September 29, 2025 Image ConFluence: Futures in Color is happening this October at the Northrup King Building—the second time an artist organized comic-con celebrating art, sci-fi, fantasy, futurisms, and fandoms centered on content by and for BIPOC communities will be coming to NE Minneapolis. In its first year, ConFluence saw nearly 550 attendees over two days of programming.“ConFluence felt like possibility and JOY. NO judgement, just an invitation to come as one’s nerdy, weird, and fun selves. What a blessing!” –2023 ConFluence attendee, from the post-event survey.ConFluence is a convention centering the voices, presence, stories, liberation and joy of Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color, and is being produced by a multiethnic, multicultural volunteer team of artists, organizers, gamers, and self-proclaimed nerds. ConFluence attendees will have access to creative workshops, panels, a cosplay contest, a vendor marketplace, a gaming area, a curated visual art exhibition, and the “Prismatic Underground” themed dance party. Food will be available for purchase on site from local food trucks, and a catered popup within Public Functionary. Sofia-Rose Nagberi joined the ConFluence planning team for the first time this year, sharing, “I joined the team because I personally believe that we should make space for and amplify the voices of Black nerds, Black cosplayers, Black anime fanatics, and make community with those around us. I'm so excited to contribute to that as a member of the Youth Engagement Committee for ConFluence.”This year’s line up of Special Guests is once again an exciting feature of ConFluence, with brilliant fan favorites Tim Russ (Star Trek: Voyager) and Aabria Iyengar (Critical Role, Dimension 20) joining for meet & greets and panel conversations, alongside visionary leaders like Evva Karr (founder of Glitch) and Ricardo Levins Morales (Artist, Organizer). 2025 panels will include topics like “In The Multiverse With You: Grief, Film, and Multiverse Theories” (led by Nia Navarro and Ruti Mejia) and “Turtle Island: Kiti + Jean, an Afro-Indigenous Futurism Perspective” (led by Monica and Joel Rickert-Bolter). Workshops like Zine making with artist Baki Baki Baki offer opportunities for attendees to learn new creative skills. Art will be infused into everything, with site-specific decor and installations created by Jordan Hamilton, Genie Hien Tran, Thom Navarro, Martrelle Brown, and TaVanni Singleton. Minneapolis-based artist and ConFluence producer Leslie Barlow shared, “It’s really exciting to be able to collaborate with so many incredible people to create ConFluence again this year. Events like this, for communities to connect across our diversity, gather in joy, and celebrate our representation, are more critical than ever.”ConFluence: Futures in Color takes place on Saturday, October 18 and Sunday, October 19, 2025, from 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. both days. The “Prismatic Underground” dance party is on Saturday night from 8:00 p.m.–midnight. Tickets are $35 for one day and $55 for the entire weekend. Every ticket includes a free swag bag. Convention activities take place in several spaces within the Northrup King Building that include the Public Functionary galleries, the Northrup King gallery, and multiple partnering artist studios. ConFluence is generously supported by our community of local sponsors: The Women’s Foundation, Wet Paint, Eastside Food Coop, 10,000 Lakes Gaming, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Wakan Típi Awanyankapi, Miss Shannan Paul, New Native Theatre, Mind's Eye Comics, Smart Set Printing, Gee Teez, All Systems Go, Headwaters Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Du Nord Social Spirits, Blick Art Materials, and ArtSpace Projects, Inc. ConFluence is also funded by the City of Minneapolis Arts & Cultural Affairs Department, as a Cultural Districts Arts Fund activation. Learn More: confluencemn.com Explore more about Leslie Barlow