The MSP Mingle event series, a Make It. MSP. partnership between GREATER MSP, the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce and Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, connects professionals of color throughout the region. At a recent event hosted by U.S. Bank attendees heard from Chadwick “Niles” Phillips, founder of The Avant Garde, a renaissance arts, music and entertainment production company. We caught up with Chadwick to learn more. 

Why did you create The Avant Garde and what are your hoping to achieve?I created The Avant Garde because of my deep passion for music and the arts. I’m fascinated with the history of the type of field that I am in. There were so many artists from the 50’s, 60’s who had incredible music with content about uplifting society. Also, my father is a Julliard graduate who just retired from the Colorado Symphony Orchestra after 48 years of service playing the upright bass. So it is in my DNA to represent music and the arts on a high level.
I always think about legacy and what can be built to push the culture forward in a positive way. There are so many great eclectic and enlightening artists here and the scene is elevating and coming of age rapidly. I started The Avant Garde to give them a platform to be seen and heard for the passionate work that they create. The response that The Avant Garde has gotten from the community since we started has been amazing. We have a lot of plans that I can’t wait to manifest. It is all about elevation with artistic expression that will remain timeless. The future is looking bright.

Tell us more about that bright future. Who are some of the local artists inspiring you right now?The future is about expanding our brand within the world of music and the arts. We are focused on growing as a cornerstone for the next frontier of the local music, arts and entertainment scene.
I will be releasing my debut album very soon and that will set a platform for what is next as well. We also started an open-mic entitled “Eclectica” that we present at The Reverie Cafe every Tuesday night. This was put together so The Avant Garde can provide a platform for up and coming artists who need a platform to be seen and heard. There are many local artists who are doing amazing things right now. Some are Vie Boheme, Joe Davis, Dahlia Jones, Ashley Dubose and Theo Brown. With so much talent in the Twin Cities, it is an honor to be here and a part of the renaissance. I’m enjoying every moment of it.

You’ve lived and worked all over. Why come back to MSP and what did you bring back that influences your work?I moved back because it was a great place to start my next chapter in life. I was in New York City after I graduated from Michigan State University for a bachelors in Communications. While in NYC I was fortunate to win the “Who’s Next”/HOT 97 talent search which enabled me to release a single on Major Label/Koch Records. I also have worked in film for BET, CBS, MTV and NYC Fashion week and I taught with a program called “The Hip-Hop Project” where I was able to teach my philosophy of music and the arts to youth from Brooklyn to Manhattan. I graduated from Park Center High School in Brooklyn Park so Minnesota has always been a second home to me. I also have family here. So when it came down to my next step as far as price of living, great opportunities and plans to flourish as an entrepreneur, Minneapolis was a great fit. With everything I am doing now with my own business from The Avant Garde to teaching my youth and arts curriculum “Hip-Hop, History and The Arts”, I am able to apply the knowledge from what I learned working within those prestigious fields in New York City. It definitely has helped with how I approach what I am doing now.

Tell us more about that legacy from the 50s, 60s and other times that inform your arts curriculum. What are some of the themes that continue to fascinate you today? Artists are broadcasters of the times they are in. The 50’s and 60’s were fascinating because in America it came to a boiling point regarding sacrifices that were made for equal rights in this country. I look up to the artists who were speaking of those times. The Harlem Renaissance of the 20’s before The Great Depression, the Bebop Era during World War II and the Soul Music uprise during the Civil Right Movement provided solace, vision and hope for the people. I honor and pay homage to them because they provided the opportunities that I have now.
To me, carrying on positive and progressive tradition with my art comes first before anything else. I am highly thankful for the artists of those times.


This has been a pleasure. Thanks for sharing your work. As people do that what do you hope they’ll find?You’re welcome! This has been great for me as well. When people experience an event presented by The Avant Garde I want them to experience an atmosphere that is euphoric and unique. The Avant Garde brings a vibe that is optimistic and inspirational through the way our events are produced.
It is all about an energy that is vibrant with a lot of flavor.  We want people to fall in love with the culture we bring because of how genuine it is. I believe that events should be put on to bring people together in unison to enjoy the rhythm of life. Creating that type of unique experience for our society is what The Avant Garde is all about.

