The Arts Partnership has created a new program aimed at bolstering local artists of color using a creative blend of professional mentorship and community collaboration.
The
launched in January to connect local artists with mentorship that helps build the foundation for a stronger presence in the arts.
“The cohort evolved from our desire to reach and forge deeper relationships with more artists of color,” The Arts Partnership Executive Director Tania Blanich said. “As our community grows in diversity, we want to make sure the local arts community incorporates all artists in a way that lets them know they are seen, heard and supported.”
The pilot program has unfolded over the course of six months, with monthly, in-person meetings, one-on-one mentorship from three established artists and a range of speakers to address topics such as marketing for artists, writing artist statements and applying for grants.
Cohort members also receive $1,000 for their participation in the form of a grant, as well as professional headshots and short videos they can use to promote their works.
Contributed
The results have been nothing short of inspiring, according to the cohort’s project manager Maia Kim, who helped design the program based on her background as an art therapist as well as an artist and educator of color.
“The cohort is for people who want to advance their artistic career and take it to the next level,” she said. “We hope to help them in their artistic journey so they feel grounded and secure heading down the path in the arts.”
Kim hopes cohort members will be more informed and engage in meaningful dialog with other artists of color around how they choose to represent their culture and ethnicity in their work.
“It’s harder to be an artist of color, especially in our area,” she said. “So it’s all the more important to have a cohort like this to create a connection not only with like-minded artists, but also artists of color.”
Blanich said she’s gratified to see such positive results during the inaugural program session.
“It’s a small program with a big impact,” she said. “For all the participants — artists, mentors and speakers — it’s a wonderful opportunity o break down some barriers that may have existed before, both through learning and simply connecting with each other face to face.”
The fact that most of the program’s participants have careers outside of the arts sector showcases the overarching value of art immersion in everyday life.
“Both our cohort members and mentors mostly have jobs outside of what they do artistically,” Kim added. “I think people think if you want to be an artist, then you can’t do anything else. Or that if you have a day job, you can’t be an artist. But the mentors’ ability to balance their own creative endeavors with professional work provides great examples for emerging artists.”
Mentors for the program are all established artists and were selected in part for their experience related to cohort members’ specific art genres.
Pilot program mentors are Danielle Gravon, artist and chief curator at the Plains Art Museum; Anna Johnson, artist and vice chair of the City of Fargo’s Arts and Culture Commission; and Emily Vieweg, poet and arts administrator.
Here’s more about the cohort members.
Contributed / Jared Eischen Cinematography
As a nurse practitioner and artist, Whitney Johnson’s participation in the cohort is proving to her that the best medicine for personal and professional growth is often a blend of connection, trust and opportunity.
Johnson is a self-taught artist from the Pine Ridge reservation. She draws upon her heritage “to create contemporary works that honor traditional teachings while embracing the fluidity of modern expression,” according to an artist statement.
🎥 WATCH:
“Symmetry is essential”: Meet Whitney Johnson, 2025 Artist of Color Cohort Participant
Overall, participating in the cohort has given Whitney a clarity she didn’t have before.
“I did not have the opportunity to go to school for art, so the thought of applying for exhibitions or showing my art has always seemed really intimidating,” Johnson said. “I wasn’t always sure where to start.”
Contributed / Whitney Johnson
Working with mentors has been helpful, Johnson said. She’s been able to get useful feedback from people who understand the artistic process as well as the operational and marketing responsibilities that come with being a modern artist.
“It’s helped my confidence to have other artists be so encouraging and share their appreciation for my art,” she said.
Contributed / Whitney Johnson
Thanks in part to a new understanding of the intricacies involved in self-promotion and applying for grants, Johnson’s newfound clarity has opened the path to responding to calls for artists.
“I’m applying for exhibitions,” she said, admitting she’s still mustering the courage to draft a proposal for a larger individual exhibit. “It’s been a good experience.”
For Kim, seeing the next steps Johnson plans to take in her artistic career is deeply satisfying.
