I am so grateful that C.L.I.T. Fest is happening in the Metropolitan Area this summer. All of the organizers have already done a phenomenal job, but I am particularly proud of my sister, Jess, for her immense growth as an activist and artist in the past year. I feel lucky to be organizing alongside her.
You live and you fight, or you die. In this "once-in-a-lifetime" podcast, the C.L.I.T. Fest team not only addresses the intricacies of organizing the event, but why these conversations are so important, why support is vital in our communities. I highly recommend giving it a listen.
Details after the jump--
FRIDAY, JULY 13
6PM
C.L.I.T. FEST ZINE READING
taking place in-between bands
Julia B. has a day job in academia, but spends a lot of time talking too much – once upon a time for posterity and small change in spoken-word venues, these days anywhere she pleases for less and more meaningful reasons. They can be found online at War in a Dress.
Rachel Levy is a zinester with roots in New York City and Baltimore, Maryland. She co-edits Hoax, a compilation zine dedicated to bringing feminism into everyday life. Rachel has also written various perzines on the topics such as queer identities and histories, community building and creative participation in activist spaces, "call-out culture," and more. C.L.I.T. Fest rules and she is super stoked to participate!
Cristy C. Road is a 29-year-old, Brooklyn-based Cuban-American illustrator and writer who’s been contributing to queer arts, punk, writing, & activism since 1996. Road published a zine, Greenzine for ten years, and has released three books: Indestructible, Distance Makes the Heart Grow Sick, andBad Habits. She’s currently working on a Tarot Card deck with author Michelle Tea, a graphic memoir entitled Spit and Passion, and her band The Homewreckers.
Sari co-edits the feminist compilation zine Hoax and writes the perzine You've Got A Friend In Pennsylvania. They are currently zine-ing about topics such as sexual assault, queer relationships, dealing with the intricacies of femininity & masculinity as a non-binary trans* person, challenging the oppressive dynamics of punk, and a queer feminist Harry Potter fan fic centered around Hermione Granger. They are way excited to be a C.L.I.T. Festvolunteer and workshop facilitator!
Jamie Varriale Vélez is having a slight existential crisis, but is fortunately managing to power through it and stay productive. She reads about punk subculture and identity politics, and studies/writes about/occasionally plays music to keep from worrying about the future too much.
Kate Wadkins is a Brooklyn-based writer, artist, and cultural worker who believes in the political and artistic power of zines. She curated this zine reading in tandem with C.L.I.T. Fest to highlight the myriad contributions of, and the vibrant scenes created by, feminists, queers, trans, and people of color, whose voices are often minimized or erased altogether in punk scenes, narratives, and history. You can find her online at katewadkins.com.
SATURDAY, JULY 14
12:15PM-1:15PM
ART LABOR: A Discussion of Art Practice, Presence, Preservation and Perseverance
Creating a work of art is just the beginning. What to do next, where, how, and who to speak to are queries that arise as an emerging artist tries to make a name for themselves. These questions reference positions that exist in the art world, including but not limited to critics, bloggers, gallerists, conservators, framers and art handlers. ‘Art Labor’ seeks to demystify the oft-intimidating ART WORLD for emerging artists. The discussion relays panelists’ personal experiences within the art industry, providing insight for artists that seek to embark on their own art-related careers and those who create for their own pleasure.
Simone Meltesen is a Brooklyn based painter who will begin her MFA at Hunter College this Fall. Currently she is the Director of the Fellowship Program for Emerging and Underrepresented Women Artists at A.I.R. Gallery in New York.
Kate Wadkins is a Brooklyn-based writer and artist who recently graduated Sarah Lawrence College with an MA in Women’s and Gender History. She was the gallery manager of Storefront (a space for emerging and established artists in Bushwick, Brooklyn) for its two-year lifespan. Currently, she curates BRAIN WAVES, a zine and print collection recently relocated to Recession Art CultureFix. Kate has worked with feminist creatives since 2003, alongside grassroots collectives and world-renowned feminist artists alike.
Cait McLaughlin is a Highland Park resident who works at the B. Beamesderfer Gallery and was at one time a ‘long term’ intern A.I.R. Gallery in New York city. She has experience in hanging exhibits, handling works paper and photography, and fine art framing.
SUNDAY, JULY 15
11AM-12:15PM
Winging It: Nurturing Authentic Communication in Feminist Organizing
In this workshop, For the Birds (a New York-based feminist collective and distro) will guide a community discussion about internal and external struggles in feminist cultural and social justice organizing, creating feminist spaces, and coalition building. The Collective maintains that it is imperative to communicate authentically in order to bridge gaps, and to grow, both interpersonally and between groups. The workshop will discuss commonalities, such as the way that the efforts of many marginalized groups coalesce around issues like safer spaces, grassroots modes of organizing, and artistic and political visibility. For the Birds invites questions about their own processes, and seeks to find out how other feminists work through these issues and towards similar goals in their own groups and communities. This is a participatory workshop.
FOR THE BIRDS is a New York City-based feminist collective. We work towards establishing alternative spaces that promote the creative interests of women-identified, trans, and queer community members all over the spectrum. For the Birds is a collaborative group of organizers with backgrounds in feminism, social justice work, and various artistic pursuits. Through DIY feminist cultural activism, For The Birds aims to empower and support radical women of action.
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