Spring 2024 Season Recap
As we wrap up an incredible spring Season and begin the trusty New York City transition into the hot summer months, we are also in a place of rest and reflection. With deep flowing gratitude we invite you to join us in looking back at this fruitful season of artistic development and support. Kicking things off is a message from Hi-ARTS Executive Director Aaron L. McKinney. Keep scrolling for a brief Residency Reflection and to learn more about what summer has in store!
RESIDENCY REFLECTIONS
SKY LAB | Jourdan Ash
Storytelling from a Visual Eye
Coming to Hi-ARTS from the streetwear and sneaker industry, Harlem-based Artist Jourdan Ash kicked off the New Year with a collaborative exploration of what a creative practice can be outside the boundaries of product and profit. Throughout her time, she ideated and directed collaborative photography sessions, and produced a series of paintings. These works were exhibited at Storytelling from a Visual Eye, a WORK IN PROCESS that took place at Hi-ARTS in February. These hand signed works are currently available for purchase for a limited time at Shop Hi-ARTS.
"Young Artists are always so refreshing!"
— Storytelling from a Visual Eye Audience Member
CRITICAL BREAKS | Curtis “Tony” Turney
Homenaje a lost Rumberos
Panamanian trombonist, percussionist, bandleader, producer, interpreter and educator Curtis “Tony” Turney joined us as a CRITICAL BREAKS Artist. Curtis continued the development of Homenaje a los Rumberos, an original music composition that pays homage to the rich legacy of traditional Afro-Cuban Rumberos and serves as a heartfelt tribute to Rumbero's living and past. For his WORK IN PROCESS, Curtis led a 12-piece band, with guest performer and vocalist Bernardo “Chino” Pons, and warmed audiences with a rich, vibrant, and moving celebration of the legacies who shaped Cuban Rumba’s rich history.
"The theme was a very important one for me and the featuring of Latin and Afro-Cuban music, dancing and some of the history of this music. It was very entertaining and engaging. I loved it and would love to see more of it."
— Homenaje a los Rumberos Audience Member
CRITICAL BREAKS | Cheri L. Stokes
Around the Way Gurl: The Block Party
Brooklyn-based dancer and choreographer Cheri L. Stokes continued the development of Around the Way Gurl, an ethnographic movement investigation that highlights and celebrates the cultural significance and the contributions women in Bed-Stuy have made to Brooklyn and Hip-Hop culture during the 1980s and 90s. Her WORK IN PROCESS The Block Party invited intergenerational audiences into a dance workshop that invited audiences to share stories and memories of dance, community, music and other cultural influences of the 80s and 90s.
"CHERI CAN HOLD SPACE IN MASTERFUL WAYS!! Wonderful presence, fun, informative — just fabulous! And such important work regarding research and cultural preservation, especially for the role of women and girls."
— Around the Way Gurl: The Block Party Audience Member
SKY LAB | Najee Omar
Little Black Book
Award-winning writer, multidisciplinary artist and organizer Najee Omar shared a staged reading of Little Black Book for an audience of industry professionals. Little Black Book is a tapestry of stories reflecting the nuances, challenges, and triumphs of Black Queer Men and their love journeys. The story follows Omar, a serially-single poet, who after coming out in his early 30s, goes on a series of sexcapades, attempting to find true love while learning to love himself.
"Najee's work was both thoughtful and compelling. The run of show was seamless, and the
Hi-ARTS staff was cool, kind, and very much on top of everything. I will definitely be attending more Hi-ARTS events in the future!"
— Little Black Book, Audience Member Feedback
LOOKING AHEAD
CREATIVE CONTINUUM
As a reflection of our continued support for our Artist Community, we will launch CREATIVE CONTINUUM as a platform for Alumni programming engagement with SKY LAB Alum Ebony Noelle Golden (2020). Foregrounded in exploring practice, performance, and policy-making,
Holy Waters: a ceremonial sojourn is a durational experience that follows Ebony and her creative collaborators as they travel through New York, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and beyond. In Holy Water, Ebony and her collaborators will engage audiences through a series of discussions and media.
ONE WALL MOVEMENT
This summer we'll be back with our third iteration of ONE WALL MOVEMENT. We will soon announce a trio of muralists that we will work closely with in the installation of a large-scale mural accompanying a free series of public programming and engagement. Stay tuned for more! If you haven't yet, head over to Cherry Tree Park to see Musa, by Mattaya Fitts (2022) and A Flower Grows in Harlem, by N. Carlos J. (2023) at Lucille C. Clarke Housing.
Launched in collaboration with Let's Paint in August, ONE WALL MOVEMENT is a public art initiative that
commissions muralists, graffiti artists, writers and street artists to create a large-scale public mural in Harlem.
OPEN CALL
Opening in late summer, our annual Hi-ARTS OPEN CALL will invite artists of all disciplines to apply for our CRITICAL BREAKS and SKY LAB Residencies. Prioritizing Artists of the Global Majority, both opportunities engage artists in the development of new work through time, space and financial support.
SUPPORT Hi-ARTS
Supporting Artists of the Global majority is truly at the core of what we do. If you are able, please consider joining us in our mission to uplift the necessary work of artists today. No amount is too big or too small.
Image credits from top: Aaron L. McKinney (Josh Walker); Jourdan Ash (courtesy); Storytelling from a Visual Eye (Stephanie Morales); Curtis “Tony” Turney & Homenaje a los Rumberos (Johnny Lewis); Cheri L. Stokes (Cheyenne Bostock); Around the Way Gurl: The Block Party (Eleanor Kipping); Najee Omar (Christian Hicks); Little Black Book (Hamid Price); Ebony Noelle Golden (courtesy); Musa (Jen Díaz); A Flower Grows in HarlemI (unknown); Zachariah Ezer & Dominique Rider (Eleanor Kiping); SLMDances (unknown); Graphics (Eleanor Kipping)
