Emergence: QT/BIPOC Aesthetic Abundance gathers artists, creatives, and performers from around the Pioneer Valley to be seen, to be recognized, to be known, and to be in community. Emergence was born out of a longing for a more liberatory way of celebrating artistic practice and wisdom. An invitation to decolonize and disrupt the notion of who gets to have access to the art world, who gets to be known. The theme of emergence is also a generative invitation to participate in, honor and nourish our own emergent processes of BIPOC creation and BIPOC community building.
Emergence was gathered as a group effort led by Chelvanaya “Naya” Gabriel, founder of the Creative Resilience Project, a community art/performance/dialogue space and mentorship program for BIPOC creatives in Holyoke, MA, with loving care and assistance from Doctora Xingona/Diana Alvarez (creator of Quiero Volver: A Xingonx Ritual Opera, a multimedia performance altar that helped inform and inspire this convening), among many others.
Participating artists include Ella Alkiewicz, Julissa Rodriguez, Ebbie Russell, Jason Montgomery, Keyona Jones/Onkey Cosplay and Erika Slocumb.
Emergence will be shown in the Pulp Holyoke main gallery with activities led by the artists next door in the Creative Resilience Lab - both spaces are located at 80 Race Street, Holyoke 01040. A public opening reception will be held at Pulp Holyoke July 31st from 5pm - 7pm. To protect vulnerable members of our community, we ask that visitors to the reception wear masks and maintain social distancing while enjoying the abundance of beauty presented by these artists.