2021 Recipients

Antonio Mancilla – Eye to Eye
Mancilla will record Eye to Eye, an album of original songs that explore themes and ideas of grief, racism, overcoming adversity, and the experiences and struggles of the working-class. The record will be available digitally and on vinyl.

Ariana Andretta – Love & Other Stories
Andretta will direct and choreograph a dance narrative entitled Love & Other Stories, the story follows four young women on their separate journeys in their quest to define love. They are connected by their place of residence, as they happen to be living in the same NYC apartment a few decades apart [‘60s, ’80s, & ‘00s]. The show examines love in many forms and all that goes along with it.

Canvas Institute – Changing The Narrative
Changing The Narrative is a docuseries project that aims to highlight the accomplishments and struggles of Staten Islanders on the North Shore. The series hopes to humanize the lived experiences of marginalized groups through storytelling.

Charlie Windy Nicely – To Study the Self is to Forget the Self
Artist Charlie Windy Nicely will be expanding their established body of self-portraits in a project called To Study the Self is to Forget the Self, which is a self-portraiture project aimed at exploring the famous teaching of Zen Priest and founder of Soto Buddhism, Dogen Zenji, which asserted that self-study is necessary to be liberated from the suffering of life that we all experience. Nicely aims to use self-portrait photography to create visual narratives that probe into fears, joys, history, identity, trauma, spirituality, politics, sexuality, time, space, aging, and the undeniably fast hurtle towards death. More than capturing beautiful images, the artist’s desire for their work to be a permission for the viewer to make contact with these secreted aspects of life, an invitation to intimacy with the most raw expressions of Life and Self.

Chris O’Brien – RCFRS Field Recorder’s House
The Richmond County Field Recorder Society (RCFRS) Field Recorder’s House will be a permanent installment on the grounds of Historic Richmond Town. It will serve as home to an oral history project focused on documenting and archiving stories of Staten Islanders for the future through audio recordings.The Richmond County Field Recording Society is a fictional civic group that existed on Staten Island between 1891-1993. O’Brien created the story/mythology of the organization in order to begin to tell stories about Staten Island’s past in a way that was both creatively challenging and fun. The Field Recorder’s House will contain a recording booth where visitors can record their oral histories. The project will also have a mobile component to capture stories at special events across the borough.

Christina Werkmeister – OFFSPRING – Abstract Art Reborn
Werkmeister will present a solo exhibition of her digital art in print at Art Lab Gallery. The exhibition will include 30 digital art prints, a video about the artist’s process, and workshops for children. The exhibit will explore the endless possibilities of creating new digital art from an abstract painting. The goal of the show is to expose the community to new media art and to spark new ideas in workshop participants.

Christopher Hill  – Record/Record
Record/Record is a multidimensional project synthesizing the seemingly unconnected jazz and skateboarding subcultures of Staten Island into a cohesive film experience that intertwines the syncopation of jazz with the spontaneity of skateboarding. This film includes original contemporary jazz music accompanying footage of skateboarders at Island skate spots.  The project is meant to highlight the similarities and differences of the two subcultures. The individuality, freedom, and creative thought process that exists amongst the two will be juxtaposed against the strenuous, and oftentimes daring, physicality of skateboarding and the rhythmic and harmonic complexities of jazz music. Improvisation, flow, and risk taking are all terms that can be applied to both forms. The film will be screened at Richmond Hood Company.

Debbie Ann Paige – Staten Island AfrAm Heritage Tour
Experience Staten Island’s African American history on site or by virtual tour. This one-of-a-kind digital application allows you to experience the depth and breadth of Staten Island’s rich African American past. The heritage tour’s main focus is on Staten Island’s history of enslavement through emancipation, reconstruction, the progressive era and on to the present. Users can virtually explore more than 100 people, places, and events spanning the entirety of Staten Island’s history, or take a driving tour to explore the abolition and antislavery sites that weave together the important role of Staten Island’s Underground Railroad heritage. The application will provide a walking tour of sites in St. George, New Brighton, and Stapleton.

Delores Kanevsky – Bound for Broadway: Musical Theatre Workshops
Bound for Broadway is a series of online musical theatre workshops that provide training for students and rising professionals as they follow their dreams to the Broadway stage. Workshops will be taught by top Broadway and NYC industry professionals, cultivating students’ acting, singing and dancing skills, while sharing their first hand experience. Participants learn life lessons through the arts and gain confidence that carries through to their daily lives as well as on stage. The program culminates with a virtual showcase for friends, family, teachers and colleagues.

Diane Zerega – Save Our Planet One Play at a Time
Save Our Planet One Play at a Time is a project featuring free performances of a fully staged musical theatre production for children and family audiences focusing on Environmental Awareness.  “The Environmental Show” by Ron Fink and John Heath, is a rock musical focusing on the need to nurture environmental stewards in the quest to “Save our Planet”.  The show will be performed for SI Zoo guests and invited audiences, showcasing SI artists in performance, design and educational roles.

Dorcas Meyers – Taking It To The Streets: Free Friday Night Films
The Taking It To The Streets: Free Friday Night Films will be a four week series of performances/screenings at Snug Harbor’s North Meadow. Events will include local musicians and vendors. The series aims to bring awareness to social injustices, inequality, race and activism and inspire change to build the community by providing thought provoking, highly educational and empowering films combined with civic engagement to provide an experience of restored motivation to Staten Islanders about African-American history and the Black experience in America.

