Connecting art and community in St Paul since 1977

The St. Paul Art Collective is filled with sorrow as we report that Tracie Thompson passed away peacefully with her family on November 9, 2020. She fought a tremendous battle with cancer, and held a positive attitude the entire time from the diagnosis late in May 2019...

“If Wishes Were Trees,” on exhibit next month at the Robbin Gallery in Robbinsdale’s “Extremely Minnesota” juried exhibit. Courtesy of Colleen Cosgrove

Instead of opening their homes and studios for a few days in October for the St. Paul Fall Art Crawl, east metro artists are showing off their work all month.
Virtually, of course.

George Floyd’s death colors three-day outdoor Payne Avenue art festival led by artists of color Oct. 1-3

Fall art crawl cancelled but plenty of local artwork is still for sale!

It can be difficult to turn left into the parking lot of Wet Paint Artists’ Materials and Framing — but that shouldn’t be a deterrent.

The theme ties together work dealing with the anxiety of the coronavirus pandemic, the death of Floyd and even brokenness from personal tragedies.

What happens when you connect the ideas and energies of artists with the needs and opportunities of community? Jack Becker is founder of Forecast Public Art, a 40-year old, Minnesota-based nonprofit that connects the ideas and energies of artists with the needs and opportunities of communities.

“I first knew of Jack Becker fairly early in the public art administrator phase of my career,” says Julia Muney Moore, director of public art for the Arts Council of Indianapolis. “He was one of the luminous names in the field—Jack Becker! He founded Forecast Public Art!

Ta-coumba Aiken’s art saved from the demolition of Flyte Time Studios in Edina, MN.