Deaf Artists Residency Capstone Discussion & Presentation

About

Dive deep into the rapidly evolving world of Deaf Arts! Meet artists from across the country who are working at the vanguard of cultural expression in literature, film, visual arts, and performance based in American Sign Language and the Deaf experience. The Anderson Center Deaf Artists Residency Program public Capstone Presentation & Discussion is being held in the Tower View Barn on Saturday, June 25 at 6:30 p.m.

Five artists are spending the month of June living in community at the Center, sharing ideas and conversing in ASL, and making substantial progress on their individual artistic works. Each artist will offer a brief presentation on their creative practice before participating in a moderated discussion panel with the full residency cohort.

Open to the Public, this event is presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with voice interpretation provided for non-signers. All are welcome and admission is free. Registration is encouraged but not required, unless additional accommodations are being requested. Tactile interpretation requests to be submitted at least 2-weeks in advance through the registration form or by emailing [email protected].

Now in its fifth iteration, the goal of the Deaf Artist Residency Program at the Anderson Center is to create artistic and organizational networks that support the development of the Deaf Arts as a distinct cultural area within the larger context of American Culture. Founded by local Deaf Artist and activist Cynthia Weitzel, the program has grown since its inception in 2014. With the addition of the 2022 cohort, the Deaf Artist Residency Program has connected and supported 28 artists. The Deaf Artists Residency Program is supported in part through an award from the National Endowment for the Arts and partnerships with Gallaudet University and Deaf Spotlight.

The 2022 Deaf Artists-in-Residence are:

Rosane Volchan O’Conor, Printmaking / Mixed Media Visual Arts, Boulder, CO
A Brazilian-American printmaker and installation artist based in Boulder, Rosane Volchan O’Conor’s work reflects her interest in natural science – from the microbiological to the macrocosmic.

Nikolya Sereda, Playwrighting / Performing Arts, Washington, D.C.
Nikolya is a playwright, costume designer, and graphic artist who works in various mediums. She most recently led the main stage production of Deafenstein with National Theatre of the Deaf and is setting her sights on developing an original ASL musical set in a high school.

Ross Showalter, Fiction Writer, Mercer Island, WA
Ross writes stories about Deaf and disabled people, about being disabled in our capitalist society, and what it’s like to live under those ableist expectations; most of these stories are influenced by science-fiction, fantasy, or horror.

Tarique Sylvester, Playwrighting, Austin, TX
Originally from Texas, Tarique is a writer and director currently studying at Rochester Institute of Technology. He serves on the board of Deaf Austin Theatre and was involved in their production of Next to Normal as Deaf Henry.

Yiqiao Wang, Painting & Visual Arts, Alexandria, VA
Originally from Beijing, Yiqiao is a senior artist and coordinator of creative design with the Center for Visual Language and Visual Learning at Gallaudet University. She has also created several prominent mural designs, including the Loon Mural currently installed in downtown Minneapolis.