Artistic Practice
My background is in theatre and creative nonfiction writing, and much of my artistic experience in the past decade has been at the intersection of artistic and civic practice. I co-wrote a play, This Boat Called my Body, to advocate for abortion access for young people in Illinois based on interviews with young people who had chosen to terminate pregnancies. For several years, I served as a community partnerships advisor for Sojourn Theatre Company's production of How to End Poverty in 90 Minutes, a participatory play which invites the audience to give away (real) money each night to a local organization to help alleviate poverty. For the past 6 years, I have served as a core organizer of Swarm Artist Residency, a Midwest-based artist residency which provides radically generative space for artists to create and rest; to center anti-oppressive practice, we integrate race, power, and privilege trainings into our residency and prioritize space and funds for artists of color and queer & trans artists.
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In my own little corner of the world, I find painting to be a deeply meditative practice - and often return to watercolors to find grounding amidst the overwhelm of the world.
Perhaps they'll bring you some calm, too.