Launched in 2019, the PF Studios program provides subsidized studio spaces to young Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) artists, addressing long-standing accessibility issues in the area’s industrial art spaces. The program supports a rotating cohort of 26 artists in the Northrup King Building.
In just five years, PF Studios has helped participating artists secure exhibitions, fellowships, residencies and grants—many for the first time. The program is driving significant cultural shifts and improving access within one of Minneapolis’ most important artist studio hubs. To commemorate this milestone, Public Functionary will open two new exhibitions on Saturday, Nov. 2, and release an archival book on Thursday, Nov. 7, showcasing the program’s impact on more than 40 artists and the Minneapolis art scene.
Textile artist Leeya Rose Jackson, a PF Studios exhibitor. (Drew Arrieta)
PF Studios Exhibit Work Sample: “Ms. Bessie’s Big One,” Digital Photograph, Godfree Manly-Spain. (Provided)
PF Studios Exhibit Work Sample: “Untitled,” Nafyar. (Provided)
“Black Memory Red Sea,” nouf saleh. (Provided)