Lyt til Fresh Arts Podcast

Being a creative is tough work: planning, research, drafts, creation, revision, audience engagement, etc., etc. Add to that: finances, health, networking, any number of things it takes to succeed as a creative and/or small business. Starting a family seems like another bale of straw on the camel’s back, so to speak. But artists and creatives can have families and fruitful art careers. We will have two guests discuss the apprehensions, transitions, frustrations and joys of having an arts practice and being a parent. Amy Malkan is a public artist, artrepreneur and community developer. She is best known for her contemporary style infused with Indian and Asian motifs within her murals and art installations. Her creativity and artistic approach are inspired by her travels to more than 28 countries around the globe. Malkan fundamentally believes that everyone deserves access and exposure to the arts. She strives to engage the public in the design and production of most of her public art projects. Over the past 5 years Malkan has facilitated the design, coordination and production over 30 public art projects across the Houston area and around the globe. These projects have been co-created with the involvement of over 10,000 area youth, artists and hundreds of community stakeholders. In her personal time, Malkan is a mother, an avid runner and cyclist, she enjoys dancing, traveling and spending quality time with her friends and family. Matt Manalo was born and raised in Manila, Philippines. He received his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Painting and Minor in Art History at the University of Houston. Manalo creates work which involves elements of painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and printmaking. He uses raw materials, found objects sometimes collected and often times donated… By doing this, he is making his practice environmentally conscious as well as understanding the idea of scarcity and abundance. He uses the grid as a foundation for most of his work to tackle geography, cartography, borders, and the idea of displacement while having a constant conversation of how “home” should be defined. Being a first generation immigrant, Manalo discusses his experiences navigating around the physical and social structures of society through his work. As he explores this, home becomes a two-part environment where the artist is split between the Philippines and Texas. The latter sits on the southern border of the US. It is also important to mention that colonization of the Philippines by Spain, Japan and the United States resulted in erasure, colorism and colonial mentality; a frequent topic in Manalo’s work. Music: "Ike is Gone" by Nick Gaitan Support the show [https://fresharts.org/about-fresh-arts/friends-of-fresh-arts/] (https://fresharts.org/about-fresh-arts/friends-of-fresh-arts/)

You could be a writer with ten years of writing experience and still be considered ‘emerging’ after your first book comes out. You can be a painter with years of experience, exhibitions, recognitions, and clients and be considered ‘mid-career.’ Or you can just not care about any of that. What is the point of those labels anyway? Who finds them useful and why? How do you use them to your benefit? We will have two guests explore career labels, what their experiences are with them, and when they’ve been useful (or not). Julia Barbosa Landois is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist whose sculpture, video, and performance works have been exhibited in galleries, festivals, and museums throughout the USA and abroad. She holds a BFA from the University of Texas at San Antonio and MFA from the University of Pennsylvania. Exhibition venues have included the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, McNay Museum (San Antonio), Mexic-Arte Museum (Austin), Artpace (San Antonio), and many more. She was a 2018-2019 Artist-in-Residence at the Lawndale Art Center and won a 2019 grant from the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures to create MantecaHTX, the nation’s first online directory of Latinx artists. In addition to her career as a professional artist, Barbosa Landois has worked as an exhibitions coordinator, preparator, arts educator, and grant writer. Yeiry Guevara is a creative with extensive nonprofit and arts management experience. Currently, Yeiry is the Interim Director of Grants for Houston Arts Alliance. HAA is the City of Houston’s designated local arts and culture agency which provides city-funded grants to local arts organizations and individual artists. Prior to this role, Yeiry was Manager of Consultants and Programs at National Executive Service Corps in New York, NY. NESC is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering other nonprofits through management consulting. A lady of many talents, Yeiry is a writer, translator and multimedia artist. She is an engaging public speaker as well as the author of bilingual zines. Her work can be found in bookstores and libraries across the country. Music: "Ike is Gone" by Nick Gaitan Support the show [https://fresharts.org/about-fresh-arts/friends-of-fresh-arts/] (https://fresharts.org/about-fresh-arts/friends-of-fresh-arts/)

