Hi! I'm Blake

Hi! That's me.

Hi! I'm Blake and I have had the awesome experience of working as a production intern at DiverseWorks since September '09. Currently, I am working as Coordinator for the upcoming performing arts show, Come As You Are: HOUSTON!

Come As You Are was a show originally created and produced by The Theater Offensive in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Inspired by the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, Come As You Are aims to investigate and celebrate queer sex, the diverse range of queer sexuality and the moral values underneath. The movement is not just about gay rights, but about inspiring queer people to express themselves and come together as a diverse community. Come As You Are is now a national project that gives grants to theaters so that they may create their own local, original production about queer sex.

Sixto and I talked about goals for Come As You Are: HOUSTON! He knew that he wanted to showcase short original works about queer sex and identity by Houston artists. He also wanted the show to be representative of our diverse queer community, particularly for it to be multi-gendered and multi-generational. With these goals in mind, Curators Chuck Jackson, Grayson Jacobs, and myself began searching for artists. Chuck, an English professor at University of Houston downtown, wrote an awesome open call to artists and we did our best to get the word out. We were so thrilled to find that we had an overwhelming response from Houston artists!

Check out the Come As You Are: HOUSTON! artists:

Chicago's Daaimah Mubashshir and Brooklyn's Michael Harren, both highly involved in Houston's queer community in the '90s, return now as established artists for Come As You Are: HOUSTON! Mubashshir utilizes traditional Muslim movement to identify queer sex as a holy experience; Harren couples Brahms on keyboard with a stories of how sex changes as he matures. Together, Daniel-Kayne and Michael Clay also take on highly-contrasting themes, placing the subject of queer sex with war and the country music medium.

The young Gendermyn utilize acrobatics and comedy to delve deep into the rarely spoken of sex lives within the genderqueer community, while Joe Watts of the pre-AIDS generation wrote a heart-felt traditional monologue about the unique experience of one transsexual woman.

The works of Julia Wallace and Jonatan Lopez are highly interactive, allowing the audience to actively participate as part of their performances.

Nancy Douthey as well as DumpTruck explore brief moments that highlight the quirkiness and fun within queer sex.

It has been so cool to be a part of this project from the very beginning and have the chance to work so closely with the DiverseWorks staff. As a transgendered person who has not lived in Houston very long, DiverseWorks has been a fantastic place to work! After working with the artists and Curators in this show, as well as Houston community organizations like the Transgender Foundation of America and HATCH youth, I feel more and more like I am finding my place in Houston and becoming part of an amazing community. I hope that everyone that comes to this show leaves with that same feeling!

Join us for a provocative exploration of queer sex through performance art! Each performance will be followed by a Q & A with the artists and a reception.

Date: Fri. & Sat., Sept. 17 & 18, 2010
Location: DiverseWorks
Time: 7:30pm

Also, check back on our blog later to see posts from some of the artists in the show!

-Blake

What the National Performance Network has meant to me

The National Performance Network celebrates 25 years this year. DiverseWorks is proud to be one of the 69 National Performance Network partners across the U.S. who are dedicated to connecting today's artists with contemporary artists of all ages and cultures.

Sixto Wagan, Co-Director and Performance Arts Curator of DiverseWorks, has a long history with NPN and tells you what it means to him...

Him. I nominate him. We always talk of bringing younger people to the table, and he’s an artist, of color, and you’re queer, too, right?

Olga Garay, then director of cultural programs at Miami-Dade Community College, stated those words during that Southern Caucus Regional breakout at the Seattle Annual Meeting in 1997, nominating me to what would soon become the NPN Board of Directors. At first I didn’t realize how much these words would change my life. I was supposed to be teaching high school English and doing this performance art thing as a cool side gig, right?

Prior to that Annual Meeting, the National Performance Network was just this cool group that helped to pay for my first gig as a performing artist in the School’s OUT: The Naming Project residency with Mary Ellen Strom and Barbara Bickart at DiverseWorks in Houston, Texas. So I had already experienced NPN’s ability to affect lives through art, and all of that personal transformative stuff.

Click HERE to keep reading...

Summer Auction Success!

Well, the Luck of the Draw has come and gone and what a party. With the support from our awesome chairs (Doug Parker and Karen Niemeier); our super host committee (Fernando Aramburo, Tara Conley, Michael Coppens, Shauna Curtis, Monica Danna, Trevor Eade & Stephen Hill, Jeremy Keas, Marshal & Victoria Lightman, Alex Martinez, Lan Norwood & Brian Vezey, Christina Solis, Kim Stoilis, Mark Sullivan, Amy Tanner, Sarah Walters, Josh & Tina Zulu); our rockin’ sponsors (13 Celsius; Barr/Hill Studios; BoyarMiller; The Chocolate Bar / CANDYLICIOUS; CultureMap; Darke Gallery; Dolce Vita Day Spa; Rodney Honerkamp; Kent & Sussex Enterprises LLC; Lake House Waterside Cafe; Portia Leyendecker; Morris Architects; NX Media; Poparazzi's Gourmet Popcorn; Pivot Point Advisors; Real Ale Brewing Co.; Russo Services Inc.; Kellye Sanford & Fritz Lanham; Bob & Lane Schultz/ RHS Interests; Sign-O-Rama; Sprinkles Cupcakes; Terrazas Investments/AskChuy.com; vitaminwater; Lillian & Bob Warren; Tria & Winston Wood; Zulu Creative); artists; volunteers and patrons, DiverseWork was able to raise more than $30,000 for programming.

