Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center

Education: in 2023, cafac provided more than 150+ classes in a variety of Fire Arts forms, including blacksmithing, glass jewelry, metal casting, neon welding, and more. Through those programs we generated 950+ enrollments by adults and youth of varying backgrounds and abilities. Cfac maintains a scholarship fund to remove financial barriers to participation and increase participation by bipoc learners; we awarded $16,000 in 2023 with more than half going to bipoc students. We extend our reach through education program partnerships, providing professional development to art teachers in minneapolis public schools and tailored learning experiences to veterans. Through a new partnership with dodge nature Center, we also started offering popular blacksmithing workshops at a new local in the southeast twin cities metro area.

Artist support: this important thread is woven through all of our work as we support artists in developing their careers, learning new skills, and breaking down barriers to participaiton. In 2023 we launched our first artist residency program, which provided focused, supported time for four artists to work in the cafac studios. We also continue to serve dozens of artists with our sparc (studio pass at reduced cost) program to access the tools and equipment they need. We provide a referral resource for artists through our craftsperson commission connection program, connecting a roster of local craftspeople, artists, and fabricators to individuals needing repair, fabrication, or custom work. Cafac also has a gallery that provides opportunities for solo and group exhibits as well as commission sales.

Public art: cafac has established a reputaiton as a conduit between emerging public artists and organizations seeking large-scale work, by providing design expertise, fabrication facilities, project management, and training for artists seeking to build their public art portfolios. 2023 saw the unveiling of a massive new public artwork created at cafac by a group of 15 local african-american artists, called the john biggers seed project. The culmintation of several years of design and fabrication, this new piece spans a bridge over interstate 94 on minneapolis's north side. wwwcafacorgpublicartportfolio