HTBAF: Impending…

HTBAF: Impending…
When: January 31st @7pm
Where: Open Source Gallery, 306 17th St., Brooklyn
RSVP Now!
Here we are, friends and neighbors, waist deep in the big muddy, as Pete Seeger sang. Caligula 2.0 will have come online by the time we meet for How to Build a Fire this month. What will it mean, where will it leave us?
January. As Sheryll said: a new year for new beginnings … in the face of impending doom. This millennium is a quarter-century old. What have we accomplished? What’s still on our to-do list? Where do we need to pivot? What connections and partnerships do we need to be forming to be ready for … whatever is barreling toward us from the near and distant future?
Our theme for this month is “Impending …” How do you fill in that blank? What’s about to happen, what’s forthcoming? Is it threatening? Is it significant? How will it reshape us? Join us on the 31st for How to Build a Fire. Let’s see how we can chart this new course together.
STORYTELLERS:
Emilee Lord is a visual and performing artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Her art, lectures, and reflections work with language, experiential movement practice, drawing, and the seductive nature of repetition. She creates durational performances, installations, works on paper, and dance. Her work has been performed and exhibited nationally and internationally. She has been a visiting artist/professor at Bard College Early High School, Caldwell University, College of DuPage, and Pratt Institute of Art. She writes for Thinking Dance out of Philadelphia. She earned a BA from Bennington College and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Lord writes for ThINKingDance.net. Her current research explores ideas of accumulation, forgiveness, memory, and drawing as a performative act.
Ranya Perez Santana is the daughter of Juana Perez Santana and Radhames Perez. Born in Santiago, Dominican Republic, and raised in the Bronx, New York, she is currently a PhD Candidate at Cornell. Her research explores the relationship between community gardens and farms, healing, solidarity, and the politics of data—specifically how gardeners leverage data as an advocacy tool. Ranya enjoys spending time with her cats, Abu and Benito, as well as her family and friends. She loves spending time in nature, practicing pottery, and running.
Mirem Vilamil is an ex-school gardener currently helping to lead the USDA Farm Service Agency’s urban agriculture pilot in New York City. Originally from Puerto Rico, Mirem landed in Brooklyn decades ago, eventually leaving a career in set design to grow gardens all over the city. She lives in South Slope with her husband and nearly-grown daughters.
Shaun Rasmussen has a multifaceted background in the arts, education, and community engagement. Currently, he directs External Relations and Engagement for CUNY’s ASAP and ACE academic support programs, leading marketing and outreach efforts across New York City. A lifelong advocate for the transformative power of the arts, Shaun has shared stories for years through dance with Something Positive, Inc., a Brooklyn-based organization celebrating the African Diaspora. His professional journey includes impactful roles at Community Works NYC, Good Shepherd Services, and Hudson Guild, where he developed programs that empower young people through arts and education. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Shaun earned a BA in International Criminal Justice from John Jay College and an MS in Organizational Leadership from Mercy University. Excited to explore a new medium, Shaun brings his experiences and dedication to the stage, sharing narratives that reflect his commitment to creativity and community.
Quincy Scott Jones is a New York educator, a Cave Canem fellow, a VONA alumn, and the author of two books of poetry – The T-Bone Series (Whirlwind Press, 2009) and How to Kill Yourself Instead of Your Children (C&R Press, 2021) With Nina Sharma he co-curates Blackshop, a column that thinks about allyship between BIPOC artists. His graphic narrative, >BlackNerd<, is (still) in the works.