new media | MN Original

MN Original is in repeats for the Summer, but the talented artists that appear on MNO continuously amaze us with their new work and activities. Since appearing on MNO in January, Rebecca McDonald (aka B FRESH) has created enough new art to fill a couple episodes of MNO. While Rebecca now claims New York City as her home, she constantly travels back and forth between the Twin Cities and NYC, and has retained deep connections to the arts community here. Rebecca fills us in on some of the details:

“In May, I accepted a position as Associate Producer at MTV World in New York working on very exciting new global music content. From African hip hop to Chinese punk, from Brazilian baile funk to Swedish folk rock, we restlessly scour the world in search of exciting young musicians creating the sounds of the future. MTV World represents the future of music, and I am honored to be a part of the team!”

Rebecca has maintained strong ties with City Pages, and since appearing on MNO, her work has appeared on the magazine’s cover three times. Be sure to check out her documentary, Bound for Love, which Rebecca reports was one of the most widely-viewed online stories in the history of the publication.

Staying true to her commitment to community engagement in the Twin Cities, Rebecca also served as a photography consultant on the Picturing Peace photo documentary exhibit sponsored by the Minneapolis Department of Health and Family Support and the Downtown Improvement District. Her love of youth and community engagement also led her to an interesting teaching opportunity. Rebecca explains, “This past semester, I taught photography to more than a dozen local youth, as a community engagement project that explores young people’s reflections to violence and hopes for peace and safety in their communities. The gallery opening was held at the City Hall Rotunda Gallery, and their work will also tour Hennepin County Libraries throughout Summer 2012. Select photos are displayed on downtown utility boxes as Public Arts installation.”