REVOLUTION UNTITLED
Creating a Revolutionary Shift in the Arts World and Re-centering the Arts Ecosystem
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We start by saying his name: George Floyd. This marks the continuation of a living conversation. One we—the local BIPOC arts world— support and engage.
For today, our intent is to come together in powerful ways to Respond, Reclaim, Rebuild, a new way forward - calling forth a CULTURE SHIFT.
Our movement includes a revolutionary shift in the arts world, recentering the arts ecosystem with the creation of a public arts council. This aims to safeguard the protest art on plywood, to foster a foundational meeting ground that is Black and IPOC centered, and to nourish art and power in sustainable ways.
The nation’s and the world’s eyes have been fixed on Minneapolis, the land of the Dakota people, for just over two months. During that time, those eyes have witnessed a citywide uprising emerge. Their eyes saw wild rioters and the spectacle of
looters breaking into businesses. Our eyes saw the truth: justified community rage, bigoted intruders set on agitating us during a time of raw, collective upset. During what was already a time of pandemic, of vulnerability.
Teargas, rubber bullets, curfews, and Blackhawk helicopters came next. We protested across the Twin Cities and laid flowers at 38th and Chicago. We organized block by block, stood vigil in shifts throughout the night. We woke up to clean the streets and take care of our neighbors.
We did what artists do: we memorialized. We the people turned Minneapolis and St. Paul into cities of murals. We expressed and recorded grief onto plywood board and beyond.
Today, many of the nation’s and the world’s eyes have shifted away from Minneapolis. That doesn’t change anything for us. We are still here, building something new. The uprising metamorphosed into our radical movement and we are just getting started.
There are multiples of “we” that bond us; we are artists across disciplines; activists, leaders, healers, and culture bearers. We are Native/Indigenous people and peoples of color. We are a part of a long and continuing movement legacy that centers justice and change. At this time, we center Black life and Black voice. Solidarity, radical change, and collective liberation thrive here.
This is not an all-encompassing statement. Nor is it a list of demands - Yet!
Let us speak at this time on the protest murals.
Some eyes have stayed or become even more fixed on the murals: their commodification, their preservation, their display, their ownership. We believe some of this attention stems from a place of good intention, allyship, and collaboration.
Please remember that George Floyd was murdered by the Minneapolis Police on May 25th, 2020. We are doing our work.
We are telling our stories. We are not repeating conventional methods of fast funding. We are setting our pace. Our eyes are fixed on our collective future.
A FUTURE that values the essential role of BIPOC artists. One that supports artists' autonomy, our right to rage and memory in public space, within cities that embrace our role in rebuilding. One that additionally respects artists’ movement work and recognizes that it belongs to the community and those who create it. When contemplating efforts to preserve or uplift art created in this time-- return to these principles.
We see the diversity and equity statements. We see the lack of recognition around decolonizing the continued looting. Remember, these are our murals.
As our community continues to shape its identity in the wake of the brutal murder of George Floyd, we reflect on how trauma is too often BIPOC’s life companion. But too, is the life companion of healing that is ubiquitous to us all. At the etymological root of both healing and health is the idea of “wholeness.” To heal, then, is to take what has been broken, injured, exiled and restore it to wholeness. Our work is to care, maintain, and sustain the BIPOC arts community.
We have dreams, hopes, and concerns about BIPOC artists' place and rights in this moment and about our cities. We affirm we are centering those typically at the margins. WE are mobilizing, and will be setting strategy and infrastructure.
We have not forgotten our commitment to our ancestors, and we vow to never forget.
The collective of Twin Cities BIPOC artists, organizers, healers, stakeholders are joining in this revolutionary shift. This movement’s work belongs in the community, for the community, of the community.
We need time to build. Today we take that time. Expect to hear from us again soon. Ashe.
Ta-coumba T. Aiken
Al McFarlane
Hawona Sullivan Janzen
Antonio Duke
Bayou
Christopher-Aaron Deanes
Andrea Jenkins
Seitu Jones
Adja Gildersleve
Chioma Uwagwu
Jordan Hamilton
D.A. Bullock
Leslie Barlow
Wisdom Young
Aimee K. Bryant
Bill Cottman
E.G. Bailey
Shá Cage
Regina Marie Williams
Venessa Fuentes
Esther Callahan
Junauda Petrus
Dameun Strange
Bianca Rhodes
Roxanne Anderson
Felicia Perry
Joy Spika
Amoke Kubat
Ava Saunders
Valérie Déus
Atim Opoka
Salome Mergia
Javari Horne
Harry Waters Jr.
