13/01/2026
Forwarded post from Springboard for the Arts:
Renée Nicole Good was a poet. George Floyd was a rapper. I return to these details about their lives, and search for evidence of their artistic work, not because being an artist makes a person matter any more than anyone else, or because it makes the loss of their life any more tragic or wrong. I return to these details because they are proof that we all have something to say, that our creative impulses are core to our humanity. I return to these details because it feels like a connection or a small way to understand who a person is, who they wanted to be, what they wanted to say. I return to these details because the things we make with our hands and hearts and voices and ideas are part of our legacy. Each person who is moved by a song, a poem, a painting, becomes a part of an artist’s legacy and part of what lives on beyond them. How we go about our daily lives–neighboring, parenting, loving and telling our stories ends up being who we are, and what remains. Through our grief, rage, and resolve, how we neighbor, how we love, how we tell our story matters.
In the face of fear, intimidation, and heartbreak, I find hope in the ways that artists are showing up for our community and telling these stories. Raising our voices in song, bringing us together in joyful solidarity, memorializing, and connecting us to the truth of this moment and sharing our stories with the world. I am so grateful for the commitment and care of the artists in our community. We need you now.
- Laura Zabel, Executive Director
Artists are essential to community care, especially now. While our current climate can feel hard and difficult, there are people, spaces, and networks that are holding our community together.
Starting this month, we’re inviting Minnesota artists to participate in Artists Respond: Safety in Neighbors. This rapid-response program will support neighborhood-scale projects that help neighbors find sanctuary, safety, and solidarity.
Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis. Selected artists and artist teams will receive a stipend of $1500 to design and carry out a small, community-rooted project. Projects must be rooted in a specific neighborhood or community in Minnesota. Collaborations encouraged!
↳ Learn more & apply
Virtual Conversation: What can artists do?
Kyle Tran Myhre (Guante) is facilitating a virtual workshop for musicians, poets, and other artists to explore meaningful anti-ICE movement work this Tuesday, January 13. While registration for the event is full, Kyle will be sharing notes from the conversation and resources for artists after the event. Stay updated at guante.info/resources.
↳ Learn more
Songs for Fighting Authoritarianism
Good Trouble Sings will be hosting Singing for Liberation: Songs for Fighting Authoritarism, on Monday nights starting on January 19 - March 9 from 6:30-8:30pm at CTUL+xIQ in George Floyd Square. Participants are welcome to attend regularly or drop-in.
↳ Learn more
Legal Observer Training with Monarca
Monarca Upstander Training is hosting a series of legal observer trainings this month. While most trainings are at capacity, visit their website to request a training for your neighborhood or network.
↳ Learn more
Additional resources for community aid, guidance, and support:
COPAL MN: www.copalmn.org
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota: www.iclm.org
Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC): www.miracmn.org
Unidos, MN: www.unidos-mn.org
Community Aid Network MN: www.canmn.org
