SUBJECT MATTERS PODCAST SERIES
Episodes Air: April 21, 2021 – July 28, 2021
Emerging and Established Artists Examine Charged Cultural Climate in SUBJECT MATTERS
Red Bull Arts Detroit and Kresge Arts in Detroit partner on a new programming series, curated by Imani Mixon, that gathers diverse, artistic voices to analyze the current cultural climate by connecting individualized perspectives
Red Bull Arts Detroit and Kresge Arts in Detroit are pleased to present SUBJECT MATTERS, a dialogue series that responds to contemporary socio-political truths within the context of individual artistic practices.
Curated and hosted by culture writer and producer Imani Mixon, SUBJECT MATTERS pairs Red Bull Arts Residents and Grantees with Kresge Artist Fellows, Gilda Award recipients, and Eminent Artists to investigate the cultural nuances that inform their work. This timely and important series will address topics at the center of popular discourse, from gatekeeping and resistance strategies to intergenerational exchange and safe spaces.
Listeners will have the opportunity to hear from visionary artists who offer critical perspectives on how we collectively navigate through this unparalleled moment in history. Mixon says, “With SUBJECT MATTERS, I want to hold space for the kind of conversations that I know so many artists are having about their craft, their communities, and their futures. A lot of us have been able to identify the kind of scenes and industries we’d like to return to, so I invited guests who have wonderful work, powerful insights, and beautiful intentions that will sustain us for whatever comes next.”
These intimate conversations will not only address the universal, but also aim to generate concrete ideas and actionable steps to foster a more equitable and sustainable cultural landscape in Detroit and beyond. Following each recording, conversations will be transcribed, key takeaways will be highlighted, and supportive visuals will be collated to support each episode and increase accessibility. Materials, along with recordings, will be publicly available on Kresge Arts in Detroit’s online exhibition platform – kresgeartsindetroitpresents.org – throughout the duration of the series and packaged as an openly-available resource after the final episode airs.
EPISODES
APRIL 21 / EPISODE 1: American Artist, Darryl D. Terrell, and Salakastar interrogate identity and resistance through alter egos
MAY 12 / EPISODE 2: Cristina Tufiño, Ahya Simone, and Nour Ballout recall frameworks and environments that have made them feel most comfortable, welcome, and creative while imagining structures to help replicate these experiences
MAY 26 / EPISODE 3: Joiri Minaya and Jennifer Harge discuss how their practices illuminate the larger issues of where and how art can be seen through interacting with public spaces and site specificity
JUNE 2 / EPISODE 4: Holly Bass, Shirley Woodson, and Cherise Morris, three artists at different phases of their career, explore how mentorship, maturation, and love have propelled their progress
ABOUT IMANI MIXON
Imani Mixon was born and raised at the magnetic center of the world’s cultural compass — Detroit, Michigan. She is a long-form storyteller who is inspired by everyday griots who bear witness to their surroundings and report it back out. Equal parts urgent and essential, her multimedia work centers the experiences of Black women and independent artists.
ABOUT RED BULL ARTS
Founded in 2011, Red Bull Arts is an experimental, non-commercial arts program dedicated to creating new opportunities for artists and fostering public engagement in the arts. With a physical space in Detroit, Red Bull Arts aims to extend the boundaries of exhibition making; support the production of new work by emerging and established artists; participate in and respond to the needs of local arts communities; and contribute to ongoing dialogue around contemporary issues and thought. Red Bull Arts’ Detroit outpost is home to the program’s curatorial fellowship, local micro-grant initiative, and artist residency.