Solidarity Street Gallery: Common Ground

Common Ground invites artists and audiences to reflect on our relationship with the living world: the land beneath our feet, the water that sustains us, the creatures we share this planet with, and our responsibility to care for all of it, and for one another.

Climate and the environment shape nearly every part of our lives, yet they are rarely the focus of a community art exhibition. That is exactly why Common Ground matters now. Facts and figures inform us; art moves us. Through painting, printmaking, fiber, sculpture, photography, and mixed media, more than 55 artists turn a global challenge into something personal, tangible, and shared, honoring the beauty of the natural world, confronting the harm done to it, and imagining the futures we might still build together. Indigenous artists, emerging voices, and established painters stand side by side, offering perspectives as diverse as the East Side itself.

The exhibition comes in two formats: a traditional gallery exhibition, featuring 15+ invited artists, held indoors at ArT @ 967 Payne; and a juried “Street Gallery” of 40+ artists whose works fill the storefront windows and interiors of 20+ local businesses, creating a walkable art experience along the historic Payne Avenue corridor.

About Solidarity Street Gallery
SOLIDARITY STREET GALLERY, now in its sixth year, is a one-of-a-kind fine art exhibition and cultural celebration on the East Side of St. Paul. It brings visual artists to one of the city’s most diverse neighborhoods, engaging residents and visitors from across the Twin Cities in cultural exchange and conversation on topics important to the community.

For three days, October 16–18, the Payne Avenue commercial district transforms into a lively cultural corridor. Alongside the exhibitions, the festival opens with a Dakota welcome and features live music, spoken word and poetry readings, a puppet show, youth climate leaders, a candid talk by a Minnesota climatologist, a Climate Healing Circle, and a new Environmental Mini Fair, where organizations protecting our air, water, and land offer hands-on activities for all ages. Local businesses and restaurants, many of them BIPOC-owned, play a central role by hosting art in their storefronts and welcoming festival guests.

Solidarity Street Gallery 2026 is produced by ArT @ 967 Payne in partnership with the East Side Arts Council, which serves as fiscal sponsor, with support from local businesses, sponsors, and private donors.

All events are free and open to the public.

Hours:
SOLIDARITY STREET GALLERY 2026 Event:
Friday, October 16, 2026, 5–9 PM (Opening Event and Artist Reception)
Saturday, October 17, 2026, 12–8 PM
Sunday, October 18, 2026, 12–5 PM

Common Ground Exhibition: On view October 16 through November 11, 2026

Gallery Hours: By appointment, (651) 895-6203 or stephanfkistler@gmail.com