Editor’s note: This article is adapted from a version published July 17, 2026, by the Minnesota Women’s Press.
Public art was unveiled at a July 11 event at the new Wadaag Commons affordable housing community in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis. A $500,000 investment was made in permanent public art that is integrated directly into the development as a defining element of the space. The work features Somali, East African, Muslim-identifying, and women artists whose cultures shape the neighborhood.
“Wadaag” means “to share” in Somali. Community conversations with local families informed everything from the size of the apartments to the design of the outdoor spaces and the integration of public art.
Located within the Seward Commons redevelopment and the Franklin Avenue East Cultural District, Wadaag Commons was designed based on community engagement and collaboration between the nonprofit Redesign, Inc.and Noor Companies, which is a Somali woman-owned development company. The 39-unit affordable housing community was intentionally developed to meet the needs of larger multigenerational families.
One feature of the project is a large-scale Arabic “Welcome” mural visible from Interstate 94 and Hiawatha Avenue.
The Office of Cultural Work led the arts integration strategy, bringing together a diverse team of local artists, including Aziz Osman, Hibaaq Ibrahim (Moon Juice Art), Yasmin Yassin, Hend Al-Mansour, Mohamed Hersi, Ifrah Mansour, and Sayge Carroll.
“Home is sacred,” said Shannon Brunette, founder of Office of Cultural Work, said at the event. “The artwork throughout Wadaag Commons reminds us that public art is most powerful when it is rooted in community and tells the stories of the people who live there.”
Hennepin County Commissioner Angela Conley encouraged communities to think of “art as infrastructure,” emphasizing that beauty, gardens, gathering spaces, and creative expression are essential components of healthy neighborhoods.
