The Twin Cities art scene this weekend offers a free screening of the 1978 musical, “The Wiz,” a public art display on Minneapolis’ North Side created by 15 local Black artists, and a photography exhibition documenting the cultural preservation efforts of Hmong youth in St. Paul.
A Holiday Musical Screening
East Side Freedom Library in collaboration with TriLingua Cinema will host a free screening of “The Wiz,” a 1978 musical featuring characters and narratives rooted in the Black experience. Immerse yourself in a fusion of gospel, blues, soul, and R&B as “The Wiz” takes you on a journey through a vividly reimagined land of Oz.
Directed by Sidney Lumet, this musical features an all-star cast, including Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Lena Horne, Nispey Russell, Mabel King, and Richard Pryor.
Free popcorn will be available.
Date: Friday, December 1
Time: 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Location: East Side Freedom Library, 1105 Greenbrier St., St. Paul
Cost: Free
For more information: Visit https://eastsidefreedomlibrary.org/.
An Afrocentric public art display
In a collaborative effort between 15 local Black artists, the Olson Memorial Highway bridge on Minneapolis’ North Side has been transformed through the “John Biggers Seed Project,” a public art initiative aimed at honoring the legacy of African American muralist John Biggers.
The bridge’s railing, located over the northbound stretch of Interstate 94, is adorned with African mud cloth symbols, including Adinkra spirals and sunrays. For a closer look, exit 230 off of I-94 offers a glimpse of more than 300 six-foot hand-painted enameled panels that feature vibrant imagery of sprouting trees, turtles navigating blue rivers, and a heartbeat motif.
John Biggers collaborated with 17 emerging artists in 1996 to design the 160-foot-long “Celebration of Life” mural on a freeway wall near Lyndale Avenue North.
“John Biggers’ vision was to create the spirit and energy of not only the North Side, but the Afrocentric spirit,” said artist and activist Ta-coumba T. Aiken, who met Biggers at a national artist conference and was invited to contribute to the mural.
However, the mural was demolished in 2000 when the city of Minneapolis opted to build Heritage Park, an affordable housing project along Olson Memorial Highway.
Mary Altman, the city of Minneapolis’ public arts administrator, proposed the “Seed Project” as a way to “plant the seed” of John Biggers, who died in 2001, and to celebrate the artists who worked alongside him on the “Celebration of Life” mural.
Capri Theater will host an event Saturday to celebrate the completion of the project, which was spearheaded by artist and activist Ta-coumba T. Aiken and multi-disciplinary artist Seitu Jones. Shuttle buses will depart from the theater at 2 p.m. to view the artwork. Buses will return to the theater for artist presentations and a reception from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Find more information here.
Date: Saturday, December 2
Time: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Capri Theater, 2027 West Broadway, Minneapolis
Cost: Free
For more information: Visit https://thecapri.org/
Group photo reenacting old Hmong photos on November 18, 2023, at the Rivoli Bluff farm site in St. Paul. Credit: Photo courtesy of Thia Xiong 
Adora smelling tree leaves on November 18, 2023, at the Rivoli Bluffs farm site in St. Paul. Credit: Photo courtesy of Thia Xiong 
Yee Leng on November 18, 2023, at the Rivoli Bluff farm site in St. Paul. Credit: Photo courtesy of Thia Xiong
A Hmong Photography Exhibition
Urban Roots, in collaboration with Indigenous Roots Cultural Art Center, will host the “Rooted Legacy” photography exhibition, celebrating the Hmong New Year and highlighting the cultural heritage of Urban Roots’ Hmong youth interns.
Urban Roots, a nonprofit that operates a restoration and urban farm site, provides economic and educational opportunities for under-resourced youth who are mostly Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). The organization offers health and conservation internship programs.
“A major goal of mine has been to create an environmental educational curriculum that is inclusive of Indigenous and BIPOC narratives where the youth we serve feel represented in topics they’re learning,” said Thia Xiong, the photographer and conservation program manager at Urban Roots.
The youth interns gathered in their Hmong clothes to capture the cultural preservation, exploration, and connection to land within the Hmong community.
“We are celebrating our first Hmong New Year at Urban Roots this year, and we thought taking photographs on our farm would be a wonderful way to showcase our vibrant culture,” Xiong said.
Date: Saturday, December 2, through January 31, 2024
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Sunday.
Location: Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center, 788 E. 7th St., St. Paul
Cost: Free
For more information: Visit https://urbanrootsmn.org/.
