You’re Invited: Spoken Heart – Amplifying Voices (May 9)

Spoken Heart: Amplifying Voices Saturday May 9th!

Join us for spoken word, community singing, and immerse yourself in art!

Zeke Caligiuri (he/they) is a writer and activist from South Minneapolis. He has won multiple literary awards and is the cofounder of the Stillwater Writers Collective. As an incarcerated writer, his work has been widely published in journals and anthologies for years. He is directly impacted by over two decades of incarceration and now empowers other system-impacted people reinvesting in the humanization of those still stuck within the captivity business.

Calvin Boswell Jr. is a 37-year-old Minneapolis native and the eldest of six siblings. After overcoming a 20-year sentence that began when he was 15, he has dedicated himself to his family and his community. He is now a first-time business owner who is passionate about giving back to others.

Davi Gray (she/they) is a queer, trans, nonbinary poet, writer, performer, artist, and activist. She lives in Bde Óta Othúŋwe (Minneapolis).

Kristi Lazenberry grew up in the Rondo area of St. Paul. She acted with the Hallie Q Brown theatre, has been a member of the group, 94 East and is a professional storyteller in the African/African American tradition. Recently retired, she as been involved with racial justice work for many years.

Dear friends,

We warmly invite you to join us for Spoken Heart: Amplifying Voices, a powerful afternoon of storytelling, community, and creative healing hosted by Art from the Inside.

On Saturday, May 9th from 1:00–4:00 PM at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis, we’ll gather to experience the transformative power of art and voice. This event brings together poets, artists, and community members to reflect, connect, and uplift one another.

The afternoon will include:

Spoken word performances from incredible artists including Zeke Caligiuri, Calvin Boswell Jr, Davi Gray, and Kristi Lazenberry.
Community singing led by Isabel Nelson
A gallery experience featuring artwork by justice-impacted artists, those currently serving time as well as our returning neighbors
Time for conversation, reflection, and connection

At Art from the Inside, we believe in the power of creativity to heal, to build bridges, and to shift narratives. Spoken Heart is an invitation to witness that power in action and to be part of a community grounded in compassion and shared humanity.

This event is free and open to the public, and we would love to have you there.

👉 Reserve your spot here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spoken-heart-amplifying-voices-tickets-1985340258156

Please feel free to share this invitation with others who may be interested. Your presence helps make this space meaningful.

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With gratitude,

Antonio and Jessica Espinosa
Art from the Inside MN

Isabel Nelson (she/they) is a community songleader, ritual artist, and award-winning theater director, creator and performer. She is currently a 2025-26 McKnight Theater Artist Fellow at the Playwrights’ Center. Currently Isabel brings their creative practice to bear in collaboration with folx incarcerated at state prisons in Lino Lakes, Shakopee, and Stillwater.

Support our artists with a purchase today!

Flags in the Crowd by Jaik Elliott

16” x 20”

Medium: acrylic

The importance of being seen

$300.00

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After The Fire by Lux Thunberg

18” x 24”

Medium: Pencil and acrylic paint

If my heart could speak, it would speak of what remains after the fire.

The reaching hand stands in the aftermath... not as rescue, but as resolve. Destruction changes us, but it does not remove our power to shape what comes next.

Rebuilding is a choice.

$390.00

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Humility by Roberto Lopez Rios

Medium: Acrylic on canvas

The emblematic Toh bird symbolizes my new beginning in a foreign land. Just as the Toh leaves its cavernous sinkhole home to explore the wide jungle, I left the cavernous walls of a 6x9 cell. I am shedding the heartless value system imposed on me and moving into a new, lighter existence. Although the Toh is flying free, the weight of its past is ever-present.

$1,050.00

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Emerging in His Image by Khoua H.

16” x 20”

Medium: Acrylic

This artwork represents the spiritual journey of transformation. How I started out was very vulnerable and earthbound, like a caterpillar searching for something more as I begin to move toward Jesus. I shed my old ways as I endured seasons of stillness and struggle and also slowly shaped into something new. The closer I draw to him, the more I begin to reflect His image until one day, I emerge fully transformed, free and full of purpose. Just like the butterfly, my resurrection doesn't come without process but in Christ I am made new. This is the story of healing, surrender, and the beauty of becoming.

$530.00

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