Cultivate Arts

Cultivate Arts is a collaborative effort to activate spaces, build connections, celebrate diversity, and promote opportunity through local artist-led create placemaking projects along the METRO Blue Line Extension (BLE) corridor. In collaboration with Hennepin County, the Cultivate Arts program has selected 10 artists to engage the community through art. Learn about the 2024 Cultivate Arts projects below:

Zavien Neal: “Detail in Action!”

Zavien is a North Minneapolis artist who has been involved with BLE projects through Juxtaposition Arts. His engagement project “Detail in Action!” is an innovative project involving a series of live mural paintings. This interactive project invites community members to contribute suggestions and ideas related to visual elements and motifs, that may reference themes such as BLE, Metro Transit, North Minneapolis, or any recognizable aspects that resonate with the local community.

Sebastian Rivera: “You Are Our Future”

Sebastian is a Brooklyn Park resident, community leader, and a multimedia artist with deep-rooted ties to the BLE corridor. His community engagement project "You Are Our Future,” invites participants to envision, create, and embody the possible future for the community. Through interactive art installations and activities, participants will have the opportunity to imagine and contribute to the shaping of our collective future.

Malini Basu and Ivonne Yañez: “Gathered in Transit” – Community Installation & Screen Printing

Malini and Ivonne are Minneapolis-based artists with rich backgrounds in printmaking and textiles. Their collaborative project, "Gathered in Transit” – Community Installation & Screen-Printing, merges their skills to inspire community participation. These events invite commuters to engage in conversations about the project while adding their own drawings to a collage of a light rail-shaped installation.

Ifrah Mansour: “Halima’s Smile”

Ifrah is a passionate advocate for public transportation and is looking forward to blending her love for trains and art with the community. Her project “Halima’s Smile," features a unique puppet that invites participants to reflect on and celebrate the BLE. This project aims to create memorable moments in various locations along BLE, encouraging participants to share their dreams, destinations, and cherished memories, fostering a deeper sense of community and connection.

Constanza Carballo: “Community Print Press”

Constanza is a migrant from Argentina with deep roots in Minneapolis, where her career as a public community artist has flourished. "Impressions of the Community," is an interactive printmaking workshop that invites community members to ink, press, and personalize pre-made linoleum cuts. Reflecting the area's cultural diversity, this project offers materials in both English and Spanish to ensure accessibility and inclusiveness.

William Truth Maze Harris: “Sound Medicine Drum Circles”–Togetherness through Rhythm & Motion

William spent most of his youth growing up in North Minneapolis and was a pioneer within the hip hop community in the 80’s. "Sound Medicine Drum Circles," is an immersive experience in the wellness arts, combining mindfulness and breath work with West African-based drumming, rhythms, and technique. The project aims to promote "Togetherness through Rhythm & Motion," holding drum circles at various locations in the community with a goal to help people celebrate change, express themselves, and connect through the power of rhythm and motion.

Marlina Gonzales: “Stop, Look, Listen”

Marline has over two decades of experience using art for social change. Her project “Stop, Look, Listen,” will be an artistic engagement endeavor aimed at celebrating the vibrant lives of public transportation commuters in the Twin Cities metro area. Through interactive activities such as storytelling circles, selfies on the Blue Line and story performances, the project seeks to engage the community, foster appreciation for public transportation, and showcase the daily diversity among residents.

Jorie Kosel: “Wherever I Lay My Rug, That’s My Home”

Jorie is a costume designer, textile artist, actress, stylist, and hospitality professional. Her project "Wherever I Lay My Rug, That’s My Home," is a community woven tapestry that will travel through neighborhoods impacted by the BLE project. Using a portable loom, Jorie invites community members to contribute by weaving sections of the tapestry at pop-up events taking place throughout the summer.

Heavenlee Henderson: “Tote on the Blue” and “Plant the Train!”

Heavenlee is a resident of North Minneapolis and designer at Juxtaposition Arts. In the "Tote the Blue Line'' workshop, participants will use tote bags as canvases to depict their personal experiences and aspirations with Metro Transit. The "Plant the Train" workshop explores native plants' benefits in North Minneapolis through discussions and collage-making where participants will envision the BLE surrounded by greenery by fostering ecological awareness and inviting community design input.

Caron Learned: “Piece it Together” – Community Gathering Through Mosaic Art

Caron is a Twin Cities-based artist who is excited to bring her passion for mosaics to the local community of Crystal through a series of three beginner mosaic classes called “Piece it Together.” These classes aim to foster creativity and community engagement, inviting participants of all skill levels to explore the art of mosaic-making.

Hennepin County, as a key partner in the METRO Blue Line Extension project, is requesting proposals for arts engagement activities within the project corridor that includes the cities of Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Robbinsdale, and Minneapolis.