Douglas Cala – UNHEARD/NOW HEARD
UNHEARD/NOW HEARD will be a dynamic live spoken word and video presentation in which Staten Islanders will share their experiences with Covid-19, as both an illness and a new way of life. Covid-related pieces will be performed by veteran spoken word artists Margaret Chase, Douglas G. Cala, & M.A Dennis who have formed the “Digital Symbiotes” collective. Their goal is to capture how people have managed in this radically altered landscape & maintained social connectedness. In addition to performing their own stories, the collective will reshape & interpret Islanders’ stories as spoken word poems & theatrical pieces.

Emanuel Xavier – Emanuel Xavier Spoken Word Poetry Presentation
This project will be a one hour feature spoken word event at the Pride Center of Staten Island in which poet Emanuel Xavier will share original poetry reflecting his personal experiences as a gay Latinx man and survivor of sexual abuse, teen homelessness, and a hate crime. Xavier’s work explores the universal themes of struggle and survival and encourages discussion about politics, religion, sexuality, racism and equality.

Friends of Olmsted-Beil House – Frederick Law Olmsted on Staten Island: His Journey Begins
Frederick Law Olmsted on Staten Island: His Journey Begins is an original living history portrayal of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted’s life during the time he lived on Staten Island from 1848 to 1855 in a home that still stands on Hylan Blvd. The theme of this project is to showcase Olmsted’s life during the time he lived at this home: What life was like on Staten Island, his farming and tree nursery, his travels and writings.  Joseph Smith, a Performing Artist of Living History will collaborate with the Friends of Olmsted-Beil House on this project.

Hanna Utkin – Whistle in the Outer Lands
Whistle in the Outer Lands is an experimental art film about living on a naturally diverse part of Staten Island that aims to raise awareness about noise pollution and environmental degradation which acoustic ecology helps understand and uncover. It hopes to inspire viewers to think differently about Staten Island; it is a suburban area, but it is also an area with incredibly wild natural wonder. The themes present in this work are the devastation of our natural environment by over-construction, the innocence of animal and plant life, the mysticism of nature, and the longing for a clean environment.

Jeannine Otis – The Gathering Continued
The Gathering Continued is a continuation of Otis’ community engagement work. This project aims to bring people together to express themselves about topical issues in creative ways. Otis will engage senior citizens in a writing workshop that will culminate in an online performance.

Jesse Blum – Staten Island Horn Ensemble
The Staten Island Horn Ensemble is a musical group consisting solely of horn players from Staten Island playing both original and unoriginal music arranged by musician Jesse Blum.  The Ensemble will record an EP album which will be shared with local electronic music producers. The result will be a unique mixture of music that can be streamed or downloaded for free. The Ensemble hopes to perform live as venues begin to re-open.

John Navarro – From A Fathers Lens
From A Fathers Lens is a collection of photographs and recorded conversations creating positive representation for fathers of color. Navarro – a Latinx father of three – who knows other committed & loving fathers of color, seldom sees himself represented in mainstream media. This project hopes to add a more holistic view of black and brown fathers and create a source of joy and pride in fatherhood. The project will culminate with a gallery exhibition with a photobook.

Josue Mendez – Kids Community Mural 2021
The Kids Community Mural 2021 will take place in the back parking lot of Our Lady Of Mt. Carmel- St. Benedicta School, located on Castleton Ave. & Clove Rd. Mendez will work with children and young teens to complete the work. The mural will play as a giant coloring book incorporated with different images, languages and flags from different countries and cultures. He will be working with a team to prepare the wall, outline and help guide the young painters as they fill in the blanks with the correct colors along with giving them step by step instructions, techniques and advice on how art is used in everyday life.

Kiara La’Ché – Hidden Gems: Underground of NYC
The Underground: A Land of Gems is a multidisciplinary exhibition that aims to showcase all forms of creative expressions. The exhibition will include events and rotate, allowing for many artists to be featured. This exhibition will ensure that despite the ongoing challenges they face the narratives of emerging Island artists will still be shared and celebrated. 

Kofi Antwi – 36 Chambers Writing Workshop and Tidal Wave Reading
Antwi will facilitate multi-genre writing workshops at Canvas Institute that will focus on participants learning about the fundamental elements of creating stories and poetry. Along with the workshops, Antwi will produce an open mic event for participants that will include readings from his book Tidal Wave, which is an ode to generations of black communities who dared to challenge standards of language through various forms of artistic expressions.

Krystal Powell – Red Light Senses
Powell will produce a photography exhibition to bring awareness to our surroundings using the five senses. The artist will use light painting techniques to create aluminum prints that will correspond to parts of a metal sculpture of the Eye of Horus that will be installed at Hub17.

Kwynn Hogan – Mariner’s Marsh Murals
Mariner’s Marsh Murals will serve as a crossroads between community, sustainability, and environmental education through collective art. Mariners Marsh, located in Mariner’s Harbor along Richmond Terrace, was once lush with a community garden managed by a dedicated conservancy. In recent years, it has fallen into disarray. Through a partnership of families, artists, and environmental activists this project aims to revive Mariner’s Marsh as part of a series of events starting with mural-making. The murals will commemorate Staten Island’s rich culture and biodiversity while cultivating Staten Islanders’ love and knowledge of land and wildlife.

