825 Arts

03/19/2025

On March 31st from 5-7pm, join us for Trans Day Of Visibility! We're partnering with Queerspace collective Sequeerity LLC and Saint Paul Public Schools SPPS for an open mic art night that celebrates our trans community members. Bring something to share and some love for the performers, because it's the time for flowers.

03/18/2025

Give a listen to Nehemiah and Mercedes in this interview with Jamad Jama about our black history month festival for North Star News!

https://exchange.prx.org/pieces/562672?m=false

An art center in the Rondo and Frogtown communities is committed to spreading joy within the Twin Cities, starting with their black history month celebration. North Star Stories' Jamad Jama interviews Mercedes Yarbrough and Nehemiah Jett of 825 Art, giving listeners insight into their three upcoming...

03/17/2025

Mark your calendars, because it's coming to an 825 Arts near you... MAYDAY! A curated art & dance party by Cardboardo Art, where you can get your solidarity groove on! Come party down with community organizers, artists, union rock stars and generally great people! Let's have some creative fun while fighting the broligarchy! Cake, amazing artwork for sale and radical dance grooves will be provided!

MAY 3rd 6-9PM At 825 Arts
825 University Ave W St Paul Mn 55104
This is our FIRST artist member show, so be sure to rock up and rock out!

03/15/2025

We're part of the St Paul Art Crawl! This crawl, come see Mni Giizhik Theatre Ensemble's inaugural show Niizh, a sweet coming of age romance set on the reservation. The show runs May 9th-18th at 825 Arts!

More about the show:
Just weeks before she's meant to leave the reservation and head to college, Lenna Little's future plans are sent into disarray when she experiences a meet-cute straight out of a teen rom-com fantasy. With her head and her heart at odds about leaving or staying, she looks for the signs all around her that might lead her down the right path. A love-letter to the joy of first romance, the vibrancy of reservation communities, and the joy of Indigenous family, Niizh is the inaugural production of Mni Giizhik Theatre Ensemble and features an all-Ojibwe cast, directed by Sequoia Hauck (White Earth Ojibwe/Hupa). Join us for the US premier of playwright Joelle Peters (Walpole Island First Nation) hilarious and heartfelt celebration of Ojibwe love stories May 9-18, 2025 at 825 Arts in St Paul, MN.

03/15/2025

Tomorrow, March 15th, from 2-4 PM, Minecraft open hours players are making ANCIENT BUILDS. Join us to explore history, ancient building methods, and tons of fun! Whether you create a roman amphitheater, ziggurats, or ancient cities, we're ready for you.

Online play is free, in person is pay-what you can.

03/12/2025

Our Spring Break Comedy Combo Camp is fast approaching! Join us for comics with Mizz Mercedez, comedy improv, and making silly Minecraft videos from Mach 31st-April 3rd.

Camp runs March 31-April 3rd
Sliding scale of $20-$200
Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/.../spring-break-comedy-combo... (also linked in our bio)

03/12/2025

This year for TDOV, we're planning an open mic art and story night! Join us for a chill space that celebrates our trans community members.

If you want to get involved as a performer, sponsor, or volunteer, now is the time! Email [email protected].

03/11/2025

652 Sherburne Collective: An Art Installation: Community doorways to community ownership.

The Community Doors are a reflection of the values inherent to the idea of "development without displacement," the rallying cry from The Sherburne Collective, spearheaded by Frogtown Neighborhood Association and their partners (Model Cities, Hope Community, Historic STP, Housing Justice Center, D&J Steele Construction, and Rondo Community Land Trust) in buying the neighboring lots at 652 Sherburn Ave.

Designed and painted by artist SEE MORE PERSPECTIVE with a project grant from Springboard for the Arts, and in collaboration with Frogtown Neighborhood Association, the doors are a signal boost of the 652 purchase and rehab project, as well as a community resource, a record of Frogtown's community ideals, and a beacon of what can happen when communities come together and organize.

Individually, the three doors have no meaning. United, side by side however, they reveal a vision and praxis for community ownership and investment that begins with owning and telling our stories, and what good can come from knowing your neighbors and speaking up.

The doors are currently housed at 825 Arts. Check them out on your next visit!

03/10/2025

Our youth leaders were at the state capitol this week for Arts Advocacy Day! They're excited about making change for the arts in Minnesota, and attended the rally and the legislative session. Are you a youth who wants to get involved? Try performing or participating as an artist at Speak Out And Lead! Take your chance to perform in front of an enthusiastic audience, connect with fellow artists, and be a part of an incredible experience.

