In times of war, economic hardship, and societal transformation, artists have often been the torchbearers of truth, hope, and reflection.
But what happens when artists face persecution for their identity, beliefs and creative work that challenges the status quo and seats of power? What happens when artists are censored, exiled, imprisoned, and threatened with death?
How can artists thrive amidst such adversity?
Listen to this discussion about artists building resilience in difficult times.
Featured Artists
Danitra Hunter is a self-taught artist-author/Illustrator from Seattle, WA. She studied fine art at Shoreline Community College and is currently studying Graphic Design as an online student at Full Sail University. Danitra has been working as a teaching artist for over 15 years. She is known in Seattle for her beloved characters Purrdie Burrdie and Friends, and self-published her children's book Purrdie Burrdie I Love Myself, Can You See February 2021, in honor of Black History Month. Purrdie Burrdie teaches children self-love in a fun and whimsical way. The inspiration for her book came from young black and brown girls denying their black and brown skin and not loving their heritage as black girls.
O is a Ukrainian, interdisciplinary, social practice artist, producer, curator, educator, and community organizer.
Her academic background includes Law, Societies & Justice, Interdisciplinary Arts, Comparative History of Ideas, and 8-year track at music conservatory.
Their dynamic oeuvre fuses multimedia arts, emergent technologies, education, and civic engagement. Her projects are multifaceted, immersive, interactive, participatory, highly collaborative, and often unorthodox.
Through relational aesthetics, she investigates systemic ramifications of Anthropocene; interconnects well-being of autonomous self, collective ethos, and our shared Pale Blue Dot; and advocates creativity, critical thinking, and activism as catalysts for positive change.
She founded and spearheads TYPONEXUS — international, multidisciplinary collective.
Nuclear Recitals, Sunflower on Fire, Globalist, Golden Record, Silent Film Nouveau, Illuminata Nocturna, and Avant-garde Out & About are amidst their immersive production series.
Her diverse, creative projects are featured in Time, Make Art with Purpose, American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom, Resident Advisor, Seattle Times et al.
Shima Star is a first-generation British-born artist living in Washington State. She is an arts educator, arts advocate, and an award-winning artist who has had her works exhibited in London, Seattle and New York. Shima has overcome many obstacles in order to pursue a career in the arts. Her experiences were deeply impacted by the cultural differences growing up within the multiculturalism of London in the 90s. Her current works primarily focus on the vibrant colors, the abstraction of the female form and the celebration of diversity. She often responds to the many experiences from her diasporic heritage which traces its lineage from Africa to Gujrat India.
About The Organizer
With a professional writing career spanning 30+ years, Beverly Aarons is a distinguished storyteller, exploring the intersections of history, current realities, and imagined future worlds. As an award-winning journalist, she has interviewed a diverse range of individuals, from artists and business owners to scientists, for publications such as South Seattle Emerald and The Iranian. And she has facilitated several conversations at Town Hall Seattle.
Recognizing the need for in-depth arts coverage, Beverly Aarons founded Artists Up Close in 2022. Her passion for uncovering the deeper layers of artists' lives and creative processes drives her to tell stories that transcend superficial hot-takes and soundbites.
In 2023, she began collaborating with Seattle artists and organizations to create unique, transformative artist conversations that are more than just a bunch of talking heads and a silent audience. Her artist gatherings are more than talks, they’re community discussions.
Aarons' thoughts on founding Artists Up Close:
"I created Artists Up Close because I’m hungry for arts coverage that goes deep. I’m hungry to read it and I’m hungry to write it. We live in an era of quick hot takes, sound bites, and copy/paste press releases. I’m tired of that. I want to dig beneath the surface of artists’ lives and artistic practices. What makes them tick? What is their reason for existing and creating? I want to take a trip deep into the mind of the artist. Come take that journey with me."
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