PASSION TO PROFESSION:
LIBERATION LANDSCAPES
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.
DEC 6, 2019
The event, curated in congruence with Chicago’s annual Architecture Biennial, aimed to interrogate varied approaches to space-making within the context of Chicago, and our broader queer, Black, and Brown community.
Black trans , nonbinary and femme space-makers, designers, and community activists from Party Noire, Molasses, and Brown Skin Lady Show presented and discussed their thoughts, motivations, and overall missions that guide their professional practice, helping to shape newly inclusive social landscapes.
About the Artists
Dedicated to the empowerment and promotion of black and brown women artists in Chicago and beyond, the Brown Skin Lady Show was created to highlight, uplift, and provide space to empower Black and Brown women in the arts.
The #PartyNoire community is an inclusive cultural hub celebrating Black femmes, QWOC, and Black womanhood across the gender spectrum. Holding space especially for queer, trans, genderqueer, and gender non-conforming Black folks. Their mission is to create experiences and intentional spaces that uplift and affirm the lives of Black women.
Formed by Zola Chatman, Choya Weber, Onyx Engobor, and Lucy Stoole in March 2019, Molasses is a Chicago-based collective manifested by and for black, trans and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) artists and organizers. Molasses aims to create both community and opportunity for black trans and gender-variant people and queer people of color through cultural work, coalition-building, and linkage to (self)care.
Passion to Profession is a workshop series created by artist Anisa Olufemi and co-facilitated by interdisciplinary art worker Jada-Amina. The PTP program aims to create a welcoming, informative, and productive space for youth ages 14–18 to work with practicing artists, both established and up-and-coming, in imagining pathways for pursuing a sustainable career in the arts.
Youth-led events, highlighting youth voices and open to visitors of all ages, are organized by Chicago artists under 21 with the support of the MCA’s Manager of Youth and Family Programs Grace Needlman.