Urbano Project Announces Summer 2022 Artists In Residence

Urbano Project has announced that Lani Asuncion, Joseph Madres, and Sarah Plotkin will be the summer 2022 Artists-in-Residence, leading two Youth Artists Projects (YAP) and a multi-age Community Art Project (CA) being held in-person throughout July and August at various locations in Boston.

Asuncion's "Performance: History/Ritual/Identity" will investigate how performance is connected to history to explore identity and create a deeper sense of place; Madres' "Making Oasis" will focus on placemaking to transform a neglected green space in Hyde Park into a place that opens up new possibilities for the local community and ecosystem; and Plotkin's "Through Our Eyes: Reflections on Climate Justice in Our Communities" will amplify stories of climate justice through the lens of documentary theater and performance-based practices.

Urbano's 2021-2022 programs explored the curatorial theme of "Democracy" as a lens to imagine a more inclusive and equitable society: how can art encourage social action to develop and nurture a democracy that benefits and empowers us all? Artists-in-Residence Asuncion, Madres, and Plotkin will mark the transition to Urbano's 2022-2023 curatorial theme, "Our Planet, Ourselves," which seeks to explore this idea of interconnectedness between our planet, our bodies, and ourselves through practices of placemaking, performance, and art activism. How do we think about environmental justice activism, and how may art function as a platform to advance notions of care and co-evolution?

Lani Asuncion will lead the Community Art Project (CAP) "Performance: History/Ritual/Identity," in which community participants will work to define identity through research on the history of specific sites in Boston and the embodiment of ritual through performance. In the end, the group will collaborate to create a public performance that acclimates work developed throughout the course, aiming to find points of connection and community healing. Sessions begin July 6 on Wednesday evenings at the Cultural Equity Incubator in Boston's Fort Point district. Learn more here.

Joseph Madres will lead "Making Oasis, where Youth Artists will work together to transform a neglected green space in Hyde Park into a place that opens new creative possibilities for the local community and ecosystem. They will collaborate to build site-specific art installations including wall mosaics, mobiles, found object and mixed media sculpture, earthworks, and land art. The Youth Artists will collaboratively design and facilitate placemaking as a local experiment in natural democracy-an Indigenous political practice pre-existing Western notions of democracy that acknowledges the rights, agencies, and participation of all members of our natural communities in political life. Through their placemaking experiences and contributions, Youth Artists will develop skills and produce new knowledge as community artists, arts-based researchers, and local activists. Sessions begin July 11 on Mondays and Wednesdays in Hyde Park. Learn more here.

Sarah Plotkin will lead "Through Our Eyes: Reflections on Climate Justice," which invites Youth Artists to explore ideas of climate justice through documentary theater and other performance-based practices. Youth Artists will amplify stories of climate justice from Boston-based leaders and their own experiences, and learn how climate change is directly affecting our communities. In the end, they will present an interactive, public performance and invite the audience to create their own collaborative, collective response. Sessions begin July 19 on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Egleston Square Library. Learn more here.

Youth Artists Projects and Community Arts Projects are in-depth, long-term artistic explorations of Urbano's annual curatorial theme through the mentorship of the Artist-in-Residence, resulting in projects that are presented in the public realm, physically and virtually. Participants are paid a stipend for participation and all art materials are provided. Urbano's Summer 2022 Calls for Youth Artists and Call for Participants is now open and accepting applications. Visit www.urbanoproject.org for more information.

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