CEP Intern

Artist Spotlight: Mia Daniels

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At International Arts & Artists, we love keeping up with our exchange visitors through the lens of their host organizations! This month’s artist spotlight features Mia Daniels, a J-1 scholar from Canada completing a residency program with the Textile Arts Center (TAC) in Brooklyn, NY. Mia was recently featured on TAC’s blog, where she discussed her creative background, influences, and time at TAC. Keep reading for more on Mia’s J-1 experience and follow her on Instagram for a behind-the-scenes glimpse of her incredible work!

A version of this interview was originally published on the TAC blog by Sam Crow.

Mia Daniels, one of our AIR cycle 8 residents, uses everyday objects to situate her work within a context where myth and the unknown reside. She aims to cultivate a sensitivity in her work as a way to consider uncertainty and the fragile divide between beauty and decay. During her time at TAC, she has discovered that engaging in textile craft in today’s world can embody both an experience of labour and luxury. Mia shared some words with me about her creative background, what influences her work, and her time at TAC.

On her creative background:

I grew up in a house filled with beautiful handmade textiles from different parts of the world: Guatemala, Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand, Lao, Nepal, India . . . the art of my home, they embodied my experiences: an intimate recollection of travel, family, adventure, and the ability to immerse yourself in the joyous unknown. I remember my first encounter with natural dye: on the coast of Oaxaca exploring the intertidal rocks with my sister and friends, collecting catechol/snails and rubbing their special slime onto our heads, permanently dyeing Mexican hair a beautiful deep purple, while my sister and my fair hair turned a bright punk pink to mirror our sun-scorched skin.

Gohar Dashti, “Today’s Life and War”, 2008. Image courtesy of the artist.
On what influences her work:

An informative part of my practice comes from residing within the board cultures of snow and surf: a sort of modern nomadism in which living in cars, vans, tents, and on sailboats is intrinsically a part of the lifestyle. Through these experiences I have come to learn that limitations can be liberating. Such challenges can provide a framework for highlighting assumptions and questioning behaviors, beliefs, and values. It was within the ocean’s crashing waves in which I first encountered the simultaneity of chaos and fluidity, an abstract duality which challenges the black/white polarizations in which we are so accustom to in the grappling of sense-making in our unstable world – although at the time I might have described it more attune to experiencing the powers of freedom, beauty, and destruction all together tumbled within the crashing ions.

Gohar Dashti, “Today’s Life and War”, 2008. Image courtesy of the artist.

On her material choices:

I think that the use of everyday materials situates the work in a very real – not contrived – context, while a sort of ‘ad-hocism’ creates space for myth and the unknown. ‘At once elegant and in shambles’ is a sensitivity I aim to cultivate as a way to consider uncertainty: exposing the fragile divide between beauty and decay, if even there is one. Evidencing a lived culture, the materials allude toward the process or experience being the work itself. It is through this use of ambiguity in which the potential for a personal experience of discovery may lie: the viewer or participant has the opportunity to decide for themselves. I believe these balances are important, not as an either/or and not as propaganda, but as a platform to negotiate the problematic binaries which seem to make it difficult to embrace complexity and uncertainty.

On her experience at TAC:

I came in with the intention to learn skills of making and have been amazed at how some relatively simple and lo-fi methods, to spin fibers or to build up the chaotic structure of a felt fabric, for example, can be equally humbling and empowering. Through this material intimacy I am intrigued at how engaging in textile craft in today’s world can embody both an experience of labour and luxury. There seems to lie much potential for the slow, methodical processes of working with your hands – ‘remembering in our bodies’ the learned cultural wisdoms – to inform or (re)discover more intimate cultural expressions.

A selection of work from Urban Mapping. Clockwise from top left: Arash Fayez, “Ramblings of a Flâneur”, 2008. Ghazaleh Hedayat, “Snake and Ladder”, 2012. Rana Javadi, “Enghelab Street, Tehran”, 1978. Saba Alizadeh, “Light and Soil”, 2011. Behnam Sadighi, “Ekbatan, west of Tehran”, 2004-2008. Mehran Mohajer, “Between & Non-Between”, 2017. All images courtesy of the artist.

