Mary’s Pence invites the community to celebrate the legacy of our ancestors at its Art Crawl Weekend. The event will feature three artists whose work reflects traditional knowledge, women’s leadership, and the resilience of communities across generations.
Details:
- Dates: Saturday, April 18, and Sunday, April 19, 2026
- Hours: Office space will be open from 12:00 p.m. noon – 5 p.m.
- Artist Talk: Edison Richie – Sunday, April 19 at 2 p.m.
- Location: 275 4th Street East #642, Saint Paul, MN 55101-1651
Edison Ritchie, a Lakota artist from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, fuses traditional Lakota symbols with modern materials, creating art that honors the continuity and survival of his culture.
Artist Talk:
Edison will host an Artist Talk on Sunday, April 19, at 2 p.m.at Mary’s Pence space in Lowertown, Saint Paul. “I want people to see the deep connection the Lakota people have to the wisdom of our elders, and how this knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation,” Richie says. “As a culture-bearer and artist, I hope to show in my work that my people are not a footnote in history, but that we continue to exist and remain connected to our culture.”
hclou (heather c. lou, she/they), Saint Paul-based hclou, will debut amma, an exhibition with an accompanying zine dedicated to her Toishanese grandmother and all strong immigrant women and femmes. lou’s work, which includes portraits and art, draws from her childhood experiences with her Toishanese grandmother. hclou reflects on her grandmother’s journey from Toishan to San Francisco, including her detention at Angel Island and eventual life in Chinatown.
Stäcy Smith, a contemporary Surrealist painter, will present prints of paintings and installations focusing on feminist themes. Smith, who teaches painting at Glassell Studio School at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, also teaches art history as an adjunct professor at several Houston institutions. She employs archival painting techniques in her narrative-driven work. While teaching and motherhood occupy much of her time, her work can be seen in the artist-owned and operated Hardy Nance Studios.
In addition to experiencing this powerful art, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about Mary’s Pence’s work funding and supporting women’s organizations across the United States, Mexico, and Central America, and see how art, culture, and advocacy intersect to strengthen communities.
Mary’s Pence’s exhibition emphasizes women’s leadership, generational and ancestral wisdom, and the ways women support one another in challenging and changing systems. The organization uses an inclusive definition of women that includes cis women, trans women, nonbinary people, and 2S folx.
The Saint Paul Art Crawl is free and open to the public, providing an opportunity to engage with artists, celebrate resilience, and intergenerational knowledge.
About Mary’s Pence:
Mary’s Pence funds women’s organizations that work with their local communities to create long-term systemic change. The organizations we fund are all small. Yet they collaborate with diverse populations, advocate to change unjust policies, and educate to build skills and increase capacity. Our grants serve as seed funding for newly created organizations and support for organizations that have been working at the grassroots level for years. Beyond grantmaking, we connect leaders, strengthen networks, and support solutions rooted in community wisdom.