I Belong Here – Message from The Minnesota State Fair

At the Minnesota State Fair in 2024, then across 12 cities in Minnesota that Fall, again at the State Fair in May at the Kickoff to the Fair in2025 and the Great Minnesota Get Together in August 2025, I met hundreds of Minnesotans – a very diverse group of people. Their participation and thoughts as they participated was I Belong Here. There is Space for All. Together we Create Something Beautiful.

They were from all across Minnesota, the nation, the world. People in wheel chairs, vision impaired or with hearing loss, families with children, grandparents, young people enjoying the fair, or people just walking by – they all stopped and said – “What a great idea.” “Thanks for doing this” and then with color, thoughts and emotion placed a unique personal mark on this canvas of the human heart….

Three messages emerge from the Circles of Belonging:

I Belong Here

There is space here for everyone

Together we create something beautiful

“Hundreds of people shared an important message – I Belong Here!”, said Dr. Bruce Corrie with the Cultural Destinations Boutique which hosted this space. “The richness of our human experience from all walks of life, of our diverse faith traditions, of our home towns or countries of origin, of our friendships and insights from life – all of them made this canvas a kaleidoscope with beautiful views of the human heart and our belongingness”

“The mural in itself was a visible reminder that there is space for everyone in our community and each adding their own presence brings a beautiful presence to the whole, ” Corrie added. “I greatly appreciate all those who participated in the Circles of Belonging.”

Here are some stories from those who shared their thoughts with us….

I shared an outline of the mountains of Tibet…
The neurodiversity of my son who has Angelman Syndrome
I wrote Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds in memory of my daughter who passed away.
I wrote “Live” said a young girl because people do not know how to live.
Strong lines to keep my daughter in life lines
I painted a small symbol in my art for someone in my family suffering from cancer said a young girl.
“You are Enough” wrote a TV news reporter after she did a story on the mural for WCCO.
Greetings from many countries and cultures.
Cultural entrepreneurs from 30+ countries and cultures, featured in the boutique shared an expression of belonging on the mural

”I wanted to capture our journey of belonging through a series of circles that would represent the beautiful world we live in and so chose a circular canvas to begin with,” said “Reta” Richards the lead artist. “Each guest artist would paint a circle from their artistic and cultural traditions and then I worked to connect these circles of belonging in a meaningful and artistic way. Every day of the Fair, I would create spaces for people to express themselves on the canvas”

The first statewide tour in Minnesota has been completed, over two weeks and driving over 1000 miles to 12 cities – Saint Paul, Lake Elmo, Rochester, Mankato, Blaine, Cloquet, Leech Lake Tribal College, Bemidji, Moorhead, Detroit Lakes, Willmar and Saint Cloud. This message is also being shared on social media and has been seen all across the country.

”Please share with your family and networks this free digital postcard of the Circles of Belonging” said Dr. Bruce Corrie. “A powerful and timely message – I Belong Here!”

Download the free digital postcard at the bottom of this page.

If interested in bringing this mural to your community please email Dr. Corrie at corrie@culturaldestinations.org. There are no fees to bring the mural to your community.

A brief profile of the lead and guest artist follows:

Lead Artist Reta’s art blends various styles and is an expression of her soul in color.

Andrew Bickett – is a muralist who also works in “cardboard art.”

Erika Herrera – is an artist who works in digital art bringing to life the colors of Colombia.

Akossiwa Medowokpo – with roots in Togo, Africa brings out vibrant colors and shapes in her art.

Sheela Terakanambi – brings the traditional folk art forms of India in her art.

Pa Chia Xiong – is an artist rooted in her Hmong culture and integrates her art into a designer line of clothing and fashion accessories.

In addition to the artists, the leadership team at the Cultural Destinations Boutique (Emma Corrie and Sally Richards) and others worked with people participating in the mural.

The Minnesota Canvas of Belonging: A Journey Through the Heart of All

What happens when nearly 1,500 people begin a conversation—not just with words, but with color, story, and spirit? When belonging becomes visible, painted in broad strokes and delicate details across a canvas that travels from town to town?

