Looking back on 20 Years of MPLSART: Nicole Thomas Flourishes

 

Minneapolis-based interdisciplinary artist Nicole Thomas reflects on her nearly decade‑long role as MPLSART’s social media manager, a position that allowed her to celebrate local creativity from the front lines—promoting the art scene, championing a variety of projects, and using digital platforms to build meaningful community. Now working full time as an art instructor at CHOICE Inc and expanding her own artist practice, Nicole and I caught up recently to reflect on how her time with MPLSART shaped her practice, nourished her connections both online and offline, and continues to inform her work in ceramics, teaching, and multisensory storytelling.

 

---

Artist Bio: Nicole Thomas is an interdisciplinary artist practicing in Minneapolis, MN. Nicole's work centers Southeast Asian diaspora in the United States; mixed race and LGBTQIA+ narratives; and mental health effects of generational trauma. Artwork coming from her studio balances the act of play and memory processing. She strives to answer questions about how to provide comfort and grounding spaces for marginalized, underserved communities through various sensory experiences.

 

Installation View at PAIR Residency: Support System No. 7, Ceramics, Acrylic I-cord, Soil, Glass, Living ZZ Plant 

 

Blaine Garrett: You started working for MPLSART shortly after we relaunched in 2015. In addition to being our social media manager, you did design and strategy for a number of our projects. What were some of your favorite moments from your time working with us?

Nicole Thomas: When I started working with the MPLSART crew there was a lot of excitement and enthusiasm for the local art scene. My first project was photographing different galleries for the Gallery Guide. Throughout my time with the team, the energy never faded, we have all consistently held a love for the local arts scene. As the social media manager I was one of the first to preview the articles, upcoming show information, and peek at images from artists. It was the ultimate job at the time. I get paid to visit exhibitions that I love?! Sign me up.

I also felt supported with my ideas on how to build a community online. In the early stages I posted memes, podcasts I was listening to, and art history references. As we kept going, video was trending more. One of my favorite projects was Art Adventures produced by Drew Hance. He is so funny and made the art world approachable. From what I remember, the project direction was primarily Drew’s ideas and we just supported him. He was world building through MPLSART’s platform–drawing backgrounds, sculpting costumes, making puppets, and adding random pop culture references. To this day I still think about his characters and his approach to interviews. For those reading this, I highly recommend checking out Drew’s past and present work, give him a follow! 

Although my time with MPLSART included the pandemic, we still found a way to continue connecting with artists through the Sketchbook Project. The conversation shifted from “How can we build community?” to “How can we support each other?” Even during such a dark time the online team meetings held excitement for the art. It was incredible getting news from [Blaine] about who was joining the Sketchbook Project and stories from when [he’d] transport the sketchbooks from artist to artist. The writers were reaching new artists to interview that haven’t shown art in Minneapolis but had a sketchbook practice. Meanwhile I’m making design elements directly inspired from the Sketchbook Project artwork and developing new ways to tell visual stories on our platforms. There was a shift in MPLSART’s connection to the local art scene and made the team reflect very deeply on what we’ve done all the years before. It gave us more fuel to continue projects that supported the local art ecosystem.
 

Teaser Video for the 2021 MPLSART Sketchbook Project

 

BG: We really have done some cool stuff together! What's keeping you busy since stepping back from MPLSART in early 2024?

NT: Last year I received the 2024 Creative Individuals Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. Much of my spare time went towards producing new work and organizing Offerings, a series of events that provided a combination of musical performance and visual art to create a conversational space.

When I’m not in the studio I’m working full time as an art instructor at CHOICE Inc. in Maple Grove where I get to teach art to adults with intellectual disabilities. It’s very fulfilling and fun work! Some days I teach classes that are process-based, while other days we focus on a new art technique or material. During my first year I taught collaborative art classes where participants worked together to complete an art piece and were encouraged to practice soft skills like teamwork, communication, and make decisions with the group. I also initiated an onsite gallery so participants can share their artwork. We regularly share the newest art in a virtual gallery.

 

Stephanie Henry performing improvisations in response to grief and ceramics at Mudluk Pottery

 

BG: While working with MPLSART, you were also doing social media for Emerging Curators Institute and maintaining your own personal social media profiles. How has your relationship with social media and art changed? 

NT: What I enjoyed most about being a social media manager was the community aspect. Building community is really important to me. So now I really enjoy getting out from behind the computer desk and going to shows to connect with art in person again. I’m learning about different places to find art, like did you know the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum regularly has art? And Lakewood Cemetery now has Artist Residencies? I still think about how I can make a video to post later, but I also take long breaks from using social media and right now I’m more interested in reading newsletters for updates.

 

Installation View, Echoes (Working Title), Red Tulle, Spring Roll Rice Paper, Red Thread

 

BG: The first time we met was in 2015 at Eric Yevak's solo exhibition that you curated at City Wide Artists. That seems like another lifetime ago. What are some of the things about the local art scene that you miss?

