ICE Out Poster Exhibition

At Can Can Wonderland

Q

On Saturday, Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, I went to Can Can Wonderland to see the ICE Out Protest Poster Show. The exhibition was in the main stage area, off to the right when you first enter Can Can. Inside the stage area, the walls were lined with posters, all by local artists and dedicated to the cause of protesting ICE in Minneapolis and Minnesota at large. I wasn’t sure what to expect, or what to look for, and the website wasn’t totally clear (to me, at least) where the exhibit was to take place, so it took some wandering around before I finally asked a worker and made my way to the main stage room.

Some standout pieces were: “Minnesota LOVE” by Adam Turman, featuring a loon with a heart eye embracing the state of Minnesota decorated with the state flag on an almost cosmic background—a design I’ve seen on shirts around town; “We Hold These Truths…” by 5 by 5 Design, featuring the famous phrases from the Declaration of Independence “we hold these truths…” and “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” over the words “ICE OUT” with various sayings attached and pointing to the first two phrases—a powerful, patriotic piece; and a very punk-rock-esque spray paint and stencil piece titled “Uncle Sam Gets To Work” by Diana Boger, featuring Uncle Sam rolling up his sleeve preparing to punch some Nazi-flag-wielding ICE agents—yet another excellent example of popular, progressive, patriotism.

What I didn’t get to see owing to my constrained schedule that day were the art kits, the live art by Biafara, a UMN alumn, or the DJ later that night. While it would’ve been nice to see these things, I was still glad to have been able to show up, show support, and see these wonderful and powerful works of art aimed at responding to our harsh and frightening times.