On what artists/art movements she looks to:

Most recently I have been looking to the Assemblages, Arte Povera, and Fluxes: Happenings and Collective Actions, and more directly to the ‘embodied actions’ and the ‘everydays’ of Andrea Zittel, Francis Alys, Franz Erhard Walther, Otto von Busch, Richard Wentworth, Yvonne Rainer. I often consider Rainer’s ability to reveal the poetic acts of the peculiarities of the ordinary performing body. In essence, it is about a shift in perspective through the reveal of a mundane-sort-of-magic – that which often goes unseen.

Check out the video below to see Mia in action and learn more about the Textile Arts Center Artist-in-Residence program here! 

Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day

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No matter where you are on March 17th, chances are high that you’re close to one of the many St. Patrick’s Day celebrations! Honoring the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is observed in cities across the U.S. and around the world. The holiday has come to mean different things for different groups of people, whether it’s celebrating Irish heritage and identity, welcoming the beginning of the spring season, or just as an excuse to wear green. While new St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are happening every year, the traditions, myths, and meanings behind the holiday go back centuries.

You may associate the holiday with shamrocks and Guinness, but that wasn’t always the case. Historically, St. Patrick’s Day honored Maewyn Succat, an English priest from the fourth century who later became Saint Patrick. The Catholic Church established a feast day for Saint Patrick as a way to honor him as one of the patron saints of Ireland. This day is still observed centuries later around the world, with the addition of parades and parties celebrating the Irish spirit!

The holiday may have started as a way to honor Saint Patrick, but we have Irish-Americans to thank for starting some of the traditions we tend to associate with March 17th. The first official parade in honor of St. Patrick’s Day took place in eighteenth century New York, during the American Revolutionary War. At the time, Irish immigrants serving in the British Colonial Army took to the streets of New York to observe St. Patrick’s Day, thus establishing what is now America’s longest-running parade. Today, New York remains the most popular place for St. Patrick’s Day gatherings in the United States!

What about the tradition of dyeing the Chicago River green? Well, that ritual began in the 1960s when parade organizers noticed that a dye used to identify traces of pollution in the river actually turned the water a vibrant emerald green color! Since then, the river has been dyed each year on the morning before the St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Whether you’re celebrating the holiday by heading to a St. Patrick’s Day parade or by tasting some traditional Irish fare, remember to #ExpectExchange wherever you go!

Art in Context: Taiwan

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On February 23, 2017, IA&A hosted Art in Context: Taiwan, a discussion on the social and political conditions affecting artists and cultural organizations in contemporary Taiwan. The event was held at IA&A’s Hillyer Art Space during Taiwan-based artist Pin-Chieh Tseng’s solo exhibition, Soliloquize. 

The conversation, which was moderated by Sarah Tanguy, a curator with the U.S. Department of State’s Art in Embassies program, featured voices from the art, policy, and academic worlds, including Pin-Chieh Tseng, an emerging visual and installation artist from Taiwan, Jack Yeh-Chin Kuei, the Director of Taiwan Academy at the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S. (TECRO), and Dr. Ying-Chen Peng, an associate professor of art history at American University. Over the course of the discussion, panelists touched on issues such as the role of government patronage in the arts, gender, the creative economy in Taiwan, and the changing perceptions and representations of Taiwan on regional and global stages. Notably, Peng and Kuei highlighted the impact of Taiwan’s long history of colonization on shifting notions of cultural authenticity and identity on the island. In tandem with these political changes, art forms such as impressionism or traditional ink painting gained or lost prominence depending on the policies of ruling powers. Turning their attention to the contemporary conditions influencing art production, the panelists compared models of institutional support for the arts in the U.S. and in Taiwan.

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A project of IA&A’s Cultural Exchange Programs, the International Partnership Initiative champions international work between American arts institutions and their counterparts abroad by creating a forum for discussion and discovery among leaders in the artistic, academic, diplomatic, and policy communities. The Initiative’s research and programming facilitates cross-cultural understanding and builds stronger ties through global partnerships in the arts.

