Art & Programs

Art Lab

Art Lab offers hands-on multidisciplinary activities, including painting, improv, movement, art therapy, open mic nights, and beading, in dedicated spaces. These activities help new participants connect, provide outreach for partnerships and collaborations, and build relationships.

Recording Studio

The Recording Studio allows youth to record their own music for free while learning about the engineering side of music making and improving their performance and songwriting skills. It’s also the home of KKCs youth-led podcast, 4TheKulture!

Artist-In-Residence

The Artists-In-Residence program offers long-term, intensive residencies with multidisciplinary teaching artists. Participants learn from expert artists while building community and experiencing new artistic mediums.

Art in Housing

Art in Housing removes barriers to arts access by delivering programming to youth where they are, including shelters, housing sites, and public art events.

5-10: The Outside Vibe

The Outside Vibe is a partnership with Hennepin Theatre Trust where youth curate and perform at free bi-weekly events in Downtown Minneapolis. The Outside Vibe is a summer event open to the public, offering music, activities, art, food, and community resources.

Art View

Art View provides young people with the opportunity to view arts and cultural events in various Twin Cities’ galleries, museums, theatres, and other performance spaces, allowing them to view thought-provoking work and build vocabulary to connect with visiting artists.

Meet Our Teaching Artist's

Shavon is a certified nurse, sought after her soul mission expanding a journey of personal experiences with healing, spirituality & self-worth into the community. As a spiritual coach, she doesn’t solve problems; she empowers self-mastery! Planting seeds around the world that encourage & empower others to connect within the depth of their own truth, creativity & joy. Through creativity, meditation & compassion for your Higher Self as well as the greatest good of others, you will gain & learn to apply universal tools/resources that master your BE-ing. Connecting with Shavon Danea, young adults aged 17-25 become accountable & commit to aligning with purpose, creating vision, illuminating their voice, leading with spirit & act in faith. Living a prosperous life as ALL IS MIND when you Own Your S.H.I.F.T!

Mimi is the creator and designer of Melevated Only, a clothing brand serving the Midwest and L.A. She is also a mentor, teaching artist, and lead seamstress for a number of professional sports teams.

Blossom is a Diné storyteller, playwright, teaching artist and screenwriter. She is from the Yé’ii Dine’é Táchii’nii (Giant People) clan, and her maternal grandfather is from the Deeshchíí’nii (Start of the Red Streak People) clan. When she creates, she writes for her people. In her writing, she reveals truths that are hard to face but she balances the darkness with humor, so the viewer has a chance to breathe and laugh. Blossom was awarded a residency with Willowtail Springs/Durango PlayFest. Additionally, she has been awarded the 2022 First Peoples Fund Cultural Capital Fellowship, La Lengua/ AlterTheater Ensemble’s Decolonization Stories Commission 2022, and is proud to be a recipient of The Playwrights’ Center 2022-2023 Jerome Fellowship. She is a mentee in writing for animation with the Netflix Animation Foundations Program 2022. Blossom holds an MFA in Dramaturgy from Columbia University and a BA in Theatre from Arizona State University. A proud member of the Dramatists Guild, and the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA).

Lady Midnight is a vocalist and performance artist who draws upon her multidisciplinary background and Afro-indigenous roots to create work that reflects our collective lives. The City Pages named Lady Midnight Best Twin Cities Vocalist and named her highly anticipated debut album Death Before Mourning Best Album of 2020. She has performed across the country, sharing stages with legendary acts like Common, Moby, Andra Day, and Aloe Blacc. As a film composer, she has been commissioned by the Walker Arts Center and artist Kara Walker. Lady Midnight holds space for Black, Indigenous, people of color, refugee, and immigrant youth within her creative community residencies and projects like NDN Collective, indigenous students on the Red Lake reservation, refugee and immigrant girls and non-binary students participating in Girls Getting Ahead in Leadership in partnership with Women’s Initiative for Self Empowerment, and Kulture Klub Collaborative (a non-profit for youth experiencing homelessness). She has dedicated her life to empowering youth, using her art to inspire change and heal collective trauma. In addition to her own solo releases, Lady Midnight has lent her voice to projects such VANDAAM, Parables of Neptune, Night Stone, and Malamanya.

