What should happen to the George Floyd protest art, and who should decide? – MinnPost

Google George Floyd Mural images and the first thing youll 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 dont 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 Kabuls 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. Lets talk about it first. Lets talk about what comes with acquisition of these pieces. We dont 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 its really important that we have this discussion, because its on everyones mind in the arts community, in the African-American community as well as other communities of color, Robinson said. Its 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 Floyds death made history, so, too, in its own way, might Thursdays event. Its 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. Were revisiting something that didnt 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.

Hennepin Theatre Trust has announced new dates for the Broadway musicals Come From Away and Disneys Frozen, both originally part of this years 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.

Over the past two decades together, Osmo Vnsk and the Minnesota Orchestra have recorded all of Beethovens symphonies, all of Tchaikovskys 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 Societys Virtual Cinema. Ian Cheney and Sharon Shattucks 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.

Courtesy of the MSP Film Society

Ian Cheney and Sharon Shattucks 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.

Jeff Daniels

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 Ranees 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 todays world. Watch the online premiere Thursday, June 18, at 6:30 p.m. on Ragamalas Facebook page or YouTube.

Vijay Iyer

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What should happen to the George Floyd protest art, and who should decide? - MinnPost