Justice For George Floyd Is Served In Minneapolis - Change Is Gonna Come

People! I haven't posted here in a while, mainly because life has been so insane. There's been plenty to post about, and almost all of it has had something to do with the murder of George Floyd here in Minneapolis last May. Marches, art exhibits, protests, fundraisers, town meetings, petitions, social media posts, heated arguments ... all of it to try and get justice for a victim of police murder this time. And yesterday we got it. 

Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three murder counts yesterday, and Minneapolis erupted in a collective sigh of relief and complete jubilation through sobbing tears. People that weren't here cannot imagine what it felt like in the city. The TENSION. I'm somebody that has to DO something, or I'll go crazy, so yesterday I set out to get the vibe of the day, having no idea that a verdict would come in that afternoon. 

I began on Lake Street, where guys in yellow vests were everywhere, frantically boarding up the few glass windows that remained exposed. Business owners were torn about doing this again after the uprisings last May when Floyd was murdered, because you only board up if you think there's going to be riots, and there's only going to be riots if the murderer was found not guilty, and we didn't even want to let ourselves imagine that that could happen. But you also don't want to be sweeping up glass all over again, so most businesses caved in and threw up the plywood. 

 

Armored trucks and National Guard members with machine guns were patrolling nearly every corner. It was all very unsettling - but it didn't stop a couple from standing outside of my beloved Ingebretsen's trying to get some curbside sausage! (They were successful).

People were trying to go about their business, but you couldn't escape the ominous feeling of either impending doom or complete joy - it would only be one or the other, no in between. It's terribly sad that there was any sense of suspense AT ALL, as the entire world has watched George Floyd's life being snuffed out under Chauvin's knee on repeat for almost a year. 

There should have been exactly zero debate, but it's 2021 in America ... and you just never know. I had highly respected and intelligent activist friends tell me that thought there was no way Chauvin would be convicted. But we kept marching and yelling about it. We're EXHAUSTED, and I can only imagine how the Floyd family felt throughout. 

I decided to head downtown to see what it felt like, and I really didn't think there would be a verdict in until maybe the end of the week. It was so eerie. Very quiet, all was boarded up, and there again were National Guard people guarding - against the People. Very sad. Mary Tyler Moore was tossing up her hat in front of a fenced off Dayton's. 

First Avenue was done up in black boards, and featured a red star with George Floyd's name there with all the other luminaries. 

The Irish Bar across the street was locked up tight, and they too were rooting for George Floyd. 

I love that there are always people who try to brighten things up, and one boarded up street had a row of crocheted flowers all along that added a bit of cheer into a very heavy atmosphere. 

Nicollet Mall was on lockdown, but there too someone had come along to make it a little more beautiful amidst the chaos. 

Over at the Hennepin County Government Center, where the trial had been held, reporters lined the streets with their news cameras, but not very many.

The plaza in front of the Government Center had a few people milling around, being interviewed by out of town media, holding signs in support of George Floyd, and generally just waiting around for something to happen. Feeling a little bit helpless.

I chatted with some guys there in a car with Daunte Wright signs on it (the next police murder victim we have to fight for justice for, after he was unbelievably murdered during the trial just ten miles away!), and they were cautiously optimistic that there would be a guilty verdict. That was hard to hope for when you looked around at all the things being done to protect buildings and property from people that would be rightfully upset with any other verdict. I was truly and deeply afraid for the city that I grew up in, that it might never recover from such a blatant injustice. 

Suddenly there were murmurs going through the little cluster of reporters that a verdict had come in and might be read in the next hour! WHAT?! As I have been torn the entire year, I was again torn at staying put to see what happened, or going home because I'm the main caregiver to both my Mom and brother right now, and if something went really bad, I really can't risk something happening to me that I can avoid. TOUGH ONE for me, who likes to be in the mix all the time, but this was HISTORY. I headed home as fast as I could. 

