Alyssa Baguss: Engaging the Community Through Art 

By Lisa Roy

Alyssa Baguss (California Building) blends creativity, environmental advocacy, and community engagement to craft art that connects people with the world around them. Her work, which can be described as innovative and thought-provoking, reflects a passion for building meaningful experiences that inspire and unite.

Baguss was recently invited to design an enamel pin for the 2025 Great Northern Festival, a 10-day winter event held across the Twin Cities. Her aim was to capture the stillness and wonder of a frozen winter night. Drawing inspiration from the northern sky, she used abstracted aurora borealis patterns and reflective silver details to encapsulate the festival’s themes of winter pride and the beauty of Minnesota’s distinctive climate.

The pin, which she had about two months to design, serves as a symbolic keepsake representing the festival’s mission to bring people together during winter’s isolating season. Through art and a series of events, the Great Northern Festival fosters discussions on climate change while celebrating the unique beauty of Minnesota winters.

Baguss is no stranger to creating memorable, community-centered art experiences. Over the years, she has made a significant impact within the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District through several innovative projects including:

• “Open Water” Residencies (2020): During the pandemic, Baguss organized socially distant art residencies on the Mississippi River using the Minneapolis Water Taxi.
• Minnesota Artist Penny Press (2021): A traveling exhibit that gives the community a chance to create a collectible coin featuring designs by local artists for just 2 quarters and a penny
• Aerial Poetry Project (2022): This initiative displayed poetry in the skies, encouraging visitors of Art-A-Whirl® to pause, look up, and reflect.
• Musical Chairs at Art-A-Whirl® (2024): A large-scale, interactive game of musical chairs that brought people together during Northeast Minneapolis’ annual art event.

These projects highlight Baguss’ commitment to creating art experiences that invite participation and spark conversation, demonstrating her ability to merge creativity with community engagement.

In recognition of her innovative approach, Baguss was recently awarded the McKnight Fellowship for Community-Engaged Artists. The 2025 fellowship marked a pivotal moment in her career, validating her work and providing financial support to further her practice.

Describing her art as “weird and unusual things,” Baguss felt affirmed when national jurors recognized the value of her work. The fellowship, which is not tied to a specific project, gives her the freedom to explore new ideas and pursue collaborative opportunities.

For aspiring artists, Baguss offers this advice: “Apply for things.” She emphasizes the importance of sharing your work with jurors, which can open doors for future opportunities. “If you don’t apply, you will never get it,” she says, encouraging others to seize the opportunities available to them.

Baguss’ artistic journey began in rural Iowa, where access to arts education was limited. Despite this, she nurtured her love for drawing and a dream of becoming an artist. Eventually moving to Minnesota, she decided to pursue this passion. She attended the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul, balancing life and family while studying drawing and painting. 

After graduation, she dedicated herself to making a career in the arts. In 2011, she secured a studio space in the California Building, which became the launchpad for her creative endeavors. She recalls that her hard work began to pay off in 2015 when she had two major solo shows that marked a turning point in her career.

Baguss also serves as the park director at Silverwood Park in St. Anthony. This unique park combines art and environmental education, offering a sculpture walk, an art gallery, and creative classes that connect visitors with the outdoors and environmental science.

Under Baguss’ leadership, Silverwood Park has become a space where art and nature intersect, fostering awareness and appreciation for the environment. Her work at the park reflects her dedication to inspiring others to explore and protect the natural world.

Last year, Baguss also completed a significant public art project at the Rochester Art Center in collaboration with poet Erin Sharkey. This installation transformed the building’s 50-foot-tall windows into artistic expressions designed to prevent bird collisions—a persistent issue caused by the reflective surfaces.

The project not only addressed a pressing environmental concern but also elevated the intersection of art and conservation. Baguss’ ability to blend creativity with real-world impact demonstrates her commitment to using art as a tool for positive change. Alyssa Baguss’ work embodies the transformative power of art to connect, inspire, and advocate for meaningful change.

Links:

Alyssa’s website:  https://cargocollective.com/alyssabaguss

The Great Northern Festival: https://thegreatnorthernfestival.com/

Silverwood Park: https://www.threeriversparks.org/location/silverwood-park