Radio Camp 2019: Juxtaposition Arts, a creative engine in the heart of north Mpls.
The arts non-profit is teaching young people the skills they need to succeed in life
How do you get young people who might not even own a radio to fall in love with radio?
That's the mission of our annual Radio Camp, a week-long program for high school students in partnership with ThreeSixty Journalism at the University of St. Thomas. This summer, eight students from diverse backgrounds came to MPR News to get firsthand exposure to our broadcast center and learn the basics of what we do: field recording, interviewing, writing stories and voicing their own scripts.
The camp was created to honor the legacy of Toni Randolph, a longtime MPR News journalist and champion of ThreeSixty. Toni believed newsrooms should reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.
This year's camp focused on Juxtaposition Arts — or JXTA — in north Minneapolis. Each student worked with an MPR mentor and produced a feature story on a person or project at Juxtaposition Arts. The results? Inspiring, sound-rich radio storytelling — featuring the students' own voice tracks and the audio they gathered in the field — mixed by a professional sound engineer.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
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Listen to all of the students' pieces below.
Roger Cummings, co-founder
By Samira Mohamed
When he was a teenager, Roger Cummings had three things on his mind: how to not get bullied, how to make money and how to get girls. It turns out all three problems had the same solution.
Alex Smith, designer and educator
By Ayo Olagbaju
Many of us have told our parents we were going to a friend’s house, only to head somewhere else. But Alex Smith didn’t just sneak off to a party — he got on a plane to Europe to paint in as many countries as he could.
The essence of Essence
By Safiya Mohamed
Art has always been an outlet for Essence Enwere. But she didn’t realize how talented she was until she was 16, when she started apprenticing at Juxtaposition Arts. Now she’s collaborating, creating and exploring abstract designs that spark conversations about humanity and community.
The magic of graphic design
By Francisca Aravena
You probably don't think about graphic design much — if you think about it at all. But it might just be the art form you're most familiar with, even if it's all in the subconscious. Because graphic design is everywhere, from your favorite brands, to billboards you see during long commutes, to the cover of your favorite album.
A new skate park in north Minneapolis
By Datelle Straub
A new temporary skate park is helping to redefine the character of north Minneapolis, and it’s drawing skateboarders from outside the neighborhood.
Sparking community solutions… with bubbles
By Josie Morss
Jahliah Holloman says creating community change is easier when people are in the right frame of mind. And who can be mad at bubbles?
An old wall, a new mural and an opportunity to collaborate
By Jacqueline Martinez
Visual artist Jordan Hamilton says working together is a key part of what students learn at Juxtaposition Arts.
The future of the skate park
By Josiah Lemm
JXTA co-founder DeAnna Cummings says the new skate park may be the best thing her non-profit has ever done — which has her re-thinking its future.