Photo by Rebecca Rabb
Maybe the only thing that surpasses Charles Caldwell’s artistic talent is his generosity. The North Minneapolis artist—who is behind the iconic “Welcome to Minneapolis” mural that has welcomed visitors to West Broadway for more than a decade—takes his role as a community elder seriously.
Courtesy of Charles Caldwell
During the holidays, the 63-year-old can often be found around town in his red tracksuit—and combined with his long hair and full beard, the effect is decidedly North Pole. “I work with local organizations that will give me gift cards to various places, and I keep them with me and hand them out,” Caldwell says. “Last Christmas, I was at the grocery store, and there was an elderly lady ahead of me. I gave her a gift card and she said, ‘You don’t know how much it took me to get here today. I had a couple of anxiety attacks on my way.’ I get to know a lot of that. I go to schools and daycares as a Santa.”
Caldwell is a benevolent patriarch, not only of his own tight-knit family, which includes many children and grandchildren who are also artists, but of the neighborhood and schools where he grew up. “I was born in Arkansas, and I moved to Minnesota when I was 7,” Caldwell says. His single mom knew Minneapolis could offer her children a wealth of opportunities that weren’t available to them in the South.
As a kid, Caldwell’s primary passion was fishing. “I had no idea that I was even interested in art,” he says. But soon, his art teachers at John Hay and Willard elementary schools noticed his skill with a pencil, a paintbrush, a piece of wood. In seventh grade, “I was fortunate to meet a great art teacher named Mr. Richard Scott,” Caldwell says. “He became my lifelong mentor and inspiration. The whole atmosphere in his room was creative and amazing.” Teachers gave him free rein in the art room, telling him to work on his advanced, independent projects while they taught fundamentals to the rest of the class. “Art has been a lifeline for me,” he says. “My inspiration comes from my culture, my community, my experiences, and my desire to make the world a better place when I’m gone.”
Courtesy of Charles Caldwell
After graduating from West High School in 1980, Caldwell explored a few different paths. He spent a couple of semesters studying art at a technical college, had a brief stint as a commercial artist, worked as a plumber, and took a job in car sales. But art kept calling, and he took the leap to start selling his work at shows and expos around the country, making connections and finding an audience.
Caldwell is adept in all kinds of media, from detailed pencil portraits and colorful stained glass to carved wooden walking sticks and imposing oil paintings. He’s been an artist in residence and teacher at many Minneapolis public schools and arts organizations, leading special projects and installations—like the sign that marked a name change for Camden High School (previously Patrick Henry High School). “I got a group of kids together and we created a mural for the name change,” he says. “We did it over the summer. It’s beautiful.”
Now, Caldwell is perhaps best known for his beautiful murals, which allow him the opportunity to directly connect with neighbors during the painting process. “My community loves me, and I love my community,” he says. Most recently, he designed “All Seasons,” a 141-foot-long mural on West Broadway’s Kemps dairy building. In addition to employing his grandkids and other local young people to help with the painting, he used the time to create a “healing moment” for the neighborhood. He set up a pop-up park in a parking lot across the street, complete with planters, shade umbrellas, and picnic tables, where passersby could sit and watch the mural take shape while enjoying a meal or some ice cream. The park was “a sacred space,” he says. “I wanted people to feel it was safe.” He and his team hosted a few ice cream socials, where community mental health organizations offered resources, and coordinated food trucks and warm meals from outreach groups.
Courtesy of Charles Caldwell
People in need of love and support—especially young people—seem perpetually drawn to Caldwell. Whether it’s the Santa Claus vibes or his gentle, artistic nature, he isn’t sure. But he’s glad to be someone to lean on, the way he leaned on his own mentors. The Kemps mural project connected Caldwell with a young woman, living in her car, whom he painted into the mural. “She’s on there, one of the smiling faces,” he says. “Looking at her face in the mural, you wouldn’t know the pain she had in her life.”
Courtesy of Charles Caldwell
Art is Caldwell’s gift, but so is his way of connecting with the community that needs him. When he runs into former students from his elementary school residencies, they almost always say some version of the same thing: “Mr. Caldwell, do you remember me? I love art because of you.”
“Art has been my life,” he says. “It has allowed me to contribute to and uplift my community.”
