A Discussion with Ben Johnson, Director, Minneapolis Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs

Article by Becky Fillinger, photo provided

We welcome Ben Johnson back to the Twin Cities, specifically to Minneapolis as Director of the newly formed Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs. He has some wonderful plans to promote Minneapolis as a leader in the arts world and to collaborative broadly to achieve his goals.

Q:  Congratulations on your new position as the first director of Minneapolis’ recently created Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs! Do you have an immediate to-do list or will you have time to tackle long term visionary projects – or both?

A:  Thank you! It is a very exciting time for the City of Minneapolis, and I am thrilled that they are prioritizing arts and culture as an important value for the city. Aside from getting settled, I think I need to understand the priorities of the city by connecting with cultural communities, neighborhoods and stakeholders. I also think it is important to start building trust with the staff, City departments and diverse community coalitions. From there, we can set the stage for building the department and affect real cultural change for the City of Minneapolis.

Q:  You’ve said, “Minneapolis is such an important arts city, both nationally and internationally, and it is a symbol of creativity and leadership throughout the world.” Please tell us a bit more on your thoughts about Minneapolis’ place in the arts world.

A:  Since I’m from Minnesota, and have previously worked at the Ordway Music Theatre and Northrop Concerts and Lectures, I know first-hand the reputation of Minneapolis and where it fits within our national and international networks and cultural ecosystems. I want to ensure that the creative communities are supported and are allowed to thrive, as I feel it is important to have Minneapolis be at the forefront of progressive arts ideas and leadership. I’ve always felt that Minneapolis was the North Star for social justice, innovation and experimentation, and I want it to be a symbol of creative inspiration for everyone in Minneapolis and the world - so a lot of our energy will be placed in developing support programs to sustain and position our community in the best ways possible.

Q:  What is one program you implemented in Los Angeles that might be easy to replicate in Minneapolis?

A:  Many of my ideas of how to implement deep and meaningful work stem directly from my time at the Ordway Music Theatre, where I was able to form four cultural advisory communities based within the African American, Chicano/Latiné, Native American and Asian/Pacific communities. Like the work at the Ordway, much of the work we will do at the City of Minneapolis will be informed by working directly with the community and through working in partnership and collaboration as much as possible. These initiatives will be designed and tailored to each community and the surrounding neighborhoods. One such example from LA is when I founded the Performing Arts Alliance of South LA, which was represented by an informal coalition of 50 African American artists, arts organizations and cultural spaces. This group was formed at the onset of COVID to find a way to have a monthly check-in with the cultural leaders of this community. Each month, we focused on the needs and challenges of the community, and the members were able to share information and communicate about upcoming projects and opportunities. Often, the members were able to build collaborations and identify shared and new resources to continue to work and to sustain their spaces and arts practices. For me, this is an ideal way of working and one that I hope we can replicate in Minneapolis.

Q:  Do you have ideas on how you’ll gather input from the local arts community, and also the local business community, in terms of supporting and nurturing the arts? 

A:  At this point, we will be building on the good work that has already been done by the department, and we will do everything within our power to insert the arts and culture conversation into the future work of the City. We will be proactive in engaging with a diverse spectrum of the arts, education, business, and diverse communities. Community building through arts and culture is an iterative process, and it happens person by person, project by project, and over years. I hope this represents a new way of working within the City, one that showcases a demonstrable and positive collaborative spirit to the citizens of Minneapolis.

Q:  How may we follow your department’s news?

A:  Arts and Cultural Affairs news and all City news can be found at news.minneapolismn.gov.