Arts-Based Community Development Convening
Transforming Post-Industrial Cities through Art and Innovation
April 12 through 14, 2012 - St. Louis

Creating with Nontraditional Artists

Day 2 / Apr, 13 @ 1:30 pm
Lower Level : Room C

When creating outside of academia and standard gallery settings, artists and their community partners are engaging in meaningful work. This workshop asks – How can we push ourselves to be as forward thinking in our process? Artists must relate to the participants of their process in a respectful and thoughtful way. What is an “inclusive setting?” What is the artist’s role? Participants will discuss these five points of inclusive work with non traditional artists: The community being served must be involved in the planning process; the art should be reflective of the culture of the participants; all work must be created from an anti-racist lens; participant’s authentic voice and vision must be honored; the outcomes must be resourceful and uplifting to the targeted community.

Speaker(s):

Simiya

St. Louis, Missouri

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Simiya is a visual artist, teacher, clothing and jewelry maker from Inglewood, CA. She received her BFA in sculpture from Webster University in St. Louis in May 2010. As an artist, her work, primarily manifesting itself in the form of sculpture, installation and drawing, leans heavily towards an exploration of our relationships with nature. She exploits the perceived notions of fragility and delicacy in regards to a permanent, industrial materials such as porcelain, threads and paper and comparing and contrasting these ideas with the reality of our fragile ecosystems and our connections {or a lack of} to living beings other than ourselves.

Simiya has worked with children of all ages and backgrounds through work as a teaching artist in a variety of St. Louis institutions and has exhibited her art work on the local and national level.

 

Dail Chambers

St. Louis, Missouri

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Dail Chambers is a mother, artist and activist who exhibits and lectures nationally. She practices her studio art process in St. Louis Place, in north St. Louis. Her artwork is based in material meaning and women’s topics through an inquiry of self and family.

Dail founded the Yeyo Arts collective, a group of five artists who opened Gya, a non profit community arts space that creates arts and culture experiences within the St. Louis region. She has received numerous awards for her work, including a Resolution from the City of St. Louis. She is a 2010 CAT Institute graduate.