NOTES FROM THE CREW: Hang Out with the Boston Compass! Hello Boston! Following a year of demented, post-grad rest & relaxation (à la Moshfegh), I’ve sobered up from my sad, self-isolation out of necessity. It’s been about six-or-so months since I jumped into the role of Editor-in-Chief—and I’ve learned that this paper does not operate without conversation. Whether it’s calling Sam P every week, emailing orgs, scouting artists at markets, or getting to the gig, it’s a social job! Sorry to all homebodies and misanthropes, but the constant interaction with the BCN team has made my life a thousand times better.
Every issue is a testament to the thousands of creative conversations occurring in Boston every month. Think of all the work it takes to throw an event—all the people to contact, the aesthetic to curate, the space to scout. Now multiply that effort against the hundred happenings we list in our centerfold. Let it be known that none of this collaboration started and ended with just one person! There are so many wonderful people, projects, and movements to engage with here in Boston, and all it takes for you to be part of it all is saying YES to allowing yourself to go.
DESIGNERS:
Phoebe Delmonte: p.1,4,5 Hannah Blauner: p.2,3,7 Adrian Alvarez: p.6,8
OPEN CALL: Black Disabled Owned Project Distributing Microgrants
That being said, I’m excited to announce that the Boston Compass is hosting a gettogether for peeps of the newspaper on April 21st from 7pm - 10pm! Our friends at the Capitol Theatre in Arlington are graciously hosting us, and we plan to watch a movie (selection TBD), have food, and chill out. Hopefully you’ve caught the social bug by now—we can’t wait to meet you!
The Sistas Uprising Fund is a charity project helping marginalized artists. From March 28th - May 5th, BIWOC and FemmeExpressing POC Artists (USA & Canada based only) will submit, via Jotform, a two-minute video describing how our $200 grant will help them and whether funds will support their art directly or if it will help ease stressors such as bills, medication costs, food costs, etc. Seven artists will receive funding. Artists will also fill out prompts related to accessibility, such as writing alt text. Payment will be completed via PayPal. Submissions are free; however, we encourage a $10 minimum tip, which helps us process submissions! In October 2023 we held our second Art & Mind titled, “I Know Who I Am! Journeys of Women of Color & Femme-Expressing Creatives.“ We received funding from Brain Arts Org (BAO), Dancing Queerly Boston, Mass Cultural Council, and The Puffin Foundation. Five documentary artists received $200 each, courtesy of BAO, which served as the first iteration of the fund. During the event, we fundraised with a goal of $1000 and reached $1450, making this open call possible.
—Akbota
Sista Creatives Rising (SCR) is a project (not a non-profit!) and concept founded by Black, invisibly disabled mother-daughter duo Claire Jones (age 61) and Amaranthia Sepia (age 24). At SCR, our mission is to help creative, marginalized women and marginalized genders gain accessibility and visibility in the arts to facilitate personal healing. SCR seeks to strengthen our community by increasing the visibility of these artists with our disability-accessible virtual film event, “Art & Mind.“ We compensate artists and raise funds to create grants via our Sistas Uprising Fund.
SCR is available for virtual media interviews, disability-accessible virtual workshops, and event collaborations. To contact us, you can email info@sistacreativesrising.com or call us at (802) 738-0567. —Sista Creatives Rising