August 10 , 2020 Six Foot Bubble™ would like to introduce their fantastic team of intelligent personnel, who in addition to leading the immersive walking tours, make the business better by utilizing their unique skills and talents. Each week, a superb guide will be presented as part of the ‘Tour Guide of the Week’ series, which starts right now.
The Articulate Andy Stec
Tour Guide of the Week kicks off with an introduction to Andy Stec, creator and guide of the Irvine Park neighborhood tour and the Minnesota State Capitol Grounds tour.
As a 2019 graduate from Hamline University with a degree in history and philosophy, Stec’s passion for understanding and sharing stories of the past is one of the many reasons why people love taking his tours, and learning from and with him in any capacity.
“Growing up I was drawn to history in the same way lots of young folks are: with stories about heroic figures and great events,” explains Stec. “As I learned more, this turned into an ever-growing realization that history is the most powerful tool readily available to reveal truths about ourselves, our communities, and our relationships. Especially in a time where we’ve become so enamored in romantic, rose-tinted visions of the past, a frank conversation about history unravels myth from reality.”
Although Stec is relatively new to the six-foot family— only starting in May 2020— he has already found a way to deliver history in a matter that is attention-grabbing, yet authentic, and in his words, “frank.” He is extremely knowledgeable and charismatic, but never pretends to know everything. It is this articulate honesty that makes him a great tour guide and curator.
Stec assisted in creating the Irvine Park tour, which was predominantly researched and produced by the architectural historian Larry Millett, and led the first Six Foot Bubble™ Tour through this historic neighborhood.
He also spoke about this tour on live television during a segment with KARE 11.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to work directly with customers to not only show them the history within their own communities, but engage with it, and connect the dots from the past directly to the present,” comments Stec. “Seeing history ‘click’ with guests makes everything worthwhile.”
He is also in the process of producing a tour from start to finish: the Minnesota State Capitol Grounds tour. For this he has conducted extensive research of the Capitol’s rich history, mapped out the route of its beautiful campus, and recorded lively audio narration.
“Too often we treat history as if it’s an untouchable, mystical ‘thing’ that exists outside of our own world or lives,” says Stec. “The reality is that it’s a part of every single thing we know and experience, and every second we breath we’re part of it! Knowing our history informs us on how to legislate our government, how to organize our society, and how to treat each other with dignity and respect – so for the rest of my life I hope to be a part of that process.”
