Programs
1
Healing heART's
Healing HeART Program addresses youth, young adults, adults, and families affected by gun violence, peer and community violence, acts of violence, and traumatic events that have occurred in their lives using art as a catalyst for change.
2
heART Equity
The Healing HeART Program addresses adults, educators and executives affected by or working in careers with individuals that face a high level of racial disproportionality and disparity. Participants within this program are generally those who work with or are directly affected by gun violence, peer, and community violence, acts of violence and other traumatic events that leave unseen scars. The project focuses on helping individuals understand how to better recognize their own implicit biases, structural racism and how people of color are disproportionately affected by gun violence and what they can do to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem.
3
Exhibitions / Curation
We hosted a gun buy-back in the Twin Cities. Supported by the Minneapolis Police Department and The City of Minneapolis the weapons were decommissioned and distributed to Minnesota artists to create statements about the impact of gun violence in our community.
We have been able to engage the public, community leaders, organizations, elected officials, the media, etc. in respectful nonpartisan conversations around gun violence that ultimately lead to greater public awareness, conscientious community action, and responsible solutions to reducing gun violence.
3
Floating Gallery Program
The Floating Gallery is a mobile, community‑embedded exhibition model designed to uplift Art Is My Weapon artists of color by placing curated micro‑galleries inside local businesses throughout the Twin Cities. Instead of relying on traditional art institutions, the Floating Gallery brings artwork directly into everyday community spaces, cafés, barbershops, wellness studios, restaurants, and neighborhood storefronts, creating accessible, culturally grounded points of connection.
This model expands visibility and economic opportunity for artists of color while strengthening relationships between businesses and the communities they serve. Each installation transforms a local business into a temporary cultural hub, showcasing powerful works that speak to healing, resilience, and the lived experiences of communities. By rotating exhibitions across multiple sites, the Floating Gallery creates a citywide network of art, dialogue, and collective action.
More than an exhibition strategy, the Floating Gallery is a movement-building tool: it decentralizes where art lives, amplifies underrepresented voices, and invites residents to encounter creativity in the places they already gather. Through this approach, Art Is My Weapon supports artists, activates local economies, and cultivates a shared commitment to safety, healing, and community transformation. Our current floating galleries are located inside V3 Sports and Par 365 Golf Simulation Event Center.