Lawrence Schwabacher – Into Madness, Back to Sanity
Schwabacher will write/produce two short films The Madness of Ivy Rose and Canary Song that will be included in a short film showcase produced by Hub17. 

Lori Medina – Chalk That Talks: A Little Love Goes A Long Way
Chalk that Talks: A Little Love Goes a Long Way is a two part project utilizing digital art & chalk paint murals. Medina will ask students at I.S. 51 as well the general public to submit short stories about a time where a simple act of kindness made a significant impact on someone’s life. Artists will then use the writings as inspiration to create digital artwork which will then become chalk murals around the grounds of the school. There will be a corresponding website where visitors can view full stories, videos, and information about the artists.

Lotus in the Mud – Golconda
Golconda is a short hand-drawn 2D-animated film. The film tells the story of Turbo, a turbot fish, whose otherworldly powers ends up saving the valley of Golconda, which is on the brink of extinction. The film aims to inspire viewers to tend to nature instead of eradicating its resources.

Michael Durkin – Mallbodies, A Performative Elegy to the American Shopping Mall
Mallbodies, is a soundwalk performance dedicated to the memory of the American shopping mall. This project explores audiences’ relationship to the mall, how we engage with the advertisements, stores, and other bodies in space. The project is created around the Staten Island Mall, looking at the past, present, and future of the mall, the impact on the community, as well as brainstorming how the mall can exist in 2021 and beyond. The project asks the question how can the mall function today, with so many online alternatives, restrictions for inside spaces due to COVID-19? The project blends audio performance, sound collage, contemporary dance, and walking tour to create a unique audience experience.

Mitchell Lovell – Between Men: Genet & Truffaut
Between Men: Genet & Truffaut is a 10-minute historical fantasy episode. Future French New Wave filmmaker, Francois Truffaut, meets idol, queer novelist Jean Genet. Lovell’s screenplay is based on historical letters the two shared in the 1950s and reimagines their discourse as a single encounter. The film, which will be part of a film triptych, explores the themes of prison, homosexual/homosocial desire, and masculinity. This project includes a public live stream event, including a small program to provide a full experience surrounding the project’s themes.

Spotlight Theatre Company – DREAM BIG: A Life Lesson Musical Playground
DREAM BIG is a newly developed musical theatre comic revue by Spotlight Theatre Company to help children learn valuable life skills. Through witty, thoughtful, and comedic songs and scenes the show explores many serious themes and issues associated with growing up and relating to the world. The show is meant to be performed by young people for young people but is suitable for all and could be an excellent resource for counselors, parents, and teachers alike.

Stephen Obisanya –  Artisans & Trade
Artisans & Trade is a digital learning platform making information accessible for emerging creatives through shared content, online courses, and topical podcast conversations. Through the learning platform’s podcast arm, documentary photographer Stephen Obisanya is peering into the lives of amateur and professional artists, entrepreneurs, and notable figures to discuss the work they dedicate their lives to and what it takes to build around one’s passion. With each featured guest (some local but mainly global), the podcast is curating a useful resource–across the arts, business, culture, design, and entertainment verticals–to help emerging creatives develop as professionals.

The (G) Project  – WHAT IS YOUR (G) STATUS? aka the (G) Project | IMMIGRANTS ARE US: THE (G)ENERATION PROJECT
The G Project, (www.gproject.org) a public art campaign comprising exhibitions, workshops, and a public art installation based on the simple idea that we are all immigrants, our common threads are bigger than our differences. Today, more than 40 million people living in the U.S. were born in another country. In NYC, 37% of residents are foreign-born. That makes them G-0’s; G-1’s are 1st generation born here; G-3’s are 3rd generation, and so on. Based on the tradition of oral storytelling passed on through generations, What Is Your G Status? will be a 60 minute virtual program where participants tell their stories to get to know each other better and to build bridges and essential relationships with folks of all ages and walks of life. The diversity of these shared experiences can powerfully reflect Staten Island’s rich immigrant history.

Timothy Ledwith – The Fulgoni Exhibition: Legacy and Memory
The Fulgoni Exhibit: Legacy and Memory is a virtual retrospective exhibition of the work of Louis Fulgoni, a prolific visual artist born in 1936 and raised in an Italian-American household on Staten Island. Louis came of age as a young gay man in the closeted 1950s, left Staten Island for “the city” in the 1960s and went on to live and work on his own terms until his death of complications from AIDS in 1989, at age 53. The purpose of the virtual exhibition is to remember and reclaim Louis’s distinctive legacy as a fine artist. Although he produced hundreds of paintings, prints, drawings, collages and constructions over the years, starting with his student work at the School of Visual Arts, few of them were ever shown publicly. The exhibition finally rectifies this omission in New York City’s art historical record by presenting a representative collection of Louis’s finished pieces in the context of his life and times.

Trevor McGhie  – LINEAGE
LINEAGE is a short film which examines the powerful impact of family history. The film tells the story of a young Staten Islander’s journey to the past where he experiences, first hand, the struggles his ancestors endured, ultimately leading him to change his ways and better his community instead of destroying it. The film is meant to educate and inspire while exploring themes of loss, redemption and self-reflection. 

