It’s Never Going To Work shines a light on the Northeast Arts community, nonprofits, and Altered Esthetics gallery.

Jamie Schumacher tells the origins of Altered Esthetics gallery, founded in 2004, and its role in the Twin Cities art scene. Using her true stories of founding a collaborative art space as a light-hearted yet realistic memoir, the book is a source of hope to anyone struggling in the world of grassroots development.

An easily digestible read, the energetic vignette-style chapters are sprinkled with illustrations by Minneapolis-based artist Athena Currier. Jamie shares the struggles of starting a new nonprofit, finding the ever-elusive sustainability, and the planned transition that allowed her to walk away and leave a healthy non-profit to continue its role in the community. It’s as much a love letter to Minneapolis as it is a note of encouragement to anyone that’s ever been told It’s Never Going To Work.