“The Children Are Watching” Written & Performed by Tish Jones at The Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the Timberwolves Halftime Event. January 11, 2026
Art. Cultural Impact. Education.
Poet, cultural producer and educator from Saint Paul, MN, Tish Jones is an award winning artist with a deep and resounding love for Black cultural expression and ways of knowing. She infuses those practices into her artistic aesthetic, organizing, and pedagogy. Jones has created curriculum, organized international festivals and events, toured one-woman shows, performed original works of poetry, rap music, and song, and more. Read more on how to engage with Tish below!
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Performance Poetry, Emceeing, Hip Hop Theater, Voiceovers, and more.
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Event Production, Event Planning, Director of Events, Event Host, Project Management, Panelist, Public Speaking, Keynotes, Consulting, and more.
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Residencies, Workshops, Lesson Plan & Curriculum Development, Teaching Resources (Lesson Plans, Modules, etc.), Products/Tools for the classroom, Lectures, Professional Development for Educators, and more.
Just Writing Prompts
The Second Edition
A writing prompt deck for poets interested in exploring social justice topics, poetic devices and form, or for a quick bit of inspiration! Created by poet, Tish Jones, this deck is designed to inspire creativity and challenge writers to consider justice in the creation of new work. A great gift for new and seasoned writers alike and a marvelous educational tool!
The Second Edition includes new prompts, giving poets enough material for a 30/30!
“Art is the language of the spirit."
- Tish Jones
Fellowships, Awards, and Recognition (Snapshot)
Legacy Builder Award | Frogtown Neighborhood Association and 825 Arts
Sweeter the Juice Fellowship | More than A Single Story
2024 Facing Race Award Recipient | Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
2026
McKnight Culture Bearer Fellowship
Sally Award for arts vision | The Ordway
2024
2025
2026
2024
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Yesterday’s Legacy, Today’s Promise, Tomorrow’s Hope
On June 16, 2026 from 1:00 - 3:00 PM, catch Tish Jones providing a keynote during Washington County’s Juneteenth Celebration.
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Crew Love, Volume 7 - Host
The Urgent Emergent Performance Art Series powered by TruArtSpeaks (Urgent Art Series) is a year-long residency at Ice House in Minneapolis, MN, taking place monthly, every third Saturday,* in celebration of TruArtSpeaks' 20th year anniversary and - more importantly - all of the artists who make our work and community what it is.
Founded in 2006, by Tish Jones, the arts & culture organization based in Saint Paul has a long history of providing platforms for artists to share timely and innovative work— this series is no different. The Urgent Art Series will invite new and true collaborators to share work that speaks to both the nightly theme and the series' invitation: urgent and emergent performance art. Known for being bold in their creative work, TruArtSpeaks has curated a year of creative expression that will move the crowd, the needle, and change forward through creative cultural expression.
The Urgent Art Series is sponsored, in part, by Minnesota Public Radio.