Valeriana Dema –  Quarantine Concert Series: PFT5 Edition
Plea for the Fifth (PFT5) will produce a quarantine concert series featuring six local musical acts at the Hub 17 studio. Video recordings of performances will be modelled after NPR’s Tiny Desk series. In order to align with PFT5’s organizational goal of cultivating an active Staten Island-based online community, concerts will be broadcasted on Twitch. Musicians involved will be asked to interact with the viewers during the watch parties through the live chat feature. The series aims to build community and project hope for local musicians in the post-pandemic future.

Wendy Beth Jackelow – Paint the Town: Castleton Avenue Art Show & Merchant Stroll
The Paint the Town: Castleton Avenue Art Show and Merchant Stroll is an art event that highlights the small businesses on Castleton Avenue between Oakland and Davis Avenues in West Brighton. This socially distanced art opening will feature Jackelow’s paintings of each shop individually displayed inside the storefront windows. Visitors will be given a printed map of all the shops and paintings and can walk the two block “gallery”, looking at the art in each window as they stroll. This project is meant to encourage participants to shop locally and support local businesses. In addition to the paintings, Jackelow will design a map of the town highlighting all the shops with store information on the back. The maps will serve as both a show program and merchant promotion.

Zachary Lombard – Furniture for Animals: New York
Artist Zachary Lombardi will build a series of functional objects that both help and encourage interaction with the local flora and fauna of Staten Island. Lombardi is currently creating functional objects for animals. This manifests itself as both tools and furniture. As a designer, he considers the specific needs and wants of each animal he makes a piece for. The works will be primarily made in wood but will have added elements of metalworking and 3D printed forms. The project will explore ideas of connection, assistance, and service involving the creatures we coexist with in hopes of fostering an appreciation and love for nature from the viewer.

Allen Cohen – The Roots of Bluegrass (And the Routes to Bluegrass)
Cohen will produce 3 bluegrass music concerts that are meant to educate audience members on the history of bluegrass music, how it came into being, and the cultures and musics that combined to form the bluegrass genre, which emerged from under the Country Music mantle as uniquely American acoustic music.

Arlette Cepeda – Essential Immigrant Stories
Essential Immigrant Stories will focus on highlighting the challenges and opportunities the COVID-19 Pandemic has created for Port Richmond’s immigrant community members through portraits and accompanying stories. The goal of the project is to photograph and interview individuals who reside or work in Port Richmond that identify as immigrants and showcase their experiences. This project hopes to create awareness, increase empathy, acceptance and understanding of our otherness, narrowing the divide and discrimination often faced by immigrants.

Cadeem Francis – My Momma Don’t Like You
My Momma Don’t Like You is an episodic web series that tells the story of four best friends living on Staten Island during the Covid-19 pandemic. The series will highlight various locations around Staten Island and show that the Island is more than what the mainstream media depicts it as. The series will debut at Shaolin Gems, a hyperlocal event that provides a platform for artists from across various creative industries. 

Christine Cruz – Far From Home
Far From Home is a multidisciplinary science fiction project that tells the story of a celestial being who crash lands and gets stranded on Staten Island. We follow their journey as they navigate through the chaotic times of 2020 while searching for all the missing/broken parts to their spaceship, which are scattered throughout the Island. We follow Zosma as they experience new feelings for the first time along their search, such as being alone, looking different, feeling isolated, while also meeting new friends, experiencing a new adventure and a new purpose in the process. The project explores themes of anxiety, feeling different, and longing to be with family.

Comfort Cat – Two EPs of Recorded Music
Comfort Cat, will record two contrasting EPs of original songs. One will explore the lighter moods of catastrophe, including the breakthroughs and evolutions that can only be obtained through destruction, and the catharsis that can be reached through embracing chaos and darkness. The other  will explore the darker moods, feeling the pain and lamenting over what has been lost. Both EPs will feature artwork by local artists that visually captures each of these contrasting moods. The purpose of this project is to contribute to the general conversation on how the catastrophic events of 2020 have affected people, particularly on the mental, emotional, and spiritual levels.

Emmanuel Ojo – Lovers Burden
Lovers Burden is a film that depicts how America treats foreign cultures through the story of a young man named Idris, who is a first-generation Nigerian American. Idris struggles with his heritage as others try to lay claim to it. He will have to decide whether to preserve and protect his culture or to sell out for personal gain. The film hopes to encourage audiences to be proud of their heritage and background. This film will be screened at Shaolin Gems, a hyperlocal event, created by Ojo, that provides a platform for artists from across various creative industries.

Gabri Christa – The Marias
The Marias is a screendance film (short film form in dance media) that centers around an elder dancer looking back on her life as a mother, grandmother, as she has to move out of her house and is overcome by memories. Part memory, part documentary, part dance it explores aging, a life lived fully, and elder female friendships with mostly African American and Latinx women. The film hopes to reduce the stigma around aging and will touch on the themes of life changes, friendships, and letting go as a part of life.

Janice Patrignani-Muñoz  – Art Scavengers
Art Scavengers is a mosaic making workshop series that will engage Staten Islanders, in a vibrant exploration of the natural beauty of Staten Island. Participants from the Greenbelt Nature Center and the New Lane Neighborhood Center will use found natural materials to create components for a collective larger mosaic mural. The workshops will promote an appreciation of the natural environment as they give people a vehicle to relax and partake in the restorative process of creating while being surrounded by nature. The finished murals will be exhibited at both grant partner locations.

