We’re excited to share the Saint Paul artists selected for the Artists Respond: People, Place, and Prosperity cohort! These artists will create public projects that demonstrate the root causes that lead to the need for guaranteed income, and the impact of guaranteed income on the families and communities that are supported by it. Look for public projects and opportunities to connect this fall!
The City of Saint Paul has launched the People’s Prosperity Guaranteed Income Pilot program, providing up to 150 Saint Paul families $500 in income for up to 18 months. Springboard for the Arts has also launched a Guaranteed Income for Artists pilot program to go alongside the City’s pilot – supporting 25 artists, culture bearers, and creative workers in Saint Paul also with $500 a month in guaranteed income for 18 months. This exciting and innovative public-private collaboration gives us an opportunity to create a new narrative for guaranteed income, and how this can contribute to healthy, stable, and vibrant neighborhoods.
A guaranteed income is a monthly, cash payment given directly to individuals. It is unconditional, with no strings attached and no work requirements. A guaranteed income is meant to supplement, rather than replace, the existing social safety net and can be a tool for racial and gender equity.
Artists Respond: People, Place, and Prosperity is a project of the City of Saint Paul and Springboard for the Arts, supported by Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation and The Kresge Foundation.
Cover image: Nicole Smith, Michele Spaise & Ta-coumba Aiken, "StArt: (Re)Foresting Rondo *(StArt = Storytelling & Art-Making)!", part of Roots of Rondo: Black Artists Rising. Photo: Farrington Llewellyn
Meet the artists below!
Kashimana
Kashimana is a mother, musician, vocalist, composer, producer and teaching artist with a rich soulful blues voice that soars through their original compositions. The name Kashimana means 'that's their heart' and you can hear Kashimana’s heart beating in the compelling sound of their music which is an exploration of Soul, R&B, Folk, Afro-funk and more. Kashimana often draws from her Nigerian heritage and experiences growing up in Nigeria and Kenya and living in the United States. Kashimana is a 2021 Jerome Hill Artist Fellow, a 2019 In Common Composer in Residence and a Cedar Commissioned Artist ‘Phantom Cries’. Kashimana is also the co-creator of a MN Opera MNiature Opera, a contributing artist and composer to The Art of The Revolution Twin Cities Community Album ‘Mama’ and a composer on a Sprig of That trio latest album ‘Eight Threads - The Only One’. Check out Kashimana’s latest single “Oh Yes Flow” on Bandcamp. https://kashimana.bandcamp.com
Katey DeCelle
Katey DeCelle is a storyteller. Whether it is through writing, photography, film or audio production, she likes to tell stories of those who are often unheard and seeks out stories that put a spotlight on the unseen or marginalized. Her work celebrates our differences while illustrating our many similarities. She is an audio and video producer for Sounds Powerful Productions, a company she founded in 2017. She is the co-founder and co-director for the non-profit Frogtown Tuned-In, which houses the low-power radio station WFNU Frogtown Community Radio 94.1 FM in Saint Paul. Katey is also a mom, writer, filmmaker, radio host, music DJ and PCA for disabled adults. She was born and raised and lives in her favorite city, Saint Paul, Minnesota. www.kateyd.com
Nicole Mary Milligan
Nicole Mary Milligan and The Milligan Studio, collaborates with communities worldwide. Their most recent project, "Lake of Dreams,” for Minneapolis’ Lake Street, filled the heart of that community with handmade boats covered with hundreds of photos of neighborhood residents as a way to honor MLK’s quote, “We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.” A Yaddo Fellow, Nicole has received grants and fellowships from The Bush Foundation, PEN America, NEA, Jerome, Minnesota State Arts Board, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Florida Arts Council, McKnight, Whiting Foundation, and others. www.themilliganstudio.com
DejaJoelle
DejaJoelle is an African Centered - Healing Artist, Choreographer, Director, and Cultural Healing Curator. She believes Dance serves as our connection to ourselves, our communities, and our overall Divinity. DejaJoelle creates intentional spaces for Black, LGBTQ2, and Deaf community to discover their own practices toward Healing using Dance, Body Reclamation, and other Healing practices. As the world experiences collective hurt and grief, DejaJoelle trusts that our greatest act of REVOLUTION and REBELLION against hatred and corruption is Self-Love and Healing. As she refuses to fuel the fire of destruction and heinousness, she instead focuses her Art and energy on properly handling Black people who continue to be mishandled. www.bodyprayersaesthetic.com
Briauna Williams
Briauna Williams is a self taught acrylic artist, muralist, published illustrator, teaching artist and community engagement artist inspired to create art for her black community that inspires her. Storytelling with paint highlighting the resilience of community as well. Believing in the strength of our black and brown communities. Curating events that uplift and empower others with sharing tools of healing through art. www.instagram.com/briauna.williams