Conjuring Joy: Where to find the artists-in-residence next!
Our first West Philadelphia artist residency, Conjuring Joy at the Bride (July–Sept. 2024), wrapped up earlier this month with a sweet, intimate Dance Party. We’re incredibly proud of our four artists-in-residence for their commitment to engaging our West Philadelphia community through free arts workshops, performances, and gallery showings.
If you missed an event or are eager for more offerings, the creative work doesn’t end here! Though our residency has come to a close, each artist’s project is ongoing – read on for how you can follow and support their work:
Matthew Armstead | Thriving Together
Matthew brought grounding and highly collaborative offerings to the Bride through their workshops on embodying rage and rooting into resilience. Their skills as a theater artist and organizational facilitator taught us the power of art as a way to move through turbulent times. As one participant shared: “The sessions brought forth a deep wordless transformation in me. I am in eternal appreciation to Matthew’s expert care in creating a space and container for personal evolution.”
- About their project
- Website
- Sign up for their newsletter here to receive updates on their performance and facilitation work.
Very Good Dance Theatre | TENANTS/TENETS
If you walked into any Very Good Dance Theatre (VGDT) event, you’d see lots of laughter, running, and jumping around – the sort of joy we don’t often see outside of a playground, or childhood. The division between performer and audience member falls away – VGDT insists on inviting everyone into radical, collaborative play. They celebrate experimentation as a way to move into a better (or more “very good”) world.
- About their project
- Website
- Donate here
- Follow their Instagram to learn about their newest performances and workshops.
Very Good Dance Theatre & audience members improvise dance formations (photographed by Torian Ugworji)
Francesca Montanile Lyons | 1001 Unread Messages
Francesca has some good questions about our current digital age: What if we look at time spent on our screens with tenderness? What can it teach us about how we connect and what we value? Through an impressive array of art, ranging from watercolor paintings to tufted rugs to theater performances, Francesca brought our attention to the tender, strange, and interesting things our phones reveal about our most intimate relationships. As one of her collaborators, David Pica, shares: “Crafting various 3-dimensional works from text exchanges and photos is very pleasing. It celebrates what could easily be lost, overlooked, forgotten about.”
- About her project
- Website
- Instagram pages: Visual Art & Performance
- Support Francesca’s work by purchasing a piece and donating your text messages to inspire new art.
Cass Arrington | Naming Ceremony
Cass knew they wanted to center queer and trans people of color (QTPOC) in all of their work. As a young artist “excavating the queer self from the physical body,” they recognized the power of learning who you are and what you desire with your community. From gender-affirming portraits to sexual wellness art teach-ins to short film screenings, they opened up many opportunities for fellow QTPOC to share their own journeys and to be met with love and resonance.
- About their project
- Website
- Follow their Instagram to see their latest photography work.
