Last weekend, the Cora McCorvey Health and Wellness Center (CMHWC) held an opening reception for its newest art exhibition, “The Many Ways We Are Neighbors: Art About Care, Community, and Connection.” The event featured a lively performance from local legend Cornbread Harris and an opportunity to chat with some of the artists on display. This art exhibition is one of two 2026 exhibitions at the CMHWC being funded by a $20,900 Minnesota State Arts Board grant—the first arts grant MPHA has been awarded directly from the State of Minnesota.

The exhibition features original artworks by 20 different Minnesota artists over the age of 50, including an 88-year-old artist exhibiting her work publicly for the first time. With the CMHWC serving older adults, the artists featured in the exhibition mirrors the community using the center’s services. The exhibition centers themes of neighborliness, belonging, and community.

Here are five of the 20 featured artists with works on display through the end of November:

A woman stands smiling in front of three colorful portrait paintings, including one of themselves, on a light-colored wall.Pamela Gaard is a painter with several portraits on display of people that have supported her through difficult times. In some of her works, Pamela combines acrylic painting with textural collage.

“These are all portraits of people that have been helpful while I’ve been caregiving for my husband,” said Pamela Gaard. “I was caregiving and homebound for four or five years. These people all helped me through that period.”

A man wearing glasses and a black t-shirt stands in front of three framed artworks on a light-colored wall.Ned Johnson uses graphic art, painting, and printmaking to depict what he considers to be lesser known or overlooked North Minneapolis places. The location-based posters highlight Shingle Creek, Glenwood Avenue North, the globe’s 45th parallel through North Minneapolis, and Victory Memorial Parkway.

“North Minneapolis is often underappreciated, overlooked part of town,” said Ned Johnson. “My work, and practice, is to reveal things that lots of people might overlook.”

A man wearing glasses and a hat stands in front of a black-and-white abstract mural.Ta-Coumba Aiken—a painter and prominent Twin Cities public artist—sees his art as a vehicle for change. Ta-Coumba has four paintings on display at the CMHWC. His largest piece on display, The Calling, draws the viewer in with faces. The longer you look at it, the more faces you will see.

“I believe that we are all connected,” said Ta-Coumba Aiken. “The Calling makes you think you may recognize some of the faces or profiles in the piece. They call you in. And that what this piece is all about.”

A man smiling in a gray shirt stands next to a wall with three framed photos.

Rich Howard is a photographer with three photographs on display. While he has had wildlife photographs on display at the CMHWC in the past, this exhibition he featured some community members from a 2017 Highland Fest event.

“I’ve been involved with several exhibits here,” said Rich Howard. “These photos highlight the dynamic of sets of two people as they celebrated the community at Highland Fest.”

A woman, smiling softly, stands between two framed paintings on a beige wall. One painting depicts a vibrant ocean scene.

Lonnie Broden’s works focus on a variety of common places where people and animals gather to create a kind of neighborhood—from Ridgedale Commons to a beach on Kauai. Lonnie blends painting, photography, and drawings into a single work creating a layered effect.

“My works depict different types of neighborhoods or communities,” said Lonnie Broden. “I layer original oil paintings with photographs I take of the same subjects to create a digital collage.”

View “The Many Ways We Are Neighbors: Art About Care, Community, and Connection” art exhibit now through the end of November Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm at Cora McCorvey Health and Wellness Center (1015 N 4th Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55405).