Poet and essayist Michael Kleber-Diggs says since the killing of George Floyd, art — especially public art — has sustained him, reminding him our collective humanity and resilience. Kleber-Diggs says he was particularly moved by the new “Black Lives Matter” street painting at the corner of Penn and Plymouth avenues in Minneapolis. The Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery brought together a group of Black and mixed-race artists; each artist worked on a different letter in their own style. Kleber-Diggs says he loves both the individual letters, and how they connect to each other as a whole. He says the project demonstrates how, working together, individuals can create beautiful art and build community.

Music professor Eric Heukeshoven got a sneak preview of Loud Mouth Brass’ new album “Louder” and he thinks it’s just crazy good fun. Featuring both covers and original work, Heukeshoven says the album is filled with high energy and unexpected twists. Loud Mouth Brass celebrates with an outdoor, distanced, and masked show at 7 p.m. Friday at Little Thistle Brewing in Rochester, Minn.

Cabaret vocalist Nichole Carey plans to attend “FringeMiss,” a benefit for the Minnesota Fringe Festival. The live, in-person festival was canceled this year due to the pandemic; the Fringe is hosting a virtual festival, but on a much reduced scale. Carey says “FringeMiss” is one of several fundraisers by local theater artists who want to help the Fringe Festival come back strong next year. You can stream it Friday on Facebook or on the Adventurous Artists website.