The news was already on, and Mom and I sat on the edges of our seats. The spot where I had just been standing at the Government Center was now filled with thousands of hopeful and nervous Minnesotans. At just after four pm, the jerk Judge (didn't like him the whole time, very condescending and power tripping) took the mic, and began reading the counts. I was sweating, shaking, already in tears. When I heard the first "GUILTY", I jumped up and screamed. The second "GUILTY" had me sliding down to my knees. The third "GUILTY!" collapsed me into heaving sobs of relief and bittersweet happiness. That FOR ONCE justice had been served, but that didn't bring back the life of George Floyd for his family. It didn't convict Daunte Wright's murderer, or all the other many, many victims of police murder and brutality - but it did FINALLY show accountability in law enforcement, and the hint of better days ahead for everyone - IF we keep all the feet to the fire. And we WILL. I needed to get back out there immediately, for now I knew that there would be no danger - only my People rejoicing. 

My phone was almost dead and texts started flying in as the rest of the country heard the good news too. I knew George Floyd Square would be the place to go, but I had to charge my phone! I paced around and watched the joy and tears on the news until I had enough juice to go capture it for myself and all of the people around the world that I knew were sharing in our relief and elation. 

I had to park a few blocks away, but you could hear the celebration easily from there. Everyone was masked up but smiling with their eyes. Passing by people on the way to George Floyd Square (38th and Chicago), we'd say things like, "Happy day!" and it really, really was. 

It got louder as I got closer to the Square, and more and more people were arriving in droves. Old folks in wheelchairs, hyper elated teenagers, little babies strapped to their parents' chests, strollers, white kids holding "Black Lives Matter" signs ... it was the scene of humanity we all hope for, united in their same cause. It was beautiful. 

There were speeches in the middle of the sea of humanity, all met with thunderous applause and cheers. Chants went up for George Floyd, and it was way better this time, because we knew that George DID get justice, at least in the sense that his murderer will PAY. 

Grills were being fired up, and food handed out to any and all who needed or wanted it. This was the street party we'd all been waiting for - and there was one just as big happening at the same time downtown! I imagine (and hope) it was happening in every household all over the city too. Pure ecstasy in the eyes of all that you met. It was an extra special day that I'll never forget, and was so happy to be a part of. We had WORKED for it.

Of course there remains much to do. The awful MPD must be reformed, but I'm doubtful it can, so it may have to be reimagined as a peacekeeping force of some kind, because it ain't working. We have to get justice for all of the other victims of police murder. We have to prevent these murders from ever happening in the first place. We have to examine the racist tendencies of normal, every day people too, because their tolerance is how this injustice has persisted for so long. 

 

As happy as I was yesterday, I was also a little bit sad, because I was alone, as I have been for most of the actions around the George Floyd murder for the last almost year. I would have no problem finding marching buddies in L.A., but here I almost never could. People aren't comfortable talking about race things here that much, and I can't stop talking about it. I had childhood friends mad at me for being on the 35W Bridge marching when that psycho in the Semi truck came barreling through. Not concerned about me, but thinking I was a dumbass for being there. I've had some say "I donate" or whatever, because they can't bring themselves to be out in the streets showing up for justice. It's been really sad and hard for me, but not enough to stop me from showing up. And I'm a much richer, much better person for it, and hold out hope that they will join me one day. Change is coming, and you'd better be ready for it. 

I have met so many good people, out doing the work, out fighting the fight, out making the art (the ART! SO much of it - they all deserve their own story), out getting into the "Good Trouble". I don't think anyone ever imagined that real change in systemic police brutality and systemic racism would come in a city like Minneapolis, but why not? It IS happening, and it all kind of makes more sense to me now as to why I'm still here (aside from the pandemic, that is).

