The Scene: Twin Cities Spotlights
The Scene: Twin Cities Spotlights
The Scene: Twin Cities Spotlights
Portrait of Maggie Thompson. Photo by Jaida Grey Eagle, courtesy of the artist.
Portrait of Maggie Thompson. Photo by Jaida Grey Eagle, courtesy of the artist.
Maggie Thompson
of Makwa Studio
Indigenous textile artist and designer Maggie Thompson’s knitwear business, Makwa Studio, is expanding with the help of a new industrial knitting machine, for which she just completed certification. Now the Minneapolis-based artist is building inventory with an eye toward baby blankets, leggings, and five panel hats. “The phase we’re in right now is creating the ability to do more and then expanding and building,” Thompson says.
makwastudio.com
Portrait of Rammy Mohamed. Photo by Krizia Studios.
Rammy Mohamed
of Ramadhan Designs
Oromo fashion designer and clothing maker Rammy Mohamed often looks to fine art painting for inspiration. She admires Claude Monet and Jean-Michel Basquiat, and most recently became obsessed with Los Angeles–based painter Ferrari Sheppard. Mohamed, who works out of her boutique in Saint Paul, draws on Oromian traditions as well as Indian culture when making her dresses and gowns. “We have a kindred spirit,” she says. “I love using their beadwork and their techniques to incorporate into some of my bridal wear.”
instagram.com/ramadhan_designs
Portrait of Nathan Patrick White. Photo by Sadie Sigford.
Nathan Patrick White
of NPWoodWorks
Sourcing wood from a local arborist friend as well as through connections in Northern Minnesota and spots around the Twin Cities, Nathan Patrick White makes chairs, bowls, spoons, and boxes, “using my lathe as much as possible,” he says. Recently, White expanded his knowledge base at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais—where he also sometimes teaches—and is bringing those skills to his new studio located in the Purity Bakery Building in Minneapolis.
npwoodworks.com
Portrait of Dusty Thune. Photo by Jason Arney-O'Neil.
Dusty Thune
of House of Thune
A special education teacher in Saint Paul, Dusty Thune is a sculptor working primarily with metal, but he’s also a champion snow carver. Thune’s interest in snow art goes way back to his youth, when he’d create sculptures in an urban park near his parents’ home. One year, his sister enticed him to enter a contest, and they won a prize. “It was really fun and I got the bug to do it again,” he says.
houseofthune.com
This article was made possible with support from the Windgate Charitable Foundation.
