“Dear Soul,
Am I only because I have been?” -Etel Adnan
We are who we are because of who we have been and we are who we will be because of who we are. Each of us represents a continuum of soul, mind, matter, love, hope, grief, pain and so much more that shape us, create us, every moment. Our history, individual and collective, speaks to now and our present speaks to the future.
Lavette Ballard is an artist, historian, curator and author. Presently she is working on a new body of work investigating little girls, missing children, missing lives, missing what’s in your community. Ballard works closely with the Colored Girls Museum in Philadelphia. The museum is dedicated to the “ordinary yet extraordinary colored girl” and recently ran a show titled In Search of the Colored Girl for which Ballard acted as curator. This exhibition sparked her current focus as she examined her role and the roles of others like her in the community. To hear more about her work and inspiration, listen to the complete interview.
Naz Cuguoğlu lives and works in San Francisco. At the moment she is involved in multiple projects including Collective Çukurcuma of which she is a co-founder. Started in 2015, Collective Çukurcuma is intended to bring people together in the neighborhood of Çukurcuma of Istanbul. The collective began in the wake of mass political protests in Turkey and the projects reflect on themes that stem from this. Cuguoğlu is a curator currently enrolled in the Graduate Program in Curatorial Practice at California College of the Arts on a scholarship. To hear more about Collective Çukurcuma, Cuguoğlu’s curatorial pursuits and more, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:
We carry on, we are carried along, we continue.
Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android please click here. All weekly essay pieces in a shareable format are here. The full archive of interviews here.
Books to Read
What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here. Lavette Ballard uses audiobooks quite often. At present she is reading The Water Dancer by Ta’Nahisi Coates. Naz Cuguoğlu is reading work by the Lebanese poet Etal Adnan.
Space on Ryder Farm is currently accepting applications for creative residency. This opportunity gives artists and collaborators the chance to create alongside other artists, away from the pressure of everyday responsibilities. Residencies last for one or two weeks. There is a nominal fee of $7 to apply. Visit the website for more information and to apply. Deadline is November 6.
Deadlines
Weekly Edited Grant and Residency Deadlines – review the list here.
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Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis Center for Aesthetics. He has written six books for artists; Making it in the Art World, New Markets for Artists, The Art World Demystified, Fund Your Dreams Like a Creative Genius, Sell Online Like a Creative Genius and Succeed with Social Media Like a Creative Genius.