Announcing the 2026 Wakpá Triennial
In 2023 we accomplished something big: our first The Wakpá Triennial. This multi-site, network of public space projects and gallery-based installations featured exhibitions by Minnesota-based Artists, with the majority of artwork created by artists of color living in the Twin Cities. It was also a finalist for the Top Ten Best New Festivals by USA Today Reader’s Choice Awards and voted into fifth place by our readers!
Now Wakpá is back for a second installment and slated for significant impact, by empowering Indigenous artists, illuminating place (figuratively and literally) and history, fostering community partnerships, honoring reciprocity, and by vitalizing Downtown St. Paul.
2026 Wakpá Triennial Art Festival Theme: “A Moment to Pause”
The Wakpá Triennial returns this fall, September 12th-October 11th, guided by the theme “A Moment to Pause.” This theme invites artists and audiences to slow down, reflect, and reconnect—both with themselves and with the land, water, and communities that hold them.
Principal Public Artwork Location to Activate Downtown Saint Paul Riverfront
We are thrilled to announce that the underpass along Sibley Street and East 2nd Street in downtown Saint Paul has been selected as the location of the 2026 Wakpá Triennial Art Festival’s principal public artwork. During the festival’s opening weekend, September 12th-13th, a “poster tapestry” will be created on the railroad wall along a block of East 2nd street. Stay tuned for more information and exclusive interviews with commissioned artists!
We are thrilled to be bringing Wakpá back, but we can’t do it without your help.
When you donate, you enable:
*Twin Cities based BIPOC artist commissions
*Indigenous and community-led programming and mentorship
*Accessibility and education initiatives that engage residents across the city
Donate today and foster a movement where public art, belonging and dialogue flow together to uplift our community and inspire hope.