CURATORIAL

public art, storytelling, advocacy…

This interview is an excerpt from a conversation between sisters. We talked about the everything: self acceptance, sexuality, grief journeys, family histories, recipes for healing, you name it.

The Truth Booth — Sydney

I had the honor and the privilege of working with as an Independent Curator and Project Manager with Out of the Box Projects, Art & About Sydney, and the Cause Collective on In Search of the Truth: The Truth Booth — Sydney — 14 Jun — 18 Jun 2017. An interactive public art instillation in Sydney’s Hyde Park. The Truth Booth is the brain project of the Cause Collective, a video booth that beckons members of the public inside to respond to the statement, “the truth is…” “Ultimately, the goal of this project is to try to capture as many definitions, confessions and thoughts on The Truth as possible, creating a diverse ‘portrait’ of people across the globe.”

The booth has traveled to a number of countries across the world including but not limited to South Africa, Ireland, Afghanistan, and all 50 states before the 2016 election.

This was truly an opportunity of a lifetime. I met with my friend Justine Topfer founder of Out of the Box Projects and requested an opportunity to shadow her process to learn more about curation. She allowed me to join the team during a pivotal moment in the process. I learned so much about applications, legality, media, and on the ground project management.

I’ll post more about my experience soon. For now check out the behind the scenes gallery. My initial impressions of Sydney are published on my blog.

@sugarwater_gallery

@sugarwater_gallery is a digital art gallery formed by a collective of women of color in response to how we feel race and gender factor into working in the “arts”. This is our baby and we are excited about where all of this can take the artists that have given us the opportunity to collaborate.

@trakalo89 — @young._sooh and @visuallit — creatively comprise @sugarwater_gallery

MoAD & House of Prolific Present:
Vogue Workshop w/ Leiomy

OPPORTUNITY

I constructed the opportunity to collaborate with House of Prolific and MoAD in 2016. This marks the continuation and return to programming in and beyond the Bay Area. I fought and endured a host of insults to see this through. The planning around this workshop illuminated systemic issues in creating space for LGBTQI people of color and their allies. I consider myself an ally because I understand that as a people, so much of Black culture and American popular culture is predicated on the creativity and expression of our queer loved ones. So much iconography, intelligence and ingenuity is reflected in their existence. We need to give more honor to that. I wanted MoAD (my former employer) to show love and allow other people to liberate themselves within the space.

So often in programming we think we know what people want and need. But really we need to create the space so that we can listen and learn from the people we’ve made space for, if that makes any sense.

I listened and I learned so much from simply observing the Mother of the House of Amazon Leiomy. Watching her as a teacher and ultimately nurturer taught me more than she will ever know. Much of my internal dialogue around trans women was provided by epithets I’d heard growing up. I didn’t have any way to translate this verbiage into the love and light that was transmitted from her being into the craft of teaching voguing.

THE WORKSHOP

The workshop was created and slated to occur during the closing week of the Grace Jones Exhibition. Grace is an icon in the community. She has never really confirmed her preference and that in and of itself is considered queer. I think the workshop was created to rectify a portion of history. The popular culture version that credits voguing to Madonna. No ma’am absolutely not.

The House of Prolific
Facebook: www.facebook.com/houseofprolific/
Instagram: @houseofprolific
Hashtag: #houseofprolific #eminenceball

Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD)
Website: http://www.moadsf.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moadsanfrancisco/
Twitter: @MoADsf
Instagram: @moad_sf

SPECIAL GUEST VOGUE WORKSHOP LEIOMY MALDONADO

Legendary Mother of the House of Amazon
Saturday, September 17, 2016
Vogue Femme (Open Level)
1:00pm-3:00pm
Museum of African Diaspora (MoAD), 685 Mission St., San Francisco, CA
Class Fee: $20 (includes workshop + entrance to Grace Jones Party)
**Limited space

GRACE JONES MIXER PARTY
Saturday, September 17, 2016
3:30pm-5:30pm
Museum of African Diaspora (MoAD), 68 Mission St., San Francisco, CA
Entrance Fee: $10