Art-A-Whirl: Swap Meet Features Black and Brown Artists

The Northeast Minneapolis Art Association held its 29th annual “Art-A-Whirl” at various locations throughout Northeast Minneapolis. More than 1,300 artists, galleries and businesses are participating in what has become the largest open studio tour in the country.

At the Northrup King Building, a particularly new mainstay of the Art-A-Whirl festivities stands out as a true labor of love: The Swap Meet.

Hosted by the Tangible Collective, the third annual Swap Meet is a physical articulation of the Black women-led collective’s values.

“For us, we always wanted to have a ‘grand’ community gathering,” says Ricki Monique, who, alongside her best friend Za’Nia Coleman, started the Tangible Collective in 2017 with a commitment to elevating voices under -represented and underserved by providing a platform with opportunities and resources for artists and creatives.

Elizabeth Abraha, founder of That Curly Haired Stitch and a vendor at this year’s Swap Meet, highlighted the larger social impact of events like The Swap Meet.

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“It’s rare to feel like you’re part of the majority and not the minority for once. It’s great to be in a space that celebrates people’s work in a way that you don’t usually see,” she said.

Another seller, Candida Gonzalez of Las Ranas Jewelry, added, “This is my third year participating in Swap Meet, and I really love being able to do Art-A-Whirl in a space that centers and nurtures black artists and brown.

“It was really important to us to have a space that could encourage spending within our own community,” Monique said. “We showcase Black artists throughout the community in a way that highlights how creative people can be when given space.”

The colorful ornaments that envelop the space immediately draw the eye to the glittering disco balls suspended above the hand-built “conversation well.”

Complete with a living room design perfectly in harmony with the whole Black 70s The Swap Meet theme, handmade signage, and earth-toned settings all play together like visual jazz. Monique and Coleman, with the support of Civil Servant building consultants and artists, cut each piece of wood and hung each piece of fabric to properly execute their vision.

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Each booth is divided by hand-painted wooden slats to promote an open feeling to the space. “A lot of contractors were telling us that some of the things we wanted to build wouldn’t be feasible,” said Michael Bishop of Public Functionary. “The photos Ricki would show us from Swap Meets in Los Angeles would feature builds that would be way too expensive to buy, so we built them ourselves.”

This project was inspired by the trips Monique took to the many outdoor markets of Los Angeles, California. She remembers being blown away by how people expressed their unique culture out loud in these spaces and sought to recreate some of that energy here.

“We wanted to create a visually inspiring space and literally create small spaces and pockets for each person,” Ricki said. “We are very grateful that officials shared their talents and resources with us, and since we were given space, it is important for us to pass on that love.

This year’s Swap Meet featured artisan ceramic products from Addis, melanated affirmation decks and burning essence incense from The Melanated Remedy by DejaJoelle, artisan artwork and jewelry from Candida Gonzalez of Las Ranas Jewelry, mirrors from That Curly Haired Stitch by Elizabeth Abraha, mirrored art from That Curly Haired Stitch by Elizabeth Abraha, items crafted, marbled and hand sewn by Natasha Malmberg, rugs from Kiara the Creator as well as the opportunity to enroll in their rug-making class ‘The Tuft Experience’, artwork and crochet clothing from Arame’s Creations, as well as nails and perfume. almost paradise.

Tangible Collective is funded by Springboard for the Arts and regularly hosts events in the community to value and highlight valuable experiences that are often overlooked. Those interested can support their work at www.givemn.org/story/Tangiblecollective.

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