Rural Regenerator Fellowship: Identity, Reclamation and Healing
By Springboard for the Arts
Springboard for the Arts is proud to introduce the artists and organizations of Artists Respond: Weaving Social Connection, a new initiative rooted in the belief that creativity is essential to community well-being. The following artists and organizations will work together throughout 2026 to bring innovative, engaging, and artist-led community projects across Minnesota.
Powered in partnership with the Aliveness Project, SAGA Youth, Saint Paul Public Library, and MAHUBE-OTWA, Artists Respond: Weaving Social Connection supports artists and community organizations in co-creating projects that build connection and reduce isolation.“At the heart of this project are our community partners who are already doing vital work to bring people together. These organizations believe in the power of art and culture to strengthen their existing networks, and are eager to build capacity and shared learning with their artist partners. We’re excited to see – and share – the results of these projects, and the learning that will emerge to support social connectedness long term.” – Springboard Community Development Director Ricardo Beaird and Rural Director Michele Anderson
This work responds to a growing crisis: loneliness and social disconnection are now recognized as urgent public health issues, with impacts on mental and physical health comparable to smoking or heart disease. Artists are essential in this moment, not just for what they make, but for how they help people feel seen, heard, and part of something larger.
Annie Hough
(she/her)
Moorhead, MN
Annie Hough is working on her 11th educational play for children about ecosystems. She loves learning and teaching others about nature. Disabled since adolescence, Annie is committed to being as active and healthy as possible. She lives in Moorhead with her wonderful partner Richard and their adorable little dog Elmer. Annie will be working with Saga Youth.
Annie will be collaborating with the SAGA Youth.
Ashley Nelson
(she/her)
Fargo-Moorhead, MN
Ashley Nelson is a professional muralist and community-oriented artist based in the Fargo–Moorhead region. She transforms blank walls into vibrant, story-filled spaces that bring color and connection to both public and private settings. With a BFA in Painting & Drawing from the University of North Dakota, Ashley has built a practice that blends creativity with her passion for community engagement. Often inspired by nature, her greater purpose is bringing art into everyday life, creating work that is accessible, uplifting, and rooted in place.
Ashley will be collaborating with the SAGA Youth.
Kate Mudge
(she/her)
West Central, MN
Kate Mudge lives on a 40-acre farm in rural west-central Minnesota with her wife, where she is slowly building a care farm. Before moving to the country, she spent more than a decade as a professional baker in the Twin Cities, shaping her love for food, community, and craft. Alongside her nonprofit work, Kate embraces the rhythms of rural life: gardening, foraging, lake swimming, and homesteading. A creative at heart, she finds joy in metalsmithing, music, animals, and baking for neighbors, weaving together art, food, and farming as expressions of art, connection and belonging.
Kate will be collaborating with the SAGA Youth.
Eliza Klarer
(she/they)
White Earth Nation
Eliza graduated from University of Minnesota Morris in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in Studio Art, focusing on ceramics and painting. She calls the White Earth Reservation home, where her late grandmother, Judy Toppings, revitalized the knowledge of woodland pottery, teaching her family in the process. Eliza enjoys keeping traditional arts alive by teaching classes on woodland pottery, dreamcatchers, and recently led painting workshops with elders in her community. Her main goal is to inspire others through her artwork. She enjoys working with a variety of media, apart from those previously mentioned, she expresses herself through book making, textile work, and many more, she puts no limits on her artistic expression.
Eliza will be collaborating with the MAHUBE-OTWA.
Victoria McWane-Creek
(she/they)
Fergus Falls, MN
Daughter of Rose and Edward, Lillie’s granddaughter, and Martha’s great-granddaughter, Victoria is reclaiming creativity using word craft with spoken word as life-sustaining expression, spell casting, and world-building. During this 3rd stanza in life, they spend as much time as possible creating space for beauty, belonging, and expression.
Victoria will be collaborating with the MAHUBE-OTWA.
WholeHeart Collective
(led by Naomi RaMona Schliesman)
Fergus Falls, MN
Based in Fergus, the WholeHeart Collective offers Wellness Services, Classes, Art Workshops, Art Gallery, Co-work, Consulting, Retail pop-ups, and more.
The Collective is led by Naomi RaMona Schliesman, an award-winning interdisciplinary artist with over 25 years of experience. Naomi has exhibited her work in New York, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Pittsburg, Brooklyn, Seattle and across the Midwest.
The Collective will be collaborating with the MAHUBE-OTWA.
Danielle Brantley
(she/her)
Twin Cities, MN
Danielle Brantley is faith-driven, passionate crafter, and a book lover based in the Twin Cities. Through career development with MN DEED, she’s exploring how to turn her passions into a career focused on creativity. Inspired by her experiences at The Aliveness Project, Danielle values art as a bridge across generations and cultures. She envisions offering inclusive art spaces where people can learn, create, and connect—especially those who might otherwise feel isolated. With each student leaving with a tangible piece of art, they take home both their creation and the experience of shared creativity, a lasting reminder of community and belonging.
Danielle will be collaborating with the Aliveness Project.
Kashif
(he/they)
Twin Cities, MN
Kashif is a Black queer visual and conscious performance artist and wholeness enthusiast dedicated to creativity and community. Through projects like The CreatHIVity Project and The Liberxted Experience, they express liberation and joy, using art as a medium for self-love and unity. With a B.A. in Theatre from Point Park University, Kashif shifted from traditional acting to creating meaningful works for marginalized communities. They’re currently featured in ads for TSR Time and Best Buy. They’ve also studied The Power of Presence at Eckhart Tolle’s School of Awakening to deepen their artistic expression.
Kashif will be collaborating with the Aliveness Project.
Briauna Williams
(she/her)
Saint Paul, MN
Briauna Williams is an acrylic artist, muralist, published illustrator, and teaching artist who celebrates the strength and beauty and joy of her community through her art. With a deep commitment to community engagement, and empowerment, Briauna founded her brand Briinoir to provide a range of services that uplift and inspire.
Briauna will be collaborating with the Saint Paul Public Library.
Victor Yepez
(he/him)
Minneapolis, MN
Through his work as a sculptor and muralist as well as an art teacher, public artist Victor Yepez has exposed many people to the power and healing that art can provide. Found objects and recycled materials, especially metal, influence many of Yepez’s sculptures, while rich colors and movement are hallmarks of his murals. Victor graduated with a degree in sculpture and printmaking from the School of Fine Arts, Central University in Quito, Ecuador.
Victor will be collaborating with the Saint Paul Public Library.
Artists Respond is a series of programming engaging artists around critical issues, with funded opportunities for artists to create projects around a shared theme. Learn more.
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