Jolie Tong – HVRRY HVSSLE
For this project, artists Jolie Tong and Ralf Jean-Pierre will create and present a play based on Shakespeare’s Henriad trilogy set against the backdrop of Los Angeles hip hop culture in the 2010s. The story follows Henry V, one of Shakespeare’s most complex and polarizing heroes, who will be loosely based on Nipsey Hussle. Nipsey was a beloved hip-hop artist and tech entrepreneur. His trajectory from drug dealing gang banger, in and out of jail, to a world class rapper artist and unorthodox community leader, ended when he was murdered in the parking lot of a Los Angeles shopping plaza in 2017. This production will reflect the parallels in Henry’s and Nipsey’s stories, as we see Henry navigate his transformation from wayward youth to leader and “king.” This adaptation will feature Shakespearean text and an original hip hop score. The performances will be used to engage audiences in a conversation that explores decision making, honor and the ethics of leadership.

Kelly Gilmore – Dancing Into The Future
Dancing Into The Future is a dance project that will take place online with EDEN II Schools. Through the art of dance, participating students will learn about self-expression and communication skills. One of the goals of Eden II Programs is to help people with autism achieve their full potential through educational programs designed to develop and enhance communication and social skills. This project will help students to reach this goal by improving their ability to communicate and express themselves as well as improve awareness of the body, increase cognition, and develop social skills.

Kenneth Graham – Hub Sessions
Hub Sessions are an ongoing free monthly concert series at Hub17 that features local musicians playing original music. Funds will allow for high end video and audio setup at no cost to the musicians. These concerts will be livestreamed in an effort to provide musicians a free platform to connect to fans and listeners..

Keri Sheheen – Parlor Trick Print Exchange
Parlor Trick Print Exchange, organized by artist Keri Sheheen, will create a website that will provide the opportunity for artists to create a small edition of prints using the theme of “home.” The artists will work within the parameters of printmaking methods, including etching, silkscreen, woodcuts, linocuts, and lithographs. The website will be used as a promotional tool to help the participants direct traffic to their personal websites. The exchange will also be shared on Facebook and Instagram. These exchanges are a creative way to share tangible, original artwork with other makers in an otherwise digital and isolating time.

Keri Sheheen & Carl Gallagher – Stop-Motion Theater
Stop-Motion Theater, created by artist Keri Sheheen, will be a 2 minute stop-motion animation feature. Musician Carl Gallagher will compose music for the project. The animation will be an exploration of movement, dance and theatrical performance. This will be the first of a continuing series of animations—each showcasing a different musician’s work—where Sheheen can explore different character designs and movement to further her artistic practice. Sheheen will create behind-the-scenes videos about the animation process to share with audiences. It will be screened at SI Makerspace where she will display the sets and puppets created for the project.

Kevin Rogers – Foster Thompson V. Staten Island
Foster Thompson V. Staten Island is a documentary film whose story weaves seamlessly into the greater dialogue that occupies our country: race and the justice system. Though this film will serve as an introduction to an all-too-familiar story for some, we hope that it will bring a new wave of attention and understanding. On July 4, 1992, two armed men forced their way into a suspected crack cocaine stash house at 151 Jersey Street in New Brighton, Staten Island. The ensuing shootout resulted in the death of known drug dealer Cynthia Browning, as well as the wounding of her boss, Alton Staley. After weeks without any serious leads, the NYPD arrested and charged Foster Thompson. Early into the first trial, alleged jury tampering led to the declaration of a mistrial. In the second trial, the jury reached a stalemate vote of 10-2 in favor of acquittal. In his third trial, Foster Thompson was found guilty based on testimony by Staley and another witness. Thompson’s lawyer has worked tirelessly, for almost a decade, to give Mr. Thompson a fair retrial. This film hopes to reintroduce the case to the public, present new evidence, and bring attention to the mishandling and potential corruption throughout.

Kevyn Fairchild – The 10301 Project
The 10301 Project is a multimedia project centered around providing easily accessible information about the roles and responsibilities of government to the voters of New York City. Fairchild has selected his own zip code on Staten Island as a starting point to explore how the levels of government work from the Community Boards to the Presidency. The center of the project is a website that will host audio documentaries, supplemental information, and downloadable infographics that provide the audience with clear cut and non-partisan information that they need to understand the often-complex levels of government. The project hopes to educate and inspire people to become more informed and involved in the political process.

Kimbra Eberly – I’m a Fan
I’m a Fan is a podcast showcasing people in the community making a difference. Guests will be from the worlds of music, art, theatre, spoken word, animal rescue, nursing, firefighting, independent business, activism and more, and they will join in conversations about their unique experiences, and their positive community impact. The podcast will be an upbeat series that reveals the diversity and generosity of our community. Although some guests may be artists, the podcast is designed to recognize and show appreciation to all sorts of people — and then to have them keep the momentum going by naming someone in our community who they admire. 

Kimbra Eberly – We Will
Eberly will produce a five song EP titled We Will inspired by the profound impact of Covid-19. The songs will touch on coping with feelings of loss, fragmentation, and confusion but will also speak to a greater awareness and sensitivity towards using our time to lead meaningful lives. The album will be presented to the public at Hub17 and online.