​Chadwick “Niles” Phillips was born and raised in Lansing, Michigan and lives in Minneapolis. He is the CEO/Founder of The Avant Garde, LLC. He is a hip-hop artist, director, producer, actor, host, motivational speaker and teacher of his own curriculum entitled “Hip-Hop, History and The Arts.”
Photo by ARC Photography. Video courtesy of The Avant Garde.

Preview: “On The One” music festival debuting in Bloomington
​There's a new music festival debuting in the Twin Cities. "On The One" will be held three Fridays in a row, starting this Friday at the Normandale Lake Bandshell in Bloomington. Chadwick Phillips joined us with more.

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The entertainment industry is a tough business. Even when you have talent, it takes determination and money. Sometimes a limited cash flow can stall growth. One Twin Cities man wants to help musicians and other entertainers by giving them space to share their talent. Chadwick Phillips, founder of the production company Avant Garde, has created a stage to showcase talent in the Twin Cities. He has hosted concerts, art shows and poetry nights. Now, that stage is getting bigger thanks  to a $10,000 grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. The money will help fund concerts that coincide with a series of monthly cultural socials between now and December 2017.

Phillips, who has performed on a national level and was once signed to a major record label, says his path to success wasn’t easy.
“I come from a background where homelessness was part of my childhood,” he said. “We were in shelters, hotels and even the basement of churches that provided food and shelter for us when I was younger.”

The Metropolitan Regional Arts Council is a funder of nonprofit arts organizations, non-arts nonprofits with arts programming, and informal arts groups with a nonprofit as a fiscal sponsor. Funded groups and activities must be in the seven-county metropolitan area.  The first concert of this series is November 20th.
Singing and writing music awakens Dahlia Jones’ soul. The 20-year-old is one of the artist that will perform. She hopes the exposure takes her career higher. She has the same hope for others from the area. 

"A lot of people sleep on Minneapolis when it comes to arts. We have a lot going on. To be a part of that is amazing," she said. “Doing stuff like this helps me get to know other artists and helps me boost my career. It will also allow me to help others."
Greg Nielsen, MRAC program director, said the grant money allows musicians to collaborate and create new ideas. The organizations and project chosen demonstrate both strong artistic quality and a community connection.

​Nielsen said back in 2008, voters approved the legacy amendment which established the Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Prior to that, the council was awarding about $800,000 a year, Now, it grants about $3.5 million per year. For this first round of the 2017 Arts Activities Support grant, MRAC distributed grants to 80 organizations.

Bedlam Theatre, celebrating its first holiday season with its new location fully open, will welcome a new entertainment and arts production company called the Avant Garde. On Saturday, Dec. 13 at 10 p.m., the Avant Garde will be hosting a launch party in the spirit of the holidays at Bedlam’s Lowertown venue.Chadwick “Niles” Phillips is the host of the event and the founder of Avant Garde. He promises a warm night of jazz, neo-soul, hip-hop, and bebop. Performers will be local artists including Theo Brown Music, Margeaux Davis, Lia Renee Dior, Proper-T, the Kevin Washington Quartet, and DJ Dan Speak. The event will also spotlight live painter Lorenzo Crockett.

The Avant Garde will host future arts events, shows, and outings in the Twin Cities area. Phillips is working to connect artists and merge ideas to present entertainment that brings people together. Many artistic cultures and generations are represented in the launch party’s lineup, revealing the Avant Garde’s ambition to promote all avenues of artistic expression. The launch party and coming events will be a blend of new and old ideas that pay homage to music history. “This is about connecting all generations. The Avant Garde is about bridging the gaps between youth and the adult world,” said Phillips. “In connecting those two worlds, I want to leave no stone unturned.” Phillips is a hip-hop artist, actor, director, and songwriter. He graduated from Michigan State University in 2006 and pursued his own music career in New York City. After some success, including releasing a single under Koch Records, Phillips returned to the Twin Cities where he has created hip-hop workshops and curricula for high school courses in the Twin Cities area. In Jan. 2014, with students from the High School for Recording Arts in St. Paul, Phillips produced an 11-track album called The Next Move.

Phillips founded the Avant Garde because he wholeheartedly believes in the social power of art and music. “Art is one of the last world-changers,” said Phillips. “I want Avant Garde to motivate and inspire people.” Philllips calls Minneapolis and St. Paul a perfect home for the Avant Garde. “I’ve always had an affinity with the Twin Cities. There is just something in the air here. So much talent.”