NT: That was so long ago! I had just graduated from MCAD, so everything was new and I miss that exciting newness. I was going to almost any show that I could and meeting so many people from the art community. It was fun bumping into Katie, Blaine, or Russ at a show. They would invite me to other shows, a restaurant nearby after, or even their backyard to hang out and debrief about the show. At the time, an ongoing theme for MPLSART was how to make art a fun experience. I believe Katie and Blaine were already living that experience by inviting folks along with them and involving them in the conversation. It was a really exciting time. 

I remember also being really interested in alternative ways to interact with art. There were artist-run house venues like Sadie Hallie, TuckUnder Projects, and Yeah Maybe. There were also art experiences on a water taxi via the Open Water Project. Lately I’ve also been thinking back to the Art Lending Library and am very inspired by the idea of different ways to collect and support art in a moment where financial support might not be possible.

There are the unfortunate losses of galleries like City Wide Artists, Soap Factory, and The White Page Gallery. There is a mixture of nostalgia and grief when I drive around the city now that I’m connected to the landscape. But there are also stories of growth that fill my heart like Public Functionary or Second Shift Studio. And I enjoy witnessing new galleries, or opportunities for artists, start to develop in their own way following the pandemic. One aspect of art in Minnesota that I love is the opportunity for artists to experiment and grow because there are currently so many grants available.
 

Nicole Thomas sharing works in progress at an Offerings open studio event at Mudluk Pottery

 

BG: One of my fondest memories working with you was nerding out about gardening at our video meetings during the pandemic. What’s your relationship with gardening these days and is there a crossover with your artistic practice?

NT: I think about the Artists and Gardens series almost every week. Beyond the written articles, it was all I talked about during the interviewing process. So I learned about other artist’s thoughts on gardening and it influences how I approach my garden. There’s no right or wrong way to garden and there are so many functions for plants.

This is my third year of gardening and I’ve noticed I like to pick a theme each season. I go into it with a lot of intention to set off the growing season with a new experience. This year’s theme is all about grief, which is heavily intertwined with my art practice. Ever since my grandma passed away, I have been cooking recipes she liked to make and learning new Vietnamese recipes to connect with my culture. I bought lemongrass, okra, and purple Thai peppers from a local farmer at the Lyndale Farmer’s Market. Call me superstitious, but ever since my grandmother passed no one in my family has been able to successfully grow okra, her favorite food. I tried twice this year from seed and buying starters. In my dad’s garden the okra shriveled up shortly after her passing. It’s been an obsession for me, to the point that I made ceramic okra during my time at PAIR Residency early last year.

 

A collection of porcelain okra slip molds from Nicole Thomas' studio

 

BG: Having worked with you for so long, I had the pleasure of seeing your artistic practice evolve and see you experiment with new mediums. What are you working on lately that you are excited about?

NT: I’m at a point in my career where all my passions are intertwining into a cohesive practice. Like I mentioned earlier with the failure to grow okra and creating my own ceramic okra. Or realizing how much musicians mean to my studio practice after living with them for over five years. This resulted in my collaboration with musicians to improvise in response to art for the Offerings events. There is an overall theme of grief ever since my grandma passed away and the desire to reconnect with my Vietnamese culture. This is what an interdisciplinary art practice looks like for me.

The ultimate culmination of many practices coming together were rice noodle weavings. I took a glass fusing class at FOCI in the same time period my grandmother passed away. After going through the traditional Vietnamese funeral process, I made my husband spring rolls and it clicked: I could use glass fusing techniques with spring roll wrappers and rice noodles. So much experimentation followed. Many trips to Asian markets, pieces of delicate rice paper crumbling, and the smell of moldy rice substrate in my studio. Years later I was at Mudluk Pottery learning ceramic techniques and wheel throwing traditional elements for ancestor veneration altars. I realized I could use similar drying methods in ceramic slab building for the rice noodle weavings to prevent mold growth. It worked well! They are so small and fragile, but it’s something I want to continue working towards in the studio. I want to learn more about traditional Vietnamese weaving patterns and how they tell stories.
 

 

Latest rice noodle weaving experiment from Nicole Thomas' studio

 

BG: How can folks best support you and your practice right now?
NT: Sign up for my newsletter for updates from the studio. Visit my website and reach out for a studio visit. I’m on a mission to share the work I made last year.

Donate to CHOICE Inc’s STUDIO program, so I can further develop a program and share artwork made by adults with intellectual disabilities.

Support a local artist or art organization by purchasing their work, lending your time, or visiting a show!

 

BG: Nicole, it’s been an absolute pleasure working with you over these years. I’m glad we had this chance to catch up and I'm excited to see how you’re flourishing. Thanks for taking the time for the Q&A. I appreciate you.

NT: It was so fun being a part of the MPLSART team and ongoing history. I’m really looking forward to what ya’ll do next! I still read the articles and look at the website for all the resources available. Keep the enthusiasm for the arts flowing! I appreciate all that you and the team work so hard to do. ◼︎ 

 

 

This Q&A is part of series of articles about the fine folks that have helped make MPLSART what it is over the last two decades. Celebrate our 20th anniversary with us September 27th, 2025, at Southside Preservation Society. Please RSVP and we look forward to seeing your lovely faces at the party.