Apply now! (and fast! applications close March 12th.)
https://forms.gle/nzwbKYcfwf9iYfZF8

03/08/2025

Don't forget! Spring break Comedy Combo Camp is creeping up. With comedy improv, comics with Mizz Mercedez , and hilarious minecraft movies, kids ages 8-14 will make jokes, art, and more, at 825 Arts.

Camp runs March 31-April 3rd
Sliding scale of $20-$200
Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spring-break-comedy-combo-camp-registration-1251970239689?aff=oddtdtcreator (also linked in our bio)

03/07/2025

This week in our Minecraft Server, we're building TOWERS. Build your tallest, twistiest, funkiest, sturdiest, and best. From 2-4PM this Saturday, create a tower that represents your aspirations, and reflects your vibes!

Join online or in person at 825 Arts. In person attendance is pay-what-you-can. Email [email protected] for more info.

03/06/2025

Fun Fridays: Lego League Edition continues to rock the boat! With just a few weeks left til we return to regular Fun Friday programming, these young artists are creating a flotilla of tubular builds, and having an ocean of fun.

Want to get involved? Fun Friday runs 2:30-4:30 every Friday
Ages 4-10, all youth must be accompanied by an adult

03/05/2025

🎨 Meet Neeka Jackson: A Creative Force in the Twin Cities 🎶

Neeka Jackson is an artist, DJ, and storyteller whose creativity knows no bounds. Whether she’s tufting, spinning tracks, or experimenting with new forms of expression, her work is all about energy, connection, and community. Creativity isn’t just something she does—it’s how she moves through the world.

Born and raised in the Twin Cities, Neeka’s artistic journey started early, from crafting mixtapes as a kid (sometimes over her granny’s church tapes!) to working in fashion and eventually finding her voice through DJing and textile art. Her passion for storytelling and self-expression drives everything she creates, turning emotions into art that brings people together.

Inspired by artists like Es Devlin, Neeka thrives on immersive experiences and pushing creative boundaries. But her biggest inspiration? The world around her—music, street art, and everyday moments that spark new ideas.

Stay tuned as we dive deeper into her artistry and what fuels her creative spirit! ✨

03/04/2025

Do you like pizza? Do you like 825 Arts? WE NEED YOUR HELP! Starting TONIGHT and ending March 6th, from 4-9pm mention our name when you buy a pizza from Topper's, so that 15% of proceeds from your pizza fund the annual Speak Out And Lead festival!

03/04/2025

Kansas City Grandma (aka Ila Haskard, our artist member Joel’s mom) wants you to stay warm! She hand knitted 75 winter hats for the community, which are by our front door for anyone who needs one, so come grab a beautiful hat for you or someone you know who can use one. Our thanks to Kansas City Grandma!

03/04/2025

Don't forget, the application closes soon! Whether you're a musician, dancer, comedian, or any unique act, this year's YALT members are looking for performers to perform their hearts out, at the Speak Out And Lead 2025 Festival. This is your chance to perform in front of an enthusiastic audience, connect with fellow artists, and be a part of an incredible experience.

Apply now!
https://forms.gle/nzwbKYcfwf9iYfZF8

03/02/2025

This Valentine's Day, Ten Thousand Things presented a showing of This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing, by Finegan Kruckemeyer along with a theater workshop! Students from high schools across the state joined them to see the show and learn about theater.

If you're interested in renting 825 Arts for a show, workshop, meeting, or other shenanigan, check out 825arts.org/rent-825/ for more info!

03/02/2025

Day 3: How Are You Feeling Mentally? 🖤

We closed out our Black History Month celebration with a powerful day dedicated to Black men’s mental health—an exclusive, intergenerational conversation where Black men could speak openly, heal, and connect.

Conversation led by Black mental health therapist Dr. Kasim AbdurRazzaq with panelist Roosevelt Mansfield Mack Phillips IV Nehemiah Jett

With a Rondo barbershop theme, some of Rondo’s top barbers Ozone, Privilege Barber Lounge Brandon Cole Legacy Barber Lounge provided free haircuts during the discussion, creating a safe and familiar space for real conversations. Right Spot Wellness also offered free chiropractic care, ensuring both minds and bodies left feeling lighter.

The energy in the room was transformative—many expressed a sense of healing, relief, and brotherhood. This was more than just a conversation; it was a moment of empowerment and a step toward breaking the stigma around Black men’s mental health.

Let’s keep holding space for each other. Let’s keep these conversations going. 💪🏾

Thank you to the vendors Kente Circle Element Gym BR Sports Club

Special Thanks to our sponsors
ReConnect Rondo YWCA St. Paul African American Leadership Forum Twin Cities



📸: Mizz Mercedez