Daniel Lee

@danielwklee-neworleans-4656

Born Lý Phụ Cường, (Originally 李富強, later changed to 李華強 in Traditional Chinese, 李华强 in Simplified Chinese) in Kuching, Malaysia, Daniel is a third generation refugee going back to his grandparents on both maternal and paternal sides from Guangdong province, China to Vietnam; his Saigon-born parents became refugees in Malaysia after the purge of ethnic Chinese from Vietnam during the late 1970s before settling in the United States. Raised in the western suburbs of Chicago (first in Forest Park, Illinois and later in Downers Grove, Illinois) along with his older and younger sisters in a mish-mash of Cantonese, Vietnamese, and American cultures, Daniel eventually moved to New York City in August 1996 to attend New York University, where he received his BA from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study. After undergraduate studies, he would apply his skills in the dot com and arts non-profit worlds, at OUT magazine, as a freelance market editor, infrequent fashion stylist, a product manager, and creative director in the licensed toy/stationery/gifts/watches/clocks/arts & crafts industry. In 2006, Daniel earned his MFA in Creative Writing from The New School whose creative thesis became the basis of his first book’s manuscript. In 2013, he worked as a campaign manager for a Green Party candidate for New York City council, and not long after in February 2014, Daniel left the Big Apple, his home of 17 years. He likes to say he is originally from Kuching, raised in Chicagoland, but grew the fuck up in New York City. Daniel relocated to Seattle, Washington in March 2014 and after a little over five years in the Pacific Northwest outdoor adventure-seeking, he and his preposterously beautiful whippet Camden moved to New Orleans in December 2019. His creative work has been widely published online and in print, including the Lambda Literary Award-nominated anthology TAKE OUT: QUEER WRITING FROM ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICA, the Lambda Literary Award-winning anthology I DO/I DON'T: QUEERS ON MARRIAGE, and most recently: THE NEW YORK TIMES, LOVEJETS: QUEER MALE POETS ON 200 YEARS OF WALT WHITMAN, as well as BERKELEY POETRY REVIEW, FLOATING BRIDGE REVIEW, WHITE STAG, FOURTEEN HILLS, and the UK’s OXFORD POETRY and AGENDA. ANATOMY OF WANT, published by the QueerMojo imprint of Rebel Satori Press in November 2019, is Daniel’s first book of poetry.

Madeleine Kelly

@madgkelly-neworleans-4652

Madeleine is a painter based in New Orleans. She specializes in acrylic painting, mural arts, watercolors, and face and body painting. She is interested in the exploration and interpretation of the human figure and elemental symbology, and often addresses esoteric and spiritual themes in her work. She has been teaching visual art in an alternative New Orleans high school setting for the last 7 years.

Megan Ihnen & Alan Theisen present...

@megan_ihnen-neworleans-4650

Megan Ihnen & Alan Theisen present… is an avant-pop voice/saxophone power duo. They bring new music to audiences everywhere through theatrical performances, collaborations across art forms, and curatorial projects. With influences extending from Ligeti to St. Vincent to Sun Ra, MIATp shows have been praised as “a fresh look at what it means to be artists in the 21st century.” The indie classical chamber group combines microtonal miniatures, pop song covers, experimental silences, and heavy metal to conjure sound worlds that are both ancient and futuristic, funky and fragile.

The Bearded Oysters Brees

@katrinabrees-neworleans-4642

Mardi Gras parade maker Katrina Brees has spent 15 years co-producing over 200 parades. In 2003, she introduced New Orleans to the Mardi Bra,™ her first of hundreds of eco-conscious, parade art pieces as seen in films, commercials, television, events, and parades. Brees was motivated to share her love of parading with others and founded The Bearded Oysters Parade Club in 2004. Moved by the BP Deepwater Horizon tragedy, Brees used her powers of parading to affect change. In 2012, Brees founded the Greening of the Gras conference, a platform to connect Louisiana residents with solutions to the devastating impact that petroleum-based Mardi Gras beads are having on the ecology, economy, health, culture and global community. Brees founded I Heart Louisiana as the sustainable future of Mardi Gras and works with Carnival producers to source local throws, costumes, floats, and live entertainment. Brees continues to expand The KOLOSSOS Bike Zoo, an interactive visual and performance experience featuring her unique, kinetic sculpture collection of eco-friendly art-bike animals that showcases the majesty of animals without their exploitation. The Bike Zoo has received international attention and was honored by the Awesome Foundation for its ecological impact. The Mardi Gras Museum of New Orleans recently featured Brees with a solo show of her bike collection. The animal themed bikes have been paraded on screen through NCIS: New Orleans, Jack Reacher 2, and America’s Got Talent.

