Black Table Arts is a community driven arts cooperative located in Minneapolis, Minnesota gathering black communities through the arts toward better black futures. Complete with a bookstore, shared workspace and a performance space (BTA) makes bold the connection between art and grassroots organizing by providing programs that invite local artists to see themselves as change makers and organizers of their collective liberation.
UpRising Black
Futures
An annual cohort program selecting three Minnesota based artists to imagine a police free future. Especially now it is important, to recognize art and artistic production as essential cultural artifacts to document the imagination and memories of what happens inside of communities during moments of protest. This program gives artists a chance to create alternative imaginings of what scholar Ruth Wilson Gilmore calls “life-affirming institutions“
A (Black)mosphere of art, education and organizing. An annual gathering taking place at Universities across Minnesota to ‘check in’ on black life and a ‘looking forward’ toward the next years of black life in Minnesota. A chance for organizers across the country to drop in on the unique conversations that are happening in Minnesota that can better black life nationally.
WHAT WE CARE ABOUT
ART + ORGANIZING
at Black Table Arts we believe art makes organizing possible. Without creativity organizing doesn't have the breath or enthusiasm it needs to sustain itself. We give organizing room to breathe for our communities fighting for a more just world.
EDUCATION
For everyone at Black Table Arts education is the bedrock of organizing for better black futures. We offer spaces for artists to learn about social justice, history and artists that have helped shape the black worlds we want to see realized.
COOPERATION
Cooperation is a core value at Black Table Arts that speaks to the need of uplifting solidarity and intersectionality while we organize toward a more equitable world. We must work together, to get free together. This speaks to the importance of abundant thinking we believe if ‘we got us’ then we’re good. At Black Table Arts the ones who have the most stake in our organization are our people and our communities. Cooperation says we can ‘look to the future’ if we can look around and see who is gathered in our spaces.
