Written by Mary Barghout
Running two weekends in the Revel Room event space (June 20-22 and June 27-28) the gathering was away to walk the talk of bringing art and community together, beyond the studio to the actual streets we drive and walk down. To provide a physical space for local artists of color to share their offerings along the bustling thoroughfare of Central avenue. To bring folks together in a way that not only highlights the Incredible artistry that is living and working in our arts district, but to be in community with the human beings who are creating and striving in our neighborhoods. In this way, we can all meet some of the artists around us, while supporting them and becoming a part of the ecosystems within our small worlds.
It’s clear upon meeting Ashley Koudou, a Public Functionary community studio artist (based in the Northrup King Building), that she is a person who is not only creative herself but that she sees creativity as a powerful force of connectivity, with an important role during times of easy isolation. Her work with Mango Day, a collective that assists artists through the challenges of the business side of an artistic practice (branding and marketing) and connects artists of color to opportunities for advancement and pathways to financial success, is a testament to her vision of the arts as an ecosystem and not a pedestal.
Recently, Mango Day and Tangible Collective teamed up to bring a collection of artists and their wares to 2226 Central Avenue in Minneapolis with financial assistance from a Minneapolis Cultural District Arts Fund grant, which Ashley received for the Central Avenue (Ward 1) district.
The space was filled with everything from ceramics to stickers, from earrings to leather goods. Northeast ceramic artist Addis Alemu’s serene, steady and functional mugs and dishware were on display alongside a whimsical and joyful fox creature from fellow NE artist Silent Fox. The bright and ebullient textile earrings of It’s Pronounced Cha by Tshab Her alongside the world building and imaginative design prints of Kemunto Ndege.