3 Native Artists in NYC
In late October, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF) program staff flew out to the east coast for visits with SHIFT artist Emily Johnson and LIFT artist Mobéy Lola Irizarry
NACF's LIFT & SHIFT Awards
The LIFT – Early Career Support for Native Artists program provides support to early career Native artists with one-year awards to develop and realize new projects.
The SHIFT – Transformative Change and Indigenous Arts program supports artist and community-driven projects.
Emily standing on top of a car (2022-11-08) by Robert FranklinNative Arts and Cultures Foundation - Center for Native Arts and Cultures
“Being Future Being“
Emily Johnson, standing on top of a car streetside in front of the theater at New York Live Arts, megaphone in hand asked, “What if every one of us turned every one of ours cells toward justice?”
This storytelling, gathering the audience outside of the theater before leading us inside, has been integral to Emily’s work over the last decade, from stories about black fish to stories about trees. And like previous projects that guided participants through community quilt-making, these threads, among many, tie her greater body of work together.
Drawing Up Energies from the Earth
Set to the score of experimental sound artist Raven Chacon (2021 SHIFT artist and 2014 National Artist Fellow), with costuming by Maggie Thompson (2015 Regional Artist Fellow), the dancers’ movements were sewn together by a rhythmic stomping, grounding us in the moment.
Branch of Knowledge (2022-11-08) by Robert FranklinNative Arts and Cultures Foundation - Center for Native Arts and Cultures
Branch of Knowledge
Post-show, as part of the project’s “Branch of Knowledge”, a cohort of Lenape matriarchs took to the stage, most for the very first time. The poignant narratives offered by the women were at once heartbreaking and inspirational.
NRO and Creative Time (2022-11-08) by Robert FranklinNative Arts and Cultures Foundation - Center for Native Arts and Cultures
Meeting with New Red Order & Creative Time
Visiting with members our grant awardees New Red Order (Jackson Polys and Zach Khalil) and their organizational partner in NYC, Creative Time (Diya Vij, Curator). They shared about some of the related projects they are doing including their exhibit "Give it Back."
Reuben and Mobey (2022-11-08) by Robert FranklinNative Arts and Cultures Foundation - Center for Native Arts and Cultures
LIFT artist, Mobéy Lola Irizarry with Reuben Roqueni
Mobéy’s work spans disciplines and genres – they are musically gifted, working as a composer and performer, moving across pop, experimental music and traditional music with grace. Mobéy is an academy trained violinist.
Listen to an Interview with Mobéy Lola Irizarry
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