art & Anti-racism Repository

Art Against Racism is a virtual arts exhibition which aims to lift up the tremendous array of creative works made in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. In doing so, project organizers hope that the exhibition will serve as an archive of the national artistic response to this historic moment.

Based in St. Louis, Missouri and incorporated in 2014, the Story Stitchers Artists Collective uses a collaborative model to create social justice art. The mission of Story Stitchers is to document St. Louis through art and word and to promote understanding, civic pride, intergenerational relationships, and literacy. Story Stitchers works to promote a better educated, more peaceful, and caring region through the creation and dissemination of original art.

BE-Imaginative Collective is an assemblage of artistis, activitists, and others committed to social change. It provides holisitic healing retreats for isolated mothers as-well-as commuity arts and activation spaces with the aim of mentoring and "healing for the heart". They also gather the community together with stakeholders to have dialouge about key issues on how to collaborate with others working to end violence.

Bvlbancha Public Access is a media channel based in Bulbancha (New Orleans), Louisiana. They collect stories, facilitate art, and produce events on Indigenous identity in the Gulf South.

PolicyLink is a national research and action institute advancing racial and economic equity by Lifting Up What Works®.

Tionenji Aiken (Tio Aiken) is the Vice President of Communications for Artspace Projects Inc. Recruited to Artspace in 2016 as the Communications Manager, Aiken has slowly shifted the Artspace brand to focus on multi-format storytelling with a deep desire to highlight the intersectionality of Artspace's diverse residential communities and partnerships nationwide. In 2017, Aiken became the Director of Communications. She also became the Program Director for the Rafala Green Fellowship program, a two-year fellowship that promotes equity and inclusion in non-profit real-estate by training the next generation of POCI emerging leaders working at the intersection of arts, real-estate, and community development, funded by the Ford Foundation. Outside of her formal roles at Artspace, Aiken is a practicing poet and a champion of anyone using their creative expression to make space in the world for positive change. She currently sits on the advisory boards of Made Here MN and Giant Steps MN, and the Board of Directors for the Twin Cities Jazzfest.

In 2018, Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) used a portion of their ArtPlace grant to support the purchase of the Hotel Daimaru, a residential and traveler hotel, in order to preserve its stock of single room occupancy (SRO), low-income housing. 341 FSN is a collaborative space in the hotel, which aims to promote artistic and cultural experiences that protect the cultural and historic identity of Little Tokyo; share community members’ voices and stories to promote and empower Little Tokyo; inform participants about the Little Tokyo neighborhood, its history, and ways to help shape its future; and build connections between artists, community members, and organizations; and incorporate creative practices to positively impact Little Tokyo. Project partners include the Japanese American National Museum, Little Tokyo Community Council, Little Tokyo Service Center Small Business Assistance, Sustainable Little Tokyo – Arts Action Committee, and Visual Communications.

An asset mapping process identified transportation in Worthington as a major concern; with misperceptions on who can access public transit, and a lack of transit options for night shifts at the meat processing plant. Transportation can be a challenge for residents of SWMHP properties in Worthington and is also a factor contributing to economic and racial disparities in the community. A team of local artists purchased a decommissioned bus and created the Artmobile. Artmobile provided opportunities for community engagement to some of the most under-represented community members, including residents of Grand Terrace Apartments, an SWMHP community. The project drew over 1,500 people into neighborhoods, sharing and creating together. Artmobile used creative strategies to educate the community on transportation options. Their research found that 60% of those participating in engagement activities with Artmobile were unaware of public transportation options. Nearly 50% of community members said they were more likely to use public transportation in the future.

The Learning Circle engages over 20 organizations from across the country that center culture as a strategy for advancing equitable development and preservation of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities across the country. Together, these organizations share their ideas and experiences toward improving their own practice, while also helping to elevate awareness within the creative placemaking field of the unique strategies and values that drive creative placemaking in AAPI communities across the country. This initiative was conceived in partnership with Asian Economic Development Association, Chinatown Community Development Center, Hawai'i Alliance for Community Based Economic Development, Little Tokyo Service Center, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation.