IN CONVERSATION
The following are exhibitions, organizations, and community initiatives that we have been honored to be a part of.
Shinnecock Speaks Exhibition Catalogue
Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, Inc. present “Shinnecock Speaks,” an extraordinary exhibition that amplifies the rich cultural heritage and contemporary expressions of the Shinnecock Indian Nation. This groundbreaking showcase underscores our commitment to promoting Indigenous art, fostering collaboration, and championing diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion within the arts.
For over ten thousand years, the Shinnecock people have left an indelible mark on the lands they call home. Their narratives are woven through intricate wampum beadwork, evocative pottery designs, and wood sculptures. As Shinnecock artist Sequoyah Hunter-Cuyjet eloquently states, “Some people inherit money and wealth; not everybody inherits culture. And it’s a real privilege to have Shinnecock be an inheritance.” This exhibition serves as a powerful testament to the enduring artistry and resilience of a nation that has weathered centuries of adversity while preserving its cultural identity and artistic traditions.
Museums as Systems
Remembering Black Imagination: Centering Learning in Museum Spaces
The Studio Museum in Harlem Museums as System 2024 program embarks on a series of insightful discussions centered around the theme "interdependence." Each day of the convening highlights a distinct facet of interdependent relationships within museums: Museums and Artists, Museums and Arts & Culture Workers, and Museums and Publics.
This conversation examines the barriers to entry within museums while reflecting on how we have seen and hope to further advance the Black imagination. We will invite attendees into reflection on how to center collective learning and community engagement as the priority within museum spaces. This panel explores how educators, curators and artists can co-create sustainable and dynamic museum spaces.
Expand The Erotic: Audre Lorde
“Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power”
The American LGBTQ+ Museum in conversation with Audre Lorde’s “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power” a seminal text in understanding the intersections of identity, power, and resistance. By revisiting her work, we honor her legacy as a trailblazer in queer and feminist literature, and we gain valuable insights into harnessing the erotic as a means of personal and collective empowerment.
Activate Equity: Power and Representation
The Field annual gathering of artists, cultural workers, activists, and educators tackling the question, "How can we create a more equitable arts sector?" The idea of Visibility vs. Power/Representation is often overlooked in DEI practices everywhere. While visibility may open some doors for those of us in the arts sector. It is simply not enough just to be seen. What does it mean to possess actual representation? How can power be shifted equitably so that those represented have real agency? What will lead to true self-determination for all artists and cultural workers?
Reaching Inwards
A Collection of Responses to Issues in Art, Curation and Community Care Roundtable Series
Indigenous Curatorial Collective the ICCA programmed four closed roundtables to take place amongst Indigenous communities that are often neglected from the National discourse on Indigenous arts, curation, and community care. The “Issues In…” series explored the nuance and pluralism within the ICCA’s membership as well as the diversity within Indigenous communities across what is currently known as Canada, spotlighting Afro-Indigenous, Northern, Francophone, Queer and 2Spirit voices.