Art and activism are a linked pursuit for many Twin Cities-based Latinx artists

A painting by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo sold recently for $55 million, the most ever paid for a work by a woman artist. Latin music is the second-fastest growing genre in the U.S., according to the Recording Industry Association of America. And Puerto Rican megastar Bad Bunny is heading to the Super Bowl. 

Still, artists with Latin American roots report gatekeeping and whitewashing at mainstream institutions in Minnesota and nationally, says artist, author and University of Minnesota professor Jessica Lopez Lyman in her new book, “Place-Keepers: Latina/x Art, Performance, and Organizing in the Twin Cities.” By necessity, she writes, many artists have doubled as organizers and activists to make space for their voices, histories and perspectives. 

In the book, Lopez Lyman mixes scholarly rigor and radical politics as she shares the stories of artists, musicians, poets and organizers shaping change and building community through their creative practices. Throughout, her deep admiration for their work emerges.

Related: Duo aims to make art collection accessible and affordable

An assistant professor in the department of Chicano and Latino Studies with a background in performance art, Lopez Lyman has spent years embedded in the Minnesota arts activism community. Her experiences inform the stories she highlights of creative communities functioning as makers and movers. 

Early on, Lopez Lyman outlines an uncomfortable truth about Minnesota’s arts landscape — what she calls “the whiteout effect.” She points to 20th-century narratives about Minnesota’s culture, from “Little House on the Prairie” to “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” as part of a dominant cultural story that has erased Indigenous history and diverse voices. She notes Minnesota’s lack of a Latina/o/x (an inclusive term she uses throughout the book) art center and writes about efforts to create a permanent home for the Minnesota Latino Museum. 

Lopez Lyman hones in on the concept of movidas, or movements, as a way to investigate Latina/x artists in the region and how they’ve carved out alternative visions. First she explores “improvisational movidas,” which “necessitate flexibility, readiness and grace.” Using tactics like ephemerality, these movements have relied on relationships over permanent spaces.

She then explores “internal movidas,” or ways that artists have looked inward to build strength for outward creation and activism. In the chapter “Rituals Across the Diaspora,” Lopez Lyman dives into music and videos by Adriana Rimpel, also known as Lady Midnight. Lopez Lyman describes Rimpel’s journey to connect with her ancestors and the spirit realm, ultimately creating a stage persona that broke from the salsa tradition that marked the start of her career.

Later, the book turns to “interdependent movidas” and coalition building. Lopez Lyman describes how a group of hip hop artists (among them state legislator María Isa Pérez-Vega) linked two movements for water rights — the Line 3 pipeline resistance in Minnesota and Hurricane Maria relief efforts in Puerto Rico. The group toured the U.S. and Puerto Rico to build solidarity.

Related: Radiant ‘Love Language’ at Walker Art Center puts Lakota design in contemporary spotlight 

Ultimately, “Place-Keepers” offers a compelling look at the art of social action. Studying these movements from within the Twin Cities, Lopez Lyman illuminates the artists’ legacy as she follows their visions of the future. 

A book launch event takes place Dec. 12, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at El Colegio High School, 4137 Bloomington Ave. S in Minneapolis.

Also of interest: 

“Vaivén: 21st-Century Art of Puerto Rico and Its Diaspora”

Olivia Levins Holden, one of the artists featured in “Place-Keepers,” has been selected with Puerto Rico-based Colectivo Moriviví to create public murals to be installed in Minnesota and Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, in summer 2026. You can get a sneak peek of them in the lobby of the Katherine E. Nash Gallery at the University of Minnesota. Inside the gallery, “Vaivén: 21st-Century Art of Puerto Rico and Its Diaspora” is on view through Dec. 6. The exhibit features incisive artwork created in the last 25 years by artists from Puerto Rico and its diaspora, including Minnesota artists Holden, Ricardo Levins Morales and Cándida González. 

The gallery is open Tues. – Sat., 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., through Dec. 6, 405 21st Ave. S, Minneapolis. (Free) 

Raíces: Our Legacy

Thirteen Latine artists working in painting, sculpture and mixed media explore notions of ancestral knowledge and the reinvention of cultural traditions. On view at CLUES Latino Art Gallery through Dec. 31, Mon. – Fri., 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., 797 East 7th St., St. Paul. (Free) More information here. 

José María Velasco and Virgen de Guadalupe Celebration and Community Reception

The Minneapolis Institute of Art is hosting a reception celebrating Mexican art and culture, in collaboration with the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs, Consulado de México and the Office for Equity and Diversity at the University of Minnesota. With art and music, the event will celebrate the museum’s recent acquisition of 17th century painting “Virgen de Guadalupe,” created in the circle of Mexican artist Manuel de Arellano, as well as the exhibition “José María Velasco: A View of Mexico.” Friday, Dec. 12, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m., 2400 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis. Free, but tickets are required.

The post Art and activism are a linked pursuit for many Twin Cities-based Latinx artists appeared first on MinnPost.