Connections: Artwork from the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District
June 9-December 1, 2025, at MSP Airport in Concourse C
Building on the success of previous years’ exhibitions at the MSP Airport, the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District (Arts District) is once again excited to be hosting a juried exhibition in the Concourse C Art Gallery at MSP Airport. We will be highlighting 67 artists working across varied disciplines throughout the district and will showcase works that represent a range of aesthetics, styles, and forms.
The exhibition was juried by our Guest Curators:
Gordon Coons, Curator
Gordon Coons (Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa and Ottawa/ Potawatomi from Michigan) is a painter, printmaker, and fumage artist. Largely self-taught, he paints in the Ojibwa Woodland style and creates fumage, smoke art, by burning cedar. He embellishes his fumage pieces with 24-karat gold leaf. He also prints with linoleum block. Coons draws inspiration from his Anishinaabe heritage, and his bright color palette comes from his natural surrounds in the Great Lakes region. “I also enjoy incorporating playfulness in my images, telling stories of relationships between Western and Native cultures, and the connection we have to our shared historical events.” Gordon Coons exhibits nationally, and his work is in permanent collections across the country. More of his artwork can be seen online at gordoncoons.com.
Silent Fox, Curator
Graphic designer, visual artist, and muralist from Minnesota, Silent Fox created their name in 2016 to identify with their artwork. As well as an AFA in fine arts received from Minneapolis Community & Technical College, they hold a BA in studio arts and graphic design from Augsburg University. The name ‘Silent Fox’ comes from their belief that silence allows one to reflect on today’s world and creates a journey to discover meaning in life. Upon viewing their artwork, you may notice that they use various media, including watercolor, acrylic, digital Illustration, photography, and so forth, causing their artwork to constantly evolve. Under Silentfox.Studio, they explore the art community as a Visual Artist, Graphic Designer, and Muralist. In 2021 and 2022 Silent was a recipient of a MSAB grant designed to support artists and encourage community. Since 2020 Fox has curated and designed exhibitions with the purpose of bringing art to the community. For the last three years, Fox has been a part of the Creatives After Curfew mural collective. They also are one of the Lead Directors and Creative Curators of 13.4 Collective.
Many thanks to Fox for their creative work on the graphics panels for this exhibition.
Karlee Holets, Curator
Karlee Holets lives and works in South Minneapolis as a sculptor, working primarily in the ceramic arts. She received her BA in Studio Art, with an emphasis in Ceramics and Printmaking, and Art History at Winona State University. Following graduation, she studied as a post-baccalaureate student at Georgia State University where she continued her education in sculpting the human form. Karlee has also worked for a number of galleries and art centers, including Artistry in Bloomington, MN.
