Art Slam

ArtiCulture introduced the ArtSlam Project in 2006 to address issues of literacy, community and personal/social issues and growth in at risk youth. ArtSlam is an annual grant funded project where literary/spoken word and visual artists work with teens at community sites in Minneapolis and St. Paul to create performance poetry in conjunction with visual arts. We have partnered with several schools, libraries, community centers and nonprofit transitional housing for homeless youth.

Along with spoken word exercises and poetry writings incorporating personal life experiences and the participants sense of self—students create artists books, artist trading cards, and other visual arts projects where they then apply the written form of their poems in conjunction with a visual arts component.

Showcasing the culmination of their work, participants from these individual sites then gather at the Minneapolis Central Library for an Open Mic night grand finale. Students have the opportunity to present their poetry created in class while they get to see their literary instructors in action for an open mic performance and dialog. In addition, the students' visual art creations are on display during the event.