Career, Culture, Cuisine, and Always Saying “Yes”

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By saying “yes” to every opportunity, Harrison Malone is living out the dream of most young professionals! He combined his passions for the creative industry and sports, landing a dream internship with PadillaCRT, a PR agency based in Minneapolis, MN. There, Harrison has struck a balance between working hard at his internship and enjoying everything the city has to offer! After he finished his first internship, Harrison decided to apply for a program extension so that he could continue to grow his communications skillset and further develop his professional network. We caught up with Harrison right before he started his second internship at CSL International hear all about the new experiences he’s embraced so far!

What impact has your exchange experience had on your life and your career?

There are various impacts the program has had on my life and career. Firstly, I’ve fallen in love with the Twin Cities. It feels like home now in terms of the people I socialize with, the food I eat and how I navigate myself around. It’s cool to have more than one place I call home as it makes me feel like a global citizen. Secondly, I’ve been fortunate enough to work alongside senior people in the creative industry. Being able to get their feedback on a day to day basis has been super valuable. I’ve tried to ask as many questions as possible as to apply the lessons they’ve learnt to my own career. Thirdly, having these roles on my resume will be of great value by the time I get home. I believe that I’m more employable having worked overseas at a young age and this will put me ahead of the pack. Not only that, but I’ve built up a great network of connections who I can turn to for job hunting advice.

What was your favorite memory from your exchange experience?

My favourite memory is incredibly hard to choose because there is so much to pick from. I think the number one experience has to be going tailgating and then seeing the Minnesota Vikings play. That whole day was a whirlwind and just a crazy experience. The giant nachos actually exist like in the Simpsons! Special mention to Christmas, Thanksgiving and Halloween as well as seeing it snow for the first time which is fascinating from an Australians perspective. I also look back fondly at the travel that I’ve done having been to New York, Chicago, Montreal and Toronto. There was one particular night in New York where I was with a friend from Melbourne and we just had the best time. We kind of joined in on a bar crawl in East Village, meeting some great people and then dancing the night away. We somehow stumbled upon the classic New York diner Katz’s on the way home which made the whole experience feel like a movie! The place was packed at 3AM and had these amazing smoked meat sandwiches. Highly recommend it.

What was your favorite cultural activity to do in your city? 

The culture in the Twin Cities is something that many people are unaware of. Some of the best and most diverse food in the world is here! My favorites include Burch in South Minneapolis, Punch Pizza and Rusty Taco in the North East and Skyway Wok in downtown. My favorite coffee shop, where I’ve also spent a lot of time writing, is Spyhouse which has a couple of locations all around the city. Another one of my favourite activities, especially in the fall, was going for runs around the Lake of the Isles. There was one particular run that I remember on a balmy October night, and the sun set was one of the most spectacular things I’ve ever seen, with the colors bouncing off the lake. I did a fair bit of riding in the warmer months as the bike paths here are next level good. I even rode to work. I’ve been to the football, baseball and basketball, with the ice hockey on my to do list. The record stores and vintage shops here are also world class, and on a Sunday I’ll often just go for a bit of a browse. The bars and breweries are again some of the best I’ve ever been to. I’ve spent many evenings at UpDown in Uptown (sorry about the tongue twister) which is an arcade craft beer bar. Pacman, Super Mario and Skeeball are some of my favorites there.

What advice can you offer to future exchange visitors coming to the United States? 

I think the best advice for future exchange visitors coming to the United States is to say yes to every opportunity you get. It has been something my mum has been saying to me a lot, and I’ve tried to live my life with this always in the back of my mind. When you say yes often enough you’ll have interesting experiences, ones that you might find challenging, but the rewards far outweigh these challenges. My other piece of advice is that if you’re coming to the Mid West in winter bring a jacket. However, the cold is nothing to be afraid of. I now know what minus twenty feels like and it’s actually not that bad if you dress properly. The heating here is also so much better than back home, so you’re usually comfortable in short sleeves once indoors.

What does cultural exchange mean to you?

Cultural exchange to me means pushing boundaries and associating yourself with people you aren’t normally used to being around. It means giving the new culture a go, investing yourself fully in it and coming out the other side with a new perspective. It means being a great example of a person from your home country, showcasing all the great things it has to offer and educating people about it. It means inviting them into your home if they ever decide to travel there. It means asking questions about the new culture and trying to learn something new about it everyday. It means being friendly and respectful.

