Full Circle, The Ricochet of Gun Violence
Nikki McComb
MAAHMG Artist in Residence
April 2 – June 1, 2024
Full Circle, The Ricochet of Gun Violence is a mixed media art exhibition explores the impact of gun violence from the perspective of various people including a man convicted and imprisoned for a gun crime; an emergency room physician who has seen the physical destruction of gun violence; a woman held at gunpoint during a police raid; a man randomly shot while walking the street; a father whose son was shot and killed by police; and a conceal and carry gun instructor. Nikki reflects their unique experiences in her art. Come see and learn about their stories. She is one of the artists in residency recipients at the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery for 2023-2024.
McComb is one of four 2023 MAAHMG Artists In Residence. Other artists in the program are Donna Ray, Shea Maze, and Azania Tripp. Each artist received a $12,000 stipend for supplies, materials, research, design and other activities or items necessary to create new works during the residency. The Artist In Residence program is designed to give support, opportunity and exposure to Black artists working in Minnesota to create new works exploring Black history, art and culture. Funding for the program was provided by a grant from the McKnight Foundation.
Full Circle, The Ricochet of Gun Violence will be exhibited at the MAAHMG from April 2 – June 1, 2024
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About The Artist
Nikki McComb created a 2016 public safety campaign titled #ENOUGH which used art as acatalyst for change and social disruption. Taking on the unsolvable problem of illegal firearms, 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 18 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 is the owner of Art Is My Weapon, an organization whereby local artists select decommissioned guns to then create new work for display to engage the public, community leaders, organizations, elected officials, the media, etc. in respectful nonpartisan conversations around gun violence that ultimately lead to greater public awareness, conscientious community action, and responsible solutions to reducing gun violence. Art is my Weapon was featured at The Minnesota African American Heritage Museum in 2021. McComb has developed The Healing heART trauma informed care program using art to serve those affected by gun violence as well as heART Equity, A Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training for medical and community professionals working with those affected by gun violence. McComb is the first ever CURA Evictions project resident artist who developed “The Moving Walls of Minneapolis” exhibition in partnership with CURA displaying poor rental conditions in North Minneapolis. McComb was a 2018 resident artist to the ReCast YPAR project with North News and the City of Minneapolis. In 2017 she was the 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 in the arts. McComb is currently preparing for the 11 th vol. of Art is my Weapon at The Hennepin County Library Cargill Gallery opening on 4-23-23.
