More than a dozen local artists are getting the chance to concentrate on their craft and participate in a competitive cohort. Recently, 1Hood Media selected members for its 2023 Artivist Academy. The Artivist Academy will mobilize members from various creative disciplines to curate their work through an activist lens.The members exemplify the intersectionality of arts, education and activism and include:
● Alecia Dawn, Artist/Yoga Instructor
● Ashanté Josey, Visual Artist
● Bekezela Mguni, Visual Artist/Librarian
● Dion White, Singer/Songwriter
● Fran Flaherty, Visual Artist/Curator/Educator
● Jameelah Platt, Visual Artist/Painter/Instructor
● Lena Chen, Performance Artist
● Mai Khoi, Singer
● Marvin Touré, Visual Artist/Photographer
● NLS Ron, Rapper
● Tara Faye Coleman, Curator/Artist
● Zeal Eva (Vania Arthur), Photographer/Sculptor/Curator
● Zuly Inirio, Singer
Alecia Dawn, Artist/Yoga Instructor. Photo Credit: Emmai Alaquiva 
Ashanté Josey, Visual Artist. Photo Credit: Emmai Alaquiva 
Bekezela Mguni, Visual Artist/Librarian. Photo Credit: Emmai Alaquiva 
Dion White, Singer/Songwriter. Photo Credit: Emmai Alaquiva 
Fran Flaherty, Visual Artist/Curator/Educator. Photo Credit: Emmai Alaquiva 
Jameelah Platt, Visual Artist/Painter/Instructor. Photo Credit: Emmai Alaquiva 
Mai Khoi, Singer. Photo Credit: Emmai Alaquiva 
Marvin Touré, Visual Artist/Photographer. Photo Credit: Emmai Alaquiva 
NLS Ron, Rapper. Photo Credit: Emmai Alaquiva 
Tara Faye Coleman, Curator/Artist. Photo Credit: Emmai Alaquiva 
Zeal Eva (Vania Arthur), Photographer/Sculptor/Curator. Photo Credit: Emmai Alaquiva 
Zuly Inirio, Singer. Photo Credit: Emmai Alaquiva
1Hood Media selected the artivists by evaluating three areas: proven artistic skill, professional track record and alignment with the organization’s mission and values. By participating in the cohort, the artivists received a $5,000 honorarium. Additional funding is awarded to either develop a showcase centering their artivism in a form of their choosing or pursue professional development opportunities to help them attain artistic goals. Artivists will receive direct support from staff to coordinate the aforementioned showcase and access to 1Hood Media’s Blaxk Box Theater to host events at no cost. Artivists may also take advantage of 1Hood Media’s platforms to amplify their practice or voice in the city and beyond. Orientation for the cohort took place in January and the first showcase will occur in April. –More– 1Hood Media is a collective of socially conscious artists and activists who utilize art as a means of raising awareness about social justice matters affecting people around the world. The mission of 1Hood Media is to build liberated communities through art, education, and social justice. “I’m looking forward to exploring how I can use my creative practice to give back to the community,” said Jameelah Platt, 2023 Artivist Academy Cohort Member. “I’m also excited to be part of a diverse cohort of artists and creatives.” “The Artivist Academy has been a means of platforming artists who are successfully infusing activism into their craft since its inception,” said Jasmine Green, Director of Education, who is coordinating the Artivist Academy with Treble NLS, 1Hood Media’s Lead Teaching Artist. “Treble and I were activated through our participation in the Academy, so this is a program that we cherish. We now have the honor of cultivating this space for more artivists to be recognized for how they are using their gifts to provide both a voice and a balm for their communities, and we are using our own experiences in previous cohorts as a guide for how we can continue to expand.” The Artivist Academy was created to cultivate the next generation of artists who amplify social activism through art – while simultaneously expanding cohorts’ impact on issues of disenfranchised communities. The term artivist combines “artist” and “activist” to illustrate 1Hood Media’s interconnectivity between art and social justice.