Kristi Pfister – Leave No Trace
Leave No Trace is a painting project and way-finding outdoor exhibit designed to engage art audiences and park goers. This project compels visitors to discover, reconnect, or encounter with fresh eyes the parklands surrounding them through the lens of visual art.  Artist Kristi Pfister will create a series of artworks inspired by the confluence of air, water, and land that is central to the Staten Island experience. The work will be shared with the public outdoors in separate one day pop-up exhibits at the Goodhue Park, Conference House Park, and Von Briesen Park. The idea: set-up the artwork, host visitors, and depart on the same day – to “leave no trace”, or as trailheads state: Carry In/Carry Out. A video of the exhibits within these natural settings will be posted as a virtual art experience on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube.

Kyoko Heshiimu – Siblings
As the eldest of five children and having four children herself, artist Kyoko Heshiimu was inspired to create Siblings, which will be a collection of shadowboxes that narrate the relationship between siblings. Shadowboxes use paper cut into different stencils that are layered on top of one another and then lit from the back by LED lights to create depth and shadows. The pieces will be exhibited online. The exhibition aims to show the resilience of people from a variety of families and cultures, that comes from their siblings, and the importance of familial connections.

Madison L’Insalata – Buon Amici
Buon Amici is a short comedic film about growing up on Staten Island and follows three girls in their quest to move out and away from their childhood home. Some themes explored in the film include coming of age and the conflict between heritage and the desire to break free.

Nataki Hewling – HERShot!
HERShot is a photography program designed to help young girls ages 10 and up to find their voice and express themselves through visual storytelling. During the pandemic, participants were forced to work virtually and during that time continued to explore the camera lens but expanded to video production and film editing. Participants began work on a docu-series, America Unmasked, that tells the story of Staten Islanders and others who have been affected by COVID-19.  This program also offers mentorship opportunities where participants can work with professionals in creative fields. The project gives young people an opportunity to document these unprecedented times through their own lens.

Neil Mitchell – Stealing Third
Stealing Third is a film that tells the story of a major league baseball team. The team is composed entirely of women. Using many of the elements of beloved baseball movies, the film follows Jody Patten, a catcher near the end of her career. With her team in a pennant race and locked in a battle with her manager, Patten opens up to a sports journalist trying to understand the deeper truths of America’s pastime. The film is a satirical take on American sports films that demands an audience to view the world from a different perspective. With women inhabiting roles traditionally occupied by men and no “woman can do it too” message behind these highly achieving athletes, the work will provide an alternate universe with a unique take on gender roles that subvert common cliches and established norms.

Rocio Uchofen – STATEN ISLAND, MI HISTORIA/STATEN ISLAND, MY STORY: We all can write fiction
Author Rocio Uchofen will offer online workshops and instructional videos which will provide the basic knowledge of writing and storytelling for participants interested in writing short stories. The stories will be published into a book. The intended audience is all people that want to learn, with preference to the Spanish community of Staten Island. Videos will be captioned in Spanish and English.

Rocio Uchofen – Staten Island Personal/ Personal Staten Island
Staten Island Personal/Personal Staten Island, a poetic prose book, was written from author Rocio Uchofen’s perspective of Staten Island during the quarantine. The book focuses on Staten Island as a new space from the immigrant’s point of view, looking at tradition and encountering other cultures as well as finding spaces for dialogue and intercultural communication. The book will be presented in a bilingual format (English/Spanish).

Summer Minerva – Summer Within
Summer Within is a documentary film that follows the story of Summer Minerva, a queer and trans Italian American Staten Islander on her quest for belonging, from her Catholic, blue collar family, to Italy, where her grandmother immigrated from, and back again to Staten Island with new awareness, knowledge, and a sense of wholeness. In her journey, she discovers that even though she grew up on the west shore of Staten Island, a place where LGBTQ people seemed invisible, there actually is evidence of a 3rd gender group from Southern Italy, where her Nonna immigrated from. This knowledge propels her into a newfound sense of leadership and belonging in her Italian American community on Staten Island. The film involves interviews with various important people in Summer’s life: family members, lovers, friends, as well as her dying Nonna, who has dementia. We see a personal, vulnerable portrait of the struggles of a queer/trans Italian American Staten Islander in today’s times.

Tariq Zaid – Staten Wide Walls (but first medicine)
Staten Wide Walls (but first medicine) is a public art installation on a busy corridor along Castleton Ave. in West Brighton. Zaid and three other artists will be chosen from a submission process and approximately 20 local youth participants will transform a 90ft X 40ft exterior wall into 3 colorful huge murals with the theme of health and food. The purpose of this project is to communicate the importance of good health, self care and our symbiotic relationship with food and art. Contemporary artists have used food to make statements: political, economic, and social for over a century, probably longer. The project will explore how connected we are with each other and the abundance of resources our planet provides.

Virginia N. Sherry – Heritage Food: Planting Tradition and Culinary Culture on Staten Island
This project will document the variety of crops cultivated in private and community gardens, through site visits, interviews, photography and video. The goal of the project is to contribute to the field of urban ethnobotany: The study of plants used by people in urban environments. It will focus on home-grown crops used in appetizers, salads, soups, stews, main dishes, as well as medicinal herbs popular in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia.. There will be a public presentation of this project at the Staten Island Museum, with a booklet distributed that provides instructions for growing selected crops and recipes.

Westerleigh Folk Festival – 14th Westerleigh Folk Festival (West Fest)
WEST FEST is an outdoor roots music festival at Westerleigh Park that features live music, dance, fine arts, crafts, and children and adult art making workshops. The festival is free, family friendly, multicultural, multigenerational, and educational.

