In Solidarity | A Statement for Leon Black’s Removal From MoMA’s Board

Glad to be part of this charge forward. No rest until we have the world we deserve!

Protesters outside of MoMA in October of 2019 (photo by Hakim Bishara/Hyperallergic)

Protesters outside of MoMA in October of 2019 (photo by Hakim Bishara/Hyperallergic)


Over 150 Artists Call for Leon Black’s Removal From MoMA’s Board Over Jeffrey Epstein Financial Ties

Our Statement :

Collective Statement Signed by 157 artists, curators, and art workers

We, as artists and art workers, support the removal of Leon Black from the board of MoMA for reasons that have already been stated by many others. However, this should be considered the bare minimum. Beyond his removal, we must think seriously about a collective exit from art’s imbrication in toxic philanthropy and structures of oppression, so that we don’t have to have the same conversations over and over, one board member at a time. This thinking can only catalyze action once we state plainly: We do not need this money. Museums and other arts institutions must pursue alternative models, cooperative structures, Land Back initiatives, reparations, and additional ideas that constitute an abolitionist approach toward the arts and arts patronage, so that they align with the egalitarian principles that drew us to art in the first place.

Aaron Hughes

Aaron Landsman

Abou Farman

Ahmed Isamaldin 

Ahmad Salameh

Ajay Kurian

Alan Ruiz

Alberto Garcia Rodriguez

Alex Paik

Alex Zandi

Alexa Punnamkuzhyil 

Ali Eyal

Ali Yass

Amanda Matles, Pratt Institute

Aminah Ibrahim 

Ana Ratner 

Anna Sew Hoy

Andrea Fraser

Andreas Amble

Andrew Ranville

Andrew Weiner, NYU

Ánima Correa

Anna Harsanyi

Ann Holder

Art and Labor Podcast

Art Handlers Alliance

Artists For Workers

Aru Apaza

Axe Binondo

Azikiwe Mohammed

Baseera Khan

Betty Roytburd

Blakey Bessire

Brett Wallace

Caitlin Cahill

Carlos Rosales-Silva

Chelsea Birenberg

Christina Chan

Christina Martinelli 

Claire Mirocha

Clarinda Mac Low

Clark Filio

Claudia Hart

Collective Çukurcuma (Mine Kaplangı & Naz Cuguoğlu)

Dachil Sado

Dana Kopel

Danielle Dean

David Borgonjon

David Kramer 

Denisse Andrade, Pratt Institute

Devin Kenny

Diwali Hasskan

Edi Friedlander

Emily Johnson

Emily Shanahan

Eric Golo Stone

Erin Murphy

Eriola Pira

Eugene Yiu Nam Cheung

Francesca Altamura

Frank J. Stockton 

Franklyn Cain

Gee Wesley 

Gordon Hall

Greg Lindquist

Guerrilla Girls

Halieadorable211

Hallie McNeill 

HOUSING Gallery

Hussein Adil

Ian Epps

Irkalla

Isabelle Brourman

Jake Davidson

Jared Brown 

Jason Simon

Jeffrey Grunthaner

Jennifer M. Williams

Jenny Dubnau

Jessica Wilson

Jesus Benavente

Jihan El Tahri

Jo Shane

Johanne Swanson

Johnson Study Group

Jonathan González

Jorge Rojas

Joseph Lubitz

Josephine Heston 

Julia Kwon 

Juliana Cerqueira Leite

Kai Matsumiya

Kat Zhao

Katherine Aungier

Katie Giritlian 

Katie Grace McGowan, Detroit, MI.
Katy Bea

KJ Freeman

Kristan Kennedy

Lawrence Sanchez

lexi welch

Lia Gangitano, PARTICIPANT INC

Lilly Hern-Fondation

Lincoln Tobier, Los Angeles

Lissa Regnier

Liz Glynn

Lluis Alexandre Casanovas Blanco

Lorelei Ramirez

Lucas Baisch

Manolis D. Lemos

Marnie Briggs 

María Verónica San Martín

Max Warsh

Megan Elevado

 

Michael Rakowitz

Michelle Rosenberg

Mikeeh Zwirner (Institute of Museums Against All Fucked Up Social Systems)

Mimi Bai

Minahil Khan

Mira Dayal

Moyra Davey

Nan Goldin

Nataša Prljević

Nia Nottage

Nicole Eisenman

Nick Wylie, Public Media Institute

Nikiesha Hamilton 

Nikki Columbus

Noah Fischer

Paddy Johnson

Patrick Carlin Mohundro

Paul John 

Paul McAdory

Peter Rostovsky, artist, writer, educator.

