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For George Floyd, against Racism

George Floyd Special
© Froukje Akkerman

Starting in the neighboring cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, and later around the world, street art was created in response to the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020.

 

All over the world, people continue to react to the death of George Floyd caused by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

From taking to the streets in protest to re-examining long-held beliefs about racism and the justice system, a global movement is demanding social justice and equality.  Street art has played an important role in this movement - as an outlet for citizens to express their grief, outrage, and hope about the future. This street art has grown on the sides of local businesses, street corners, plywood covering broken windows, and more, from neighborhoods in Minneapolis to countries around the world.  

A team of scholars and students at St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minnesota, has created the “Urban Art Mapping George Floyd and Anti-Racist Street Art database,” which seeks to document examples of this street art from around the world. With submissions continuing to come in daily, this database will serve as a resource for communities and scholars around the street art and the issues it explores for years to come.  From breathtaking murals created by teams of professional artists to poignant graffiti, this collection captures the breadth of street art that has been created in response to this moment. The gallery below represents a selection of street art curated by the Germanic-American Institute in St. Paul, Minnesota, in cooperation with the George Floyd Anti-Racist Street Art database. This online gallery includes works by local street artists and community members in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. To learn more about the street art database and most recent submissions, please visit 
https://georgefloydstreetart.omeka.net/
  • Truck Angel © @antione_jenkins3 @antz_creationz @yungjustinanderson @wousart, Photo: minneapolismurals
    "Truck Angel" by @antione_jenkins3 @antz_creationz @yungjustinanderson @wousart
    This mural was a collaboration among local artists in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area who were protesting peacefully on the interstate I-35 bridge the day a truck came barreling into the crowd. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, which inspired the artists to create the mural above. The mural was located at Spyhouse Coffee, 2404 Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis.
  • Stronger Together © Siglind Dial
    Stronger Together by @sig.natur
    This composite puzzle portrait of George Floyd has pink text reading "Stronger Together". It was painted by a 22 year-old woman artist called SIG, who witnessed the rioting and burning of the third precinct police department in Minneapolis. She wanted to donate some beauty to her boarded-up community.
  • George Floyd “Crowned in Glory” © Grimmz River
    "George Floyd Crowned in Glory” by Grimmz River
    This stencil of George Floyd embellished with a gold crown, streams of color, and musical notes, was found on the wall of a business on Lake Street in Minneapolis. It is signed by “Grimmz River.”
  • “Flowers For Floyd” Photo: Froukje Akkerman © Andres Guzman and Jose Dominguez
    "Flowers For Floyd” by @Hozay_dmngz and @andresitoguzman
    The Flowers for Floyd mural began with a black and white portrait by artist Andres Guzman. Jose Dominguez added artwork depicting three people holding flowers in raised fists and a woman making a heart with her hands. The mural is on the wall of an independent Hip Hop retail store in Minneapolis.
  • Blues 4 George © Seitu Jones
    "Blues 4 George" by Seitu Jones and collaborators
    Gordon Parks High School students, staff, and community members, including artist Seitu Jones, gathered to paint murals on the plywood boards protecting the windows of the school. Jones made his stencil of George Floyd’s face available for any artist to download and many examples of the image were seen on University Avenue in St. Paul. Stencil created by Seitu Jones: https://seitujonesstudio.com/blues4george/
  • Many Colored Fists © ArtCrop and Seitu Jones
    "Many Colored Fists" by @helloartcrop and @seitujones
    Seitu Jones's "Blues for George" stencil is superimposed on colorful raised fists standing in a field of yellow. The mural was created by members of ArtCrop, a collective that uses art and food to pay tribute to the Hmong cultural experience while supporting Hmong farmers.
  • I am not a threat © PiM Arts High School
    "I am not a threat" by students from PiM Arts High School
    This composite mural was created by students from the Performing Institute of Minnesota (PiM) Arts High School. An empowered black woman raising her fist wears a face mask and a shirt that says “MELANIN”. Next to her are portraits labeled with the names of five black men and women who were killed by local police in the United States.
  • Red Roses © #ral86, #miskitoos, #joyspika, Wanisin, Thomasina Top Bear, #yazziz, #froriginals, #sotalettersco, and others.
    "Red Roses" by a group of mostly women artists
    A woman surrounded by large red and white roses holds a sign with an image of the state of Minnesota and the words “George Floyd” and “#We need justice”. Visitors to the site where George Floyd was killed continue to leave flowers of all kinds as a tribute.

Über die Kuratoren

Dr. Todd Lawrence, University of St. Thomas Dr. Todd Lawrence, University of St. Thomas | © University of St. Thomas Dr. Todd Lawrence, University of St. Thomas


Dr. Todd Lawrence teaches African American literature and culture, folklore studies, and cultural studies. His research and teaching areas include the Black Arts Movement, James Baldwin, racial passing, black speculative writing, and ethnographic writing. Dr. Lawrence's work straddles a number of areas but generally sits at the intersection of identity, narrative, community, and culture. 

Dr. Heather Shirey, University of St. Thomas Dr. Heather Shirey, University of St. Thomas | © University of St. Thomas Dr. Heather Shirey, University of St. Thomas

Dr. Heather Shirey’s research and teaching are shaped by the idea that as art historians and citizens of the world, we must all engage deeply and analytically with visual culture, both in the classroom and in our everyday lives. Her teaching and research are focused on the African Diaspora in Brazil, the Caribbean, Europe, and the United States. Dr. Shirey also has a strong interest in the history of photography and the development of street art. 

Germanic-American Institute Germanic-American Institute | © Germanic-American Institute The Germanic-American Institute (GAI) is a non-profit organization located in St. Paul, Minnesota whose mission is to connect people to a broader world through German language and culture. As a Goethe-Institut “Kulturgesellschaft” the GAI has been a close collaborating partner of the Goethe-Institut on this #artbits project and a wide array of educational and cultural programs


 

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