Women’s Playwright Collective – 4th Annual: Not Forgotten Play Festival
The Not Forgotten Play Festival – a theater festival of one-act plays – written, directed, and produced by the members of the Women’s Playwright Collective (WPC). The WPC mission is threefold: to feature new work by local women playwrights; to present women-identifying characters as protagonists and not props; and to showcase women-driven productions. The festival will be presented at Snug Harbor Cultural Center as well as online.

African Story Network – African Story Time on Zoom
African Story Time on Zoom aims to help preserve one of the most important traditions of African culture – storytelling. This project will bring the African communities of Staten Island (Liberian, Ghanian, Sierra Leonean, Guinean) together virtually to share and listen to folktales from the mother continent, Africa. There will be a virtual family event for children in the community hoping to rekindle a tradition that families can continue at home.

Friends of Abandoned Cemeteries – Cemetery Shanties: Staten Island’s Maritime History
This event, taking place at the Richmond Terrace Cemeteries, aims to reacquaint the community with Staten Island’s long history through human stories and the art of sea shanties. From the Lenape who originally called this area home, to the wealthy whose headstones tower over the cemetery, to ordinary people like oystermen– this historic burial ground provides a unique, comprehensive look at local history. The haunting melodies of sea shanties will transport attendees back in time, to an era when the maritime industry dominated the borough. During the 19th century, nearly 81 percent of the population lived in poverty and many who worked made their living on the water. Attendees will hear their stories as well as stories about the Lenape, the Civil War, sea captains, free people of color, and so much more.

Maker Park Radio – Sunday Sessions at Maker Park
Sunday Sessions at Maker Park is an outdoor series featuring DJs from Maker Park Radio, guest DJs, bands, musicians, performances, vendors, and food.  Local artists will be invited to do demonstrations, or host workshops, and a kid-friendly art table will be available. Themes include: Disco! Disco! Disco!, Summertime: 90s Hip Hop, Everyday is like Sunday: 80s Alternative, Get Down, Funk it Up!, Latin Groove’ment: Salsa & Samba, Baby’s GotSoul, Soulful House Sundays. These events aim to bring in new audiences, meet potential new DJs through our guest DJs and encourage attendees to bring friends of all ages to hear and taste something new.

Muslim Sisters of Staten Island – Geek Out At Staten Island
Geek Out at Staten Island is a 2-day convention that celebrates, encourages, and promotes geek culture by uplifting the experiences of folks with disabilities, people of color, and youth. The convention takes place over two days – one day in-person, one day virtually. Participants will be able to explore various artistic mediums through workshops and various activities – the convention also includes mini-events like virtual geek trivia, cosplay photoshoots, and artist alley expo.

Nigerian-American Community Association – 5th Annual African Arts & Cultural Awareness Festival (AFRICANFEST-NYC)
Africafest is a two-day event celebrating arts and culture from across the African Diaspora. The festival features authentic African cuisine, music, folklore, fashion, poetry, crafts and more. The festival hopes to bring a greater awareness, understanding and appreciation for African people, and their artistic and cultural traditions. The festival venue will be transformed into African villages across the Diaspora with vibrant drumming, storytelling, dancing, interactive demonstrations, historical artifacts, colorful and rich textiles, and informative health & wellness workshops.

Richmond Choral Society – In Love With Love
In an effort to keep the group and the community engaged, Richmond Choral Society will continue Zoom “rehearsals” of a repertory on the theme of In Love with Love! with hopes of eventually performing in-person when we are able to gather again. Included will be love songs from the Victorian era through today’s pop music.

ROZA Promotions – West African Musical & Fashion Festival
The mission of ROZA Promotions is to vigorously advocate for and provide culturally appropriate programs and services to and for mainly the West African immigrant and refugee population on the North Shore of Staten Island. This free festival, taking place at the Family Life Center, will include a fashion exhibition curated by Sweet Mothers, a group of women who maintain/uphold West African Cultural values through their African attire. As well as Benji Cavilli, who grew up accessing ROZA Promotions programs and is now a successful Liberian musician.

Staten Island OutLOUD – Staten Island OutLOUD
Staten Island OutLOUD will host a continuing series of grass-roots readings of world classics, historic texts and other compelling works. Most events are intimate participatory readings; some are larger stage performances with music and dance. They meet in historic sites, nature preserves, delis, bookshops, museums, galleries, public housing projects, on the beach, on trains and on the Ferry, in libraries, parks & playgrounds, cafes, community centers, and in churches, temples, mosques and synagogues. This year’s season will showcase the work of Emily Dickinson. All events are free & open to the public.

Staten Island Shakespearean Theatre – Social Justice Series: Waiting For Lefty and We Are Proud to Present a Presentation . . .
In response to the outrage and awareness of issues relating to a lack of cultural racial equity, especially in the theatre SI Shakespearean Theatre will produce a full evening of theatre by presenting two short plays, which will be Waiting for Lefty by Clifford Odets and We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, From the German Sudwestafrica, Between the Years 1884-1915 by Jackie Sibbilies Drury. The idea is to bring together “old school” social justice, such as Odet’s 1935 classic, which championed socialism and the rights and experiences of the working class, with Drury’s play (2012) that takes time to discuss how Blackness is handled in certain circles, how we as a community of artists can talk about Blackness, and how difficult it is for all people to discuss Blackness in settings that are diverse.

