Folk art comes from direct experience with the landscape. Specific adaptations to local environments give rise to unique forms of creative expression, born out of necessity. The oldest known form of magic, pictographs and patterns can be used to tell our stories and appeal to natural forces for help in navigating the world.

We all hail from different backgrounds, with different stories to tell, but have to reconcile with the present in this place, as a community. With this in mind, how can we connect the patchwork of our pasts with our local ecology to produce a current folk art language? What stories do we want to tell in the future and how can we use the collective power of our folk art forms as seeds for reclamation and healing?

Join us at the Future on November 2nd 8-10pm for a storytelling and listening session around our traditional decorative art forms and how they may be drawn upon to claim space, share stories and build community. If you have examples of folk art from your family or friends you can share, along with their stories, please bring these with.

Participants will be asked to try a hand at creating a folk art pattern derived from nature, to be included in a zine on this subject for distribution around South Minneapolis. We will also build an altar to honor those who practiced folk art forms before us, using the designs we create. If you don't feel you have a connection to folk art, we will also talk about how to do a self-study to find a connection to the practice. All are welcome to attend.