Legacy Arts Group has one mission: Provide quality unique arts immersion experiences that develop and provide a platform for the next generation of brave new artmakers in the Twin Cities. We partner with intergenerational homegrown talent, combine the art of collaboration, the power of inclusion to innovate new ways to make art and empower each brave voice to be courageous in their expression. At its core, this is the heartbeat of Legacy Arts Group is all about.

Tamiko French Director of Legacy Arts Group
” I have no children myself. In a way, I have assisted or raised many artists through the classes I have taught over my now 22 years as a dance instructor. This is my life’s work. Digging into the community. Especially the youth. Paying it forward because ALL of my teachers did that for me. I continue to think about what I have left behind to forward the work that all that my ancestors and mentors had given me. Most of all, what I see hidden behind these young artists’ eyes. If I can ignite a young artist with my light illuminated by the hundreds of torches that lit mine, imagine how much stronger and brighter it will burn for generations to come. It’s our Legacy.”
-Tamiko French 
Director of Legacy Arts Group

Born out of passion and necessity to provide bold avenues of arts education for youth in a community with limited outlets dedicated to personal ownership of the art they create, Tamiko French created Legacy Arts Group, seeking to be that bridge. At its core, Legacy Arts Group seeks to bring communities together through art by providing a safe space to be open in expression, a collaborative framework to collect the issues that matter, space to innovate and think out loud, with the chance to project our voices into the future, by empowering growth through exposure.

Current Project:

Legacy Arts Group has been invited by the American High School Theater Festival to perform in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2022. Featuring Minneapolis High School students they will take their original show “The Beautiful Ugly” on a journey of a lifetime! After seeing community performances and interaction of the North Dance Teacher and her students, the American High School Theater Festival (AHSTF.org) saw something special in this program. Special enough to take it all the way to Scotland!

“The Beautiful Ugly” is an original and interdisciplinary performance co-written and directed by Tamiko French and her Cast. This tale of the rules and systems that impose youth empowerment layered with the wonderings and hopes of Generation Z in a community of forced change shares the Cast’s view of life as they know it. Real, intertwined. In May, 2019 we auditioned a small group of Fine Arts students that worked all summer and conceptualizing and creating a show they can be proud of. Through this work, they will share their lives and stories with the world abroad.

Then came COVID19

Progress for us after COVID19 has been slow and intentional as we gear up for the twists and turns this pandemic throws our way. This thing hit us hard. Canceling our whole performance season in 2020, all fundraising efforts gone, families struggling, and strict precautions of gatherings, rehearsals, and in-person performances has made it hard as well… but we still are here. With the uncertainty of this pandemic and the goals of this organization for attending the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the American High School Theater Festival has extended our inclusion to the festival through 2022. This is good news!

We re-auditioned, re-cast, and re-invigorated our drive to succeed. With The Educational Leadership Award that was given to Tamiko French, our students will have opportunities to focus on building with the community in an even more intentional way. This process we know will make our work even stronger.

We can’t wait to share the developments we are working on, and the partnerships we are building!

Our coaches are volunteers with professional backgrounds in education and arts. The American High School Theater Festival has recognized our group through our performances in the community. They believed we have something to share with the world!

This is not just about one Minneapolis High School; this is about our whole community standing in support to share our voices abroad.

#blacklivesmatter #legacybuilding #edinburghfringefestival #ourstory #MoveForwardAlways #2022vision