JUXTAPOSITION ARTS INC

ANNUALLY, JXTALABS EMPLOYS 50 YOUTH AGED 14-22 AS APPRENTICES IN ONE OF FOUR ARTIST-LED PRODUCTION STUDIOS: CONTEMPORARY ARTS, GRAPHIC DESIGN, LARGE-SCALE PUBLIC ART (VALT 2.0) AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN. APPRENTICES WILL RECEIVE COLLEGE-LEVEL CREATIVE AND TECHNICAL TRAINING AND GAIN PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE THROUGH WORK ON CLIENT PROJECTS AND INTERNSHIPS. TARGET POPULATIONS INCLUDE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED YOUTH, YOUTH OF COLOR, AND YOUTH WHO LIVE IN, GO TO SCHOOL IN, OR ARE OTHERWISE CONNECTED TO NORTH MINNEAPOLIS. FUNDING SUPPORT WILL BE ALLOCATED TO EXPENSES RELATED TO APPRENTICE WAGES, PROGRAM STAFF SALARIES, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SUPPORT FOR APPRENTICES, AND PROGRAM MATERIALS. BY REMOVING BARRIERS AND FOSTERING MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ARTS, JXTA ENSURES THAT HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED YOUTH CAN ACCESS CREATIVE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT MIGHT BE OUT OF REACH.JXTA PROGRAMS OFFERS A PROGRESSIVE PATHWAY FROM CREATIVE EXPOSUE TO EMPLOYMENT IN THE REGIONAL CREATIVE ECONOMY:FOUNDED IN 1995 AS A WORKSHOP FOR 15 YOUNG ARTISTS IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC HOUSING, JXTA IS NOW AN ANCHOR INSTITUTION OF THE WEST BROADWAY COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR AND IN MINNEAPOLIS AT LARGE. WE HAVE ENGAGED OVER 38,000EMERGING ARTISTS IN THE LAST THREE DECADES AND HAVE INSPIRED COUNTLESS OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE COME INTO CONTACT WITH OUR WORK. IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS, HOME TO FEWER FORMAL ARTS VENUES PER CAPITA THAN MORE AFFLUENTAREAS OF MINNEAPOLIS, JXTA'S LAND OWNERSHIP AND PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT ARE A CRUCIAL PART OF OUR IDENTITY IN A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HISTORICALLY HAS BEEN UNDER-INVESTED. WE ARE INFLUENTIAL FOR OFFERING SAFE, LIBERATING SPACE TOYOUNG AND EMERGING ARTISTS, AND FOR THE ECONOMIC INFLUENCE WE HAVE ON THE WEST BROADWAY BUSINESS CORRIDOR. AT THE HEART OF JXTA PROGRAMS IS JXTALABS, OUR CORE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THAT TRAINS YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS THROUGH AN APPRENTICE-MENTOR MODEL, BUILDING CAREER PATHWAYS INTO THE REGIONAL CREATIVE ECONOMY THROUGH RIGOROUS SKILL BUILDING AND DIRECT WORK ON CREATIVE CLIENT PROJECTS. ENTRANCE INTO JXTALABS BEGINS WITH VISUAL ARTS LITERACY TRAINING (VALT), A FOUNDATIONAL, COLLEGE-LEVEL DRAWING COURSE THAT BUILDS CREATIVE SKILLS AND PARTICIPANTS' PORTFOLIOS, OFFERED AT ZERO COST TO PARTICIPANTS. YOUTH WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE ONE VALT SESSION AND ARE 14 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER ARE ELIGIBLE TO INTERVIEW FOR A PAID APPRENTICESHIP IN JXTALABS, WHERE THEY ARE TRAINED AND EMPLOYED IN ONE OF FOUR PRODUCTION STUDIOS: CONTEMPORARY ARTS, GRAPHIC DESIGN, ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, OR LARGE-SCALE PUBLIC ART (VALT 2.0). THROUGH JXTALABS, APPRENTICES BUILD ADVANCED SKILLS, SPLITTING THEIR TIME BETWEEN (1) DESIGNING AND PRODUCING CLIENT WORK; AND (2) RESEARCHING AND DEVELOPING INTERNAL PROJECTS, LIKE JXTA'S PRODUCT LINES AND CREATIVE CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS. ALL APPRENTICES ALSO PARTICIPATE IN PATHWAYS TO COLLEGE AND CAREERS (PACC), A SUPPORTPROGRAM THAT HELPS TRANSLATE THEIR EXPERIENCE AT JXTA INTO POSTSECONDARY AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. MONTHLY WORKSHOPS COVER COLLEGE APPLICATIONS, FINANCIAL AID, LEADERSHIP, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, FINANCIAL LITERACY, AND WELLNESS. PACC ALSO OFFERS INTERNSHIPS AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING AN ANNUAL TRIP TO BOSTON/CAMBRIDGE OR NYC TO VISIT SCHOOLS, CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, AND FIRMS. IN ADDITION TO THESE CORE PROGRAMS, JXTA ALSO OFFERS: FREE WALL, A SUMMER CAMP THAT INTRODUCES YOUNG PEOPLE (AGES 8-21) TO THE WORLD OF AEROSOL, GRAFFITI ART AND THE FIVE PILLARS OF HIP HOP; AND MASTER CLASSES, WHICH FOCUS ON ONE ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE, EXPLORING THE DYNAMICS OF TRADITIONAL, CONTEMPORARY, AND INTROSPECTIVE CULTURE AND THEIR CONNECTION TO INDIVIDUAL AESTHETIC DEVELOPMENT.JXTA'S LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IS CO-CREATED WITH YOUTH. APPRENTICES SHAPE PROJECTS, COLLABORATE WITH MENTORS, AND MODEL INCLUSIVE APPROACHES TO ART AND DESIGN. ROUGHLY HALF OF APPRENTICES IDENTIFY AS NEURODIVERGENT, AND OUR PEDAGOGY LEANS INTO THOSE DIFFERENCES AS ASSETS THAT DRIVE CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION.JXTA'S ORGANIZATIONAL MODEL REINFORCES THE INNATE POTENTIAL OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WE SERVE BY UPLIFTING LEADERSHIP THAT REFLECTS THE PEOPLE ANDTHEIR BACKGROUNDS. SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT OF JXTA'S EXECUTIVE, OPERATIONS, AND PROGRAM STAFF AND FIFTY FIVE PERCENT OF JXTA'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS IDENTIFY AS BIPOC. IT IS CRITICAL THAT THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR AND LEAD OUR ORGANIZATION ARE REFLECTIVE OF THE DIVERSITY OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE WORK IN AND WITH DAILY."UNLIKE JOB PLACEMENT MODELS THAT FOCUS ON SHORT-TERM EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES, JXTALABS IS ABOUT BUILDING SUSTAINABLE CAREERS. APPRENTICESHIPS OFTEN LAST MULTIPLE YEARS, AND OUR ALUMNI REMAIN CONNECTED THROUGH AN INFORMAL NETWORK OF CREATIVES, FREELANCERS, AND CULTURAL WORKERS ACROSS THE TWIN CITIES AND BEYOND. MANY RETURN AS TEACHING ARTISTS OR COLLABORATORS, CREATING A CYCLE OF MENTORSHIP AND OPPORTUNITY FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. JXTA CURRENTLY EMPLOYS 10 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND 4 PART-TIME STAFF WITH SUPPORT FROM 25-30 VOLUNTEERS ANNUALLY.