Building Peace Through Art

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Hyppolite Ntigurirwa has a vision for peace. After witnessing the horrors of genocide, he turned to the transformative power of art to help spread his message of peace. He started a theater group at his school in Rwanda as a way to unite students from different ethnic groups. “We witnessed the power of performing arts to bring people together, challenging the status quo and starting the long process of social change,” he said of the experience. Since then, Hyppolite has continued to use theater as a tool for healing, reconciliation, and peacebuilding in post-conflict communities both in Rwanda and abroad.

This fall, Hyppolite is participating in International Art & Artists’ J-1 scholar program. He is completing an artist-in-residence program with Arts Connect International, an organization that cultivates and connects leaders in the arts field committed to cultural and social inclusion. The program has given Hyppolite the opportunity connect with other artists and social activists, acquire key arts management skills, and further develop his artistic body of work. “My experience with Arts Connect International has been a fantastic opportunity to grow as an entrepreneurial artist and leader,” Hyppolite told us.

We recently connected with Hyppolite to learn more about his time in Boston with Arts Connect International. Keep reading for more on his experience and learn more about Cultural Exchange Programs here.

Can you tell us a bit about your unique perspective and background, and how it has helped you to become an arts leader?

A few months after surviving The Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda at a young age (seven), I was frustrated by not finding a means to tell the horror I have experienced and to transmit my message to the community. Sitting in class was like sitting in experimental memories. I was not able to tell my story and transmit my message of peace until I was helped by a teacher to create a theatre club. The club included children from both survivors’ families and perpetrators’ families, which wasn’t easy to start up an inclusive community just after the genocide. However, we experienced the power of performing arts when the whole community enjoyed our performances and everyone happened to support the club. I continued the same practices in high school, in university, and now I combine my genocide experiences with sociological theories (and practices) and theatre techniques to stop the inter-generational transmission of hatred.

Tell us more about your experience so far with Arts Connect International.

Working with Arts Connect International has been really useful to me in many ways a global change agent. First of all, having been the first international artist to be selected for their Artist-in-Residence program, it is a tremendous . . . to me in terms of accessing artistic and leadership skills, knowledge, experiences from all sorts of people in Boston. Arts Connect International not only provides this exposure but also provides professional and healthy guidance to making much more impact to the bigger community.

What is your favorite cultural activity to do in Boston?

Boston is a hub of people with passion for social change and innovation. There is always a lot going on in the city! There are loads of historical traces (museums, freedom trails, educational institutions, etc.) My top amazing cultural activities in Boston include attending networking and discussion events about social change, visiting different sites (historical and newly-created), and finally in Boston it is where you organize an event and you get people come!

What have your learned during your J-1 program?

Within my residence with Arts Connect International in Boston, I have gained huge knowledge, skills and resources necessary to increase my professional work and my career as an artist leader. Among many other, I have covered experiences and learnt a lot about program management, arts project management, techniques of playwriting, sociometrics techniques through theatre, strategic planning, leadership skills, budget and project management skills, communication skills, fundraising skills, cross-cultural competency, monitoring and evaluation, arts education and pedagogy, creating theory of change model, digital marketing and promotion, as well as entrepreneurial and development models for individual and organizations.

What does cultural exchange mean to you?

As far as I look to what I wish the cultural exchange would be, I understand “cultural exchange” as sharing experiences, values, works, knowledge, skills and habits with the mission to make the world a much more inclusive and peaceful place.

Discovering the Film Industry in LA

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For someone looking to gain experience in the entertainment industry, Los Angeles is the place to be! For Anna Jane Edmonds, it was the perfect place to spend eighteen months training with Silver Pictures, a film production company in Santa Monica, CA. Keep reading for more on Anna Jane’s experience!

Looking back, what are your thoughts about your experience at Silver Pictures Entertainment?

I had the opportunity to be a part of a large American film production company where the experience I gathered has given me the skills to continue my path in the entertainment industry. This was an invaluable experience and I will reference back to it all the time. I was fortunate to work with amazing people and learn an exceptional amount from them.