Phil Collins

Rachel Valinsky

Ramón Miranda Beltrán

Rebecca Naegele

Rena Anakwe

Rindon Johnson

Rory Murphy 

Ryan Oskin

Ryan Scullin

Sam Korman

Sara Grace Powell

Sara Magenheimer

Sari Weisenberg

Shanjana Mahmud

Sherko Abbas 

Sophia Friedman-Pappas

Stephanie Acosta

Stephen Sewell

Sunny Iyer

Taehee Whang (Hyperlink Press)

Teresa Ross Tellechea

the Dismantle NOMA collective

Todd Ayoung, Pratt Institute
Todd Gray

V. M. McEwen

Valerie Chang

Vanessa Thill

Vijay Masharani

Wes Larios

William Powhida

Winslow Smith

Xavier Danto

Xaviera Simmons

Zazu Swistel

Editor’s note 2/12/2021 11:57am EST: This list of signatories has been updated since its original publication.


Good Day God Damn | WORLD PREMIERE | Chocolate Factory Theater

IT IS HERE AND I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! THIS IS IT! THE ONE WE BEEN CHURNING ON! DO NOT MISS!

GOOD DAY GOD DAMN 
March 19, 20, 21 + 26, 27, 28 
The Chocolate Factory Theater 
GET TICKETS HERE 

​Tickets are going fast and there is limited seating so don't come cryin' to me later! This is the one, the one we've been workin on, churning on, evolving, this baby is it and she is HERE!  If you saw other works in progress fear not THIS IS A WHOLE NEW WORK and you DO NOT WANT TO MISS IT!  

Living in gratitude for this dark, absurdist, genius cabal of collaborators including Leslie CuyjetMiriam GabrielAngie Pittman, and Jessie Young, and joining us on stage, the operatic alien Alexa Grae is brining us sonic reaches and vocal gateways and light portals by Shana Crawford.

_________________________________________________________________________________

[WORLD PREMIERE] THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY THEATER PRESENTS

Stephanie Acosta Good Day God Damn

March 19-28, 2020 ; Thursdays - Saturdays at 8pm

The Chocolate Factory Theater5-49 49th Avenue, LIC NY 11101

In a multi-frame assemblage of video projection, the cinematic lens, and the theatrical frame, the performers of Good Day God Damn - four dancers, an opera singer, and an ill fated screeching director - move as an organic sentient mass through multiple atmospheres and states, exploring ideas of the cinematic thriller and extraterrestrial hope in an attempt to disassemble, rebuild, and hold onto the very notion of survival in an absurd multi-crisis reality, asking: what does it mean to get through it? Dissonant sounds and images give way to choral moments in a darkly thrilling and dynamic disarray.Created and directed by Stephanie Acosta.

Performers: Leslie Cuyjet, Miriam Gabriel, Angie Pittman, and Jessie Young. Sound and vocals: Alexa Grae. Lighting Design: Shana Crawford. Projection Mapping: Ryan Holsopple.Good Day God Damn began its development as part of a Creative Residency at The Chocolate Factory Theater in September 2018, curated by Blaze Ferrer.

Podcast | State of the Arts - talking DanceNYC 2019 Symposium


Listen to Remi Harris and I fall in love with Savona over dance and NYC’s wonders HERE or click below for our “lively” lovely chat! Talkin’ Dance/NYC Symposium 2019

More from the grand Savona Bailey-McClain’s State of the Arts NYC HERE

State of the Arts NYC is a weekly radio show where various sectors of NYC’s arts worlds converge to report and analyze the dynamic state of the arts and its participants. Hosted by Savona Bailey-McClain, long-time Executive Director of the West Harlem Art Fund (WHAF), she confronts, analyzes and celebrates victories, challenges and changes in the country’s dynamic creative capital. Reports from the field; from the far-flung fringes; from center stage and from behind the scenes—the host Savona Bailey-McClain draws on her 20 years’ in the trenches to bring you snapshot after snapshot in living color. State of the Arts NYC can be heard on iTunes, Radio Public, Youtube, Mixcloud and BRIC Radio.

And check her other magical works HERE or read an inspired interview with Savona HERE!

N E W Z L E T T E R - This Saturday/Season/Beyond

N E W Z L E T T E R is OUT and you can read it HERE and subscribe HERE for next time!

or read below!


