AMFM L!ve | Season 3, Episode 1
About this Event
Join AMFM and Working From_ at The Hoxton, Chicago for AMFM L!ve, an evening talk show inspired by the popular classic, The Tonight Show, but with our own Chicago twist. Come hang in the West Loop to listen in with a free bev (or two) in hand.
AMFM Founder, Ciera Alyse McKissick, welcomes visual artists, musicians, and fashion creatives to be in conversation about their practice and all things Chicago. Tune in for fun interviews, games, and performances, accompanied by our house DJ, FINDING IJEOMA, in front of a live audience.
Season 3, Episode 1 kicks off on Wednesday, July 22nd from 7-9:30PM (doors at 7pm + show at 7:30pm). Featured guests include Sam Kirk & Dorian Sylvain, MVTE, and Manny.
About Our Guests:
Sam Kirk & Dorian Sylvain
Sam Kirk and Dorian Sylvain are two highly recognized and awarded artists and muralists who have recently completed a collaborative mural commission for the new Obama Presidential Center. Mentored as a young artist by the architects of the Black Arts Movement on the South Side of Chicago, Dorian Sylvain’s interdisciplinary practice reimagines public space with rich color palettes, patterns and designs which speak to the cultural and historical foundations of Afro-centric philosophies. Working across public art, studio practice, illustration, and design, Sam Kirk is known for a bold visual language rooted in expressive line-work, saturated color, and layered symbolism that centers underrepresented stories and celebrates the beauty, resilience, and complexity of everyday life. Their practice is deeply rooted in community collaboration, dialogue, and change-based work.
MVTE
Chicago’s historic music scene has an exciting voice emerging from an unlikely name. Mia Knowles, better known as MVTE (pronounced mute) is following Chicago’s rich lineage of important and unique voices including legends like Da Brat and Shawna and the new generational talent of Noname, Dreezy, and Tink.
It may be surprising that a quiet, shy kid, that her family called Mute, would find her calling as an artist in the biggest musical force in the world, hip hop. Or perhaps, it was written. Her love for music started in the church choir, often singing lead vocals and even writing her own songs as early as six years old. Her skills really started to develop as a young adult focusing on the craft of songwriting and emceeing where she developed a one-of-a-kind voice, poignant lyrics, and an effortless flow.
She began releasing her own music in 2017 and performing shows in 2018 and has continued to hone her craft through a steady stream of releases since 2019. Through the countless hours of writing and recording, MVTE has created a musical world that knows no boundaries. From jazz influenced slow burners to hard hitting gritty boom bap to Chicago flavored anthems, her music is a rich, diverse mosaic allowing her space to explore. Her music is unique, fun and filled with feeling, transporting the listener into her world. And in her world, contrary to her stage name, MVTE has a lot to say.
Emanual "Manny" Edwards
Born in Chicago and raised in Alabama, Emanuel Edwards (he/him), also known as “Manny,” is a vintage clothing proprietor based in Chicago, IL who specializes in unique pieces of clothing from 1920s-1990s. He is the founder of The Goody Vault, a vintage clothing studio and workshop based in Wicker Park that operates not only as a store, but as a space where he can connect with people and share his passion for reviving forgotten or damaged objects. In his spare time he enjoys listening to music, cooking, traveling, and enjoying the company of friends.
Your Host: Ciera Alyse Mckissick
Ciera Alyse McKissick is an independent, curator, event producer, writer, and the founder of AMFM, a media platform whose mission is to promote and uplift emerging interdisciplinary artists and creatives. McKissick created AMFM, originally a web magazine, as an independent study project in 2009 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she studied Journalism and Mass Communications. Her work since then has involved supporting the work and practice of Black and brown artists through writing, exhibitions, partnerships, and activations in collaboration with local arts organizations and institutions. Ultimately, she seeks to stimulate community engagement that's driven by inclusivity, accessibility, intention, and care. She is also the founder of a contemporary art space, cam.contemporarie, that seeks to support the work of emerging artists from the global majority through solo exhibitions and projects. She was the Inaugural Curatorial Fellow with The Luminary in 2023, and was a participant in the Independent Curators International’s Chicago Curatorial Seminar in 2022. Formerly she was also the Public Programs Manager at the Hyde Park Art Center. She is currently pursuing a Masters at Goldsmiths University in London, UK.
McKissick’s projects and events have been featured on / with Elephant Mag, Artsy, Cultured, Terremoto MX, Afropunk, ABC 7 Chicago, The Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Sun Times, WGN, WTTW, and more. Art Fairs and programmatic partners include The Hoxton Hotel, Saatchi Art, EXPO Chicago, The Other Art Fair, Red Bull and more.
About AMFM
AMFM is a Chicago media based arts platform that supports and features emerging visual and interdisciplinary artists, musicians, designers, and creatives from Chicago, and all over the globe, with an emphasis on Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA artists. We support artists through our web content, curated events, exhibitions, partnerships, and activations. We connect artists to opportunities to showcase art with partner spaces and venues like the Bronzeville Winery, The Promontory, and Practical Audacity, an LGBTQIA centered therapy practice at the Kimball Arts Center. Through programming, AMFM combines the arts in traditional and nontraditional spaces to cultivate community, diversity, inclusivity, intergenerational engagement, and of course, good vibes with a purpose, mission, or cause. Noteworthy past projects include our programming and exhibitions at our former gallery space from 2016-2018, The Jazz Series, a pop up music showcase featuring musicians specializing in contemporary music influenced by jazz, Feast, an art and music festival raising awareness about food deserts on the South and West sides, and partnering with Saatchi Art's The Other Art Fair, EXPO Chicago, and The Hoxton for AMFM L!ve, a talk show in front of a live audience centering Chicago creatives. Learn more about us at www.amfm.life.
About Working From_
The comfy lobbies of The Hoxton have been unofficial workspaces-of-choice for laptop warriors since opening its doors in 2006. Taking everything learnt to date, Working From_ was born to create cozy shared workspaces with nice perks, rip-off-free rates, and none of the distractions of home. Learn all about the flexible memberships at Working From_Fulton Market, Southwark (London), and Brussels here. Time to get shit done, when and how you want.
Let's stay in touch, shall we? We want to keep you in the loop on all things Working From_. Email [email protected] if you wish to not have your info added to our local email distribution.
Agenda
🕑: 07:00 PM
Doors
🕑: 07:30 PM
Show starts
Where is it happening?
USD 0.00
