MINNEAPOLIS — In a historic Grain Belt Beer building, a line stretched outside Art Price’s cooperative screen-printing and painting studio. Visitors brought blank apparel to be adorned with anti-ICE messages, from the Minnesota state bird, the ‘rebel loon,’ to the rallying call ‘ICE Out of Minnesota.’ Since January 8, following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Macklin Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross, Price and volunteers have printed designs at no cost. Among the 12 designs are contributions from Marlena Myles and Lorenzo Smith.
More than 7,000 items were printed by February 2, thanks to the efforts of over a dozen volunteers. Price, determined to leverage his resources, stated, ‘I have presses and I have ink, but I don’t have shirts. Bring me your shirts, free of charge.’ Artists across the Twin Cities are creatively opposing ICE’s Operation Metro Surge through various mediums. A prominent protest poster, the ‘I.C.E. Out’ design by Wes Winship of Burlesque of North America, depicts a snowplow clearing out weapons and handcuffs.
At the Art Shanty Projects on frozen Lake Harriet, Angela Maki North’s Wicked Winter Shanty hosted an ‘ICE crushing’ ritual, offering cathartic release by smashing ‘ICE men.’ Meanwhile, Maggie Thompson’s Umbrella Project provided protective coverlets during protests, inspired by the 2021 killing of Daunte Wright. On January 23, during Minnesota’s general strike, artists, including Thompson, showcased a sign reading, ‘No One is Illegal on Stolen Lands… ICE OUT OF OUR HOMELANDS.’
The killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents on January 24 fueled further outrage. In response, artist Mary LeGarde created ‘ICE OUT’ bead earrings using Tayla Fairbanks’ patterns. ‘Beading is medicine,’ LeGarde shared. Bench Pressed co-owner Jane Shannon, alongside her husband Andy, crafted ‘ICE Out of Mpls’ signs to support the Community Aid Network. Chris Barber, a Minneapolis resident, chose the ‘rebel loon’ design for its symbolic connection to the Star Wars Rebel Alliance.
Barber emphasized the collective strength of the movement, stating, ‘It shows people that they’re not alone. We are all part of something bigger and we are all fighting for the same thing — to get ICE out of here, and to protect our families and our friends and our neighborhoods.’
