Skip to main content

Artists gathered stories and narratives centered around the uprising in the twin cities and created a shadow puppet show to share the stories and experiences of their community.

video poster

About the Artists

Ty Chapman is a multiracial author, poet and puppeteer of Nigerian and European descent. He has been creating art with social justice themes in the Twin Cities for many years, and is passionate about creating art that speaks to the Black experience in America. Lately, Ty has focused on editing his children’s books, refining his collection of poetry, and performing his one-man shadow puppet show online.

Andrew Young (he/they) is a Taiwanese-Indonesian-American puppeteer, artist and educator based in Minneapolis. They received their puppeteer training through Monkeybear's Harmolodic workshop, a local BIPOC-centered puppetry organization, and has since worked for Mayday and Barebones as a staff artist, as well as the Full Moon Puppet Show in various roles. They have performed shows at Heart of the Beast and Open Eye Figure Theater, were a part of the inaugural cohort of “Our Space is Spoken For,” and are an educator at Mia. As a part of their work, Andrew is interested in collaboration and community building, exploring the natural world, and aiming light toward mental health and our inner worlds. Lately they have been examining what it means to be a POC artist, and what role artists have, in the midst of a pandemic and a global uprising that began in the city they call home.

Rebekah Crisanta de Ybarra (enrolled Maya-Lenca tribal citizen, El Salvador) is a Twin Cities-based contemporary artist and musician (Lady Xøk) whose work is rooted in Latinx Indigenous futurisms. Her interdisciplinary social practice (visual art, music, theatre, dance, literature, puppetry and public art) often speaks from a perspective of Liberation Theology about interconnectedness, shared, and erased histories of the Americas.

Snapshots

Art In This Present Moment

This project is part of Art in This Present Moment, an initiative of the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, with funding from the McKnight Foundation. We provided grants to 12 Minnesota-based nonprofit organizations to fund work by over 50 BIPOC artists who are changing and challenging dominant narratives through their craft.

More Stories

Singing for Justice: Waigwa Leads Choir in Lifting Voices and Community

Choral director Waigwa aims to bring the human experience to the concert stage.

See the project

Empowering Change in the Next Generation of Asian Leaders

Minnesota nonprofit Future of Us is helping Asian American Pacific Islander youth find their voices and become agents of change.

See the impact

Women of Faith in Philanthropy — Legacy, Leadership and the Future

A panel event showcased how women of faith are poised to shape and enrich the philanthropic landscape, as they have for generations.

See the impact

Three Minnesota Foundations Launch ‘Our Home State’ Initiative with $20 Million Commitment

The initiative, focused on expanding housing stability and catalyzing local housing solutions, includes Ecolab as an early funder.

See the News

Faith in Action: ISAIAH’s Blueprint for a Multicultural Democracy

A multiracial, multi-faith coalition empowers Minnesotans to shape their communities and secure lasting change.

Watch the video

Meeting the Moment: How the Foundation Expanded Community Support in a Critical Year

A one-time, twenty percent increase in dollars granted reflects the Foundation’s commitment to community-driven solutions, urgent needs and long-term equity.

See the impact

Leading a Path Forward: How Queen Drea Uses Music to Find Her Roots

Sound alchemist Queen Drea seeks reconnection with her family’s heritage through music and storytelling.

See the project

Fall 2025 Food Assistance: What You Can Do

Nonprofits, community partners and food shelves are working swiftly to provide resources to fill in the gap as best they can.

View the list

GET MONTHLY STORIES, NEWS AND UPDATES

JOIN
US!

* Indicates a required field