During the indescribable year that 2020 has already been, our Fellows and the larger participatory civic media community have demonstrated their creativity, vision and commitment. We could not be more enthusiastic about this amazing assemblage of people joining and honoring us with their participation in the Fellowship. In light of the incredible richness of the applicant pool and this dynamic moment, we are excited to host our largest class to date, and delighted to share virtual space with these 16 remarkable individuals over the next 9 months:
Arianne Edmonds: An archivist, curator, creative producer working at the intersection of civics, art, and history, the director of Nous Tous Community Gallery and founder of the J.L. Edmonds Project.
D’Lo: An actor, writer, comedian, and self-described “Curious Queer who Loves to Make Folks Laugh, and Think — in no particular order — with the intention of connecting people to each other.”
Daniel Alejandro Leon-Davis: An artist and cultural architect who is working to use the power of design to affect social change through fashion, art and the built environment, he also currently leads creative design and strategy for the #IStandWithImmigrants Initiative.
Diana Nucera: Motivated by a vision of the future where the greatest possibilities for collective liberation, art and technology merge.
Doris Muñoz: A first-generation Xicana artist manager, event producer, organizer, and community builder. She is the founder of mija mgmt and Solidarity for Sanctuary, a management company that launched first-gen artists’ careers while creating a concert series to raise funds and amplify awareness of immigrant focused non-profits.
Erik Loyer: A digital artist and maker of creative tools, his work combines comics, motion graphics, and musical performance to address social justice issues in collaboration with leading scholars, artists, and organizations including the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute.
Essence Harden: An independent curator, arts writer and PhD candidate living in Los Angeles.
Jamel Mims / MC Tingbudong: An African American bilingual Chinese rapper, multimedia storyteller, and revolutionary.
Jenn Roberts: An equity strategist, facilitator and Black mother working at the intersections of systems change, equity, innovation and design; she is CEO of Versed Education Group.
Magalis Videaux: An artist and maker whose art and social practice lives at the intersection of experience design, immersive storytelling, and experiential learning.
Mary Jirmanus Saba: A geographer, filmmaker, and feminist labor organizer.
Marya Bangee: A cultural strategist, writer, and organizer; she is the Executive Director of Harness, which centers the stories of underrepresented communities in popular culture, and the CEO of SILA Consulting, which advises on film and television projects.
Megan Stielstra: A writer and educator focused on personal narrative as a contribution to a wider cultural and political dialogue that centers human beings.
Paisley Smith: A virtual reality creator, worldbuilder, and teacher who believes in the power of imagination to make real-world change.
Terry Marshall: An artist, activist, cultural producer, trickster and creative entrepreneur whose creative practice involves using world-building and Pan-Afrofuturism to create transformative experiences of liberation.
Tyree A. Boyd-Pates: A Los Angeles-based museum curator and public historian.
Read the official press release here.