Spotlight on Stafanya Talenti

Stafanya Talenti has been a member of the Midnight Team since 2009 when teas were held monthly at 45WEST STUDIOS in Vancouver, Canada.

While editing the Midnight in Mumbai video, she created a series of vignettes that feature moments from past gatherings. See more of her work.

Here's one from the archives ...
Audio: Mugoux Varra

Effervescent, Vibrant, Connected, Whole. Midnight Tea Ritual is a source of power.

The kind of reviews that matter the most to me come from the actual participants who are Special Guests at Miko Kuro's Midnight Tea. The quote above is from JU, who played a key role in co-creating the "Transformation Room" at the most recent Midnight Tea in Seattle.

Sammy Chien, an artist friend of mine from Taipei/Vancouver, created the sound installation which can be heard here. Which was combined with sound created by Khadijah Queen in collaboration with her son, Tariq, here. Both pieces really set the tone for the entire evening and I am so excited and happy with what took place.

The 12 Guests produced their own Midnight Tea rituals in preparation for the main event and posted the results to the MKMT Facebook Community page.

During Friday's "New Media Tea" as part of the PUSH Arts Festival, people could participate in the Midnight Tea remotely by posting comments, images, sound, video etc. on Twitter (@mikokuro), Facebook, etc. Vancouver Midnight Team members, Stafanya Talenti and Lord Loxley contributed an awesome video of their Midnight Tea ritual.

Here are some more contributions:

Lydia Swartz, as NI

Trenton Flock, as JUNI

This event was sponsored in part by Blue Gourami. Please check them out on the web. xoox

Jesus. Mary. And Joseph

Is it fair to say that I am a shitty blogger? I think it's fair. I'll bet if I had a clone instead of two incredibly adorable kids, I'd be a better blogger. But that isn't even true because there are tons of amazing bloggers out there who are parents too. So it's just me then ... sucking. Or at least feeling a bit on the sucky side today because I realize that the summer is almost over and I have SO MUCH MORE TO DO and I haven't even been blogging about all the stuff that's happened.

Carolyn Forche, Gloria Steinem and me at Hedgebrook (vintage)

Midnight Tea in New York was, how do you say ... AMAZING! Yes. Khadijah Queen, Anastacia Tolbert, Bettina Judd, Ashaki Jackson and I spent a wonderful weekend doing things like conjuring rituals at midnight, going to see the Kusama exhibit at the Whitney and catching up with my fellow writer-friend, Gloria Steinem.

And now the PUSH NEW MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL has Miko Kuro's Midnight Tea as part of their featured programming this weekend! This will be my first attempt at hosting a Midnight Tea in-person and online on Facebook and Twitter. I'm really grateful to the EM Fine Art Gallery for being so generous and accommodating with their beautiful space!

I've been a naughty blogger.

I am definitely blaming it on the neverending gray that was Seattle up until *very* recently. It is almost July goddamnit. July. Let's just say I let the year get away from me pretty quickly. I am getting ready for Midnight Tea in New York City with Khadijah Queen, Ashaki Jackson, Bettina Judd and Anastacia Tolbert!

I finally started playing with the footage from the China tea for grants and award applications and such. The noggin is still doing it's thinkings.

The Wakuda Effect

My artist-compadre, Jonathan Wakuda Fischer, hung up some wonderful work at our home today. One of my faves is this Kabuki David Bowie! Rad isn't it? Yes it is.

(c) Jonathan Wakuda Fischer

Inspiration: Milk for Lambs 2011

ALMAGUL MENLIBAYEVA

I love her work. Saw her video Milk for Lambs at the Wing Luke Museum last week. Love love love.

Add to the Booklist

My semi-annual email account purging has begun. Knowing my incredible ability to parse a task out over millenia, this may never result in a tidy inbox. But until then, here is a link to a book that I told myself to read in 2009. Alas and le sigh.

Schopenhauers Porcupines

The Vein of Gold

I wish typing with one hand was easier and more fulfilling. Motherhood leaves little time for frivolity. There is always more to be done. Today, while talking to my friend, Christa Bell (Sheism) I found myself wishing there was an "Artists Way" type of book for moms. Because I couldn't do my morning papers this morning and I don't want to feel guilty. Instead, I first woke up at 3 am to a very awake and alert little boy, who later woke me with some warm spit-up at 8 am.

But my orchids are beautiful and Seattle knows how to make a thoughtful rain last and last and last.

Milk

I had a dream last night that I would like to actualize. I was at an art event wearing a black gown. Across the chest was a monitor with high definition video of my breasts dripping with milk. I was having conversations with people and watching them struggle to keep their eyes from the monitor. Alas, if only my technological capabilities were more substantial. Le sigh.

Resources: ArtzPub

Via my friend, Chris:

ARTIST RESIDENCY
Offers artists residencies (up to three months) in contemporary and traditional dance and performance studies in Trinidad & Tobago in an open, comfortable environment with many opportunities for interaction, exchange and learning. The goal of the residency is to provide a space where professional dance artists from the Caribbean can engage in creation, conversation and performance with dance and performing artists from around the world.

For further information, contact: Program Coordinator, Jennifer Joyce. Read the Application Guidelines here.