Arts + Public Life Announces the 2024 Cohort for Artists-In-Residence, Performance Residency, and L1 Creative Business Accelerator Fellowship
Welcome Reception
March 7, 2024 | 7:30-9:30PM | Green Line Performing Arts Center
Arts + Public Life is excited to introduce you to the 2024 cohort of Artists in Residence, Performance Residents and L1 Fellows. Join us to meet and learn about each artist’s practice and goals for their year at APL.
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“The 2024 cohort captured our attention through their socially conscious approach and innovative project proposals. We are also excited to witness the synergy across the three programs.
-— Adrienne Brown, Director of Arts + Public Life
Associate Professor in the Departments of English and Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity
Row 1: Artists-in-Residence: Candace Hunter, Ayanah Moor, Johnaé Strong
Row 2: Performance Residency: Quenna Lené Barrett, Sea Michell Miller, Roy Kinsey
Row 3: L1 Creative Business Accelerator Fellowship: Oluwaseyi Adeleke, Joli Chandler, Twjuana Simone Robinson
““The role of the artist is to be an instigator, an active participant in a community.”
– Isis Ferguson, APL’s Senior Director of Engagement and Partnerships
“CSRPC is thrilled to continue our dynamic 13-year partnership with APL and welcome this new cohort of amazing artists into our community. We look forward to amplifying their artistic practices while exploring synergies with our core mission to advance scholarship, arts, and public dialogue about the centrality of race and racism in the systems we inhabit.”
— Tracye Matthews | CSRPC Executive Director
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Candace Hunter
Based in Chicago, artist Candace Hunter (chlee) specializes in creating captivating collage, paintings, installations, and performance art. She intricately weaves stories through appropriated materials, offering viewers new landscapes rich with history and beauty. A highly respected Midwest artist, chlee has earned recent honors such as the Elevate Climate Changemakers Award (2022), 3Arts Next Level Award (2021), and the Tim and Helen Meier Foundation Award (2020). Notably, her Brown Limbed Girls series, over 130 painted and collaged 20 x 20 inch works born during the pandemic, spotlight brown girls in joyous states. Featured on billboards, book covers, and in major shows, chlee's art has garnered widespread acclaim. An avid fan of Octavia Butler, she curated an immersive exhibition of Butler's "Xenogenesis Trilogy" and the "Parables" series at the Hyde Park Art Center.
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Ayanah Moor
Ayanah Moor, a Chicago-based visual artist, boasts a prestigious presence in permanent collections worldwide, including the Capital Group (Los Angeles), DePaul Art Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Photography (Chicago). Her solo exhibitions, such as "Undercover" at Manetti Shrem Museum of Art (Davis, California), "Bless Your Heart" at RUSCHMAN (Chicago), and "I Wish I Could Be You More Often" at Cleve Carney Museum of Art (Glen Ellyn), showcase her artistic prowess. Moor has participated in notable group shows at institutions like the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and the Studio Museum in Harlem. Her impactful work has garnered attention in publications like LA Weekly, ARTFORUM.com, and academic texts. Moor holds an MFA from Tyler School of Art and a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University.
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Johnaé Strong
Johnaé Strong, a Cleveland-born writer, filmmaker, and organizer now based in Chicago, is dedicated to healing Black girls globally. Influenced by her leadership role in BYP100 Chicago and her role as a mother to Akeim and Jari @2chikids, Johnaé's work delves into materiality and time, intertwining film and digital mediums to unveil archival moments. Her art, quickly deciphered by Black audiences, becomes a codex for collective freedom, using symbols like the quilted maps of enslaved Africans. Experimenting with black and white, color, and movement, she animates freedom dreams, with her writing cited in publications such as In These Times and The Nation. Supported by residencies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Atlantic Center for the Arts, Johnaé's work is a powerful force in the pursuit of collective liberation.
“We’re thrilled to announce Roy, Michell, and Quenna as Performance Residents for 2024. We look forward to supporting these Chicago-based artists in the development and their performances in collaboration with Arts + Public Life’s partners and neighbors."
