Nonprofit Leader: Roger Cummings, Chief Cultural Producer and Co-Founder, Juxtaposition Arts

Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 1:27AM | Becky Fillinger | Share Article

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

Roger CummingsJuxtaposition Arts (JXTA) has been an inspirational Minneapolis nonprofit for nearly 30 years. We spoke to Roger Cummings, Chief Cultural Producer and Co-Founder, on the history of the organization, amazingly creative opportunities for youth, expansion plans and the many ways you can engage with JXTA.

Q:  You’re the Chief Cultural Producer and Co-Founder of Juxtaposition Arts, a successful Minneapolis nonprofit founded in 1995. Could you please give our readers a brief history of Juxtaposition Arts? 

A:  Yes, my JXTA origin story is, JXTA started and was influenced by what myself and the other two founders were practicing in high school. DeAnna Cummings and I were at South High and Peyton Scott Russell at North High. DeAnna and I were making custom textiles with airbrushed shirts/graffiti jean jackets; we also created logos and flyers for parties and KMOJ Radio program TravITrons Hip Hop Shop. Lastly, we were aerosol writers painting large scale public art pieces, with and without permission, around the cities. Pre-JXTA in our early 20s we taught these skills to people at the Urban League, YMCA and Summer Splash, as well as PSL (Professional Sports Linkage, now The Link) in the Sumner-Olsen public housing projects. Jim Marshall and Oscar Reed provided an opportunity to teach youth after school. This was 93-94. What classes looked like then were painting on large canvas, stone sculpture, shoebox photography, visiting artists and exhibitions of the youths’ work and the young people making money from the sales. We decided to formalize this program after our program at PSL was not funded for a session. We (DeAnna, Peyton and I) came up with a name, found a fiscal agent, registered with the State and began programming out of Peyton’s art studio at 2500 N Washington with the same kids from PSL and new kids from North High – this was in 1995. You can read a more extensive history here, which will cover the beginnings to where we are today.

Q:  I have a couple of questions about some of your programs. Could you please tell us more about your JTXALabs apprenticeship program? 

A:  JXTALabs are Micro businesses - we just call them Labs:

- Environmental design/Tactical Urbanism

- Graphic Design

- Contemporary Art

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In JXTALabs, we take an apprentice mentorship approach. Apprentices ranging in age from 14-21 years old are trained as they work alongside professionals in graphic design, screen-printing, apparel construction, public art, urban design, and community engagement. Each Lab generates income, as each Lab works with real world clients. Clients have included 3M, Target, Red Wing Shoes, NCAA, etc. The Labs have the additional benefit of providing support for the organization’s broader operations so that JXTA can continue being an anchor asset for the arts and culture in many communities. Our Labs collectively generate a little more than $500K a year.

Visual Arts Literacy Training

Q:  Wow – that is very impressive. Let me move to another program - what is Visual Arts Literacy? Can you tell us about Juxtaposition Arts’ Visual Arts Literacy Training (VALT) program? 

A:  VALT functions like a college-level 2D design class, but with the opportunity to learn alongside professional artists to build a base of skills to use in future educational and professional endeavors. Students participate in VALT over multiple years, or use the training program as a pathway to employment in one of our apprenticeship studios. VALT is a required introductory program that youth must complete in order to be eligible to be hired for a paid apprentice position at JXTA. So think still life, artist studies, critiques, portraiture, line balance, rhythm, etc. - design principals.

Red Wing Collaboration

Q:  Juxtaposition Arts’ collaborations are legendary – Red Wing Heritage Collection (shoes, hoodies, aprons!), Minnesota Orchestra, etc. Could you tell us more about how collaborations are put together? What other collaborations might we see this year? 

A:  Yes, organizations sometimes reach out to us and sometimes we reach out to them and propose a project that we both vet to see if there is alignment and mutual benefit. There is a difference between, let’s say, an entity hiring us for a job and a collaboration. Hiring JXTA for a job is not a collaboration or a partnership. A collaboration is the coming together of two or more organizations or partners and figuring out how we might all mutually benefit by working together on a project. Collaborations upcoming? I can’t say just yet. I like to play opportunities close to the vest until they're in the pipeline and all entities are happy with said prototype. Otherwise, it’s just a big experiment with working together with no tangible outcome, which is fine, but I don’t want to start promoting that and saying it’s a thing when it’s really not a thing yet.

Q:  You have a new headquarters building opening this year in North Minneapolis. Are grand opening events planned?

A:  We do! Friday, June 2 is our Open House at 2007 W Broadway from 5-7pm. Come and see our new facility and talk to us about our programs. Reserve here.

Q:  Your new facility will provide, as you stated in an earlier interview, a “robust manufacturing and talent hub right here on Emerson and Broadway." You have hopes of possibly replicating the JXTA process in other states and countries. Bravo for your vision! Are you in talks with other arts organizations to share your success stories and processes?  

A:  Thank you! And yes, we would love to replicate. We’re in conversation with groups across the country with help of the Kresge Foundation and LISC - as well as for the past few years with an arts center out of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil that does theater as workforce development. We’re bringing a JXTA group out for a feasibility study/artist residency/cultural exchange in May. We have, since high school days, had the gift of being able to show and train youth and young adults on how to produce and monetize their practice. I feel that what we (JXTA) can do that globally. We know how to train and assist young people in places with struggling economies - leveraging local assets, building culture and connections.

Q:  Your LinkedIn profile as Chief Cultural Producer/Co-Founder for JTXA includes ‘fun development.' Talk to us about why fun is important in production choices.

A:  We at JXTA think it’s important to have joy in what you do and where you do it. JXTA employs lots of people and we have the ability to make a culture of work, mentoring, fundraising, development and learning fun. We are always thinking of ways to creatively incentivize the process so it's engaging and fun. JXTA has a team called the “Sunshine Committee." Their job is to organize retreats, outings, team building activities, acknowledge and celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, going aways, etc.

Q:  You and JXTA are involved in so many newsworthy projects. How may we follow your news? 

A:  So many ways! Please sign up for our newsletters and follow us on social media, come to Gallery openings and open houses, come to FLOW: Northside Arts Crawl or Open Streets Broadway, or just pull up to our Skate Plaza on the corner of Emerson and Broadway and bring your skateboard! Have a lunch or a meeting at our Parklet (named HEXTRA) that was a collaboration between JXTA and Charlie Lazor of Lazor/Office.