the speak project

 

In 2006, CAFAC launched The SPEAK Project, a program that partners with youth-serving organizations to provide hands-on metal fabrication skills training in which participants conceive, design, and create public art works. Often using a multidisciplinary approach that combines spoken word poetry and photography with sculptural metalworking, SPEAK was born of a community need: to better engage young people in our neighborhood, particularly those who have been underestimated and overlooked. The SPEAK process begins by asking youth to identify a community issue, and then asks them to share their perspective through the medium of public art. The SPEAK Project uses CAFAC’s unique resources as a platform to amplify youth voices and invite them to leave a lasting, artistic contribution to the community.

Works created by SPEAK participants are installed throughout South and North Minneapolis: benches, bike racks, garden gates, and sculpture. The SPEAK Project relies on partnerships with other community organizations, a network of artists and mentors, and the youth themselves, coming together to drive the conversation and respond to the identified issue. The SPEAK model is adaptable and responsive, with each iteration building the power of participants through creative expression and technical skill-building.

Scroll down for collections of SPEAK Project images back to 2006.

 

We’re digging through the archives of more than a decade of SPEAK Project photos!
Keep an eye on this page as we fill in the gaps.

2022

Teaching Artists & Organizational Partners: Heather Doyle, Madge Ducheneaux of Division of Indian Work.

Project: A large dream catcher out of metal, with each feather representing one of seven teachings: truth, love, respect, courage, honesty, humility, and wisdom. These teachings are said to be imparted by animals, which students incorporated into their design with a silhouette or footprint. The central circle uses four colors from the medicine wheel which are associated with the four seasons, the four stages of life, the four cardinal directions and more.

Featured
DIW SPEAK installed
DIW SPEAK Fabrication 02
DIW SPEAK Fabrication 03
DIW SPEAK Fabrication 04

2019

Teaching Artists & Organizational Partners: Heather Doyle, Nikki McComb of Art is My Weapon/Minneapolis Bench Project, Hennepin County Home School

Project: Artistic benches, incorporating decommissioned gun parts, designed by and built in honor of victims of gun violence and their families. Learn more about the Art is My Weapon and the Minneapolis Bench Project.

Featured
Photo of a youth artist holding a sculpture with the word “bullets” spelled in metal.
Photo of a bucket with various gun parts.
Photo of an artist dressed in welding gear using a welder and producing a bright light and sparks.
Photo of a group of artists smiling at the camera.
Photo of a colorful bench sculpture.

2015

Teaching Artists & Organizational Partners: Heather Doyle and Brad Buxton, Hennepin County Home School

Project: Heat-formed bonsai tree with forged leaves, a work-in-progress that will eventually be incorporated into a bike rack in CAFAC’s Parking Yard.

 
 
Featured
Photo of artist wearing personal protective equipment and welding.
Photo of artist plasma cutting
Photo of four artists holding a sculpture and using oxy-acetylene torches.

2014

Teaching Artists & Organizational Partners: Heather Doyle and Keno Evol, Hennepin County Home School

Project: Shielded Lantern, a metal sculpture that hangs and rotates above CAFAC’s entrance. Designed by SPEAK participants as an analogy to their complicated lives, it's filled with programmable LED “fireflies,” representing childhood innocence. The sphere is covered in shields, each expressing the sometimes double-edged forms of protection that the youth tried to use to keep safe, from violence to religion to money. This year, SPEAK participants also assisted with our installation of the Beloved Community benches at Martin Luther King Jr park.

 
 
Featured
Photo of metal sculpture with the words “what’s real the eyes can’t see” cut out of it.
Photo of seven youth artists having a conversation.
Photo of 5 people smiling and laughing

2012

Teaching Artists & Organizational Partners: Heather Doyle, Hennepin County Home School, Stretch Electric

Project: Along with painting a mural on the north-facing side of the then-newly-obtained CAFAC building, two groups from Hennepin County Home School (HCHS) developed an installation that blended geometry, electronics, fabrication, and their own lived experiences.