Today is the five year anniversary of Prince's death, and I wouldn't be surprised if there might have been some divine intervention in play. Prince was all about social justice and equal rights, and he certainly would not want to see his city burn - which it definitely would have. It's a better day in Minneapolis today - and also in the whole world. Now we all know that police WILL be held accountable. We know that people from all walks of life will stand with each other in solidarity in the face of outright evil. And we all did this together. Don't forget that this would all have just been another little incident swept under the dirty police carpet if now for the bravery of Darnella Frazier, the true hero of this whole story. And now we must all be Darnella Frazier. Speaking up, filming, whatever it takes to be sure that we put an end to systemic racism once and for all. It's not that hard to love, and I for one am not threatened by melanin. No one should be. C'mon. It's 2021. Time to grow up, America. 

The sun began to set on this historic day, but the party at 38th and Chicago showed no signs of stopping, as a brass band led a kind of second line around the square. At this point I realized that I had forgotten to eat anything the entire day, and was about to faint from starvation - and emotion.

I walked back to the car, raising my fist to all who passed, and getting one back every time. This time HAD been different. We HAD gotten some sense of justice for George Floyd and his family. And we knew that we could do it again. And WILL.

So much love to all of Minneapolis, and all around the world who joined together in this struggle to make better days ahead for ALL people. As much as we know there is still to do, I fell into an exhausted sleep with a smile on my face, ready to get up and get going again today. 

When there is justice, there IS peace. But there is also actual, tangible joy, and we all felt it here in Minneapolis on April 20, 2021. Praise JAH! 

 

 

The Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition - Art Imitating Life Imitating Art

Pretty much everything has been canceled this weird year, and the Minnesota State Fair was no different. There were still two ways to get in though, through a food parade for cars, and a Fine Arts exhibition - and both sold out immediately (I'm showing off a bunch of works because most likely you didn't get to see them - and there was a WHOLE bunch more - these were just our faves). The highlight of the fair every year for my Mom and I (after the fair food and people watching, of course), is the Fine Arts Exhibition, so we were stoked to get our tickets for last Saturday. (This first piece depicting the Fair was called The Great Microdoodle Get-Together by Jeffery Gauss of St. Louis Park. The images are made up of words, in a feat you'll see the detail of below. It got 2nd place in Drawing!)

It was super extra strange to 1) be able to drive directly into the Fairgrounds, and 2) have absolutely no one on the Fair streets. Bizarre! We drove past the Culligan free water booth (empty) and parked right next to the Fine Arts building. They had timed entrances, so there were never that many people in there. Masks were required and hand sanitizer was available, so it all felt pretty safe to take Mom along with me - as she is the real artist in the family. It's always jam-packed in there during the normal Fair, so it was really nice to get right up close to all the pieces, without anyone in our way (especially with a wheelchair!).

There was a ton of art to see in our allotted 90 minute time-slot, and we saw every piece. I was thinking of the classic Bertolt Brecht quote all through the exhibition ... "Art is not a mirror to reflect reality, but a hammer with which to shape it." This was clear in so many of the works, with several works depicting George Floyd and the Summer of Uprising that began in Minneapolis this past May with Floyd's murder by the MPD. There were also many pieces reflecting on the pandemic that we're all still very much in the middle of. Those issues and the classic works depicting Minnesota life were the vast majority of the show, and I found myself once again both proud and impressed that so much intelligent talent comes from here. The first piece depicting George Floyd (and all the chaos we're still dealing with to demand social justice and racial equality) was by Andrea Canter of Minneapolis, and was simply titled, George.

 

I feel heartened by the fact that there were so many works about this subject, which means it's still on peoples' minds, which means maybe this time really will be different. I know that I'm very determined personally that it WILL be different. It HAS to be. David P. Biljan of St. Paul showed his photograph Building Will Fall - Lake Street 5/31/20, and it took me right back to being there that day. Heavy.

George Floyd Memorial by Jerry R. Wiese of Stillwater offered his take on the George Floyd momentf, and it was no less powerful.

 

The emotion of Floyd's family visiting that memorial was captured in a photograph by Craig Lassig of Minneapolis. Keep My Brother's Name Ringing (2nd Place, Photography) showed Floyd's brother in prayer, with the plea that we will all make sure is fulfilled. Say his name! GEORGE FLOYD!!! (Seriously. Right now. Please stop and yell his name!)

