Nikki McComb
Nikki McComb’s 2016 public safety campaign titled #ENOUGH used art as a catalyst for change and social disruption. Taking on the unsolvable problem of illegal firearms, McComb uses photographs and video to reach people from the street level to the legislative arena and to help provide communities an outlet where they feel safe enough to seek help, empowered enough to give help, provoked enough to work harder to unify, and unified enough to make change collectively through art. For more than 20 years, McComb has applied her artistic interests and skills to working relentlessly in North Minneapolis and surrounding communities in youth and family achievement to promote systems change around social issues using art as a catalyst for change.
In addition to being an art educator, she is the owner of Art Is My Weapon, an organization whereby local artists select decommissioned guns to then create new work for display to engage the public, community leaders, organizations, elected officials, the media, etc. in respectful nonpartisan conversations around gun violence that ultimately lead to greater public awareness, conscientious community action, and responsible solutions to reducing gun violence. McComb has executed 12 large scale exhibits since 2016. Art is my Weapon was featured at The Minnesota African American Heritage Museum in 2021. McComb has also developed The Healing heART trauma-informed care program using art to serve those affected by violence, primarily gun violence. McComb also developed heART Equity, A Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training for medical and community professionals working with those affected by violence, primarily gun violence. McComb is a 2023 resident artist at The Minnesota African American Heritage Museum. She is the first ever CURA Evictions project resident artist who developed “The Moving Walls of Minneapolis” exhibition in partnership with CURA, displaying poor rental conditions in North Minneapolis. McComb was a 2018 resident artist to the ReCast YPAR project with North News and the City of Minneapolis. In 2017, she was the recipient of The Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship. She is also a 2016 recipient of a Micro Grant for photography and a 2014 and 2015 recipient of several community leadership awards in the arts.