Meet Mandi and Dante

Hello! We are Mandi and Dante, and we founded Apostrophe Puzzles with the knowledge that the work created by artists of color is valuable, desirable, and profitable. We believe that art appreciation and consumerism is not only for the wealthy, and that we can all participate in a culture of accessible patronage.

Puzzles are fantastic tools for mindfulness and self-care - a source of meditative calm in our ever bustling and increasingly hectic world. They allow us to unplug, to return to the simplicity of our childhoods or newly discover a simple and engaging way to pass the time. We hope our puzzles do that. We also hope they encourage you to learn about and support contemporary artists of color, who are some of the leading innovative and creative artistic voices in the world. We hope you’re reminded that investing in communities of color is a necessary step in correcting systems of economic and institutional injustice. We hope they remind you that you are worthy and deserving of great art.

Puzzle imagery has come a long way from kittens and windmills, but even with exciting new companies creating beautiful, modern images there are still very few that feature people of color, either as artists or subjects. The art world has a similar issue with representation - one where artists of color often struggle for space and recognition in an environment often dominated by exclusive gate-keeping practices. Our goal is to offer a more accessible way to learn about and enjoy our artists, and to encourage more people to engage with their work.

Why Apostrophe?

In punctuation and grammar, the apostrophe symbol is used to illustrate where there has been an omission (o'er), and to indicate possession or ownership (Bearden’s legacy). Our name draws its inspiration from this usage, fully articulating our deeply-rooted desire to fill the void of diverse representation in the puzzle space, and to exhibit our pride in the creativity and contributions of contemporary artists of color.