PF Team

PF Board of Directors

Olivia Levins Holden

Anne Cashill

Alfred Solis

Shana Kaplow

Justin Felicetta

History

Public Functionary was founded in 2012. For 6 years, Tricia Heuring & Mike Bishop developed PF as a 2500 square foot open floor plan, a "responsive art space,” in Northeast Minneapolis based on first-hand insight that visual art galleries in the Twin Cities could be more inviting and inclusive. A $30k crowdfunding campaign contributed by backers from the neighborhood and arts community seeded the idea. Since then, Public Functionary has shifted dominant gallery culture by modeling a space that is flexible, dynamic, and high-quality while serving diverse and emerging artists across disciplines.

PF evolved into a space to escape into artist imagination while dismantling deeper systemic inequities in the Twin Cities arts landscape through practice. PF became space for change and experimentation, as well as a place for celebration, healing, and community growth. It built a reputation for trust, generosity and the prioritization of artists who had been historically marginalized.

In 2019, having outgrown the original much-loved space, Public Functionary decided to close 1400 12th Ave NE in order to make room for new plans and grow capacity in service of PF’s expanding artist community.

This led to the development of an early career artist studio program in collaboration with artist Leslie Barlow. In 2019, Barlow joined PF to create Studio 400, a pathway to studio practice for BIPOC artists in Northeast Minneapolis Art District’s Northrup King Building. This program has expanded into what is now known as “PF Studios.”

In 2020, organizer Ryan Stopera joined the team to expand operations and develop PF Cafe within PF’s main gallery space. After cultivating a successful hospitality culture for the organization, the cafe closed in 2023. Ryan continues on the team developing the Open Screen film and photography platform.

NE Mpls | Studio Access Disparities

Historically, Northeast Minneapolis provided artist studios and workspace in underutilized industrial spaces. These spaces are highly sought after and the area hosts the largest open studio art crawl in the country (Art-A-Whirl). Yet, BIPOC artists and lower-income artists have historically found these spaces far from accesible or welcome.

After some dreaming and visioning in 2018, Public Functionary began making studio space available for young (18-30 yr old) artists who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and who live and work in the urban center of the Twin Cities, through the PF Studios program. “Studio 400” opened in early 2019, with additional studios thereafter to expand the program.

In less than 2 years, this effort has led to the disruption of business as usual in Northeast Minneapolis. There are more practicing BIPOC early career artists in the Northrup King Building than ever before. Further development PF facilities on the property will intentionally grow space for emerging BIPOC artists in the epicenter of a neighborhood that is rapidly developing with economic and social possibilities.

Members of our founding & leadership team are long-time residents, have grown up here, or have had studio space in this neighborhood for many years. We are deeply connected to this community and place and are dedicated to engaging in equitable conversations around building from within.