And while you're at it ... say ALL of their names - as there are many. This is why we march. This is why we create. This is why we must put an end to systemic racism ... because it keeps happening! And we can't let it anymore. We just can't. So Say Their Names too - as Jill Whitney-Birk of Minneapolis asks on her mixed media piece of embroidered paper on wood panel. 

None of us will ever forget George Floyd saying "I Can't Breathe!" and Eduardo A. Colon of Minneapolis gave us this reminder with his photograph, Stand. 

The aftermath of the Uprising this Summer left a lot of people and their businesses in upheaval, but every story I've heard has the shop owners understanding the WHY that it all happened and is happening. If only some of our white citizens could find such clarity in their own hearts. devastation and determination by Chad Niemeyer of Oak Grove gave us a glimpse into this special kind of dignity. 

My Guernica by Laura Hanson of Anoka reminds us that we all live in a melting pot of immigrants, and that this land is for ALL of us. Protesting in the streets for a better America is about as patriotic as you can get, no matter what our delusional President and his minions might think. 

The Breaching Of The Third Precinct by James Murray Casserly of Minneapolis already has an iconic air about it ... just as that historical moment in time did. Never before has a police department just abandoned their station and let protestors take over, and they must have realized that they had lost this night ... and if we do something right, they will lose their sense of being above their own laws, if not abolished completely, as they are clearly unable to be reformed. I hope this image haunts all of the MPD for the rest of their brutal lives. As it will haunt all of ours. 

After the fires came the clean-up, and the beautiful memorials. The sense of community in the days that followed was simply beautiful, and again made me proud of the fine people that came together to try to help make things better - for everyone. And still are. And will continue to until there is a tangible, noticeable, ACTUAL change in place. Systemically. No Justice by Robin C. Lietz of Minneapolis illustrates that fact - that if there is No Justice, there can be no Peace. Period. So get with the times.

There is a concern that people will just move on, and forget all of this past Summer's movement for a better world ... but I think that's impossible. To hear George Floyd's last words as he died under the knee of a man paid to protect and serve him ... is to never forget. We all watched for 8 Minutes 46 Seconds that are permanently etched into our minds. David Smith of Eden Prairie captured them for us just in case you ever get amnesia. 

Not exactly on topic, but certainly part of the problem is shown in Incarceration Inc. by Sasha M. Rayl of Hopkins (Honorable Mention). The inequity of People of Color behind bars must also change, which goes along with the police treatment of them. It must change. It WILL change. 

These pieces were all spread out in the exhibition, so it wasn't totally heavy throughout, but I thought it best to put them together here to feel the weight of it. And how much it really does weigh on all of our minds. The pandemic pieces made me feel much worse, for some reason. The isolation, the fear, the solitude, the death ... it doesn't have the same hope that the fight for social justice has. Quarantined Again was a sculpture in walnut by George G. I. Moore that kind of summed it all up for me - and Mom. 

I loved the piece You by Rebecca Pavlenko of St. Paul (Not for sale!) in colored pencils and micro-pens, because it made me think of all that makes up an individual, and their place in the cosmos. Remarkable what a simple three letter word can conjure up - as all of the best art does. Did I mention how GOOD it felt to be back at a public art show again!!! Ahhhh ...

 If things got to feel too weighty for you at this show, all was well, because there was plenty of plain beauty as well. Mom and I both loved this gorgeous autumn day (though we're not ready for the actual autumn that roared in on Labor Day like it knew!) depicted in oil by Leanne Hanson of Crystal in her Blazing Fall Sunset. Wow. 

If you're from Minnesota, you love a loon (the state bird). Emily Donovan of St. Paul showed some cool ones in her Chasing Loons, done in natural dyes and pigments on paper with beeswax. Neato!

A deer is just about as iconic as a loon in Minnesota, and one of my very favorite pieces in the show was Buck Wild In The Woods With Friends by Kristi Abbott of Minneapolis. How beautiful and creative and woodsy and excellent. Look at the other animal faces in the trees! It needs to be over a Minnesota mantel. 

