A new cultural arts center in downtown Minneapolis will open its doors Saturday, helping artists of color turn their creative practices into sustainable careers. The Roho Gallery and Cultural Arts Center aims to strengthen the ecosystem by offering artists marketing, branding, and financial training alongside opportunities to exhibit and sell their work.
Roho Collective
The grand opening of the Roho Gallery and Cultural Arts Center’s 3,000-square-foot space will mark a new chapter for the Roho Collective, a nonprofit founded by seven Twin Cities artists in 2017. Christopheraaron Deanes, a visual artist, educator, and one of Roho’s original members, said the collective was created to expand opportunities for artists of color in Minnesota.
Since taking over leadership in 2019, Christopheraaron Deanes and co-executive director Cara Deanes have grown the organization beyond artist networking into business development. The organization helps artists learn the skills often left out of traditional arts education, including grant writing, branding, marketing, and pricing artwork.
Saturday’s grand opening will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside a permanent marketplace with vendors selling everything from clothing and jewelry to books and handmade goods. Throughout the day, visitors can experience Indigenous singing and drumming, Latin dance, and spoken word.
Minnehaha Falls Art Fair
The Minnehaha Falls Art Fair will fill the park with local artists, live music, and global cuisine this weekend. New this year, visitors can vote for their favorite artist at an information booth near the Sea Salt Eatery.
Among them is author and illustrator Meenal Patel, whose picture books are rooted in the warmth of Indian households and the innate curiosity in children. Patel self-published “Neela Goes to San Francisco” in 2016 as her debut. Since then, she’s published “Priya Dreams of Marigolds & Masala” with Beaver’s Pond Press, and her latest, “Where Do Stories Live?” with Penguin Random House.
Floating Lanterns and Night Market Festival
Sample Asian street food, desserts, and drinks before watching lanterns glow across Bde Maka Ska during the Floating Lanterns and Night Market Festival on Saturday. Before the launch, Nancy Xiong will lead a sound bowl experience at 7:30 p.m.
Help paint two murals with local artists Hibaaq Ibrahim and Daren Scott Hill during a three-week workshop for ages 12 to 15. While the first session started this week, participants can still register to help create two indoor murals that will be on display during the Center for Performing Arts’ fall festival on Sept. 18.
Original reporting: Sahan Journal — read the source article.
