Google “George Floyd Mural” images and the first thing you’ll see – also the second, third, fourth, tenth, fifteenth, fiftieth, ad infinitum – will be the mural painted at Cup Foods at 38th and Chicago by artists Xena Goodman, Cadex Herrera and Greta McLain, with help from Niko Alexander and Pablo Hernandez. You might ask “Who?” because most articles, Facebook posts, tweets, retweets and TikTok videos that feature the mural don’t include the artists’ names.
George Floyd murals are everywhere. CNBC noted, “Murals have sprung up in Germany, Kenya and even in the bombed out ruins of Syria.” Stars and Stripes found one near Kabul’s Green Zone. CNN gathered images of several in Montreal, Manchester, Belfast, Berlin, Los Angeles, Oakland, Houston, Pensacola, Belgium; Nantes, France; and Naples, Italy.
But who owns them? Who gets to acquire them, collect them, show them, store them, sell them? People have been asking these questions of each other and on social media. Museums are interested, including the Minnesota Museum of American Art, aka the M.
Robyne Robinson is board chair at the M. We spoke with her by phone on Monday night.
“I said to them, Listen, if we are going to do this, we need to do it in a respectful way, and we need to do it with the help of the community,” Robinson explained. “Let’s talk about it first. Let’s talk about what comes with acquisition of these pieces. We don’t want to be trapped in the situation of commoditization.”
Former TV news anchor, longtime arts supporter and current public art consultant, Robinson has put together a virtual conversation that will take place Thursday night (June 18). “Black Art in the Era of Protest” will convene a cross-generational panel of educators and artists: Chioma Uwagwu and Todd Lawrence of the Urban Art Mapping Project at the University of St. Thomas, Precious Wallace of King P. Studio, Reggie LeFlore, Roger Cummings of Juxtaposition Arts, Seitu Jones, Ta-Coumba Aiken and Bobby Rogers.
“I think it’s really important that we have this discussion, because it’s on everyone’s mind in the arts community, in the African-American community as well as other communities of color,” Robinson said. “It’s better to hear from artists themselves about what they think should happen.”
The idea won widespread support. The African American Interpretive Center of Minnesota, AIA Minnesota, Juxtaposition Arts, King P. Studio, KMOJ Radio, MCAD, the M, National Organization of Minority Architects, Public Art Saint Paul and the Rae Mackenzie Group all stepped up as in-kind sponsors.
As the response to George Floyd’s death made history, so, too, in its own way, might Thursday’s event. “It’s an important conversation for the Twin Cities. This is the right place to do it. We are the center of all creative art activity in the Upper Midwest. What we determine will have an effect on many art communities of color to come.
“This is the second chapter of what the Black Arts Movement and AfriCOBRA were trying to do 50 years ago,” Robinson said. “We’re revisiting something that didn’t have an answer back then, because it was all about educating the community and getting them to understand the power of what art can bring.
“It says a lot about our community that we want to immediately start talking about helping each other, protecting each other, rebuilding, communicating and moving forward.”
“Black Art in the Era of Protest” will take place Thursday from 6-8 p.m. Register here. Registration is capped at 500, and hot-topic webinars fill up fast.
New dates for two musicals
Hennepin Theatre Trust has announced new dates for the Broadway musicals “Come From Away” and Disney’s “Frozen,” both originally part of this year’s Broadway on Hennepin season, both bumped by the virus.
“Come from Away” will arrive on Sept. 14, 2021, for 16 performances, closing Sept. 26. “Frozen” has been rescheduled for Oct. 7 to Oct. 24, 2021. FMI. Oh, and remember that “Hamilton” has been moved to July 28-Aug. 29, 2021.
The picks
Over the past two decades together, Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra have recorded all of Beethoven’s symphonies, all of Tchaikovsky’s music for piano and orchestra (with Stephen Hough) and all of Sibelius’ symphonies. They are now nearing the end of their Mahler symphonies cycle. Recorded at Orchestra Hall in Nov. 2018, Symphony No. 7 has just been released on the exacting Swedish label BIS. Plans are to perform and record Symphony No. 9 in June 2021.
Two new films have been added to MSP Film Society’s Virtual Cinema. Ian Cheney and Sharon Shattuck’s “Picture a Scientist” spotlights three women scientists – a biologist, a chemist and a geologist – and offers new perspectives on how to make science more diverse, equitable and open to all. Watch a live panel discussion with the three star scientists on Wednesday, June 17, at 7 p.m. Directed by Michael Murphy, executive produced by Terence Blanchard, “Up from the Streets” explores the culture of New Orleans through the lens of music, with appearances by luminaries including Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Harry Connick Jr., Wynton Marsalis, Aaron Neville and Bonnie Raitt. FMI including times, tickets and trailers at the links above.
Ranee Ramaswamy immigrated to Minneapolis in 1978. Today Ragamala Dance Company is internationally known and still based here. The new 18-minute film, “Lineage” is a window into Ranee’s relationship with the ancient, intricate, demanding and expressive art form of Bharatanatyam dance and her teacher, Alarmel Valli; the work she does with her daughters, Aparna and Ashwini; and her mission to amplify South Asian stories within today’s world. Watch the online premiere Thursday, June 18, at 6:30 p.m. on Ragamala’s Facebook page or YouTube.
