banner

Meet the Artists!

Join us in welcoming the Possibility Project Artists, Holly Miskitoos Henning, Nastaaja Johnson, Nico Moore, and Thomasina Topbear!

These four artists will be creating works that connect and inspire the South Minneapolis Community and respond to issues around the pandemic and social justice.

Follow the artists' work on their social medias and websites (linked below). We will also be posting periodic updates on HOBT's social media and in our weekly newsletter.

Photo credit Jimmy Lopez
Photo credit Jimmy Lopez

Holly (Miskitoos) Henning

Marten Falls First Nation & Constance Lake First Nation: Cree/ Ojibwe

Miskitoos is an active visual artist and has been apart of several community arts-based events throughout the United States, Canada, Africa and Mexico. She uses acrylic and spray paint, traditional beadwork, regalia making and traditional dance as a personal and political tool to address, explore and portray contemporary indigenous struggle.

 

Miskitoos will create 1-2 public murals in South Minneapolis to promote healing, hope and solidarity.

Nastaaja Johnson

Staaj is a Twin Cities Circus Coach and leads the program at Expertese Fitness. Staaj has also run several "circus cohorts" aimed to engage BIPOC youth with circus arts and and its many benefits under her UNCAAGED moniker. With the 2017 New Griots Festival hosted at Guthrie Theatr, Staaj wrote, casted, and produced a high interest component titled, “Stay.” Audiences could feel good, relate, and reflect, and it featured several Aerial numbers, 2 Acrobatic Dance numbers, and a Diverse Cast. Since, Staaj has set out to do it again with her brand "Vivid Black Paint," to invest in a Grander Vision of Potential for a BIPOC Creatives Experience. VividBlackPaint is dedicated to her love of Color, Art, Highlighting BIPOC Under Representation, and, of course, Circus. She has now decided to take this vision and pursue 501(c)(3) NonProfit status to provide income based housing and supportive programming to BIPOC Artists.

 

Staaj is already providing a Free Vivid Black Paint Pop Up Circus experience for Minneapolis as her "We MUST Breathe" Initiative and will use the Possibility Project to bring aerial entertainment to South Minneapolis.

Nico Moore

Nico Moore

Nico is a south side hip hop artist, actor, activist, and an educator of youth. Nico has been connecting with performing art sense an early age, and has been working as an actor, musician, dancer and a poet for over 15 years. Using art for healing more than just entertainment Nico believes is important. "Everyone is an artist it's about how we use our creativity. I choose to share my work for healing, and uplifting to others and as therapy for myself to process the world and rise above the negativity that is so prevalent in our society".

 

Nico will produce a one man show the journey of a black spirit, from freedom to bondage, discovering love and strength on the journey back to freedom.

image5

Thomasina Topbear

Thomasina is a self taught indigenous artist who uses murals to express her feelings on community, culture, feminism and togetherness. She recently helped create City Mischief Murals, an all BIPOC artist collective in the Twin Cities and is a member of the international female art crew Few & Far Women. Thomasina has organized a number of local and national community based murals focusing on youth, women & BIPOC artists. Her influences come from her Dakota & Lakota culture and graffiti style lettering.

Thomasina will create a large scale mural in the Phillips neighborhood that reflects the many cultures that live there.

Thomasina chose to share an image of her wearing a mask to normalize wearing them and promote public safety.

These artists were selected by a four-person selection committee made up of two MayDay Council Members, one Free Black Dirt member, and one HOBT staff member. Thank you to everyone who applied! This was a difficult decision and we are excited for the possibility of future opportunities for collaboration and connection. The Possibility Project is made possible by a grant from the Minneapolis Foundation.

The Possibility Project

APPLICATIONS CLOSED

The Possibility Project Grant supports public art projects that explore what is possible now by creating works that connect and inspire the South Minneapolis Community and respond to issues around the pandemic and social justice. 

 

ABOUT THE PROGRAM 

Inspired by a poem by a beloved HOBT elder, Roy McBride, The Possibility Project supports artists to explore the possibility of now. The possibility this moment holds to radicalize, to grieve, to rest, to choose a new way forward. In this moment of change that contains a wide array of emotional responses, HOBT is investing in the abundant imagination of artists to create possibilities. Rage, grief, fear, certainty all have a place in the conversation.  

 

ABOUT THE MOMENT

Possibility Project grantees will be selected to create public art works for the South Minneapolis community that responds to the COVID-19 pandemic, exploring social justice, solidarities, and events of the moment. HOBT is especially looking for artists and projects that are interested in exploring abolition pathways in their projects. 

 

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Artistic work, of any medium, must be able to be experienced safely by the larger community safely during COVID-19 - whether through a site-specific project that supports social distancing, or a virtual experience accessible online. Four artists will be selected and awarded a $1,000 grant award stipend with a $300 materials budget. 

How to Apply

All applications are received via Google Form. If this is not accessible, please contact In the Heart of the Beast Theatre, and someone from our team will support you in completing the application. Applications Closed June 22, 2020

Contact [email protected] for more information if you have questions, would like support on your application, or have any accessibility needs. You may also reach out by phone: 612-540-5385.

Apply Here

Applications due June 22nd

How to Apply

All applications are received via Google Form. If this is not accessible, please contact In the Heart of the Beast Theatre, and someone from our team will support you in completing the application. Applications closed June 22, 2020

Contact [email protected] for more information if you have questions, would like support on your application, or have any accessibility needs. You may also reach out by phone: 612-540-5385.

 

SELECTION PROCESS

  • Artists will be selected by a four-person selection committee made up of 2 MayDay Council Members, 1 Free Black Dirt member, and 1 HOBT staff member. 
  • Timeline overview 
    • June 8 Applications Open 
    • June 22 Applications Due 
    • June 29 - All Artists Notified of Project Status
    • July 10 - Artists Announced and Work Begins
    • August 3 Work Completed/Documentation Submitted 

SELECTION CRITERIA

  • Project impacts the South Minneapolis community through the project’s audience and/or content
  • Project is accessible either ‘on location’ or virtually 
  • Projects from artists from or practicing in the following communities and identities most impacted by COVID-19 will be prioritized. This includes:
    • IBPOC, Undocumented/Immigrant artists, and  LGBTQIA+ artists 
    • Immunocompromised and artists living with disabilities 
    • Elder artists
    • Artists who live/work in Powderhorn, East Phillips, Midtown Phillips and the adjacent neighborhoods

Thanks to the Minneapolis Foundation for their support 

mpls found