Youa Vang interviewed Aaron Dysart for Wakpa. Youa is the Curator of Community Engagement for Public Art Saint Paul. The world of Aaron Dysart has many facets, much like his art that he creates. It’s hard to compartmentalize all of his roles: teacher, city artist, visual artist, and a vessel for the world around him. It…
Youa Vang interviewed Pramila Vasudevan for Wakpa. Youa is the Curator of Community Engagement for Public Art Saint Paul. PRAIRIE | CONCRETE is an outdoor embodied movement project by lead artist, Pramila Vasudevan, and the Aniccha Arts collaborative, commissioned by Public Art St. Paul (PASP) for the Wakpa Triennial. This project will bring visibility to…
Interview with Xavier Tavera by Sheila Regan Photographer, sculptor and public artist Xavier Tavera pays homage to El Nuevo Rodeo, the Latinx nightclub destroyed by fair in the unrest following the murder of George Floyd with an installation constructed at the site the club once stood. The piece juxtaposes silhouetted images of the community who…
Interview with Alexa Horochowski by Marianne Combs Minneapolis-based artist Alexa Horochowski is deeply aware of systems, both natural and man-made. Her work often investigates how those systems intersect and impact one another, often unintentionally. She wrestles with the consequences of human action on the planet, and seeks to inspire viewers to reflect on their own…
Interview with Angela Two Stars by Marianne Combs Angela Two Stars is an enrolled member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate. She moved to Minnesota from Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2017 and is the director of All My Relations Arts in Minneapolis. She describes herself as a chameleon when it comes to her artistic practice, creating…
Interview with Mona Smith by Meher Khan Mona Smith’s in-progress piece, displayed at the M Museum, is an entryway into the space and will encourage visitors to consider their place in the space as well as the Dakota language. Through her work, we learn about Mona’s relationship with the Dakota language and her heritage and…
Interview with Chris Larson by Sheila Regan When most of us get dressed in the morning, or when we purchase an item of clothing at a store or with the click of a button online, we usually aren’t thinking about the people who made what we plan to wear. With “The Residue of Labor,” Chris…
Interview with Monica Moses Haller by Marianne Combs For the Wakpa Triennial, Monica Moses Haller has created materials that people access at “Check Out Stations” at 4 different places in St. Paul and Minneapolis. People will be able to take one of her books and connect to new sound compositions that allow them to “Listen…
Interview with Rachel Breen by Sheila Regan Rachel Breen brings together her commitment to social justice and activism with art-making, with the help of a sewing machine. Working with textiles, Breen’s art has critiqued ways that the fashion industry harms workers and the environment in projects like “The Price of Our Clothes,” created collaboratively with…