By Andrea Jenkins
There are few dichotomies more striking than homeless artists displaying their work in the iconic bastion of American consumption and capitalism, but at the opening of "Homeless Awareness: Artwork by Minnesota artists that have experienced homelessness," I learned that six of the ten featured artist are still homeless, living in temporary facilities. The juried show, co-curated by Robyne Robinson of FOX 9 News and Yuri Arajs, artistic director of the Outsider Art Center, is the first of its kind featuring homeless artists.

“This show is so wonderful,” said Robinson, who was wearing a smooth, battleship-gray suede bolero jacket with slim washed-out, boot-cut jeans. “There are so many people out there who are invisible, but this proves that we cannot as a society just throw people away, there is so much beauty inside of them, and they just need an opportunity to let that beauty out.”

Robinson, an artist in her own right (she is a jewelry maker; check her out at www.roxmpls.com), is particularly fond of Felix Brown’s work. “He is definitely a rising star,” she said.

Brown is a former Mapplethorpe model, an actor at the acclaimed Apollo Theatre in New York City, and now a painter who is taking the Twin Cities by storm. Local Public Relations entrepreneur Robert Early said of Brown, “His work is good and he is absolutely sizzling right now.”

But that wasn’t always the case. After achieving an enviable level of success in the Big Apple, Brown bit off a little more than he could chew, “I got caught up in the drug scene and ending up spending time in penitentiary,” he told me.

But even while incarcerated, Brown continued perfecting his art, writing poetry and a one-act play that picked up the on the previous production of Martin Meets Malcolm. His own booming voice is reminisnant of Paul Robeson and his impersonations are flawless. But on this night, the visual art was on display—his arresting images and distorted colorful portraits on found burlap bags were an instant hit.

Other notable artists included Guy Stridsigne, whose startling photographs grace the walls of Hope Street, a local transitional house and shelter in the Powderhorn Park neighborhood, where he temporarily lives. Stridsigne, at 20 the youngest artist in the show, was discharged from the U.S. Army without benefits when it was determined that he suffered from a genetic mental illness (what a great Uncle Mr. Sam is). He has been homeless ever since, but he is a survivor; a maintenance worker at District 202, he is determined to succeed. “I never considered myself an artist; I just take pictures for fun,” he said.

I ask him to describe being homeless at such an age, and Stridsigne responded, “It’s different for youth, because people disrespect you because of your age.”

None of the 10 artist featured in the exhibition are trained artists; they are self taught—which is the whole premise of the “Outsider Art Center,” explained executive director Beth Parkhill. The center was opened in April 2005 as an extension of the “Outsiders and Other Gallery” located at 1010 Park Avenue. “ Our goal is to bring disenfranchised and nontraditional artists to the mainstream so their work is valued and their voices are heard,” Parkhill said.

The exhibition, sponsored by Mall of America, Pioneer Press, St. Paul Travelers, and several other local institutions, runs through December 31 on the fourth floor at the Mall of America.

War and Peace at the Rosalux
Another recent opening at the Rosalaux Gallery featured the work of mixed media artists Camille J. Gage and Kate Pabst. The show War and Peace, is grounded in art as the political. Gage, who was celebrating her birthday, focuses primarily on U.S, flag-draped coffins photographed in various settings, including naval ships, Arlington National Cemetery, Iraq military bases and other locales. The work depicted the death and finality of the war the current administration and the media refuse to show the American public.

Pabst, a graphic designer by trade, integrates words and images to create a powerful statement on the need for thoughtful dialogue and contemplation before declaring war. “Silence gives consent” and “words are so powerful and deep, that is why I include them in my work,” she said.

Pabst quotes poets, scientists, and politicians, like this from President John F. Kennedy: “If more politicians knew poetry, and more poets knew politics, I am convinced the world would be a little better place in which to live.”

The Rosalaux Gallery, located at 1011 Washington Avenue South, is a 24-member artist collective that rents the space and pairs two artists each month to display their art. Interestingly, the gallery is located in the Open Book building that houses the Loft Literary Center and the Minnesota Center for the Book Arts, giving it an instant credibility that matches the quality of the art displayed for the exhibition. With three floors of exhibition space, surrounded by exposed brick, high ceilings with industrial ventilation tubing, and strategically placed lighting, the gallery is a chic space for mingling with the city’s creative class.

A Plan for the Arts
Speaking of the creative class, the Minneapolis City Council recently passed an action to enact the “Minneapolis Plan for Arts and Culture.” The plan, created more than two years ago with input from more than 500 city residents, states that small and large arts institutions from every medium will define the role of the city in supporting the arts and culture and the role of arts and culture in accomplishing the city’s broader goals. It is no secret that the Twin Cities boasts one of the most vibrant arts communities in the country, but what is surprising is that this excellence grew up without the expressed support that most other major metropolitan areas typically provide to their arts communities, including financial support. The seven major recommendations of the plan that was stewarded in part by the Minneapolis Arts Commission, include:
1. Integrate and utilize arts and culture as a resource for economic development.
2. Develop robust leadership on behalf of cultural development.
3. Increase resources for arts and culture in Minneapolis.
4. Strengthen the city’s public art program by providing a definite funding commitment and confirming policy.
5. Promote Minneapolis arts and culture to residents and visitors, and to civic and community leadership as an integral aspect of the city’s identity, quality of life, economic vitality and civic health.
6. Promote collaborations among arts and cultural organizations and artists, and with the city and other partners.
7. Preserve and strengthen arts education opportunities for Minneapolis youth.

The Minneapolis Arts Commission is currently in the process of introducing the plan to the broader community as well as overseeing its implementation throughout the city enterprise. To read the plan in its entirety and find out locations where you can learn more about this endeavor, check out the city’s Web site at www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us.