Today we’d like to introduce you to The Red Light House Team.
Article written by Jenny Zander
What can you tell us about your story?
The Red Light House was co-founded by best friends, Elena Bagne and Jenny Zander, in 2022. They bought a home together in North Minneapolis with the intention that their house would also become an accessible event and studio space for artists. The Red Light House was their childhood dream they made happen after many years as practicing artists and entrepreneurs in their own craft, Elena through her clothing company Minneapolis Made Apparel and Jenny through her work as a Body Artist and Photographer. This then manifested in the creation of a queer arts collective co-directed with their dear friend, Key Rose, who specializes in artist management. Together they run The Red Light House. Several artists have joined the collective over the years, bringing new eyes and energy to the mission.
“The Red Light House is a queer arts collective based out of the Twin Cities. Our collective is made up of young, queer women, each in their own creative genre. We focus on curating events and inducing memorable work environments all while uplifting queer voices and arts. The Red Light House is well known for our intimate and versatile arts space which we operate from our home in Minneapolis, but continue to partake in many traveling projects. The Red Light House is for the dreamers and the doers, promoting collective growth and experimentation free of gatekeeping.”
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We grew tired of the restrictions and censorship when partnering with some organizations and venues in the Twin Cities. We wanted more ownership over how we showcased art, whether it be our own or that of our friends. Being caught in the day to day hustle is a constant balancing act. It’s a true labor of love building something from the ground up, but with our own venue we have been able to center our work in the way we envision.
We’ve struggled finding resources and knowledge sharing for what we are doing. None of us really knew how to navigate everything in the beginning and it was a rude awakening when faced with all it takes to run a business from the licensing restrictions to the zoning laws to basic contracts protecting ourselves and those we host. There are still many limitations when operating our business from a residential area. But we chose to base our art space out of a house so as not to separate what we are creating and how we are living.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
To date we have hosted various music performances, film screenings, networking events, fundraisers, open mics, fashion and pop-up art shows. The music group Ozone Creations has presented various concerts with us. Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America organized a dance party to raise funds for food distribution, mutual aid and community defense. Culinary Artist, Lily Taggart, visited from New York City to host a community dining experience called “Table Manners”. Left Field, a local group of mixed media artists, presented a film screening of experimental video and performance work. Minneapolis Made Apparel debuted their first solo fashion show that explored all our definitions and origin stories of home through clothing. We held a book release and signing for “Shapeshifters: Bodies Like Water”, this book carries you through a series of stories from queer, trans, and gender-fluid artists many of which are based here in the Twin Cities. We then traveled to Upstate New York for an artist residency at Arts Letters & Numbers to create an installation inspired by Shapeshifters and the book’s connection between the body, land and queer wisdom.
We partnered with Gold Culture Entertainment for education and networking events that engaged panelists and audience through conversations focused on business, culture and the entertainment industry. We are currently working with Dead Silence Media for a music series called “The Red Light Special”. It is similar in practice to Tiny Desk, providing local talent with high quality documentation and promotion of their songs for better exposure. We are also very excited to be hosting our first open mic series called “Street Light: Open Mic” presented by our very own, Key Rose, honoring different historical events throughout the year.
Accessibility is very important to us and we’ve built many long lasting partnerships since opening. We’ve also created wonderful relationships with our local community and neighborhood through our Annual Arts Fest. The Red Light House Annual Arts Fest is everything we’ve worked so hard for and stand for in one beautiful summer day. Community from across the Twin Cities is welcome to come partake in a free event. Artists sell their work, live performances happen throughout the day and food & drinks are served fresh. For our Third Annual Arts Fest we will be debuting The Red Light Special live, which features many local musicians. So put it in your calendar – Saturday, July 26th from 2-9pm! Come say hi, tell your friends and bring your family! We’ve put a lot of time and love into our space and we hope you feel at home here.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
There are many we would like to thank, who have volunteered their time and resources to our collective. Organizations and individuals who have been with us and uplifted us from the start. Dave Zander for all the fatherly guidance and contributions, Mariah Vegas for promotion and excellent organizing, Ben Mangum and his Dead Silence Media team for media and tech support, our neighbor Marshall who constantly helps us through home crises and projects, Nana Souvannavong for her creative genius, Nova Muhammad for grant support, King Swank for bringing a swath of local talent to our events and of course our families and loved ones for always showing up and lending a hand every step of the way.
The goal is to expand The Red Light House in time and we are excited for what the future holds. We always welcome new partners and creatives. Have an idea for an event or project? Let us know and we’ll help make it happen!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: redxlighthouse
