Heijeu Arts, established in April 2023 by artist Heidi Jeub, aims to deliver top-notch arts education, art-infused community events, and purposeful collaborations across Minnesota. The foundation of Heijeu Arts is rooted in the extensive work of Heidi Jeub, a renowned teaching artist, painter, and public artist. With her rich experience as a teaching artist, Heidi has pioneered innovative methods to educate individuals of diverse backgrounds, ages, and artistic skills.
You may recognize Heidi or Heijeu Arts’ name from her creation of the Tiny School of Art & Design in 2019, a mobile art studio fostering community engagement through art creation. This program serves as the flagship initiative in Heijeu Arts' inaugural year, offering complimentary pop-up art gatherings as well as fee-based art camps. “In a nutshell, it's a portable studio that can land anywhere I'm invited. I set up equipment that only art students see at the college level and bring high-end materials to people so they can have fun, be expressive, and maybe make a little mess. I built the Tiny School from scratch with the help of my friends at Northside Welding, knowing how I wanted to make it look and feel as it rolled into the community I would be serving. It's painted in tractor colors, straight off the shelf at Fleet Farm: Kabota Orange, Bobcat Yellow, and International Blue ... Holland tractors, I think? But no John Deere Green... that doesn't pop in the settings of the luscious greens of Minnesota.”
Heidi wasn’t born in Central MN but grew up in the area and found her way back after college. “Born in Illinois, I moved a decent amount of times but ended up in Central Minnesota when my dad got a job with Zapp Bank. I went to middle and high school at Sartell and came back to the area after college. I guess over the years, I was able to make connections with good people in the region. Some of that is from my parents' work in the community, and then some was based on my work as a local artist.”
“I started Heijeu Arts in 2024 because I needed to differentiate between my work as an individual artist and the work I do for the community. Community engagement doesn't belong to me, I do not own the ability to connect people. However, with an arts organization, I am able to leverage resources differently to make more connections and, therefore, have a bigger impact on positive community interactions. Before creating the nonprofit, I did all the things one can do in the arts. I made art. I ran a gallery. I taught art. I facilitated creative community conversations. I hung art in galleries, coffee shops, and libraries. I inventoried local artists' work. So, I feel like I've done it all. I've done "arts work" within universities, small towns, big cities, schools, and nonprofits. I was able to know what I enjoyed and tolerated and in some cases ... couldn't stand. I realized I'm very "meat and potatoes" in how I approach the art world, probably because I consider myself rural-centric in how I see the world and how art can serve the world.”
So, what makes Heijeu Arts unique? “Aside from building an art trailer from scratch (who does that?), I think out every detail of the experience and do not copy others in my decisions. I appreciate what other art businesses and organizations do, but I am confident that I have the creativity and audacity to truly think outside the box. Sometimes, that may backfire by slowing me down. But when I look back on all the decisions I've made up to this point, I think that each step was based on my gut and my creativity. I wasn't looking at other people's work thinking I could do it too or even do it better. I just did what I knew would make sense, even if it was down the road.”
It’s apparent that the community is a strong foundation for the work Heidi does - particularly in Greater St. Cloud. “I like to collaborate with other organizations and artists that ‘play well in the sandbox.’ Oftentimes, we have to get to know each other to make sure it's a sincerely authentic partnership. For instance, Heijeu and Higher Works Collaborative created an open mic series that was about storytelling through any type of performance style, such as song, poetry, spoken word, etc. That relationship made sense because I used to work with Buddy King at the Boys & Girls Clubs in previous employment, and we continually saw each other in the community, realizing we were on the same wavelength. We had to continue our work in other sectors to find a way to work together. It wasn't forced. We had a blast. Period. While this program is currently on hold, we hope to go back at some point!”
“I like working with artists who get my way of doing things. We are not a monolith of people, which I think folks don't realize unless they work closely with a variety of artists. I learned that it's how we work, not what we create, that makes us a good match for collaboration. Now that I employ artists in my organization, I make sure we align in how we work, how we see our community, and whether we can facilitate good things to happen. In the end, I want us to work together to serve others, not just ourselves. That's tough when we live in such an individualistic society.”
Heidi is big on collaboration but is very intentional about what that collaboration looks like. “I really like folks that keep it real in our community. I think we can be ourselves and find our people, rather than trying to keep up with some unrealistic expectations. I only know a few that seem to be working really hard to "fake it till you make it." The rest are, for the most part, honest about the struggle – but also insistent on making it work. Small business is hard, and when you find folks who are at a similar place as you, and have the right attitudes, we support each other as best as we can. I don't see these types of relationships in other communities. Welcoming people into the community is the smartest business practice because it's grounded in kindness and optimism. It helps to have lived here for so long, but it also helps to have been the new girl in my youth, as well.”
“Since I get asked this a lot by people who work a 9-5, I have a way to explain this career I have. I work in “projects.” I develop relationships to make projects work. I raise money to fuel the tank to make things happen through selling art, writing grants, patron gifts, and more. The last full-time, non-art job I had was in 200,1 selling furniture. Sometimes I struggle, sometimes I don't. A key reason artists don’t get underwritten by traditional funding sources like banks or business grants is because those entities do not have consistent data on our field to decide if it will work. That's not their fault, but it's also not the artist’s. I don't make widgets, I make art. Heijeu Arts is full-time, but right now, in the winter, it's a lot of behind-the-scenes work. I'm not fully funded to support that work because I'm a young organization, and folks are just getting to know us as a viable organization. Luckily, I teach at the University of Minnesota (sharing my life experience as a creative entrepreneur), teach residencies in K-12 schools through COMPAS (an organization that works with teaching artists and communities throughout the state of Minnesota), and rest. I have a busy summer that needs to go well, and I need to stay healthy. While I don't know what a vacation is, I do know what a good nap looks like.”
Art and how Heidi approaches her work keep things interesting. “I may travel an unworn path, but I always get to choose my direction, whether it has to do with my artwork or my organization. What makes it different now is that the organization has a board and committee members who help me think past my own creativity.”
“Being authentic when society wants predictability can be a challenge, but like a good workout regimen, I'm able to respond to the obstructions pretty well. I pivot like a pro. Inconsistency in income is something that many artists or new organizations face. But because I've been doing this for years, I have the muscle memory to know the only way out is through. Keep going. Keep creating, and something will come of it. One thing I don't understand is being "laid off." I have been underemployed, though. I use that term because that space of non-commitment to a given project allows me to find new opportunities or to find funding to make a project happen.”
Heijeu Arts is currently seeking business sponsors for its programming. “We have a website page dedicated to sponsorship levels, and we are booking the Tiny School of Art & Design, so an organization or business could underwrite that as well, placing us at events throughout the region. This year, we are also building our individual donor base to 200 donors at any level! This helps us inform foundations and grantors that our work is appreciated and, therefore, can be leveraged to do more.”
There are other ways to get involved, too. “We are also looking for board members and committee members. We are committee-heavy, meaning that we put the emphasis on committee volunteers because they are often so talented and generous with their life experiences. Our board is technically small. But our committees... that's where the fun is!”
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