INTERSECTIONALITY CRITIQUE INITIATIVE

Articles and images are reposted from RMB Studios for this blog post.

I have been invited as a panelist to participate in the critique of students work at the School of the Art Institute Chicago, presenting my environmental installation Grandmother's Circle. on September 24th, 2014.   http://ecocinema.blogspot.com/2013/11/grandmothers-circle-tribute-to-crecys.html. The video documentation from grandmother's circle will be presented at Bronzeville Artist Lofts on September 19th, 2014, 6-10pm during the Bronzeville Trolley Tour..

Multicultural Affairs promotes diversity for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) community through programs, services, and institutional initiatives. We support, advocate for, and mediate for students on issues of inclusivity, representation, and empowerment with specific emphasis on the needs of underrepresented communities. We also help connect students with the rich cultural tapestry of Chicago, providing them with diverse experiences and exposure to a variety of backgrounds.

RASHAYLA MARIE BROWN: ON HER INTERSECTIONALITY CRITIQUE INITIATIVE

La Keisha Leek

POSTED BY LA KEISHA LEEK ON FEBRUARY 12, 2014 IN CAA2014, CHERYL POPE,COLLEGE ART ASSOCIATION, D. DENENGE AKPEM, DANIEL TUCKER, DELINDA COLLIER, HAMZA WALKER, INTERSECTIONALITY CRITIQUE, KIMBERLE CRENSHAW, LA KEISHA LEEK, LISA VINEBAUM, MARIA GASPAR, NICOLE MARROQUIN,PATRICIA HILL COLLINS, RASHAYLA MARIE BROWN, RMB, SAIC, THEASTER GATES

PHOTO CREDIT: ELIZABETH HARPER

Rashayla Marie Brown is an interdisciplinary artist, writer and curator who also leads the Multicultural Affairs department at the School of the Art Institute in her role as Assistant Director. Her work, both as an artist and administrator, primarily negotiates race, sexuality, spirituality, politics, and popular culture in the formation of subversive narratives. She has been awarded numerous fellowships and grants, including the Anna Louise Raymond BFA Fellowship,Chicago Artist Coalition’s BOLT Residency, SAIC’s Archibald Motley Grant, and the Propeller Fund. She holds a BA in Sociology and African-American Studies from Yale University and a BFA in Photography and Video from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

La Keisha Leek: What is an Intersectionality Critique and where did the idea to create this at SAIC come from?

Rashayla Marie Brown: An Intersectionality Critique is a safe, open, and engaging environment for discussing art across disciplines, identities, and with students and alumni from several universities and departments. Students are encouraged to share works in progress and consider how cultural topics such as race, class, gender, and politics intersect with each other and are inseparable from art. The term “Intersectionality” is used in tribute to black feminist writers such as Kimberlé Crenshaw and Patricia Hill Collins who proposed how various categories of identity interact on multiple and simultaneous levels. By talking with students of differing disciplines and schools that they might never normally interact with, students learn to integrate concepts of inclusion and awareness into their broader educational experience and post-graduate lives.  I designed this program with social practice techniques of community outreach and collaboration to enhance the development of academic success and skills of cultural competency.

For More information contact

Rashayla Marie Brown

Director of Student Affairs for Diversity and Inclusion, SAIC Multicultural Affairs

Interdisciplinary Artist and Writer, RMB Studios 

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