I just can’t say if enough: Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Couldn’t make the event, you can browse event photos on our Flickr page, and read all around it on PaperCity's and CultureMap's Web sites.

Right now, DiverseWorkers are getting ready for our 2010-2011 season with a members only Sneak Peek on Tuesday, July 13 from 5:30-7p.m. Want to see? Well you need to be a current member (Not sure about your membership status, check with me – tracey@diverseworks.org.) or you can come the day of the event and sign up for a DW membership.

Thanks for all your support and I hope to see you next season

--Tracey

Luck is what happens when...

Luck. We're all envious of it. But a wise man once said, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

Well friends, I'm preparing you for your opportunity.

Diverseworks 9th Annual Luck of the Draw is upon us, and it's your chance to be lucky. Two hundred Art Chance ticket holders will go home with a piece of contemporary art created by locally and nationally known artists, some of whom have exhibited at DiverseWorks ArtSpace over the past several years. And the best part? You'll get these one of a kind art pieces at a fraction of the price. Why? Because Diverseworks believes in art BY the people, FOR the people. (Pssst. That's you, people.)

By purchasing an art chance ticket, you'll be entered into a random numbered drawing to make a mad dash for your one of a kind art piece. So put on your fastest kicks, and line up, because when you're number's called, you're up. Make it a good one.

Option one is sold out. Damn my luck. Well, your luck. And only a few Option 2 tickets remain, which will inch you up in the line between #6-#20. All other art chance tickets 21-200 are available now. What's your lucky number?

If you aren't up to the challenge of the art scramble, no worries. You're invited to watch as your friends claw each other's...um...politely select their works of art. Party only tickets are available for $25.

Act quick, or your luck my run out.

Good LUCK, and see you at Luck of the Draw on June 16th!

Monica

Monica Danna (Also known as Cosmopolitician) is on the Luck of the Draw 9: The Musical! Host Committee.

Dang! Diane Barber gives us the scoop on Luck of the Draw 9: The Musical!

We know that you have been following the list of artists closely to see if one of your favorites is donating to to the auction this year. Well, here's your chance to get the inside scoop from Co-Director and Visual Arts Curator Diane Barber. She walks us through some of the art for the Blind Auction as well as some of the pieces for the Luck of the Draw 9: The Musical. Whoa!





Tickets are still available! If you haven't bought your tickets, go to www.diverseworks.org or call us at 713.223.8346.

Shawna Forney
Public Relations & Marketing Manager
DiverseWorks ArtSpace

Doug & Karen Want You to Sing!

Every fantastic event needs a leader and DiverseWorks is thrilled to have J. Douglas Parker and Karen Niemeier co-chairing Luck of the Draw 9: The Musical! They help with all aspects of the event and it is with their support that will hopefully make it the biggest and the best Luck of the Draw yet. In fact, here's a word from our Co-chairs to get you excited about the event.



Plus, Luck of the Draw 9: The Musical! falls on Mr. Parker's birthday! Bring Presents. hee hee hee

Shawna Forney
PR & Marketing Manager
DiverseWorks ArtSpace

Join us at the Luck of the Draw

Just in case you haven’t heard, DiverseWorks’ summer auction – Luck of the Draw 9: The Musical will be held on Wednesday, June 16 at our gallery (1117 East Freeway, Houston, 77002). This year we are going Glee-fully silly with the theme and hope you will join us.

“First 5” Art Chance Tickets are SOLD OUT and there are handful of “Top 20” Art Chance Tickets priced at $250 (these babies guarantee your number to drawn #6-20). However if you are looking to drop a little less dough, be sure to pick up an Art Chance for $100. But act fast because after June 1, these tickets go up $125 (So buy today and save $25!)

General admission tickets are $25 and all ticket holders can enjoy the food and drinks provided by The Lake House Waterside Cafe, Poparazzi’s Gourmet Popcorn, Sprinkles Cupcakes and Real Ale Brewing Company.

**All art chance tickets include admission – one ticket=one body.**

Still not sure about participating: Well, pictured above is a sample of of what’s up for grabs (Thanks Chalda Maloff).

To purchase tickets, just visit our Web site or call Tracey Morton at 713.223.8346.

Hope to see you there!

--Tracey