Thomasina TopBear: Empowering Community Through Art

Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine

Today we’re speaking with artist Thomasina “Tomie” TopBear. She is a self-taught artist, muralist, published illustrator and organizer from the Oglala Lakota & Santee Dakota Nations. She specializes in large-scale murals; her work can be seen on the sides of buildings throughout the Twin Cities and the country. Cole talks with her about City Mischief Murals, which she co-founded. It’s an all Indigenous, Black & Pacific Islander artist collective centered on healing through art. She had some great things to say about how murals can build a stronger community, the process of painting a mural, and much more. You can get a taste of her art at: https://www.instagram.com/tomierae
Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine

Native Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.
Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/