What projects are you working on now in Toronto?

I am currently at the end of a horror movie entitled THE HERETICS with Black Fawn Films and I am producing a short science fiction film in July.

What are some of the differences, if any, in working in Los Angeles versus in Toronto?

There are many differences, mainly the access to industry professionals. LA is saturated with film and television whereas Toronto is home to many different industries. There is a lot of talent in Toronto, though, so I am excited to be back!

What advice would you have for someone who is starting a J-1 program?

Say yes to the experiences you are offered in the office, you never know what you can learn from trying a job/task that you don’t think you will like – you never know, you may end up enjoying it!

What does cultural exchange mean to you?

Cultural exchange can mean many different things. It can be argued that Canada and the U.S. are not that culturally different, however I would disagree. There are many similarities but the differences are what makes this type of exchange so valuable. The way the film industry functions in the U.S. is different than in Canada, so my experience of the culture surrounding film in the U.S. will carry me throughout the rest of my career.

Art in Context: Ireland

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On June 8, 2016, IA&A was privileged to host a panel discussion at IA&A’s Hillyer Art Space that explored perspectives on the role of the arts in shaping Irish cultural identity. Moderated by Allison Nance, Director of IA&A’s Hillyer Art Space, panelists included Claire Fitzgibbon, Consular & Cultural Affairs Counsellor at the Embassy of Ireland, Norman Houston, Director of the Northern Ireland Bureau, Jackie Hoysted, Curator and Visual Arts Director at Solas Nua, and Matt Torney, Associate Artistic Director at Studio Theatre.

As suggested by Fitzgibbon, Irish identity is fluid and increasingly complex. The panelists addressed the burgeoning importance of Irish identity within a broader European context, particularly as it relates to work on contemporary issues many artists are producing. Fitzgibbon and Houston highlighted their commitment to the arts despite tight budgets and competing priorities. The panelists also discussed the financial struggles that Irish artists face. Hoysted and Torney also spoke to the economic barriers that Irish artists must overcome due in part to cuts in government funding. They cited this as a catalyst for artists to create work that articulates the difficulties and societal issues that they face using humor, grit, and honesty.

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A project of IA&A’s Cultural Exchange Programs, the International Partnership Initiative champions international work between American arts institutions and their counterparts abroad by creating a forum for discussion and discovery among leaders in the artistic, academic, diplomatic, and policy communities. The Initiative’s research and programming facilitates cross-cultural understanding and builds stronger ties through global partnerships in the arts.

Dancing Gatsby with Ballet Palm Beach

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Performing with a premier ballet company is every dancer’s dream, a dream that J-1 participant Jessica Dandine is living with Ballet Palm Beach. Jessica began training at the age of six at the Conservatoire National de Région de Toulouse and later at the Line Jenny NEEL Ballet Dance Center. She danced professionally with the Ballet Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Dusseldorf before joining the company at Ballet Palm Beach in 2015.

This season, Jessica will be dancing the role of Daisy Buchanan in Gatsby, artistic director Colleen Smith’s re-imagining of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece The Great Gatsby. We recently spoke with Jessica about her experience dancing with Ballet Palm Beach and working with dancers from around the world.

Where is your favorite place to go to in Palm Beach?

I love downtown Palm Beach, especially the trendy French restaurant called Le Rendez-Vouswhere I have met amazing French people. I love to go to City Place, which is a really nice area to hang out especially on the weekend. And I love having breakfast on the beach on the weekend in Jupiter, just a bit north from Palm Beach.

What has been your favorite cultural activity?

I love spending time with my American friends. I have learned a lot about their way of thinking. I have been a couple times to Orlando where I have met wonderful people and we had really great time together there. I loved every single experience I had during my stay. It is really hard to pick one among the others.

Tell us about a funny or interesting moment you have experienced during your program.

The funniest moment I experienced in rehearsal at Ballet Palm Beach was when we rehearsed the main pas de deux for Gatsby with my partner, Tyveze Littlejohn. We tried a lift for the first time and it went wrong. I was hanging in his arms in a really weird position and I started talking to him in French asking “çà va”. He was really surprised and said “Did you just speak French?” and I realized that no matter how much I love speaking English in emergency situation I will keep talking in French!