November 08, 2018

This SATURDAY, this SEASON and the BEYOND from Acosta Studios

by Stephanie Acosta

Hi all! Connections, reinforcing, constructing, restoring, repairing, the work feels endless, and it is, the stuff of living with accountability, with engagement, with open eyes and arms and hearts, is HARD WORK and it is also WORTH IT.  Let's keep on keeping together.  

In love, revolution and solidarity, Stephanie 


F I R S T L Y  - as in THIS SATURDAY NY 
Workshop | Stephanie Acosta: Empathetic Landscape + Cosmic Bodies - Using imagined interiors in movement practice.

Saturday 2-4p | Recess 46 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY | FREE + presented as part of "Camilo Godoy: Out of Control" 
Register FREE on Eventbrite or Facebook 


In the workshop we'll translate ideas thru multiple systems, including sensory + moving meditations, writing, and vocal engagement, testing and embodying specific approaches utilized in my score building. Thinking about how to engage interior curiosity, articulate the abstract and in the process engage in philosophical considerations of body, life and place-ness. The workshop is based on our rehearsal practice, and the current research project Good Day God Damn
All body types + experience levels are W E L C O M E! 

AND THEN...

 This electric evening includes live music, rituals, short film screening, along with a work-in-progress showing of The Judiths of Virtuous Dissent, a performance developed by Nessa Norich + her ensemble of interdisciplinary artists. Channeling the fullness of our grief, anger + love into a prismatic vision of a heroine who vanquished the forces of violence with the force of feeling. 

550958ac-3140-4f80-a1b0-09d0b801051c.jpg

I am excited to be supporting the work of a dear one, and to be spending time supporting Well of Wills and these fierce femmes who are tackling the darkness with More Light! 

Candle Lighting + Performance | 7:30p
Celebration + Short Film screening + Live Art | 9p

Tickets are LIMITED so grab yours HERE 
RSVP- Facebook  #thejudithproject


AND THEN...

f805455b-c7ec-4cb1-aa50-44581294c30d.jpg

Can you believe it's the FINAL SUNDAY SERVICE of the SEASON?! Season 4 has been another inspired and surprising series with curators Pamela Liou, Julia Stanoli, and Zavé Martohardojo each bringing entirely new and beautiful ways to entangle our worlds, expand out listening, and shake out our feels. My gratitude abounds. 

THIS month brings us my brother in crime Miguel Gutierrez presenting four humans to embrace and engage ancestry,examing how we hold, tether, pull and make space for the past in our future as well as how the future might carry the past.
 
Featuring Bryanna Bradley, Camilo Godoy, Evelyn Sanchez Narvaez, + Xtian W. 

December 9th | 7pm
Knockdown Center
RSVP - Eventbrite | Facebook 

As always F R E E + as always Sunday Service is programmed by myself + the illustrious Alexis Wilkinson.  

And don't fret we will be back with news on Season 5 shortly, so stay tuned, year three is gonna be a blow-out! 


R E C E N T L Y 


Recently wrapped up a 10 day mini-residency at the Chocolate Factory, curated by Blaze Ferrer and generously hosted by all. Returning to our research we were able to more deeply develop and share this continuous expression and search for sanity. Joined once again by the graces of Leslie CuyjetAngie PittmanJessie Young, and Miriam Gabriel, with tech support from long time collaborator Rory Murphy, we were able to continue our writing, filming and movement development we hope to have a larger sharing of final works including a publication, new scripted and abstract video experiments and a final evening length journey through this landscape. Stay tuned!

Oh right, and just a little bleed in from my other life to tell you that I got to create a 7 screen video installation for the 30th anniversary tour for The Pixies which has been a real fun and strange and surprising experience. Highlighting the aesthetics of their vast ouvoir and expanding on interviews with Art Director Vaughan Oliver, I have enjoyed every minute of working with these long time loves, and can't wait to catch it live in Brooklyn next week! You should TOO! THE FUCKING PIXIES!  


L A S T L Y 


I have begun work on a new series that is not altogether new because few things are, but perhaps a return to some gnawing internal questions on autobiography, messy morphing identities and those who bare witness to our decay.  I hope to tell you more soon but for now, please know that I am out here working and thinking for and of you, and I am here if you need me, if I can be, and when I can't, I'll be in the studio. 

See you in the streets and stages and all the in between! 
 

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