The goals of Cultivate Arts 2024 are to engage the community to inform and consult regarding the Blue Line Extension project, celebrate local arts and cultures, develop partnerships across cities, community organizations, and artists as an opportunity to grow a vibrant arts culture, and to build local artist capacity for ongoing participation in cultural communities, arts engagement, and project planning.

If you are an artist interested in helping with public engagement for the project, please consider submitting a proposal and budget for 3 arts engagement projects to be conducted between June 1 through October 31, 2024.

The maximum award amount is $5,000. 10 artists and/or artistic teams will be selected.

Key Dates:

Virtual Information Session:

Wednesday, April 10, 6pm Click here to join the meeting

Proposals Due:

Wednesday, April 24 via email to: Rich ­­­­Morris richelieu.morris@hennepin.us

Artist service agreement contract begin: Saturday, June 1

Submit a Proposal

1. Review the Request for Artistic Services (PDF).
2. Complete a proposal and it email to Rich Morris richelieu.morris@hennepin.us by April 19.

From August to December 2023, Cultivate Arts engaged communities along the METRO Blue Line Extension corridor to build artist capacity, demonstrate arts and placemaking tools, and activate the creative economy through culturally representative arts-based activities.

This project provided a creative approach to engaging corridor communities at 35 different events with over 3400 residents participating in workshops, conversations, concerts and other cultural programs that highlighted the diversity of the corridor.

Cultivate Arts 2023 Overview (PDF)

CULTIVATE ARTS 2023

10 artists have been selected to engage communities in the Metro Blue Line Extension corridor with culturally representative arts activities to inform and educate community along with collecting their feedback about the developments of the BLRT project.

From August through December, Cultivate Arts 2023 will host over 30 arts engagement activities reaching communities that typically do not participate in the project events and open houses.

The artists selected include:

• AfroContigo
• Archives! For Me and You
• BLRT Couture Dress
• Colors and Cultures
• Drawing in Community
• Heal & Chill
• Mixed Media METRO
• Our Neighborhood on Display: Welcome and Cherish
• Peace on the Blueline
• Robot Mobile Disco

Learn more the artists and their plans for this year by viewing the 2023 Cultivate handout.

Hennepin County, as a key partner in the METRO Blue Line Extension project, is requesting proposals for arts engagement activities within the project corridor that includes the cities of Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Robbinsdale, and Minneapolis.

The goals of Cultivate Arts 2023 are to grow artist capacity, demonstrate arts engagement tools, and activate a creative economy by implementing culturally representative arts engagement activities within the Blue Line Extension corridor.

If you are an artist interested in helping with public engagement for the project, please consider submitting a proposal and budget for 3-5 arts engagement projects to be conducted between August 1 through December 31, 2023.

The maximum award amount is $5,000. 10 artists and/or artistic teams will be selected.

Key Dates:

• Virtual Information Session: Tuesday July 11, 6pm Click here to join the meeting
• Proposals Due: Wednesday, July 19, 2023 via email to: Joan.Vanhala@hennepin.us
• Artist service agreement contracts begin: Tuesday, August 1

Submit a proposal

1. Review the Request for Artistic Services (PDF).
2. Complete a proposal form (PDF) and email to Joan.Vanhala@hennepin.us by July 19.

From July to November 2022, Cultivate Arts engaged communities along the METRO Blue Line Extension corridor to build artist capacity, demonstrate arts and placemaking tools, and activate the creative economy through culturally representative arts-based activities.

This project provided a creative approach to engaging corridor communities at 31 different events with over 5000 residents participating in workshops, conversations, concerts and other cultural programs that highlighted the diversity of corridor.

Cultivate Arts 2022 Overview (PDF)

As the summer progresses we are excited about all sorts of Cultivate Arts events and activities happening in a variety communities throughout the Blue Line Extension corridor. Stay updated and keep an eye on the "Key Dates" tab on the righthand side of this page to find the days, times and locations of the various upcoming Cultivate Arts opportunities!

For more information about the events and artists, click here.

Previously supported by the McKnight Foundation, Cultivate Bottineau was a previous iteration of Cultivate Arts 2022 coordinated by Hennepin County Bottineau Community Works and Springboard for the Arts in partnership with the cities of Minneapolis, Golden Valley, Robbinsdale, Crystal, and Brooklyn Park, and other community partners from January 2018 to October 2019.

• Over 200 local artists were engaged, from a few hours at an information session or an art activity, to over dozens of hours to create a large commission.
• The nearly 50 lead artists worked with another 50 artists.
• Over 50% of the lead artists are artists of color.
• Nearly 50 collaborators worked with local artists.
• Over 4800 community members attended, participated in, or encountered a local artist-led project activity. This does not include people who view permanent projects (installations, murals) as they pass by.

Read the full report (PDF)

View the one-page summary (PDF)