It was a year of growth as we ramp up and intensify our creative process for [ ], my multi-media collaborative work exploring female ancestors, ahead of its official premiere at the ODC Theatre in San Francisco in 2025. Thank you for being a part of it, whether as audience member, donor, or fan from afar. The generosity of individual donors like you, and the support of my board of directors, has helped this collaborative work grow and made sure I could fairly compensate over a dozen remarkable, innovative artists who are my partners in creating this work.
[ ] is the biggest, most ambitious project I have ever tackled. Thanks to your support, we are getting there, step by step.
This week, I learned that I am a recipient of a
2024 Individual Artist Commission from
the New York State Council For the Arts (NYSCA)!
I am thrilled to have received this highly competitive honor, and it is thanks to the support of individual donors like you that we have come this far. It is the support of individual donors that has enabled our artistic creation so far, and it is because of this support that this project has flourished, and is being recognized.
But the NYSCA commission gets us only part of the way there. The artistry that makes [ ] so special is the same thing that makes [ ] time-consuming and complex to create…and all that time with the artists working together makes it expensive. Our work on this piece is receiving recognition precisely because of the special synergy among all the technical and artistic elements. And we're only able to create this synergy when we have the continued opportunity to create together. This time costs money.
Will you make a year-end donation to support this collaborative process?
Your gift will have a profound impact on our ability to bring this exciting project to life – and, through the end of the year, will have twice the impact, thanks to an anonymous donor who will match all gifts on a dollar-for-dollar basis, up to a total of $5,000!
And crucially, all new and increased gifts, up to $2,000, will be matched by my board of directors.
This means your gift has the potential to get us even further to our goal!
Can I count on you now to get us through this next big phase of creation?
[ ] features an original multi-media, interactive sculpture, and work is being created by a dedicated team of creators, designers, and performers. [ ] is an in-depth collaboration with composer Angélica Negrón; designers Seth Easter, Nick Yulman and Alison Costa; artistic associate and video dramaturg Kathryn Logan; and seven outstanding performers: Solana Hoffmann-Carter, Rebecca Fitton, Katie Swords Thurman, Amanda Kmett'Pendry, Marissa Truitt, Sugar Vendil and Laura Witsken. It explores the told and untold stories of female and femme ancestors, and while it has been in-progress since my BRIClab residency in 2021, its interdisciplinary nature and large scale mean it will not premiere until 2025.
Your donation will fund our robust 2024 plans: residencies and rehearsals with the whole team – including at Groundworks in the Catskills and at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Arts Center on Governors Island, in-progress showings, and public workshops throughout the year – as we work toward our big premiere. Things are simultaneously shaping up for our NYC premiere (I hope to be able to share details soon!), as well as for touring to the South and Midwest. If you are interested in bringing this interdisciplinary work to a venue near you, please reach out.
Thank you for supporting this exciting work at this crucial time.
Gratefully yours, in motion,
Adrienne
+ The Board of Directors of VIA Collaborative Arts Corporation