In the Twin Cities art scene this weekend, Black, Indigenous, and artists of color explore themes of migration, autonomy and resistance. Public Functionary’s upcoming exhibits showcase Hmong textile art and interdisciplinary works addressing cultural and societal structures. The Minneapolis Monarch Festival will see Salsa del Soul and other Latin bands perform in celebration of the monarch butterfly migration. 

Meanwhile, at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona, 38 artists investigate and reinterpret the history of race and slavery in American marine art through over 100 contemporary and historical pieces.

BIPOC artists reimagine America’s maritime legacy

The Minnesota Marine Art Museum (MMAM) is presenting “A Nation Takes Place,” an exhibit featuring 38 artists who examine how traditional marine art connects to the legacies of race, slavery and waterways in shaping American identity. The exhibit features over 100 works, including paintings, sculpture, film, photography, and installations.

Co-curated by Black feminist activists Tia-Simone Gardner and Shana M. griffin, the show is divided into three sections. “The Ledger” examines the political economy of seafaring and its ties to the slave trade. “The Wake/The Break” focuses on historical omissions of race, slavery, and colonialism in traditional marine art, highlighting contemporary art’s role in reimagining these narratives. “The Deep” presents Black and Indigenous artists who challenge colonial myths, emphasizing resistance, survival and the creation of new cultural identities.

“The more we delved into the art genre steeped in the visuality of ships, vessels, overseas trading, voyages of exploration, and colonial expansion, the more we encountered the neglect and disregard for the histories of slavery, conquest and colonialism,” Gardner said in a news release.

Salsa del Soul to kick off the Minneapolis Monarch Festival

The Minneapolis Monarch Festival returns Saturday for its 16th year, celebrating the monarch butterfly’s 2,300-mile migration from Minnesota to central Mexico. 

Salsa del Soul, a Twin Cities-based Latin band, will kick off the festival on Saturday at 10 a.m., bringing their blend of salsa, merengue, cumbia, and cha-cha-cha to the stage. “We want the audience to have a great time, to celebrate being alive and experience some really good live music,” said lead vocalist Chryss Altamirano. 

The band’s ability to keep crowds on the dance floor comes from its musical diversity and the strong chemistry between the musicians. 

“We play a variety of music because some of the dancers that come out are salsa lovers or they want to dance timba or they really like cumbia,” Altamirano said. “There’s always room to relish in a solo and it’s fun to see your fellow musicians doing what they’re created to do.”

Altamirano joined Salsa del Soul in 2015 as a substitute singer and became a permanent member in 2016. She describes the group as a family, with Cuban vocalists like Gloria Rivera and Frank Rivery, and Puerto Rican percussionist José “Freddy” Reyes adding authenticity to the band’s sound. 

“We have such a deep appreciation for each other’s skills,” Altamirano said. “We want to honor the music, so to have people that are from those areas is a huge deal and I think it makes us better because when we go to rehearsals, we look to Freddy, Frank, and Gloria. Their voices are the first ones we want to hear.”

Other festival performers include Aztec dance group Kalpulli KetzalCoatlicue, Ballet Folklorico Mexico Azteca, and Latin band Tropical Zone Orchestra.

The event features 13 food vendors, including La Loma Tomales, Habanero Tacos and Vang Express, as well as interactive activities creating origami butterflies, butterfly books, sculptures and more. 

Dual exhibits celebrate the art of autonomy

The Public Functionary gallery is hosting two site-specific installation exhibits exploring themes of identity, agency, and resistance.

Paaj ntaub, a traditional Hmong textile art, is at the heart of Tshab Her’s solo exhibit “These Moments.” Through textiles, Her explores her experiences navigating the pressures of tradition and convention as a Hmong woman living in the United States. The exhibit celebrates the power of choice even within rigid cultural structures and uses art and fashion as tools of self-expression. 

“You Say You Love Me And I Commit To Friction,” curated by Sati Varghese Mac, features the work of six local artists whose practices intersect around themes of bodily orientation, sovereignty, and displacement. Through sculpture, performance, and installation, artists including Ifrah Mansour, Nat Kim, Nailah Taman, Delaney Keshena, Cameron Patricia Downey, and Baki Porter will explore the complexities of relationships, both personal and societal.