Artists can do many things with their work to combat injustice: begin or contribute to larger conversations affecting people; bring light to an issue not being addressed by society; conceptualize a solution to a problem in a new way; etc. But some issues are so vast and large that even addressing it presents its own series of issues. One could enter a conversation with generations of artists having already laid the groundwork, requiring research and participation before engagement. A good question for artists to ask themselves is: am I the right person to bring this issue up? We will have two guests discuss the work it takes to address political and/or social issues in their practice and what considerations artists should do before entering new conversations with their work. Shayna Schlosberg is the Director of Operations + Strategy at Women of Color in the Arts. Before joining WOCA, Shayna was the managing director of The Catastrophic Theatre, a highly acclaimed experimental theatre companyvin Houston, TX. From 2017-2021, she led the organization’s administrative and producing operations. Prior to her work at The Catastrophic Theatre, Shayna was the Associate General Manager at the Alley Theatre, where she played an integral part in expanding the theatre’s international programming, with a focus on Latin American theatre. Ms. Schlosberg has a BFA in Drama from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and an MM in International Arts Management from Southern Methodist University and HEC Montreal. She has served on grant panels for organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts (2018) and Houston Arts Alliance (2017)(2019). She is a graduate of the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture’s Advocacy Leadership Institute, Women of Color in the Arts’ Leadership Through Mentorship program, and a 2020 New Leaders Council Fellow. She is a member of Arts Accountability Houston and sits on the Advisory Committee for the Houston BIPOC Arts Network Fund. Ms. Schlosberg served in the Peace Corps in Armenia from 2010-2012. Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton is an internationally-known writer, educator, activist, performer, and the first Black Poet Laureate of Houston, Texas. Formerly ranked the #2 Best Female Performance Poet in the World (PSI), Her recent poetry collection, Newsworthy, garnered her a Pushcart nomination, was named a finalist for the 2019 Writer’s League of Texas Book Award, and received honorable mention for the Summerlee Book Prize. Its German translation, under the title "Berichtenswert," was released in Summer 2021 by Elif Verlag.  The opera, Marian’s Song, for which she wrote the libretto, debuted in 2020 to roaring reviews. Honored by Houston Business Journal as a part of their 2021 40 Under 40 class, D.E.E.P. has been a finalist for Texas State Poet Laureate, a Kennedy Center Citizen fellowship, and the prestigious Breadloaf Retreat. Her work has been highlighted and studied in Canada, England, New Zealand, and Germany. She performed as a part of the Kennedy Center's Arts Across America event. Named a Houston Artist Commissioning Project award winner by the Society for the Performing Arts Houston,. her second book, Black Chameleon, is set to release in 2023 by Henry Holt & Co. A storybook opera, entitled "Lula, the Mighty Griot", which reinterprets one of the stories from Black Chameleon is set to debut in Fall 2021 with the Houston Grand Opera. Currently, she is a Resident Artist at the American Lyric Theater and Rice University. She lives and creates in Houston, TX. For more information visit www.LiveLifedeep.com [http://www.livelifedeep.com/] Music: "Ike is Gone" by Nick Gaitan Support the show [https://fresharts.org/about-fresh-arts/friends-of-fresh-arts/] (https://fresharts.org/about-fresh-arts/friends-of-fresh-arts/)