Hope Cervantes
Deneane Richburg
Greta Oglesby
Laura Mann Hill
Beverly Cottman
Amiri Brotherson
Mankwe Ndosi
kayann comeaux
Thomasina Petrus
Kenna Camara Cottman
Trevor Bowen
Janay Henry
Oya Mae-Duchess
Saymoukda Vongsay
Ricardo Levins Morales
Wing Young Huie
Rosy Simas
Mike Hoyt
Sun Yung Shin
Pramila Vasudevan
Tricia Heuring
Cándida González
Aamera Siddiqui
Marlina Gonzales
Sun Mee Chomet
Sonitha Tep
Dipankar Mukherjee
Marcus Young
Ananya Chatterjea
Meena Natarajan
Zaraawar Mistry
Alejandro Eduarte
Ashawnti Sakina Ford
Erin Sharkey
Pramila Vasudevan
Kory LaQuess Pullam
Sun Mee Chomet
Maija García
Anthony Paul Ceballos Jr.
H. Adam Harris
Kandace Montgomery
Melanie G.S. Walby
Kevin D. West
Kory LaQuess Pullam
Thomasina Topbear
Julia Gay
Maya Washington
Paige Reynolds
Jendayi Berry
Charlie Garcia
Miré Regulus
Fatima Camara
Rhiana Yazzie
Bao Phi
Keno Evol
Douglas R. Ewart
Irna Landrum
Ivory Doublette
Rose M. Brewer
Christopher Park
Daniel Bergin
Christopher Park
Brenda Bell Brown
CRICE
Arleta Little
Lynnea Doublette
Sandra J. Agustin
Miskitoos (Holly) Henning
Jessica Lopez Lyman
DejaJoelle
Craig Laurence Rice
Jamie Schumacher
SooJin Pate
Jae Hyun Shim
Bruce A. Henry
Taylan De Johnette
Shawn Judge
Atim Opoka
Marcela Lorca
Shannon Gibney
Katie Hae Leo
Amiri Brotherson
Za'Nia Coleman
Maria Epiphany Robinson
Magdalena Kaluza
Serita Colette
Tana Hargest
Signe V. Harriday
Nothando Zulu
Vusumuzi Zulu
Janis Lane-Ewart
Taylor Seaberg
Xiaolu Wang
Kathy Mouacheupao
Alex Gaiter Smith
Audrey Park
Roza Brooks
Zamara Cuyún
Chitra Vairavan
Catherine Campbell
Olivia Levins Holden
Cristina Florencia Castro
Bianca Janine Pettis
Vinecia Coleman
Sarah White
Kenji Shoemaker
Witt Siasoco
Meghan Kreidler
Miko Simmons
Alaysia Duncan
Javier Sampedro
Hannah Novillo Erickson
Kieran Myles-Andrés Tverbakk
Daisuke Kawachi
Tor Chavarria
Lisa Marie Brimmer
heather c lou
Anniessa Fatima Antar
Robert DesJarlait
Moira Villiard
Andrea (Queen Drea) Reynolds
Taja Will
Adrian Perryman
Jaffa Aharonov
Daniel Bergin
Keila Anali Saucedo
SoloStar
Shauen V. T. Pearce
Jessika Akpaka
Nora Montañez
Alissa Paris
Victoria Turcios Laparra
Vanessa McDuffie
Ja’Mon Kimbrough
Rebeka Ndosi
Saira Haqqi
Tre Campbell
Ryan Stopera
Carla Schleicher
Rachel Avenido
Kashimana Ahua
Cameron Downey
Christie Marie Owens
Alanna Morris-Van Tassel
Namir Fearce
Alexandra Eady
Kayva Yang
Alex Leonard
Danyika Leonard
Adriana Foreman
Leslie Parker
Adlyn Carreras
Lauren Coleman
Debra Stone
Michael Kleber-Diggs
Melissa Taylor
Leah Dunbar
Jennifer Waithera Waweru
Miki Ann Mosman
Mónica Sofía
Leila Awadallah
Emma Eubanks
Robert Garcia
Ricardo Perez
Tahiel Jimenez Medina
Talvin Wilks
Juliette Myers
Claudia Valentino
Ami Handa Naff
Emily Mauter
Mirella E.
Chamindika Wanduragala
Rebekah Crisanta de Ybarra
Lela Pierce
Luisa Armendariz
Cecilia Cornejo Sotelo
Roshan Ganu
Adaobi Okolue
Lynnea Doublette
Heather Peebles
Philipo Dyauli
Miki Ann Mosman
Aegor Ray
Jocelyn Sanchez
Sari Sanchez
Meena Mangalvedhekar
Marisa Xiukuauhtli Martinez
Alexis Camille
rowan emmanuel
Ihotu Jennifer Ali
Blanx
Kaytee Crawford
Aki Shibata
Sagirah Shahid
Syed Hosain
Juleana Enright
Angela Two Stars
Nicole L. Thomas
Nancy Musinguzi
Lily Tung Crystal
Pamela R. Fletcher Bush
Leon Wang
Nancy Ariza
Eiko Mizushima
Roxane Wallace
Precious N. Wallace
Vie Boheme
Karen Mary Davalos
Gabby Coll
Lann Briel
Tarah Prieve
Marion Gómez
Owen Duckworth
Ana Laura Juarez
Twin Cities Black, Indigenous and people of color artists/organizers/curators/cultural producers, to add your name sign here.
Allies, we welcome you to share this statement and amplify our message.