A womens’ group spent their time learning the basics of circuitry with John Stretch of Stretch Electric, practiced bending conduit (a very mathematical process) to route wires, and designed an LED array for the piece. Meanwhile, a mens’ group created the sculptural aspect of the project, using a deconstructed truncated octahedron as the base. They included the concepts of responsibility, integrity, empathy, and renewal in their design, all important steps they needed to take to move forward after incarceration.

Featured
Photo of an artist holding a hexagon with a symbol cut out of the center.
Photo of an artist using a plasma cutter.
Photo of two artists welding together a hexagonal prism.
Photo of an artist crouched on a table inspecting a hexagonal prism.
Photo of a group of artists smiling at the camera.
Photo of an artist on scaffolding installing artwork on the side of the building.

2010

Teaching Artists: Dessa of Doomtree, Heather Doyle, Elisa McBrayer

Organizational Partners: The Phoenix School, Youth Link, Kingfield Neighborhood Association, Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation

Project: Bike racks at Nicollet Square

Featured
Photo of a group of artists dressed in welding gear smiling at the camera.
Photo of a compilation of photos with a poem displayed along side.
Photo of an artist teaching a youth artist to use an oxy-acetylene torch.
Photo of two artists smiling at the camera.
Photo of two bike racks and a fence.

2009

Teaching Artists: Heather Doyle, Andrea Jenkins, Elisa McBrayer

Organizational Partners: Bahá’í Center, Breaking Free, Hennepin County Home School, Jordan Area Community Council, Powderhorn Neighborhood Association, Urban Arts Academy, Youth Farm and Market Project

Projects: Bahá’í Center sculpture garden and Jordan Area Community Garden

Featured
Photo of an artist teaching a youth artist to use a plasma cutter.
Photo of an artist using an angle grinder on metal and producing sparks.
Photo of three artists wearing personal protective equipment and smiling at the camera
Photo of three youth artists reading from pieces of paper
Photo of colorful sculpture with the words “Jordan Area Community Garden” written on the top.
Photo of viewers looking at colorful sculptures.

2008

Teaching Artists: Heather Doyle, Andrea Jenkins, Elisa McBrayer

Organizational Partners: Hennepin County Home School, Juxtaposition Arts, Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Board, Peace Foundation, Plymouth Christian Youth Center, Minneapolis Community & Technical College

Projects: Cottage Park Justice Bench and Bahá’í Center sculpture garden

Featured
Photo of colorful sculpture next to a colorful, sculptural bench.
Photo of youth artists standing next to a colorful sculptural bench with the word “Justice” spelled in metal.
Photo of a large, colorful box.
Photo of a colorful sculpture with the word “respect” spelled in metal.
Photo of a colorful sculpture with the shape of a man cut out of it.

2007

Teaching Artists: Emmett Bryant, Heather Doyle, Nicole Grabow, Andrea Jenkins

Organizational Partners: Bahá’í Center of Minneapolis, City of Minneapolis STEP UP, Green Central School, Minneapolis Community & Technical College, Urban Arts Academy, Midwest Art Conservation

Project: Bahá’í Center sculpture garden

Featured
Photo of circluar sculpture with silhouette of a person cut out and the words “Respect is awesome. Respect is cool.” written on the outside
Photo of artist in front of a sculpture.
Photo of a metal sculpture with the word “respect” and the city skyline.
Speak-2007-002.jpg
Photo of artists looking at digital cameras.
Photo of adult artist talking to young artists.

2006

Teaching Artists: Heather Doyle, Dawn Vogel

Organizational Partners: Bahá’í Center of Minneapolis, Lifelong Mentoring Services, Phelps Park Boys & Girls Club, Pillsbury House + Theatre, Minneapolis Community & Technical College, Urban Arts Academy

Project: Bahá’í Center sculpture garden