Throwback: Twin Cities Protest Art featuring HOTTEA | Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Throwback: Twin Cities Protest Art featuring HOTTEA

By Ash Nichols on January 23, 2021
Projection of protest installation by HOTTEA ; Projection of protest installation by HOTTEA
Projection of protest installation by HOTTEA

Flashing back to the warm evening of October 3, MCAD was happy to host Eric Reiger ’07 (aka HOTTEA) and Sally Pemberton for a community event sharing and exploring protest art in the Twin Cities following the murder of George Floyd.

Projection of protest art reading "In a racist society it is not enough to be non-racist we must be anti-racist. -Angela Davis"

Pemberton photographed protest art while biking around the metro area, focusing not only on the large scale murals but also highlighting the more personal side of protest art. A slideshow was compiled and projected on the side of MCAD to present the various forms of protest art found including murals, signs, spray-painted messages on boarded-up shops, and featured various forms of protest art by HOTTEA. The works shown illustrate how our city has connected, healed, and communicated through art. Pemberton has plans to accompany the presentation with music from local artists for a future showing.

Projection of protest art reading "Already looted. Stop killing Black people."

Projection of protest art depicting George Floyd

Projection of protest art reading "This is the Revolution !!!!!"

Projection of protest art reading "No justice no peace, no racist police"

While the presentation was playing, HOTTEA treated guests to live printing of customized t-shirts reading JUSTICE. Visitors were prompted to bring their own materials to print on and the community (not surprisingly) flexed their creative muscles by bringing unique pieces for HOTTEA to print.

Printed shirts by HOTTEA

Completed shirt

HOTTEA working on a shirt

Competed shirt by HOTTEA

Student Aria Frasse even brought a toaster for Eric to spray paint! Guests enjoyed socially-distant conversations relating to the topic among each other and with the visiting artists. It was a great night of art, community, and education.

Customized toaster for student Aria Frasse

A new version of HOTTEA's mural of George Floyd is on display in the MCAD gallery exhibition America, I Sing You Back. See it in-person, by appointment beginning February 1.