Staten Island Shakespearean Theatre – New Canon Series: Los empeños de una casa, or Trouble in the House
Taking cues from scholars and cultural critics who believe it is high time to add new, previously marginalized voices to the Canon of classical theatre, SI Shakespearean Theatre will produce Los empeños de una casa, or Trouble in the House written by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz in 1683. Sor Juana, born in New Spain (Mexico) in 1651, is considered to be the first feminist playwright in the world, putting her own life at stake to do so. To avoid being forced to marry, she decided to become a nun. In her plays, she makes fun of social conventions of the time and denounces how men create the very behavior they shame women for with their oppressing social rules. Her writings, especially this play, serve as her personal proclamation for the right of a woman to write and lead an intellectual life of greatness. 

Staten Island Urban Center – The New Normal: The Augmented and Virtual World of Young People in the age of COVID19
The New Normal: The Augmented and Virtual World of Young People in the time of COVID19 examines through a variety of digital platforms the current spaces where young people encounter thought, creativity, and managing life on a digital stage. COVID 19 has provided communities with a new experience that has driven youth into anxiety, depression, and a mix of emotions about the world and their new normal. Through digital art, graphic design, and multimedia collage, the project aims to highlight the needs of youth in a post-COVID 19 world. The public presentation will be outdoors at Alice Austen House and will be followed by a virtual exhibit online.

The Mighty String Demons. – Three Performance Videos: Times Like These, Dust in the Wind, Ashokan Farewell
The Mighty String Demons, a youth string ensemble, will produce three remote video performances in which they will be joined by other members of the Staten Island music community. The group will collaborate with the band, Allergic 2 B’s, Nicole Azzarelli (of the band, Joan Caddell and the Midnight Choir), and Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, with Wenyi Lo on piano, Nicole Azzarelli on guitar and Kazuo Nakamura (from the jazz-fusion band, Wafoo) on upright bass.

Kelly Vilar – Waterfront: Access and Divide
Waterfront: Access and Divide is a project that aims to illustrate through a variety of community participants and multigenerational artists, the vision, hope, and access to Staten Island’s waterfront juxtaposed against the divide and challenges seen in an underdeveloped northern shore. Community organizer Kelly Vilar along with teaching artists, will guide community members through a Day of Art at Tompkinsville Park, where participatory mixed media art pieces will be created around the theme of living in a waterfront community that has yet to be developed and establish their individual and collective voice through art. The work created will then be incorporated onto large banners and canvases that will be put on display at a one day public exhibition at Tompkinsville Park. The banners will stay up for 3-4 months to mark a collective message of hope and access versus challenge and divide for our waterfront development.

Sarah Blas – Built Environment- Nature inspired Community Art
Built Environment is a community art project that aims to highlight hidden community gems (parks, community gardens, street paths with unique trees, etc.) and use them as inspiration for the creation of artwork focused on the intersection of nature and the built environment. Community organizer Sarah Blas along with teaching artists Ebony Pryor, Stephanie Lugo, and local historian and naturalist John Kilcullen will provide artmaking classes and walking tours at locations selected by participating community members. A community art mural will be included as part of the project.

DB Lampman – Shadows and Shapeshifters- Shadow Puppet Theater
Shadows and Shapeshifters is an arts education program for middle school students with autism, learning delays, and oppositional behaviors at PS 373’s site at I.S. 61. Teaching artist DB Lampman will work with students to create shadow puppet theatre plays based around the work of artist Kara Walker, who is known for her silhouette portraits that investigate race, gender, and historical narratives, and the play Shrek, whose themes include friendship, love, inner beauty, and personal transformation. This project includes a field trip to SI Makerspace to witness their creations being cut out by laser cutter.

David Nudelman – Making The World A Better Place With Graphic Design
Teaching artist David Nudelman along with his assistant Davon Campbell will work with 5th grade students at P.S. 21 to create a design for a campaign tee shirt for the school. Students will learn about  illustration, graphic design, marketing, screen printing and they will journal their experience. Sessions will engage students on what it means to be an entrepreneur, how to work with other artists, how to come up with meaningful ideas, how to create interesting designs, and how to create a product. Students will also be engaged around online responsibilities, social media, and marketing.

Carolyn Clark at Andersen Senior Center – We’ve Got Rhythm! Chorus and Percussion ensemble
Participants will sing and/or play using a variety of user-friendly instruments and perform an assortment of engaging songs as well as learning to play percussion-only pieces and improvise rhythms using call and response.

Diane Matyas at Noble Maritime Collection – Watercolor: Island Flora and Fauna
Watercolor: Island Flora and Fauna is a water coloring intensive program for seniors where participants will also photograph their art.

Janice Patrignani-Muñoz at New Lane Senior Center – Painting Techniques on Silk
Participants will learn painting techniques – color theory, brushwork, transparent/translucent layering, and texture – by using these skills to paint on silk scarves.

Kelly Gilmore – Dance in Good Health
The ballroom dance program Dance in Good Health is an inclusive learning experience for all seniors and individuals with memory challenges, disabilities, or other health issues. Participants will learn merengue, salsa, foxtrot and other social dances.

Sundog Theatre at Egar Senior Center – Visual Arts/ Movement & Yoga/ Drum Circle
Sundog Theater will provide 3 separate programs to be delivered via live streaming sessions: visual arts classes, a movement/senior yoga program, and a drumming circle. Goals of the programs are to engage senior residents in a variety of activities to stimulate minds and bodies.