There's a reason the Minnesota basketball team is called the Timberwolves ... as wolves are also an iconic Minnesota sight. 

The one by Erik J. Fremstad of Victoria called Canis Lupus was like the State Fair doodle one ... all made up  of words! It must have taken him forever, but the effect must also be totally worth it. We remain wowed. And so was everyone else, because this piece won Fremstad the Peoples' Choice Award!

Surprisingly, there was no work this year featuring the icon I think we're most proud of, Prince, but there was a depiction of Bob Dylan by Jeff Rodenberg of Shoreview that filled the musical Minnesota void, in a very cool, geometric way. 

Betsy Bowen of Grand Marais has long been one of my favorite artists in Minnesota, with her very Minnesota woodcutting pieces.  Her Birches would be perfect in any Minnesota home ... and if I was at all sure as to where I belong at the moment (REALLY missing Venice, CA ... but Mom), it would be at my own pad, trust that.

Another highlight of the Fair each year for us is the farming stuff (I LOVE a Farmer. I was a Farmer's Daughter - until he moved to the city and then died, a story for another day). The baby animal barn, the food, the blue ribbon pies ... all that Harvest-time, wholesome goodness. The Melon Farmer (First place!) was especially cool as he was done by Nifty Nikki (!) of Mizpah in paper quilling! That had to have taken forever, but it sure turned out great.

Pentimento by Preston B. Lawing of Winona was cool ... and had a little AC unit attached right on to it (earning him an Honorable Mention).

Erik Jon Olson of Plymouth must be pretty cool, because his art sure was - and thoughtful. She Wore Green Velvet: Portrait Of The Mississippi Watershed was a mermaid type of gal made entirely of quilted plastic waste, earning Olson First Place in the Textiles class, as well as the Textile Center Award for Excellence and Innovation. Well done!

World Of Haute Couture by Janine Olmscheid of Shoreview had a similar vibe, as it was made from paper folding and hand stitching, and you know I love me some fashion. And maps. Very cool.

Another one made from fabric that I loved was Morning Fog At Blue Mounds by Nancy Birger of Roseville. I was just in Blue Mounds State Park the week before, and her work beautifully captures the sense of peace that overtakes you in that prairie vista. Lovely. 

 

It amazed me what one can do with colored pencils, and the beauty of Barn Owl With Io Moths by Julie Greenwood of Burnsville fully dazzled me. Like my adult coloring book is no match fot what this lady can do. So beautfiul. 

We also loved the stained glass mosaic work of Mimi T. Leminh of Chaska in her piece called Homeward. It calmed me down, and took me somewhere tropical ... and simpler. Thanks, Mimi! 

Sharing that tropical vibe was another one of my very favorites, She Makes Rain by Chholing Taha of Anoka. Oil, acrylic, mixed media, gorgeousness. Loved it so much. (And it definitely brought the rain).

Oil painters that are so realistic that they can make things look like photographs are so impressive to me, and Cynthia L. Higgins' portrait of Undredal Norway brought us right into the Scandinavian fishing village ... via paint. Amazing!

Equally impressive was the oil painting of Downtown Minneapolis by Leila Rastegar called Sunset Over The Bridge. This beauty touches my heart, because this is the city that I'm from, this is the city where I'm so hopeful that real, systemic change that will make the whole world better began this Summer of 2020, and this is the city that I love.

We made it through the show with just a few minutes left in our time slot to spare. There is SO much that I didn't put here (or I'd get carpal tunnel), that you should really see, and you still can look at the show's catalog, where I believe some pieces are still for sale. Artists need our support more than ever now, so if you see something you like, reach out to them to see how you can give a home to some of their work. Because, don't forget, art can be the hammer that shapes our world. Here is a photo of two happy ladies who finally got to see art in person again (and not just on plywood covering up windows, though all of that work was great too!). Art saves.

Love to everyone from your art lovers in Minnesota!