“It’ll pay in exposure!” artists have heard time and time again. Often, this just means doing something for free, that being featured on a platform is somehow a form of compensation in and of itself. Artists should value themselves and their work by requesting monetary payment. However, artists are also vital members of their community that can serve in various roles: advocate, volunteer, supporter, activist, etc. Does one interact with a small community center the same as an institution with an endowment? When should an artist donate their time? Under what conditions should an artist work ‘for free,’ if ever? We will have two guests discuss their experiences on contracting their services in different contexts, agreements and payment scales. Moe Penders is a Salvadoran artist, whose practice is mainly framed in traditional photography. They moved to Houston in 2009 to attend the University of Houston, they received a BFA in Photography and Digital Media. Their work explores the social construction of home, intersectionality of identity and gender expression. Moe predominantly focuses on themes regarding home and culture, as well as the systemic socio-economic inequality in El Salvador. They also work with themes regarding the LGBTQIA community, and their constant work to be respected within all societies. Carla Lyles is a multidisciplinary artist, activist, and entrepreneur who hails from Alief in Houston, Texas. Carla first shared her passion for community service by creating The Haven, a grassroots organization that empowered the youth  through the arts. Providing free arts activities to the community and local shelters. Currently, Carla's drive to support the community has manifested in Keep Houston Dope, a movement started during Hurricane Harvey to help bring the city together, and her business Carla Sue,  a fun and bold greeting card company that encourages self-love and hopes to help destigmatize mental health, one greeting card at a time. She also created the Carla Sue Network, a home shopping network to highlight other small businesses which she hosted on Instagram during the first months of the pandemic. You can find Carla Sue products in stores nationwide. Carla's work has been featured by Houstonia Magazine and Huffington Post among others. She has been  honored with Pop Shop America’s Maker Awards in the Best Prints and Paper Goods category. Carla Lyles is a fellow of the esteemed arts program Artist Inc and in 2019 she was named one of the Top 10 Entrepreneurs Who Turned Their Hobbies into a Successful Career by Entrepreneur Magazine. When Carla isn’t working on her business, she enjoys hanging outside, listening to hip hop with her spending time with her husband and adorable 5-year-old son Kaleb. Music: "Ike is Gone" by Nick Gaitan Support the show [https://fresharts.org/about-fresh-arts/friends-of-fresh-arts/] (https://fresharts.org/about-fresh-arts/friends-of-fresh-arts/)

Are you a sculptor considering collaborating with a writer? A dancer wanting to work with a filmmaker? A graphic designer looking to create something with a fashion designer? An artist’s creative imagination knows no bounds. However, how do you even begin defining your project’s parameters if you’ve never seen a model for it before? Can you work with someone if you don’t speak the same artistic language? We will have two guests to discuss their experiences in developing and executing inter/multi-disciplinary projects and/or events from the ground up. Y. E. Torres (ms. YET) is a professional movement artist, instructor, model & specialty entertainer: Fusion Bellydancer, Fire Performer & Flow Artist. She holds dual BFAs in Drawing & Painting and Fashion Design from the University of North Texas and multiple dance and yoga based certifications. Torres is an arts educator, movement instructor, and Public Programs Coordinator at Contemporary Art Museum Houston. She was named one of Houston's Top "100 Creatives" by the Houston Press in 2011, inaugurated into the Houston Music and Arts Hall of Fame in 2016, and awarded 2nd place for the “Best of Sideshow Arts” at the 2019 ABurlQ! Burlesque & Sideshow Spectacular. Torres is also a Flame Effects Operator, licensed by the state of Texas and a Principal on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Special Effects (SPE-AAA) Committee. Koomah is an intersex & genderfluid multidisciplinary artist, performer, and filmmaker currently residing in Houston, Texas. Koomah has facilitated several interactive public art projects including: "Chalked" around the outside of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, "Intersex Welcome Mat" at Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, and the immersive multi-sensory interactive art experience “No Such Thing As A Free House” inside a home in South Park. Koomah has performed, showcased artwork, presented workshops & lectures, and screened films across the US & internationally. Music: "Ike is Gone" by Nick Gaitan Support the show [https://fresharts.org/about-fresh-arts/friends-of-fresh-arts/] (https://fresharts.org/about-fresh-arts/friends-of-fresh-arts/)