From Coon Rapids to the Twin Cities’ Biggest Walls: Antione Jenkins Is Letting the World Be His Canvas

In the latest episode of On the Radar, the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder’s series highlighting Black Minnesota creatives, host Damenica Ellis sat down with muralist, artist, designer, and curator Antione Jenkins to talk about his journey from customizing sneakers in Coon Rapids to painting walls for the Minnesota Twins.

A Multi-Disciplinary Artist From the Start

Jenkins, 28, has been creating for nearly a decade, but his path to art started long before he picked up a paintbrush. Growing up in Coon Rapids, he was always someone who expressed himself through what he wore, how he moved, and what he drew on the edges of his notebooks and desks.

“I’ve always self-expressed myself in different ways from the way that I dress to even dyeing my hair,” he said. “Drawing on my desk and drawing on my arms all led me to customizing shoes.”

The turning point came between his senior year of high school and his freshman year of college, when a friend wore a pair of custom shoes Jenkins designed the day he committed to Duke University on ESPN. That moment crystallized everything.

“I was in the position of did I still want to continuously play basketball or do I push more into following my heart and where this art is going to take me,” Jenkins said. “I saw an opportunity where I might have struck gold. And so I dove into this art and fell in deep with it.”

From Shoes to Walls

Jenkins describes his transition into murals as a natural extension of the same creative energy he applied to sneakers, just at a much larger scale. His first mural, painted in 2016 alongside a partner he calls Woo, was for a company called Kings of Vintage.

The work that really opened doors was a mural he painted for George Floyd outside of Spy House Coffee during the unrest of 2020. That project led to a collaboration with the coffee shop where Jenkins pitched and designed his own drink on the menu, with proceeds donated to local arts nonprofits including Position and Art for the Kids.

From there, the walls kept getting bigger. Jenkins has since painted a mural in the Target Center employee lounge, collaborated on live paintings and merchandise with Minnesota United FC, and has an upcoming mural inside Target Field spotlighting the most notable Black players in Minnesota Twins history.

“My big thing about this whole thing is just showcasing Black people in a surreal, bigger than life type of way,” he said. “There are a lot of heroes that need to be identified and showcased in a light where we are Black and beautiful and powerful.”

Basketball Prepared Him for the Business

Jenkins played basketball most of his life, and while he walked away from the sport to pursue art, he says the mindset carried over completely.

“You have to be the coach and the player being an entrepreneur,” he said. “There are certain slumps you got to get yourself out of, and there are certain places where you got to coach yourself to hold yourself up to a higher standard. One percent every day. Practice makes perfect.”

His daily artistic practice reflects that discipline. Jenkins aims to create something every day, even if it is just a thumbnail sketch, and regularly works in four to six hour sessions when he is deep in a piece.

Big Goals, Bigger Vision

Looking ahead, Jenkins has a full slate of ambitions. He wants to create his own coloring book and eventually a children’s book that he illustrates and animates himself, potentially tied to his own daycare center concept. He wants a formal shoe brand partnership, a creative director role with a local sports team, and one day hopes to paint a grass mural on a professional sports field.

His most immediate goal is closer to home. “I want to paint one of the big buildings downtown,” he said. “Like the A-Mill, the Pillsbury Mill. I think that would be super dope.”

Coming up this summer, Jenkins is also working on a brand activation in Atlanta through his company Skin Tones, a project with tequila company Luno. He also has murals in the works in St. Cloud and on Minneapolis’ south side.

Advice for Young Creatives

For artists who are told to pick one thing and stick to it, Jenkins has a simple response.

“Just start it now. Actually, start yesterday,” he said. “The only thing that’s going to stop you is yourself. Closed mouths don’t get fed. If you can actually sell a proof and be professional about what you have going on and you’re passionate about it, anything can happen.”

How to Connect

Follow Antione Jenkins on Instagram at @ants.creations and visit his website at www.antscreations.com for booking inquiries and to see his work. He also has a shop in downtown Minneapolis.

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