IN PROGRESS

Scatterbrain

Aida Guo + Sofia Azam

Isabel Lu + Michelle Qiou

Martin Wannam + Anthony Maravilla

Sadie Rose

Chania Wilson

Becky Joye

Alyssa Cuffie website instagram

The Durham Artist Archive is a podcast that interviews artists about their creative practices and experiences living in the rapidly gentrifying Durham. The podcast will serve as an archive of the creative experience in Durham today. I aim to interview at least 15 creatives of various backgrounds over the course of 2024. The goal is to share the stories of these artists and their work with the community.

The podcast will also explore the impact of gentrification on the Durham arts scene. Durham is rapidly growing with an increasing number of “transplants” moving in, myself being one of them. I seek to understand how this experience impacts creatives who’ve moved here or have been here long term. How does living in Durham as an artist compare to other places they’ve lived? How has their experience in Durham changed in the past 5 years versus 15 years ago? I seek to root out a story of Durham while still learning about individuals' creative practices and uplifting their work. The podcast will be a valuable resource for anyone interested in the arts in Durham. It will provide a platform for artists to share their work and stories, and serve to document the changing landscape of the Durham arts scene.

Amber Echevarria instagram

The Basement Battle will feature Triangle-area artists creating illustrations on stage, competing directly with other artists, to complete their piece in 30-40 minutes, based on a surprise prompt. At the end of that time, attendees will vote on their favorite featured artist, who will be awarded a “goodie bag” of prizes (past Basement Battle prizes have included marker sets, gift certificates, fanny packs, and other goods provided in-kind). The finished pieces will then be displayed together following the event (approx. 30 days), with intent to move the collection to new venues, on a regular basis.

Aida Guo

Radical Asian American arts program for high school students to build community through independent visual arts projects both with each other and within North Carolina. Examples of independent projects include an oral history photograph series, a collaborative zine for queer Asian American youth in NC, a children’s book discussing the Third World Liberation Front. Through one-on-one mentorship and artist workshops, youth will be challenged to grow politically, artistically, and personally. This project will attempt to build a base of politically engaged, young, Asian/American artists in North Carolina.

Spencer Hathcock website instagram

Our project at Neighbor to Neighbor is a dynamic fusion of community development, art, and sports. It involves transforming our two adjoining outdoor basketball courts into a canvas for a large-scale mural. This mural, designed by Gabe Eng-Goetz, is inspired by Tupac Shakur’s poignant poem 'The Rose That Grew From Concrete.' It symbolizes the resilience, beauty, and joy inherent in our community, reflecting the spirit of so many of the youth and adults we serve everyday. Under the guidance of Project Backboard, this installation will be a collaborative effort, engaging local residents in bringing this artwork to life by participating in the painting process. Our goal is to create a vibrant, inspiring space that not only enhances our basketball courts but also serves as a beacon of community pride and a testament to our collective strength and creativity.

Phillip Loken website

"Free Memories" is a free family portrait event for the Black community of East Raleigh and an archival photographic body of work. Gentrification is happening rapidly all across the world and North Carolina is not exempt. 62 people a day move to Wake County alone and with growth like that, displacement of the locals and their culture takes place as well. "Free Memories" serves as a gift to the community that helped shape me into the person I am today and an archival project that will document the vibrant Black community that assisted in molding the culture of Raleigh; East Raleigh to be specific.

Freeman Long website

The film is a historical documentary of the Bull City Riders, the oldest chartered Black motorcycle club in North Carolina. Through the Riders’ own words, juxtaposed with film of thrilling rides, we will show how they have persevered and positively contributed to Durham. The film will focus on the six surviving founding members: Morris Barrier, John Daniels, James Lee, Hal Royster, John Lyon and Elijah Worley. The founders are African-American men, now in their 70’s and 80’s. The majority of the founding members are deceased, and we need to capture the history while they are alive.

Courtney Napier website

Volume 7 of BOS Magazine delves deep into the heart of North Carolina's Black foodways, uplifting the flavors, stories, and heritage that define Black Southern cuisine. From nurturing and living off the land to cherished family recipes passed down through the generations, to the vibrant culinary innovations of contemporary Black chefs and the gulfs of food access and land ownership that still exist within our community, this issue invites readers on a mouthwatering journey through the South's kitchens and communities. BOS Magazine, Volume 7 will feature an array of thought-provoking essays, compelling stories, soulful poems, stunning artwork, and captivating photography. Through the lens of talented Black Southern contributors, readers will gain a fresh perspective on how food connects us to our roots, our cultures, and our identities.

Londs Reuter website instagram

GOOD EFFORT is a performance of attunement inviting dancers to calibrate their action to unique circumstances. We use high effort to feel an effect—like getting up a hill, lifting a box, or being kind to a cruel person. We use low effort to witness our action—like taking in a view, making a cold breakfast, or doing a job only as-written. Calibrating effort levels is one way we survive capitalist systems while retaining agency and, ideally, cultivating enjoyment. GOOD EFFORT uplifts effort as a compositional tool and design technique, thereby empowering each performer to exercise their authorship, agency, and invention.

Dancers have been tuning their relationship to effort since the beginning. We know when we can estimate a movement, just to tell if the steps will line up with the meter of a song. We also know when we need to practice with full momentum, otherwise our partner won’t be able to feel our weight shift. GOOD EFFORT is a practice of naming and knowing what it takes to do what you’re doing. No one else might know the effort required, but we always do.

GOOD EFFORT will culminate in an evening-length performance on a hill. Dancers will perform permutations of shared movement material—meaning each dancer will learn the same movements or prompts for movement—but their expression will hinge on their sense of effort. This strategy allows for each performance to be new and for each performer to determine what they offer to the audience, the group, and themselves. GOOD EFFORT demonstrates the many ways we can meet each moment.v