Tony Santiago | Performance Residency Manager
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Quenna Lené Barrett
Project name: Re-Writing the Declaration
Chicago native Quenna Lené Barrett is a dynamic theater artist, director, performer, and educator. Rooted in Black radical wisdom, her work amplifies marginalized voices, fostering collective dreams for bold action. As an Associate Professor of Applied Theatre at Governors State University, Quenna shapes participatory, theater-based programs at prestigious institutions like the University of Chicago and Goodman Theatre. Adept in devised and social justice theater, she conceived and directed "Re-writing the Declaration," a groundbreaking play interrogating the nation’s founding by centering Black, queer femmes. A versatile collaborator, Quenna has contributed to projects with Paramount Theatre, NYU Steinhardt, and For Youth Inquiry, among others.
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Sea Michell Miller
Project name: Blackberry Blues Cabaret
Sea M. Miller is a cultural writer, educator, and theater-maker based in Chicago, IL. Their scholarly & artistic work is rooted in the performance traditions of Zora Neale Hurston, August Wilson, and Ntozake Shange. Drawing inspiration from these sources, as well as their own experience growing up in the Black charismatic church, they approach performance as a mode of embodied research and as a spiritual technology—for ancestral veneration, time travel, and social change. Originally from the Jersey Shore, Sea received a B.A. in English Literature & Language with a concentration in Poetry Writing from the University of Virginia. They also hold an A.M. in Theatre and Performance Studies from Washington University in St. Louis. They have directed, produced, and devised performances for audiences in St. Louis, MO, Chicago, IL, and Brooklyn, NY. Currently, Sea is translating their passion for theater and performance through the lens of burlesque.
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Roy Kinsey
Project name: The Legacy Project
Born and raised in Chicago, Roy Kinsey defies tradition as a black, queer-identified rapper and librarian. Unapologetically non-conformist, his albums, including "Blackie: A Story by Roy Kinsey" and "Kinsey: A Memoir," explore his life with potent musical performances. His upcoming release, "A Westside Story: The Legacy Project" (September 2024), promises more autobiographical depth. Shaped by witnessing threats to Black and queer bodies in Chicago and beyond, Kinsey's works meditate on his experiences coming of age. Featured on major publications like Chicago Reader and Billboard, his storytelling prowess solidifies his place in black music and literature. As a librarian for 11 years, his profession fuels self-examination, reflected in his impactful rhymes. He believes his heartfelt creations will resonate widely.
"I am enthusiastic about the new L1 fellows. We’ve curated a series of workshops and experiences over the next 10 months to help the fellows grow their businesses. This year we are also introducing public sessions so that valuable insights gleaned in workshops can be shared with a wider range of South Side creative innovators."
— Fabiola Ramirez | Associate Director of Creative Entrepreneurship and Operations
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Oluwaseyi Adeleke
prgrssn, llc
Olu is a Creative Director and Graphic Designer based in Chicago, IL specializing in unique storytelling through a Black lens. Deeply connected to his community, Olu uses art as a platform to highlight injustice while creating items that start a dialogue around solutions.
Olu is the proud owner of prgrssn, a clothing brand focused on recreating moments in Black history via apparel. He holds a Master of Design (MDes) degree from the University of Illinois Chicago.
Olu is always excited for an opportunity to collaborate. Past partners include SocialWorks Chicago, Chicago Votes, Nike Chicago, femdot., and Grammy Award winning artist Nico Segal.
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Joli Chandler
Soma Gems Jewelry
Soma Gems was established in 2019 by trained metalsmith Joli Chandler. Soma Gems produces a number of silver and gold-based jewelry products including rings, earring, bracelets, necklaces, cuff links and custom items by request. Soma Gems offer an extensive catalog of unique, affordable and ethically sourced gemstone jewelry that comes in high quality ecofriendly reusable packaging. Compared to competitors our items are all handmade, using ethically sourced materials made in the US and created in small batches. Once the source of the gemstone runs out it will not be reproduced. This creates a one of a kind, unique aesthetic to all of our products.
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Twjuana Simone Robinson
Callie Decor
Callie Decor products infuse positive messaging into every item, as evidenced by the affirming Hip Hop lyrics which adorn the hand painted wall tapestries. Candles are hand mixed, the scent profiles are custom blended, and on each label a quote from a soul artist inspires us to love.
Twjuana Simone saw a need for Hip Hop representation in home decor and has set out to offer LiL Wayne, J.Cole, and other overlooked poets as an alternative to those who are seen as most notable and widely available. As Callie Decor continues to grow, Twjuana Simone is looking forward to the potential for expansion and to fostering meaningful collaborations.