Welcome to Art Jam Mpls! Art Jam is a weekly art hangout organized by Eric Castellanos and XiaoXia, where artists at any stage of their career or art development can get together and sketch, write, brainstorm, and talk shop in a low-pressure setting.
The main objectives are to motivate, inspire, learn, and possibly find collaborative opportunities. Themed Art Jams such as still-life drawing, critiques, focused discussions, etc. will be announced beforehand.
Art Jam is absolutely free to join! However, as we meet in public settings, please anticipate some costs so that we can support the local businesses we frequent.
Art Jam happens every Thursday at 6pm and, once per month, we meet at ALTR Gallery, a space made available to us by the folks of Otherworldly Arts Collective. ALTR Gallery is a bring your own snacks and beverages scenario, so please be mindful and pick up after yourself.
Via the Art Jam group chat on Instagram, two locations will be announced at the beginning of every week so that the group can vote for which location they prefer. The only exception to this is when we meet at ALTR Gallery.
For more information, you can contact either of the Art Jam coordinators or the organizer of Project 25:365. A calendar of Project 25:365 and Art Jam events will be added to this website soon!
The Art Jam Coordinators
Eric Castellanos was born and raised in Southern California and now resides in NE Minneapolis. He is a pen and ink artist and is the creator of Dapper Skull Creations Art & Apparel Collective, as well as Art Jam MPLS. Visually, Eric likes to capture a sense of foreboding in his art. And underneath the layers, there is always optimism, whether it be related to growth, self empowerment, dealing with struggles, or world problems. He also likes to splash some humor in the mix. Eric believes that dualities are a constant, and strives to evoke that philosophy in his art. When he's not making sure to remember to allow distance between his drink cup and ink water cup, Eric enjoys playing guitar and writing heavy surf rock, running, and watching horror movies. You can find his work here.
Xiaoxia was born in China and came to the U.S. in 2002. She is a coordinator for Art Jam MPLS and has a passion for brand identity, posters, illustration, book jackets, and other forms of design. She finds her inspiration mainly through music, anime, food, animals, politics, and the city she lives in. Being Chinese is an important part of who she is. Growing up in the U.S. prompted her to try to blend into society so much that it resulted in her rejecting her Asian-identity for years. Later in life, she was finally able to break through the societal pressure and begin embracing the culture she had lost touch with. Xiaoxia believes that art is essential to truly living beyond simple survival. Justice and inclusion are also very important to her. She hopes that this world won’t just strive for tolerance, but for true understanding. We cannot hope to achieve such a world without the efforts of our fellow creatives. You can find her work on Instagram, here, or on her website, here (password strawberrymochi)
