We are excited to announce the addition of “Tomorrow: Twin Cities” by seangarrison to our collection as an expression of who we are as a firm and a reminder of our commitment to the community. Sean G. Phillips (seangarrison) is a writer and abstract painter whose paintings and prose reflect the various aspects of the African American existence and experience in America. On April 20, 2021, he was outside of the Government Center in Minneapolis when the verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin was announced. Among the people, he began to paint his emotional experience:
“…I began painting in darker ominous hues and the intense anger of red. Then something happened. The verdict came in and what I was ‘used to’ didn't happen. A guilty verdict was announced. The collective roar of the people, the joy in their voices and the harmony of cars honking their horns for this victory, if only for a moment...directed my paintbrush to change course as my spirit was freed into blues, oranges and the other hues that are predominant in this painting. All symbolic of hope and light.
4/20 was a new day...if only for a moment we could breathe for George [Floyd] and we were all ‘Walking On Air.’”
In the latter half of 2021, seangarrison organized several live painting experiences where audiences followed him on the journey he took while creating “Walking on Air.” “Tomorrow: Twin Cities” is one of eight panels from the Heaven or Hell live painting experience on August 13, 2021, and captures the emotion of possibility for our tomorrows to be better than our yesterdays.
As an Artist in Residence at the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery (MAAHMG), he is currently exhibiting Abstracproseality: Visual Notations from Dark to Light until June 30, 2022. The MAAHMG Artist-In-Residence program is designed to give support, opportunity and exposure to Black artists working in Minnesota to create new works exploring Black history, art and culture.
Best & Flanagan’s art collection was inspired by John Rood, a gifted sculptor and former client of the firm. Rood’s work became the cornerstone as other pieces in diverse media from Minnesota and Midwestern artists were acquired. Artists represented in the collection include Cameron Booth, Peter Busa, Eric Austen Erickson, Theresa Handy, Mike Lynch, and Carl Oltvedt. Collected media includes oil and acrylic paintings, ink and pastel drawings, lithographs and photographs, prints and watercolors.
The collection continues to grow, and provides a personal touch to our high-quality law practice.
