In mid-September, Springboard for the Arts, the nonprofit behind this initiative, will launch a public art exhibition in St. Paul to advocate for guaranteed income programs. Artists in the exhibition received a $5,000 grant, in addition to their monthly payments, to create works that commemorate the fund’s impact as the current pilot phase is set to conclude. A guaranteed income program in Minnesota has been providing $500 a month to urban and rural artists—no strings attached—since April 2021. 

Throughout the pilot, 75 artists in rural Otter Tail County and St. Paul received a total of $675,000 on prepaid debit cards in 18-month cohorts, according to the Guaranteed Income Pilots Dashboard (GIPD) managed by the Stanford Basic Income Lab, the University of Pennsylvania Center for Guaranteed Income Research, and the University of Tennessee. Eligible artists lived in neighborhoods that had previously received aid from the Coronavirus Personal Emergency Relief Fund.

The GIPD studied Springboard’s guaranteed income program and found that artists primarily used the cash for retail purchases (35.94%), food and groceries (30.26%), and housing and utilities (10.04%).

According to figures provided by Springboard, 70% of recipients were BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), LGBTQ+, artists from rural areas, or artists with disabilities.

Among the recipients featured in the upcoming exhibition is multidisciplinary artist and organizer Jessalyn Torgerson. She stated, “Before the guaranteed income, I was working 60 hours a week, which didn’t leave time for the things that interest me and serve my community. Having a little cushion allows me to know that I’m going to eat that month while I pursue the things I care about in my work and community.”

This year, Springboard commissioned Creel Falcón’s “Guaranteed Income is the G.O.A.T.” billboard along a rural highway in Minnesota for $5,000. Falcón remarked, “Guaranteed Income is a rural strategy that helps us tend to our herd.”

The exhibition, titled EXHALE, will open at Springboard for the Arts’ headquarters on Tuesday, September 17, during International Basic Income Week, and will remain open through September 30. After the show, the artwork will be housed in the Minneapolis Central Library, as noted by Springboard’s Program Director Ricardo Beaird.

Like other artist income pilots initiated during the pandemic, including San Francisco and New York’s $1,000-per-month programs, the Springboard for the Arts initiative is funded by private foundations. Beaird expressed hope for transitioning from private funding to state legislation and federal policy, allowing more people to experience the benefits of direct cash. He added that the upcoming art show aims to inspire advocacy for guaranteed income programs like Springboard’s.

The city of St. Paul has supported at least three universal income pilot programs since the pandemic, starting with the People’s Prosperity Pilot in November 2020, which provided $500 per month to 150 families. Research from GIDB found improved economic mobility among St. Paul participants.

“I’m hoping Minnesota could be a leader in basic and guaranteed income,” Beaird stated. “We wanted to provide this moment to celebrate [the pilot] and help folks understand the larger movement and bring more people to the table to advocate for direct initiatives.”

Sayart / ReaA JUNG queen7203@gmail.com