Minneapolitans” a chance to do just that. Visitors will be asked to select an alley near their homes and give it a name of their choosing. This name will then be added to a floor-to-ceiling map in the MIA galleries of the city’s alleyways, and all the accompanying origin stories will be compiled in a catalog. They’re taking submissions from all over Minneapolis. Fill out the online form with some information about your alley, a name, and a backstory, and your contribution can be added to the map!

[button link=”http://www.bit.ly/alleyatlas” type=”big” color=”teal”] Name My Alley![/button]