Artist as catalyst 2024: Miami (1/2)
Group photo after our dance workshop by Pioneer Winters in Legion Park
It’s a strange and fulfilling feeling when you wrap up big projects. For the last 6 months I have been planning Miami’s Artist as Catalyst 2024 a program put on by The Peace Studio, a non profit that ‘develops artists and journalists to inspire hope and catalyze transformative social change.’ I had graduated last summer from FIU and went into the job search. It took months and nothing really felt like the right fit. There was lots of time spent walking the forest near my house leaving prayers for something special to find me. The process took half a year of sending out resumes. My CV became more black and white. Literally, as I applied for more and more corporate spaces the artistry and colorful text faded to try to fit the roles scrolling on indeed.com.
I wasn’t familiar with The Peace Studio or Artist as Catalyst. Started in 2022 by Alejandro Rodriguez and Thomas West, the program connects young artist (18-26) through a 4-day intensive with workshops, panels, open mics, keynotes and more! I have spent the last 11 years in public education focusing on building up the social network, artistic practice, and cognitive skills of youth throughout South Florida. Their program lead position- one of curating the experience was a match made in heaven.
The 6 month of planning was smooth— slowly start to build the concepts we felt as a team that young artist would need: emergency planning, wisdom from artists who have been in the game for decades, art making, a multidisciplinary approach to recruitment, a map to navigate the arts grant system, and healthy approaches to building habits that can sustain people who are sensitive to the world and actively trying to change it.
Our first attempt was thwarted by a ‘rain bomb’, a type of thunderstorm we are seeing more and more of as our atmosphere heats. Heavy continuous rain, too fast for the water drain left roads flooded, ruined cars and spooked the New Yorkers I was working with. Funny how when a climate educator takes the reins that rain would move the program… When our second attempt rolled around, the 4 days went be faster than expected. As part of my role as the Program Lead I was the ‘host’ introducing and running most of the panels, greeting and introducing our speakers, and being available to the Catalysts (those participating).
We opened this year’s Artist as Catalyst at Locust Projects with a greeting from the Director Lorie Mertes. We chose Locust Projects because of its relationship to the emerging artist community. Throughout the whole process we wanted to highlight spaces that spaces that the Catalysts could access or use as stepping stones in their careers.
Catalysts at Locust Projects, artwork by Kerry Phillips
On Friday, the first full day of programming we had the Catalysts meet us at Legion Park for some movement with the one and only Pioneer Winter. Pioneer led us on an exploration of leadership styles through movement. They ran us through an exercise in #flocking where we would mimic the leader of our small group, which would change as we would rotate. Pioneer opened up a reflection on about how the Catalysts should be mindful of what is visible to others, accessible mobility, and tempo. Can your peers follow you? How can you make it easier to transfer responsibility to the new leader?
We continued the morning with an Artist Narrative panel. This panel was about what it means to be an artist and what advice and tool sets are available from successful creatives. This year’s panel was run by The Peace Studio interns, Lance Minto-Strouse and Neco Kafruni—former AAC alumni with invited speakers Lauren Shapiro and Najja Moon. In the months working up to the panel the interns and I worked on developing questions and best practices for hosting panels. Neco and Lance opened up some very complex conversation. Najja got really raw on an experience where their public art work was defaced. I was personally touched by the honesty and even more proud when I found out that the interns had asked her before the panel if it was okay to prompt that emotional of a question to them. One of the running themes throughout this whole AAC 2024 experience that I was delighted by was the honesty at which the panelists felt they could address the Catalysts. We talk in art world: hushed rumors, gossip, and fluctuating gallery prices depending on who is asking. I think it might have been the audience, these are the young artists and they need to know the truths. In that way, maybe we can steer them to easier success and away from pitfalls.
Neco Kafruni, Lauren Shapiro, (me), Najja Moon, Lance Minto-Strouse after the Artist Narrative Panel
Pangea Kali Virga leading a workshop on flag making
Our next bit of the day was a making workshop! At the beginning I had asked Pangea Kali Virga to design a collective making textile workshop and they suggested that because it was supposed to be held on Flag day, that we should make group flags. Flags are powerful. How do we as people come together to visual represent ourselves as a group. Also just at a time where international and social pressures are so strong, thinking about coming together under a flag, rather than opposing it says something. Pangea started off with going through their personal history of work in the fashion industry and eventual move into sustainable designing. The workshop served two purposes, as a fun art making activity, but also an opportunity for the catalysts to get to know each other. While we hadn’t yet announced it, the groups (labeled by colors) would work together to come up with a pitch for a $1000 micro grant provided by the Green Family Foundation and The Peace Studio.
OPEN MIC NIGHT
Our last stop of the day had us at the Miami Theatre Center. We gave the Catalysts 3 hours to show off their talents with pizza! The show was impressive with dancers, musicians, spoken word, and comedy. In another feat, Lance and Neco hosted the evening and I have to give a huge round of applause to them for doing a phenomenal job. I don’t know what I was expecting but I was crying, laughing, and laying on the floor from sheer exhaustion. The young talent in this city is incredible and interdisciplinary.
Big thank you to The Peace Studio, Green Space Miami, Locust Projects, and Miami Theater Center for supporting this programming here in South Florida.
