Minnesota Prairie Roots

I APPRECIATE WHEN LEADERS think outside the box, using creative ways to gather and share information.

Take a project in the southern Minnesota riverside college town of Northfield, home to more than 2,000 Latinos, representing some 10 percent of the city’s population. A 2023 city-inspired effort led by a collective of local Latino artists and activists was tasked with developing a connective public art project focused on Latino voices.

Among the results was a poster campaign, “Dear Northfield,” by Latino artist Rocky Casillas Aguirre. He interviewed 100 Latino residents, asking this question: “If you could write a letter to the people who govern our city, what would you tell them?”

The results are colorful, eye-catching panels that reveal invaluable insights from Northfield’s Latino population. I recently saw six of Aguirre’s art posters displayed in the atrium of the Northfield Public Library, a community gathering spot.

At first glance, the artwork reminds me of illustrations in a children’s picture book or drawings in a cartoon. That’s a signature style of Aguirre, born in Mexico, raised in Northfield and a resident for more than 20 years. His art grabs attention in vivid cultural colors.

But it is the comments on those posters which especially deserve a close look as they address topics like housing, transportation, food, culture, communication and connection.

In their own words, Latino residents of Northfield share their thoughts, their concerns, their hopes, their dreams. They wish for Latino businesses downtown, shops where they can buy Mexican-made products, foods familiar and comforting to them.

They want affordable housing, options other than living in trailer houses and apartments.

They want local Latino-based cultural choices in music, entertainment and art, specifically naming murals. That seems doable in Northfield, which has always embraced public art and has multiple murals.

They want more options for youth, like a Latino youth center.

They want more representation in city government and increased connections and engagement between white people and Latinos.

None of these seem like particularly big asks, although some certainly take time and money to implement. It’s good to get the conversation going.

I hope other communities follow Northfield’s example and use art as a way to share information that will help build a stronger, better and more culturally-aware and diverse city. A place where everyone can thrive, no matter their color, no matter their language, no matter their culture.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling