Kordula Coleman

I grew up in Germany and immigrated to Minnesota in 2000. I became an American citizen in 2013, and while I love living here and now truly feel that I belong, to fully arrive has been a journey, and a struggle at times. At the same time, to know two cultures really well is a huge enrichment, and has enabled me to understand aspects of the human condition that would have escaped me if I had not left my country of origin.

How and why did you become an artist?

I think I wanted to process what I saw around me with a pen as soon as I could hold one, which is something most kids do. But since my drawings were valued by my parents and especially my mother, I was encouraged to keep pursuing drawing and then sculpting as a form of processing what I was feeling past the age when many kids stop doing it. I also was really fascinated with the human form from an early age on – with how body anatomy looks like in various positions, and how facial features and body poses can express emotional processes or a certain state of mind. Releasing my tensions, anxieties and emotions into drawing and sculpting has helped me throughout my life to deal with heavy emotions, especially when I was a teenager. My father had severe PTSD from his time as a German soldier in WW2, and escaping into my drawings and my sculpting helped me cope with the situation. To this day, touching and sculpting clay is a way for me to feel better, calm down, center myself, and process emotions of all kinds. It is an essential self help tool for me.

What medium(s) do you work in?

Clay, mixed media.

How long have you been working as an artist?

I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. My mother saved many of my early drawings and they show that I drew on every scrap of paper I could find around the house – and sometimes also the walls! She was the one who introduced me to clay when I was around seven years old – she was a potter and clay was always available to me. She strongly supported and encouraged my sculpting – it didn’t matter where or when I decided to start a piece (except not at bedtime!), and mostly it took place right at the dining room table, where she was nearby doing housework, and could share her knowledge of building with Clay with me. She also saw to it that my pieces were glazed and fired, and believed firmly in my talent for figurative sculpting.

What are some of your biggest inspirations as an artist?

I often get inspired by other forms of art – music, movies or books – that make me feel strongly. A movie like Joji Fukunaga’s 2011 version of Jane Eyre checks all three boxes – the actors, imagery, music and Charlotte Brontë’s powerful and evocative writing are endlessly inspiring to me. In general I think I’m most inspired by stories, expressed through those art forms, that describe an emotional challenge that is overcome, since that speaks deeply to my childhood and youth, and helps me believe in my own healing. But my art can also get directly inspired by current happenings, like my piece ‘Mother’ that I made in response to feeling very exhausted by motherhood, or my latest piece, ‘Mama Bear’, that expresses my instinct to protect and stand up for transgender kids. My art basically takes the runoff of feelings I can’t process in any other way, and that feel significant enough that I want to share them with others in form of a sculpture.

What is your connection to Northeast Minneapolis?

We moved into our house in the Waite Park neighborhood in 2007 with our two little daughters. We took advantage of living as a family in this vibrant community with its many parks and recreational areas as much as we could, and grew some deep roots here. Both our daughters attended Edison Senior High school, and we all have become very attached to our house and our neighborhood. It was here that I started taking my career as an artist seriously, established a studio in the basement of our house, and was successful in finding entry level art opportunities to show my work.

How does Art-A-Whirl benefit you as an artist?

It benefits me in so many ways. It is the only studio tour/concentrated art sale that I do throughout the year, so it plays an important role for me in connecting with fans old and new in person. It’s not just for selling my art;  it’s also about experiencing the wide variety of people that are drawn to my art, and be able to tell them the stories behind my pieces, and hear what stories of thoughts my art draws from them. AAW creates and nurtures relationships with clients, but I also love the connection and camaraderie with the other artists in my space. Art -A-Whirl makes me appreciate the power and versatility of the Northeast Minneapolis art scene, and it gives me a thrill to witness it and also be part of it.

Any good stories or memories of an experience at Art-A-Whirl that you can share? What stands out?

My first Art-A-Whirl was pretty much a disaster – I was in the midst of raising little kids, and felt frazzled and very underprepared. One of the pieces that I showed hadn’t even been fired, but I was scrambling to have enough pieces for the show, so I brought it anyway. I was very new to interacting with people looking at my art, and felt very vulnerable. I didn’t have any sales, and the whole event left me feeling discouraged and exhausted. However, I had gotten some very earnest and positive feedback from one woman that had looked at my art. That planted a spark, and a few years later I tried AAW again, this time at the Grain Belt Bottling house. I remember that there was a sudden rainstorm, and I thought it would hurt turnout. The opposite was true – it brought many art patrons inside, seeking shelter, and I sold several pieces on the first night of AAW! 

Then there were the times when customers kept circling and circling a piece that they were strongly drawn to and ended up purchasing it – almost despite themselves. I will never forget one of the stories of personal loss that was shared with me on such an occasion, and why one of my pieces spoke so strongly to this patron. I can’t fully describe the thrill I feel when one of my pieces is able to create such a strong connection between my soul and that of another person, to the extent that they must own it.

What has being a NEMAA member meant to you? What do you value most about membership?

Being a NEMAA member has made me feel like I’m valuing myself as an artist. It has moved my sculpting practice from hobby to professional occupation, and has also helped me feel connected to this big body of artists in this town that devote so much of their lives to keep art making and art-enjoying alive in Minneapolis. That is a heartening and empowering feeling.

What I value most about my membership is that boost to my confidence in myself as an artist, and also the frequent newsletters that list artist opportunities and calls for art. That newsletter has been invaluable for finding opportunities to show my art, becoming better known, and carving out a place for myself in the Minneapolis art world. I also really really love my NEMAA online shop. It is my only online selling platform and works so well for me, and is so well supported, that I don’t feel the need for any other online sales platform.

