In a time marked by profound social upheaval and in a state that research indicates is among the worst places for Black people to live given its profound racial disparities, Leesa Kelly stands out as a uniting voice for the Black community.
As the founder of the grassroots group Memorialize the Movement (MTM), Kelly dedicated herself to preserving the murals created in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020. Four years have passed, but she knows there is still much work to be done.
Among that work is an exhibit and corresponding catalog memorializing Floyd. “Art and Artifact: Murals from the Minneapolis Uprising” is a collaboration between Kelly and Howard Oransky, director of the Katherine E. Nash Gallery at the University of Minnesota. The exhibit runs through Dec. 7.
The book opens with a quote by Ida B. Wells: “Let the facts speak for themselves, with you as a medium.” What follows is a collection of essays and murals that respond dynamically to that rallying call.
“Art and Artifact” is more than just a catalog; it is a curated collection of catharsis, reflection, and the demand for justice. The bound volume features 100 full-page color images and essays contributed by Kelly, former MTM and K.E. Nash Gallery intern Amira McLendon, and curators Leslie Guy and Seph Rodney. McLendon, now MTM’s collections manager, also curated the gallery exhibit.
Together, they document a vibrant artistic response to systemic racism and police brutality, offering readers a glimpse into the collective grief and resilience of a community determined to ensure that George Floyd’s memory and the circumstances surrounding his death are never forgotten.
Kelly emerged as a pioneering force in community-based art preservation through MTM, an organization born of divine intuition after she saw a black-and-white portrait of George Floyd with the words “I CAN’T BREATHE” written in red and white letters discarded behind a building.
“People always ask me what inspired me to create this organization, but it wasn’t a decision that I planned on making. It was a trauma response,” Kelly says. “In that moment, when I saw an image of George Floyd being discarded like trash, I was overwhelmed by the alignment with my ancestral trauma. My ancestors guided me into doing this work.”
Her experience resonates with broader themes of intergenerational impact and resilience. Just as the murals serve as a poignant reminder of collective struggles, research shows that trauma and stress can have profound effects that transcend generations, shaping the experiences and health of future generations. This intergenerational transmission of trauma highlights the enduring legacy of systemic oppression, emphasizing the importance of community remembrance and healing as a pathway toward breaking cycles of suffering and fostering indomitability.
Motivated by the “why” rather than the “how,” Kelly set out to ensure that her community’s experiences weren’t erased from history. “What I saw when I looked at the murals was the full picture,” Kelly says, “each mural working alongside the others to tell a story of a people who refused to accept that another Black man had been murdered by the police.”
The goal of MTM and “Art and Artifact” is twofold: to safeguard Minnesota’s Black community’s powerful narratives and to create a platform for these voices to be heard. Both aim to challenge the historical patterns of exclusion in the museum and art world, where Black and brown stories often are marginalized or misrepresented. In the U.S., data shows that 5% of all conservators, less than 7% of all historians, and only 4% of all curators are Black.
Due to these disparities in the museum industry, representation is a crucial facet of Kelly’s work. She strives to set an example to inspire future generations of Black historians, preservationists and curators. Although the expedition has been arduous, she continues to tirelessly contribute to the fight against systemic oppression through philanthropy and artistry.
“While I know that there is still a long way to go, and I am just one of many people leading this work, I am proud to say that I can already see the buds of change peeking through the cracks,” she says.
Despite her relatively young age—23—McLendon has quickly become an outstanding presence in the art scene.
“When I was curating this exhibit, I wanted the entry to be striking,” she says. “It aims to simulate walking down the streets in Minneapolis in 2020 and seeing all of these murals up. I just really wanted to bring people back to what it was like to be here at that time.”
A memorial, by definition, is something that keeps remembrance alive. By that interpretation, their work is an active memorialization of the uprising. Memorials and art have always played crucial roles in societal healing.
In “Shadowed Ground: America’s Landscapes of Violence and Tragedy,” author Kenneth Foote explores three centuries of history—and how and why the sites of certain tragic and violent events are memorialized. Or not.
“Not only do [memorials] express in tangible form a community’s loss, but the very process through which they are created can help to heal wounds and resolve anguish in any stricken community,” he writes.
For centuries, public art has served as a canvas for collective memory and a means of processing trauma. It also serves as a catalyst for dialogue, pushing communities to confront uncomfortable truths.
In her essay, McLendon writes: “My hope is that you feel inspired by the strength and power of our community and feel driven to engage in dialogue and action. Pursuing justice is a collective effort that requires creative action.”
The work of Kelly and McLenon coincides with growing pressure on traditional museums to re-examine their practices and the narratives they uphold. By providing a platform for Black voices and stories, they challenge the museum industry’s colonial history and highlight representation’s importance.
As Kelly notes, “our existing in this space so successfully, with minimal resources and no formal education, is an act of rebellion against the system.”
“Art and Artifact: Murals from the Minneapolis Uprising” is more than an art book or an installation. It archives a collective stand against injustice and a stride toward revolution. As the city finalizes plans for the development of George Floyd Square, solace can be found in Kelly’s preservation of this history.
We stand together at the precipice of a grand opportunity for reconciliation. As Alice Walker noted, “healing begins where the wound was made.”
“Art and Artifact: Murals from the Minneapolis Uprising”
The catalog is available for $29.99 at the University of Minnesota Press website: www.upress.umn.edu/9781517918989/art-and-artifact/.
The exhibit runs through Dec. 7 at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery.
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
405 21st Ave. S. in Minneapolis
612-624-7530
cla.umn.edu/art/galleries-public-programs/katherine-e-nash-gallery
Alexzia Shobe welcomes reader responses to ashobe@spokesman-recorder.com.