“Each year in Minnesota, once the snow and cold settle in for the winter season, I find myself increasingly passing time inside, hibernating in my underwear (because my landlord insists on cranking the heat), binge-watching TV shows on Netflix, and drinking hot toddies while my feline companions purr next to me. My December birthday and the holiday season keep me from complete social isolation but by mid-January, a pleasant combination of winter blues and cabin fever blossom into full effect. When the temperatures rise and the snow finally melts, I make my way back into the outside world dazed, squinting from the sunlight, brushing off cat fur and hardly recognizing the faces of my friends.”

“Gentrification, here defined as a process of targeted new investment and development in urban neighborhoods, is a form of neighborhood change that disproportionately impacts working class residents, renters, and people of color (POC) in a multitude of negative ways. These types of residents are traditionally left out of neighborhood decision-making, leaving them more vulnerable to a loss of cultural access and social currency compared to middle- and upper-class homeowners and White residents. My research looks at how several arts organizations and artists in Twin Cities neighborhoods initiate unique community engagement tactics, helping residents reclaim power through the telling of their own stories.”