“It’s exactly what we want to happen,” Kim said. “Removing obstacles and letting them see the richness they bring to the cultural experience of our region was our biggest goal, and I think we’ve achieved that.”
Contributed / Jared Eischen Cinematography
Sewit Eskinder loves to explore various creative outlets.
She applied for the cohort so she could investigate poetry more intimately to see if it’s something she wants to pursue artistically alongside her music.
“I’ve been singing since I could speak and acting for over a decade, and recently I’ve even dabbled in painting, “Eskinder said. “My view of the world has always been clearest through creative expression, and poetry helps me explore the truest reflection of my inner world.”
🎥 WATCH:
“Oh, how I dream”: Meet Sewit Eskindar, 2025 Artist of Color Cohort Participant
Eskinder calls her writing “a journey of vulnerability.”
Since the cohort was brand new, Eskinder wasn’t sure what to expect right away.
“I thought there would be more artistic sharing, but it was lots of learning and that’s what I was unknowingly looking for,” she said.
Gravon said that as a mentor, she was surprised by the depth and breadth of knowledge sharing among the group.
“Historically, artists of color have been excluded from mainstream art institutions,” Gravon said. “Programs like the cohort become essential because they offer practical guidance and support. What surprised me, though, was just how much momentum our conversations had on the voices and confidence of participants.”
As she grows into her full creative potential, Eskinder said her most meaningful learning occurred around a table with Gravon and other mentors, but that she also found herself with a couple new artist friends, too.
“We were all learning from each other and growing together, and now having new artist friends to support and lean on in the community is always such a blessing,” Eskinder said.
Overall, Eskinder’s poetic exploration has proven to be productive and beneficial.
“I am in the process of publishing my first collection of poetry,” she said. “It’s been something I’ve wanted to do for years and the cohort gave me the resources to finally make that dream of mine happen,” she said.
Kim said that like Johnson, she’s thrilled with Eskinder’s infectious passion for growing herself as an artist.
Contributed / Jared Eischen Cinematography
LexX Francis is a local 2025 MLK Human Rights Award recipient on a mission to “never show up less than their full selves.”
Growing up between Kansas City and Fargo, Francis has spent much of their adult life working in theater arts and nonprofits where they are constantly striving to seek clarity through creativity.
“Poetry is and has always been my most treasured outlet and a direct line to processing moments without edit,” they said.
Francis said mentors helped by having different outlooks on art and how to curate it, which helped them understand how to prioritize the next steps in their latest projects: “to the Color’s Show, a chapbook, and an interactive poetry webpage that incorporates music and recorded poems.
An excerpt from a poem by poet LexX Francis:
I am the wish on the wind
and the catch of the rain
I can feel both so vividly
I must be alive.
🎥 WATCH:
“Art captures human freedom”: Meet LexX Francis, 2025 Artist of Color Cohort Participant
Business community hops on board
The program connects cohort members with people in the business community, particularly those working directly in marketing and communications, for professional advice.
Jay Evans, president and founder of Be Told video marketing in Fargo, even created short videos to showcase the cohort participants. A Korean adoptee, he wanted to contribute to the cohort to pay it forward for other professionals of color navigating art-related fields.
“This was a small way that I could help support others who are similar to me,” Evans said. “It’s important to cast even a small light on artistry and self expression for people of color, especially in an authentic and real way.”
Setting the stage for round two
Cohort number two begins with a fresh slate of artists and mentors gathering later in July to work on artist statements, grant writing and promotion. Kim said she’s looking forward to working with the new set of participants.
“We are only going to get better at this as we continue to build and refine the program,” she said. “What we definitely know is that the Artist of Color Cohort has already brought a great deal of validation and motivation to our local artists who need it most.”
To learn more about The Arts Partnership Artist of Color Cohort, visit
theartspartnership.net/program/artist-of-color-cohort
.
This article is part of a content partnership with The Arts Partnership, a nonprofit organization cultivating the arts in Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo. For more information, visit