MSP Terminal 1, North Mall Gallery
March 2022 - March 2023
In his words, Mike Harris, Jr. makes work about "bees, flowers, and farm scenes." He became a bee advocate years ago after reading an article about endangered pollinators at the local food coop. "I thought, 'I'm already an artist. Maybe I could do something by painting bees,"' he says.
Harris's paintings explore the interconnectedness of bees and humans, as well as rural and urban communities. "There's so much more to a farm than meets the eye," he says. "You might see a barn, silo, fence, and mailbox as you drive by. But once you talk to the people who run the farm, it's a whole new world. Rural communities need the city communities. We have to work together to get what we need."
Harris has practiced at Interact Center for Visual & Performing Arts, a progressive visual art studio and theater company in Saint Paul that works to advance the recognition of artists with disabilities. In addition to his creative practice and advocacy work, Harris is an accomplished long-distance runner and dedicated cyclist, commuting by bike when possible. He has presented work in galleries throughout the Twin Cities, including The White Page, Artspace Jackson Flats, and Minneapolis Institute of Art. In 2018, Harris received an Emerging Artist Grant from VSA Minnesota, and in 2021 he released a series of visual collaborations with New York-based accessories label KARA.
You can learn more about Mike Harris, Jr., and find more of his work at gallery.interactcenter.org.
