Art in This
Present Moment
A Celebration of Minnesota Artists and Their Work
Over the months of August, September and October, over 50 Minnesota artists responded in real time to history as it unfolded by creating Art in This Present Moment.
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 changing and challenging dominant narratives through their craft. Follow the artists’ work by using the hashtag #ArtInThisMoment.
Meet the Artists & Their Work
Indigenous Roots
A new mural in Saint Paul celebrates four Twin Cities multicultural women dancers and the strength, beauty & power we hold when uniting our communities together.
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
Brownbody
Artists develop the score to Tracing Sacred Steps, which Brownbody initially presented in April 2019 as a work-in-progress.
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
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
TruArtSpeaks
TruArtSpeaks highlights the work of a dancer and ceramicist who center the Black experience in their art.
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
Walker West
Walker West Music Academy worked with musician William E. Duncan to bring a new composition to life.
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
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
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 videoLearn about Each Project
Artists painted a mural that aims to bring color and life to a community resource center in Duluth’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, utilizing Anishinaabe symbolism to shed light on the city’s Indigenous history.
Artists
Moira Villiard
Michelle Defoe
Couple Thomasina Petrus and Charles Petrus, and composer Alex Shaw, are continuing to develop the score to Tracing Sacred Steps, which Brownbody initially presented in April 2019 as a “works-in-progress.”
Artists
Thomasina Petrus
Charles Petrus
Alex Shaw
Tiyo Siyolo
A collaborative on a Black/queer living & cultural experience in an RV exploring sustainable + unique ways of living and traveling while following their acting, writing, filmmaking dreams. The artists’ journey will be documented through video and photos.
Artists
Adja Gildersleve
Ashembaga Jaafaru
The three artists create interrelated work that builds community through practice of movement, conversation and personal transformation.
Artists
Demetrius McClendon
Xiaolu Wang
Heather Peebles
Clyde Estey, Jr., is a third-generation basket maker carrying forward the Ojibwe tradition of Black Ash basketry, and Kent Estey’s preferred artform is painting on canvas. These artists, both born and raised in the White Earth Nation, collaborated on a work reflective of their shared artistic upbringing.
Artists
Clyde Estey, Jr.
Kent Estey
City Mischief Murals in collaboration with Indigenous Roots created a mural celebrating four Twin Cities multicultural women dancers, Mary Anne Quiroz (Mexika Aztec), Holly Henning (Anishinaabe), Djenane Saint-Juste (Haitian) and Sghne Xgino (Hmong). The women were painted in their traditional regalia, showing them standing in unity, representing various cultures & traditions.
Artists
Thomasina Topbear
Joy Spika
Holly (Miskitoos) Henning
Charles (Wanisin) Garcia
Student Artists
Simone Tinker
AJ Kimble
Cheyenne Gill
The Million Artist Movement is working on two collaborative projects – one is a quilt and the other is a project based on food sovereignty.
PROJECT #1 - Preparation and Interconnectedness (PI) Growers Collective
Artists
Stephanie Watts
Alejandra C. (Tobar Alatriz)
Malia Araki Burkhart
Marie Michael
Mankwe Ndosi
Miré Regulus
Signe V. Harriday
PROJECT #2 - Power Tree Quilting
Artists
Laura Mann Hill
Paige Reynolds
Donald Bayou Thomas
Harry Waters, Jr.
Artists created a shadow puppet piece to reflect on stories from the uprising in the Twin Cities.
Artists
Ty Chapman
Andrew Young
Rebekah Crisanta de Ybarra
Penumbra Theatre company member Hannibal Lokumbe is composing an original score for a video being made in tribute to George Floyd and all of the victims of state-sanctioned violence.
Artists
Hannibal Lokumbe
Brannen Temple
Reginald Carter
Jimmy Blazer
Colin Shook
Za’Nia Sephra
Lou Bellamy
Sarah Bellamy
Soomaal invited four artists to share their most recent and exciting creative work with the public. Soomaal House of Art is a Minneapolis-based Somali artists’ collective supporting a growing number of emerging and established Somali artists living in Minnesota and beyond.
Artists
Khadijah Muse
Kaamil A. Haider
Mohamed Samatar
Mohamud Mumin
TruArtSpeaks highlighted the work of dancer Herb Johnson III and ceramicist Gabrielle Grier.
Artists
Herb Johnson III
Gabrielle Grier
Musician William E. Duncan composed and recorded a song for this project.
Artist
William E. Duncan
Pictured: Walker West
Partner Organizations
We appreciate the following partner organizations for identifying and selecting the participating artists.
Photographers & Videographers
Dudley Edmondson is an established photographer, author, filmmaker and presenter. His photography has been featured in galleries and nearly 100 publications around the world.
He was one of the first to highlight the involvement of African Americans in the public lands system. Unsatisfied with the numbers of people who looked like him among those he encountered in his outdoor pursuits, Mr. Edmondson set out to create a set of outdoor role models for the African American community by writing his landmark book, Black & Brown Faces in America’s Wild Places (AdventureKeen Publications 2006), featuring luminaries in the environmental and outdoor recreation fields. Mr. Edmondson has also been immersed in the effort to help the conservation sector become more inclusive.
His latest book, entitled “What’s That Flower?” A Beginners Guide to Wildflowers (DK Publishing, London, UK), was published in 2013.
Chris McDuffie, born and raised in Saint Paul, Minn., is the founder and visionary behind Chris McDuffie Photography. Chris became interested in photography while studying Business and Marketing Education at the University of Minnesota, which ultimately led his entrepreneurial spirit to start his own photography business shortly after graduation. He’s since been fortunate to land jobs with companies including: Activision, Cargill, Minnesota Timberwolves, Target, TCF, ESPN, POLITICO, Nike, GQ, and the New York Times.
Since beginning his company, it has been his mission to bring creativity, honesty and humor to both consumers and commercial clients. Being a life-long artist, his creative taste and aesthetic eye has been shaped by a rich tapestry of music, galleries and theater which the Twin Cities has always been well renowned for. When not engrossed in work, Chris loves to spend time with his illustrious wife, Vanessa.
Khristian is a mixed medium artist of 31 years, painting, drawing, sculpting and others. He began to pursue graphic design as a career in 2008 when he saw that he could use his skills as an artist and create what was requested in the job.
In 2015 Khristian started in the photographer/reporter position at the Mahnomen Pioneer while working as their advertising and graphics department. Working at the newspaper, he has had the opportunity to capture and be part of many local events.