Peter J Bowling

@peterjbowling-neworleans-4640

Peter J Bowling is a multi-instrumentalist improviser, composer, designer, computer experimentalist, & collaborator based in New Orleans. My creative output is quite varied but I'm especially interested in electro-acoustic music and multichannel compositions.

Monique Lorden

@1985poet-neworleans-4636

Her story is already written. She is simply an artist trying to retell it through poetry, film, and visual arts. 1985Poet uses her mediums as art activism. Her art is bold in message and color. Not only is she a published author, but her visual art was exhibited at the New Orleans African American Museum, Prospect 4, and all Femaissance exhibits. 1985 continues to expand her message of love by gracing the streets with murals, canvas with color, and world with poetry amongst other forms of expression. To practice her calling she attends writing workshops and volunteers at city libraries and schools. 1985 uses her voice to expound on the importance of activism and storytelling through art. In addition, she uses her voice to rally for change. She is the creator of the 1985 Love Campaign. The 1985 Love Campaign is a heart driven initiative determined to rebuild and restore communities with love. “You may wonder why I choose to display my cultural pride through my photos, art, and words. It is my responsibility to display our narratives through black womanhood, through the arts, and through different perspectives.” -1985Poet

MadeGroceries

@land-lord-neworleans-4633

1/3 of Hip Hop Collective MadeGroceries. After our group formed in 2015, we’ve performed across the nation multiple times representing the upcoming music in New Orleans. While touring with the likes of Curren$y and Jay Electronica we’ve gained the experience to carry the torch for the next generation and continue the legacy of New Orleans Hip-Hop.

Kara Crowley

@artbykaramariee-neworleans-4632

New Orleans Native, Kara Crowley, considers herself a storyteller through painting portraits. She continues highlighting locals of the New Orleans community to evoke the importance of their impact on the world. She also highlights the youth of New Orleans, to help embrace their identity and view themselves in positive, yet powerful settings, in public spaces. Kara's time with YAYA Inc. (Young Aspirations - Young Artist) and at Xavier University of Louisiana molded her into the artist she is today. She also teaches visual arts at St. Augustine High School, to help expose young black students to the arts community of NOLA. Kara continues looking for ways to nurture her artistic practice throughout the New Orleans art community, such as Xavier University of Louisiana, Joan Mitchell Center, 912 Studio, Antenna, and the Ana & Adeline Foundation. Email for questions/inquiries.

Robert Sarch

@formaluxstudio-neworleans-4630

Every sculpture begins with a story, a vision brought to life through imaginative inspiration and technical mastery. From concept to completion, Robert Sarach crafts pieces that invoke a dynamic and personal experience of expression through form and light.

Akiala I

@akialai-neworleans-4626

Akiala is passionate about using her many multidimensional artistic mediums (writing, web design, graphic design, body painting, styling, consulting, branding, sewing, videography, photography, interior design & public speaking) to bring concepts and dreams into fruition.

Gurleen Rai

@zimteemo-neworleans-4620

Gurleen Rai is a Canadian animator and story teller. She earned her bachelor of design in fashion design from Ryerson University in Toronto then attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City for illustration. Inspired by her upbringing in rural Ontario looking for insects and digging for dinosaur bones, her stories reflect her love of nature, open spaces and unusual friendships in a sometimes lonely place. Her films have screened internationally at film festivals like Slamdance, New Orleans Film Festival and Sydney Underground. She wrote, directed and animated Rosie & Joe, an animated mini series for Cake FXX. Get Up, Pierrot, an award winning animated series is a one-of-a-kind Instagram choose your adventure style animated series that relies on viewer participation to generate ideas for future episodes about a clown perpetually down on their luck. She's worked with Saffron Press, an independent Canadian publishing company focused on telling diverse children's stories. Gurleen illustrated their second children's book, Dreams of Hope - a bedtime lullaby ‍ Illustration clients include: The Baffler, Vox Media, Bitch Magazine, This Magazine, Plansponsor, Current Affairs, Saffron Press and others