Art in This
Present Moment
A Celebration of Minnesota Artists and Their Work
Art in This Present Moment is an initiative of the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, with funding from the McKnight Foundation, that provided support to artists who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color who are changing and challenging dominant narratives through their craft.
Meet the 2021 Artists & Their Work
Xavier Tavera
Latinx in Rural Midwest consists of film and photography from Xavier Tavera as part of an ongoing series about the Latinx community and their unique historic tie to American land.
View the Artist's Work
The Manidoo Ogitigaan Artist Collective
The Birch Bark Canoe was created by the Manidoo Ogitigaan Artist Collective, a group of Indigenous artists who work to preserve the teachings, practices and traditions of their people through traditional Anishinaabeg art forms.
View the Artists' Work
Thomas Stillday, Jr.
Thomas Stillday, Jr. is an Indigenous beadwork artist who mixes unique stitching techniques with a distinct choice of colors to create unique Ojibwe designs on bandolier bags.
View the Artist's Work
Robin Hickman-Winfield
Robin Hickman-Winfield celebrates the stories, elegance, beauty and talent of Black men and women through soulful dolls.
See the Art
Kazua Melissa Vang
Artist Kazua Melissa Vang uses photography and mixed media art to preserve the legacy of her father and tell the stories of her family and Hmong heritage.
View the Artist's Work
Broderick Poole
Artist Broderick Poole showcases his artistry by shining light on prominent Black leaders through jacket patchwork.
View the Artist's WorkLearn about Each Project
We appreciate the following partner organizations for identifying and selecting the participating artists.
In Black Ink provides publishing arts opportunities to African heritage communities that have been historically disenfranchised, and continue to experience exclusion. IBI’s programming mitigates economic, educational and cultural inequities.
Artists
Broderick Poole
Robin Hickman
In Progress has been promoting the voices of newly developing artists since its inception in 1996. Its purpose is to diversify cultural dialogue and pave the way for new voices in the field of digital art making.
Artists
Xavier Tavera
Kazua Melissa Vang
Manidoo Ogitgaan’s mission is to work with our communities to preserve and revitalize the Spiritual knowledge, language, culture, and ceremonies of the Anishinaabeg to improve our health and the health of our ecological family.
Artists
Manidoo Ogitigaan Artist Collective
Thomas Stillday, Jr.
2020 Artists
AICHO
Artists painted a mural that aims to bring color and life to Duluth’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, utilizing Anishinaabe symbolism to shed light on the city’s Indigenous history.
Watch the video
Brownbody
Artists develop the score to Tracing Sacred Steps, which Brownbody initially presented in April 2019 as a work-in-progress.
Watch the video
Catalyst Arts
Artists form a collaborative on a Black/queer living & cultural experience in an RV while following their acting, writing and filmmaking dreams.
Watch the video
Don’t You Feel It Too?
Don’t You Feel It Too? is a movement meditation practice, and part of our Art In This Present Moment series.
Watch the video
Gizhiigin Arts Incubator
Artists Clyde Estey, Jr., and Kent Estey collaborate on a work reflective of their shared artistic upbringing in the White Earth Nation.
View the photos
Indigenous Roots
A new mural in Saint Paul by Indigenous Roots and City Mischief Murals celebrates four Twin Cities multicultural women dancers and the strength, beauty & power we hold when uniting our communities together.
Watch the video
Million Artist Movement
Million Artist Movement worked on two collaborative art projects – a quilt sourced from community and a project based around food sovereignty.
Watch the video
Monkeybear's Harmolodic Workshop
Artists created a shadow puppet piece to share narratives and stories from the uprising in the Twin Cities.
Watch the video
Penumbra Theatre
Penumbra company member Hannibal Lokumbe composed an original score for a video in tribute to George Floyd and all of the victims of state-sanctioned violence. Sarah Bellamy wrote the narrative and she and Lou Bellamy provide the voice overs.
Watch the video
Soomaal House of Art
This Minneapolis-based Somali artists’ collective supports a growing number of emerging and established Somali artists.
Learn More
TruArtSpeaks
TruArtSpeaks highlights the work of a dancer and ceramicist who center the Black experience in their art.
Watch the video
Walker West
Walker West Music Academy worked with musician William E. Duncan to bring a new composition to life.
Watch the video