"I am not a black artist, I am an artist." ~ Jean-Michel Basquiat

Meyer Warren is the man. St. Paul Slim is the Emcee. The W8 On Empty Space is the visual artist. In the tradition of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Meyer is his own artistic invention. As St Paul Slim, Meyer has created a legacy of remarkable lyrical prowess with his resounding voice. He speaks for the streets, he speaks for the people, and he speaks power. His journey began as a member of the duo, Guardians of Balance, and through the years has found him rhyming with the likes of Prof and Atmosphere. Hosting Sound Set alongside Sway Calloway (2015) and music placement in movies and television programming. He has released 4 studio albums 1 EP and 2 Mixtapes and shared stages with the likes of many international artists such as MC Lyte, A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-1, Slum village & Wu Tang, Wiz Khalifa, Jay Electronica and much more.

While his commitment to music hasn’t wavered, his visual artistic talents have evolved into 'The W8 On Empty Space'. In the past 8 years since Slim has gone public as a visual artist he has had 9 + solo art exhibits, has been a featured artist in multiple Hennepin Theater Trust, 'Made Here MN' series' and has a permanent installation at The Landmark Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. He has also been published in the St Paul Almanac and was the first street artist to hang visual art and exhibit at the state capital in the Attorney General's office. Meyer is currently working on various music and visual art projects as he is always creating and inspiring others to do the same.

As a 3D animator/developer, Scott co-founded ShoutOut3D with his partner Donna Freeberg, creating digital assets for use in web sites, commercial advertising, Power Point presentations, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and other social media, with emphasis on character dance animation in music videos growing the ShoutOut3D YouTube channel to over 50 videos and 250,000 views. As a 3D developer, Scott has created, designed and produced animations, motion graphics and videos for Hazelden Betty Ford, The Burbank Studio, Bain Boehlke, George Heinrich, Paquin Entertainment, ShoutOut3D and Candlewood Productions. Scott and Donna have produced Short Documentaries for ERA MN International Women’s Day, Standing Rock and the Women's March MN 2017, as well as Promotional Video Spots for: The Multitracks App, Burbank Entertainment, and Music Videos for: Phil Solem, Sam Scott, Brooke Aldridge, Clyde Ironworks and Radio Program Editor for: GroundBreakers/WDGY radio. Scott is a certified Apple Developer having created and published over 30 apps. Scott is currently in development of AI to 3D character workflow, using trained AI models (Mid-Journey Stable Diffusion) to create 3D characters that you can control with your iPhone. He enjoys collaborating with others and has extensive experience as a web site developer, recording engineer, video producer and voiceover artist.

Versatile Styles. Fashion, Fine Art, and Lifestyle.

Background and Education

Roosevelt a self-taught photographer with no formal training. His photography journey is guided by his vivid imagination and a unique gift for creating captivating visuals. From a young age, his imagination was a constant companion. Despite facing obstacles and challenges, Roosevelt persisted in expressing his creativity. As a youth he used to draw hip-hop fashion, men and women's hairstyles, and dresses. I found inspiration in fashion ads and catalogs, looking at all the photos always knowing that I could do it myself. Roosevelt has always had an innate understanding and fascination with light and how it interacts with a subject.

Professional Experience

In 2011, he purchased my first DSLR camera, embarking on a self-guided journey of exploration and learning. Over the years, Roosevelt honed his craft, Style and steadily built clientele. His portfolio includes work for numerous brands, companies, political figures, and local models. Some of the notable achievements include organizing and shooting the campaign for LipEsteem, Natures Syrup, HBW Hair Extensions, Energy Clothing, consistent work with the Ordway Theater, and headshots for the CEO of the Ordway. Hes also had the privilege of photographing a fashion show at the Minnesota Museum of American Art and having his fashion work published in a French magazine. Roosevelt has been featured in local newspapers like the Star Tribune, online publications like Dance Atlanta, and served as the lead photographer for the Minnesota 2023 Winter Carnival Royalty.

My Style

My photographic style can be best described as moody and rich. I have a penchant for thinking outside the box when it comes to using shadows, which I consider one of my signature elements. I love classic and vintage styles,

My Philosophy

My philosophy around photography is simple: Never be afraid to get lost in your imagination and try new things. If you can envision it, you can create it. There's always room for learning, and there's no such thing as a master when there's always something new to learn!

Closing Statement

Roosevelt Mansfield possesses a unique perspective, illuminating subjects through his lens. He artfully employs lighting and angles to craft striking images, often pushing the boundaries of conventional photography. Roosevelt is unafraid to experiment and approaches equipment in unorthodox ways, consistently finding fresh ways to utilize them. His background in education and excellent relationship-building skills further enhance his ability to connect with clients.

Website: www.digiemadephoto.com
Instagram: @digiemadephoto
Email: digiemadephoto@gmail.com