What are some of the differences in performing the U.S. versus in France?

I would say the atmosphere is different because I am surrounded by American people. They are really more excited by things especially performing than French people are. At the beginning of each performance we had a time together holding hands and hoping the show will go for the best and this was each time a really powerful moment. I loved it and it helped me to be confident and calm during the show. Then just realizing “I am performing in the USA, in Florida,” was really exciting.

Art in Context: Iran

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On April 8, 2016, IA&A was honored to host a panel discussion with Barbara Slavin, Acting Director of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council, and Sara Namjoo, an Iranian illustrator and animator, at IA&A’s Hillyer Art Space.

Art in Context: Iran wove the arts and foreign policy sectors together to discuss concrete experiences of life in Iran and societal evolution over recent decades. Through descriptions of Iran pre-Revolution and post-Revolution, Slavin and Namjoo emphasized the contrast between the grayness of a post-revolution childhood and the rich colors and designs in Tehran. In addition to comments on their personal experiences, the panelists dismantled myths about Iranian society and culture, particularly in regards to women, who currently enjoy a variety of career opportunities and influential positions. The discussion also touched on the Iran Nuclear Deal, which recently lifted decades of oil and financial sanctions. The panelists spoke to the importance of the deal, which was intended to re-open Iran to the global economy and allow new channels of international collaboration. In particular, panelists considered how increased collaboration through the arts can offer non-political means of establishing bonds between nations.

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A project of IA&A’s Cultural Exchange Programs, the International Partnership Initiative champions international work between American arts institutions and their counterparts abroad by creating a forum for discussion and discovery among leaders in the artistic, academic, diplomatic, and policy communities. The Initiative’s research and programming facilitates cross-cultural understanding and builds stronger ties through global partnerships in the arts.

Exchange Visitor Profile: Eugenio Saenz Flores

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Ever wonder what it’s like to work behind-the-scenes on a Broadway production? Eugenio Saenz Flores got to do just that when he interned with Aurora Productions in New York, NY, through IA&A’s Cultural Exchange Programs. We recently caught up with Eugenio in Vancouver, Canada, where he is now working as a technical director at the Arts Club Theatre Company.

Looking back, what are your thoughts about your experience at Aurora Productions?

Aurora Productions was by far one of the best times I have had since my career started. Finishing school and moving to New York to work with them was a dream come true. Suddenly I was not on only one but over half a dozen Broadway theatres. Throughout my time there we worked in over a dozen Broadway shows, a couple off-Broadway and some national tours. Suddenly I was sitting in an empty theatre a few seats away from Woody Allen as we both watched a run of the play he had written. I believe that what I learned as an intern at Aurora Productions were lessons I could not have learned in any classroom and eventually opened many doors to let me be where I am now.

What projects are you working on now in Vancouver?

I am currently one of the three Technical Directors at the Arts Club Theatre Company, Canada’s largest western theatre company. I am overseeing our largest venue, the Stanley Stage, where we produce everything from a two-hander play to a full on musical productions. I am also in charge of the regional tours.

What are some of the differences, if any, in working in New York City versus in Vancouver?

I think one of the biggest difference from working in Vancouver, rather than New York, other than the budgets (and tourists), is that in New York I was able to work on shows that later got produced all over North America and sometimes the world. For instance here at the Arts Club, they have produced a handful of plays that I was able to work on Broadway.

What advice would you have for someone who is starting a J-1 program?

Transitioning from school life to work life can be scary, but with an internship program it allows you to slowly transition to a full time working mode while still being trained and slowly be given more responsibility. At least for me I feel my internship program advanced my career a couple of years just by interning a couple of months.

What does cultural exchange mean to you?

People within the same city think, act and do things differently, no try leaving your country. Having the chance to go intern elsewhere allows us to see how other people think, work and live. This ultimately improves how we see the world and how we do things. Opportunities like this not only broaden our perspective of the world, it also allows us to share our culture and way of doing things to other people. It is always a two way street, we will gain out of a cultural exchange as much as we are willing to give.