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Mural Welcomes Families to East Lake Street

Back row left to right: Joy Spika, Thomasina TopBear, Holly Miskitoos Henning, Charles Garcia, Rony Lopez
Front row left to right:  Simone Tincher and Achak Garcia

The Family Partnership commissioned the BIPOC artist collective City Mischief Murals to create a large-scale mural as a welcoming presence for the agency’s new Building for Better Futures resource center at 1527 E. Lake Street. The mural was installed July 2-6, 2021 on the building’s east facing exterior wall. 

  • Lead Artists/Co-organizers: Thomasina TopBear and Molly Miskitoos Henning 
  • Lead Artists: Charles Garcia, Joy Spika and Rony Lopez 
  • Artists: Simone Tincher, Gala Ingram 

“The mural brightens the space and reflects the diversity and strengths of all the different cultures of the neighborhood. The images are especially powerful for children to identify with, including those attending The Family Partnership’s Four Directions Family Center.”   

City Mischief Artist Statement

Mural by Number Description  

To honor the first nations’ people, upon whose traditional land Minneapolis resides:  

  1. Jingle dress dancer, honoring Ojibwe medicine and space. 
  1. Native American men’s traditional dancer, honoring our warriors, this style of dance that originated with Lakota warriors who were returning from war.  
  1. Lakota morning star, based on star teachings. 

To honor Latino culture: 

  1. Latina’s skirt are the colors of flag of Mexico. 
  1. Marigolds (yellow/orange flowers) represent traditional offerings in Mexican culture. 

To honor the Somali and East African immigrant population in South Minneapolis: 

  1. King Protea (pink flowers) are the national flower in Somali and common throughout East Africa. 
  1. Butterfly has the colors of the flag of Somalia.  
  1. East African/Somali mother reads to a child. 
  1. African drummer represents the roots of African-Americans in the U.S. 
  1. Black Lives Matter fist logo represents the social movement against systemic racism and protests over George Floyd’s murder in 2020 in Minneapolis. 
  1. The logo of The Family Partnership represents outreach, unity, and partnership. 

About City Mischief Murals – The collective’s name was created to represent “the spirit of mischief” of street art, and how cities are often an artist’s landscape. The Black, Indigenous, Latinx and Pacific Islander artist collective produces murals and creative projects with a mission focused on creating opportunities for youth and promoting healing through art. It also creates a safe atmosphere for communities of color in the Twin Cities to practice their art forms.  

Learn more About The Family Partnership.

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