Born from the powerful Circle of Belonging that came to life at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair, the Minnesota Canvas of Belonging, took a life of its own as the Circles of Belonging toured across twelve cities—each stop an invitation to leave a mark, a memory, a message. Hundreds took part, and in doing so, transformed a simple map into a masterpiece of meaning. The Minnesota Canvas of Belonging is not just an art project. It is a living prayer, a shared testament that we are all, indeed, woven into something larger.

At Leech Lake Tribal College, an artist traced the border of the canvas with words of hope in both Ojibwe and English, honoring the land and its original stewards. Nearby, someone added an image of a girl emerging from the top of the map, her form suggesting new birth, vision, and future. A fish, aligned with the gentle bend in Minnesota’s contours, illustrated intentional ways Minnesotans are building Minnesota. A passionate angler—her arms covered in fish tattoos—offered to color to bring a fish alive with color. Another person added a playful “you betcha” right on the fish’s scales. A visiting elder from a Moorhead nursing home, a lifelong artist, brought her own flare—an intricate symbol, full of grace.

One person even asked, earnestly and joyfully, to leave a kiss on the canvas.

When the space ran out, people didn’t stop—they wrote along the sides, in the margins, and also, in the growing Book of Belonging. This sacred book became a chorus of voices:

“Mino bimaadiziwin – Be good to the world.”
“My family is from Laos. Greetings from your cousins from across the world.”
“Stand up for what is right and band together.”
“We are the trees, we are the leaves, the trees are us and the leaves are us.”
“You are loved and a star.”
“Love the things you dislike about yourself.”
“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”
“I am the hole in the flute where the breath of the Divine flows through.”
“You are special and you belong here.”

A man who shared his life in a shelter and his personal success against the odds, asked me to write down his thoughts, “The beauty of life and the trouble people went through in life – no one has ever been in their shoes. And if they went in their shoes, they would know the difference. And no matter whatever anyone says, the Creator will take care of you.”

One woman asked me to be her witness for her absentee ballot.

Each message, each mark, is a reminder: “We are made in the image of God. We are enough. We are relatives—every one of us.” The Canvas of Belonging is more than paint and paper; it is a mirror of Minnesota’s soul, made richer by its diversity and deeper by its shared dreams.

As it continues its journey, the canvas carries with it not just beauty, but hope, healing, and the sacred truth that we are not alone. In every corner of Minnesota, someone has declared: You belong here.

Let’s continue to write that truth into the future—together.

The Heart of Belonging: A Journey Through the Heart of All

In the 2025 Minnesota State Fair, hundreds of fairgoers placed their mark on the “Heart of Belonging Canvas”

In 2026 we will inscribe into the Heart of Belonging canvas, initials of those local community builders who are the glue that holds our communities together.

Download your fee copy of the Circle of Belonging below.

Cultural Destinations is a strategy based on joy where businesses share their culturally inspired products and services and visitors enjoy this cultural experience. At the same time this strategy builds wealth, especially in diverse communities. A Cultural Destination has these unique elements – culturally inspired products and services, a unique story, integration of cultural elements such as music, art, cultural events and offering a quality and welcoming experience to the visitor. Dr. Bruce Corrie is a pioneer in this strategy around Cultural Destinations and has worked in the space for over two decades. If you wish to join the Cultural Destination Network please contact corrie@culturaldestinations.org.

The Cultural Destinations Boutique offered a cultural destination at the Minnesota State Fair, 2024 where over 40 small businesses offered products and services from over 30 different cultures and countries. Visitors enjoyed participating the Circles of Belonging, world music, guest artists and authors, Culture is Cool Fashion Show in partnership with Minnesota African Fashion Week and Chiagu, LLC and other activities. Supporters of the Cultural Destinations Boutique include the Minnesota State Fair, Little Africa/African Economic Development Solutions, Hmong American Partnership, Concordia University, Maharajas, and The Saint Paul and Minnesota Community Foundation.

The Circles of Belonging Institute offers strategies and events to create an environment of belonging in the workplace, business or community. For more information contact corrie@culturaldestinations.org.

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“Circles have no beginnings nor ends. We are together for always.”

Willmar

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