Nikki McComb - Gun violence prevention
Future location: 33 South 6th St (City Center)
Subjects: VJ Smith, MAD DADS; Lisa Clemons, A Mother’s Love; Ferome Brown, GVI Project Life; Maleta Kimmons (Queen) GVI, Project Life; Sasha Cotton, City of Minneapolis; Jamil Jackson, GIV Project Life, Change Equals Opportunity; Bunny Beeks
About the artwork
Nikki McComb is a north side resident and has a long history of working at the intersection of art and violence prevention. She was previously the liaison for Hennepin County/ North Memorial and victims of gun violence, working with families who have been traumatized and lost loved ones. Nikki also founded The Enough Campaign for Gun Safety and Art is My Weapon using art as a catalyst for change in the issue of gun violence. In choosing a subject for this project, Nikki felt strongly that violence prevention strategies and the community leaders who serve in the front lines and behind the scenes deserve recognition as silent heroes who show up every day to positively impact our communities in the Hennepin Theatre District.
Meet the artist
Nikki McComb
Executive Director of Art is My Weapon; Creatively Addressing Violence.
McComb uses photographs and video to reach people from the street level to the legislative arena and to help provide communities an outlet where they feel safe enough to seek help, empowered enough to give help, provoked enough to work harder to unify, and unified enough to make change collectively through art. For seventeen years, McComb has applied her artistic interests and skills to working relentlessly in North Minneapolis and surrounding communities in youth and family achievement. In addition to being an art educator, she has organized exhibitions, including “Art Is My Weapon,” a program whereby local artists select decommissioned guns to then create new work for display. McComb is a 2017 recipient of The Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship, a 2016 recipient of a Micro Grant for photography and a 2014 and 2015 recipient of several community leadership awards.
To learn more about Nikki McComb, visit www.ArtIsMyWeapon.org.
