Tangible Collective

We are Tangible Collective, a Black Femme-led collective that has been holding space since 2017. Our overall mission seeks to provide opportunities and resources that support the growth and development of  Black artists in the Twin Cities while creating access to culturally specific arts programs and spaces for Black folx and the larger BIPOC community. The intention behind the collective’s process of holding space is to create room for affirmation, community building, and self-reflection through art and gathering. Tangible counties to carve out space for Black and Brown artists and folx to rest, play, experiment, and sustain themselves in a current arts ecosystem that prompts the opposite.

Photo from our annual SWAP MEET: community gathering installation and vendor market photographed by Nayelie Avalos (2022)

Over the past 7 years, we’ve adapted to the needs of our community and grown along with the artists we started our journey with. We contribute to the BIPOC arts community through building spaces that support thought, gathering, healing, learning, and sustainability. From our panels on Black artistic expression/ process, Teaching Artist cohort, Open Studio Co-working workshops, Annual Swap Meet, and accessible community studio, we collaborate with our community to play and experiment with how Black space can be shaped. We’ve been able to support the growing need for artistic space that supports community sustainability. As a Millennial-centered collective, we recognize that we, as Black and Brown artists are fighting a non-physical battle between artistic capacity and resources. 

Phots from our all Black adult intro to silk screen printing course offered in collaboration with Highpoint Center for Print-Making taught by multimedia artist Connor Rice (2022-2023)

We gained our community and following organically and while that is something we celebrate, it requires us, as organizers, to be creative in finding ways to keep this practice sustainable and accessible to both community and artist. The majority of the spaces we hold are free, pay what you can for community accessibility.

Tangible Organized and guided field trip with 4th & 5th grade Black girls to meet local Black artists in their studios through our Teaching Artist Cohort (Fall 2023)  

Donations to Tangible Collective help support:

- Artist Residency for Emerging Artists

- Teaching Artist Cohort

- Accessible Community Art Classes

- Free/ subsidized community rental space

-Panels and other community art events

Donate to our fundraiser and help Tangible Collective sustain its programming and our new home in the Northrup King Building. 

A fiscally sponsored project of Springboard for the Arts. To give to Springboard: https://givemn.org/organization/Springboard-For-The-Arts