What do you wish more people knew about the arts scene in Northeast Minneapolis?

The first thing that popped into my mind was that I want people to realize that committed art making doesn’t just happen in the dedicated studio buildings. It happens in cluttered basements, cramped kitchens and on dining room tables all throughout Northeast, because artists want to create, no matter what their circumstances, and will customize and transform any room into a workplace practical for them.

My basement corner isn’t bright or spacious, but it’s where I can often be my truest self, and I share it on social media in all its grubby glory as much as I can, to fight the perception that not having a dedicated large studio space has to be a hurdle to rewarding art making.

Art-A-Whirl and NEMAA turn 30 years old in 2025. Can you believe it? What changes have you witnessed?

In the 10+ years of my being part of Art-A-Whirl, it has definitely become more of a mainstream event, with many people attending it that aren’t part of any gallery or art scene in their regular lives. I love this for the most part, because I think art is important and healing for everyone, and should not just be enjoyed by people that are already part of the scene.

I love watching a person walk into the building that I wouldn’t peg as an art enthusiast, and then see their expression soften and open up as they see something that speaks to them.

That experience helps me become aware and let go of some of my own prejudice. Of course there are also challenges when an event gets this big and popular – the percentage of people that are actually willing to invest a more substantial amount of money into purchasing art goes down, and with this opening up of the AAW audience artists definitely need to educate audiences that a handmade, one of a kind piece can’t be priced like a piece of mass produced art.

Instead of staying irritated with this, I decided to adapt to the changing crowd by making small, affordable gateway pieces that might eventually lead to selling something bigger. Also, I keep in mind that AAW is about relationship and community building, and not just about selling.

And in most instances I love how democratic the art world has become – if you have the desire, drive and dedication to create art in whichever form, proudly call yourself an artist and show and sell your wares.

Why is art important in our community?

I think that we respond to art in a different way than to, for example, the news, or other things that are meant to communicate information.

The way art appeals to our senses makes us willing to take in a point of view that we might have shut out if we would have experienced it in a form like a newspaper headline. That way, art really can open doors and sometimes maybe even change hearts.

And then, art can also just bring pure relaxation, enjoyment and an escape from an oppressive reality. When we return to reality from that break, we feel refreshed and nurtured, and ready for whatever challenge life will throw our way. 

And experiencing such an art break in a community of others can help us experience what we share as humans, and make it easier to not cling to prejudice and resentment against groups we aren’t part of.

Can you imagine a world WITHOUT the arts community in Northeast Minneapolis? How would the community be different?

Oh gosh no. I think the arts are an important reason why many people want to live here. Art adds an element of awe and surprise to their lives that they wouldn’t find in an area filled mostly with places where you are only welcome if you can spend money, or have a rental contract.

Art is a powerful reminder that there is more to life than eating, sleeping, working and consuming, and seeing it will inspire people to create something themselves, or at least take a break from the pressures of life in a capitalist society, through seeing public art, going to art openings and festivals, or supporting small artist businesses.

The spaces that the arts occupy in NE are a much needed oasis for people to pause, breathe, and look at something lovingly created by another human being and possibly mind opening.

What are your hopes and dreams for Art-A-Whirl, NEMAA, and/or the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District in the next 30 years?

I would like to see still more diversity in the artists and in the people that come and see the art. I applaud the artists with big studio spaces who come up with interactive events and hands on activities that take art off its pedestal, and help audiences discover that art and making art is important for everyone, no matter how much you know about art, and that the act of creating is at least as important as the outcome. Art shouldn’t be about gatekeeping and whether you ‘get’ an artist statement or a piece of art – it should be about what you personally take away from looking at it, without fear of judgment.

If you could make one change in Northeast Minneapolis, no matter the cost, what would it be?

I would change every street where motorists think it’s ok to go 50 instead of the posted 25 into a road design that makes speeding much more difficult, like the changes done to Johnson Street. I would add more traffic lights and pedestrian crossings especially to Central Ave, to encourage walking between stores and make streets safer, more livable and encouraging walking and human interaction.

Tell us again why you love being an artist and what your work brings to the community.

I love being an artist because it has enabled me to truly become myself. I can’t imagine myself without the art I create, and the times where it took a backseat in my life were taxing on my mental health. I need my art making to process, to continue my healing journey, and to boost my self esteem and confidence when other areas of my life are eroding it.

I think that my desire to directly communicate my emotions and state of mind through my art helps my community to open up as well, and gives them permission to share their entire experience of being human, and not just the happy, bolstering times. The worst thing when you’re unhappy or struggling is isolation. I have made it my mission to wear my heart on my sleeve in my art, and to encourage my audience to do the same if they wish – to de-stigmatize our emotional struggles.

I also love to connect with people on social media through my art. Since I don’t have the space (yet!) to teach small classes at our house, I love to make and share process reels with my followers, to break down my process into steps and demonstrate that sculpting with clay, especially smaller pieces, is attainable, and encourage anyone with an interest to try it for themselves.

What do you want to share that we haven’t covered?

I want to thank NEMAA and its many volunteers for all they do for the NE arts community. The amount of positive feedback, community, validation and last but not least, sales, that I have experienced since moving to NE would have never been possible without NEMAA.

Also, thanks for asking me these questions! It was really interesting thinking about the issues raised, and I feel honored to add my two cents to the conversation.