Bronx-based graffiti artists Tats Cru (Bio, Nicer, BG183) just finished a week-long residency as our Spring invited Artist in Residence. They completed an 840 square foot (60’ x 14’) mural to serve as a backdrop for the forthcoming skate-able art plaza on the JXTA campus, made possible in part by a generous gift from Wet Paint. In addition to completing this mural, Tats Cru also hosted their first Minneapolis gallery exhibition of their work: Live from New York. The exhibit will be on view in the 2007 Emerson Gallery from May 3–June 29, 2019.
Live from New York features new original paintings from Bio, BG183, and Nicer. Their work makes use of “complex and intricate wild styles” as well as a dramatic palette of color. As both individuals and a collective, Tats Cru has shown their work nationally and internationally including with the Smithsonian Institution, The Bronx Museum, and The BOX Gallery Guangzhou. They have created ad campaigns for McDonalds, Coca Cola and MTV and they have also given lectures about their work across a range of informal and academic institutions. We are excited to show work that intersects with JXTA’s origins and the organization’s ongoing mission to engage with contemporary artists working across a broad spectrum of practices and places.
During their residency from April 26—May 6, Tats Cru completed a mural on the Juxtaposition Arts campus to serve as a backdrop for our forthcoming skate-able art plaza on the corner of Emerson and Broadway. Executed in collaboration with our partners City of Skate, the skate-able art plaza will be open to the public in the summer of 2019. The mural’s design was inspired by community input; throughout the last several months, we asked folks in JXTA’s neighborhood to nominate heroes and sheroes they’d like to see depicted in the mural. A brand-new custom-designed and community-focused mural will ensure the space is a fresh, vibrant, and unique space for visitors. The skate-able plaza and mural will activate the lot where JXTA’s programs were previously housed, and hold the space while together with our community we raise $14 million for a state-of-the-art facility that will ensure access to our work for generations to come.
LIVE FROM NEW YORK on view May 3–June 29, 2019
Gallery hours: 10:00AM–4:00PM, Monday–Thursday and by appointment (612-588-1148) 2007 Emerson Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411
Photo Credits: Martha Cooper; Tats Cru; JXTA; Justin Sengly; Justin Sengly