Panel Discussion: The Racial Reckoning in Art and Performance

Yale University scholar and Park Avenue Armory Curator of Public Programming Tavia Nyong’o will discuss the racial reckoning in theater, dance, and performance. Tulsa Artist Fellowship alum, Artist, and Queen Rose Art House founder Kalup Linzy will moderate the Q&A.

Tavia Nyong’o is William Lampson Professor of American Studies at Yale University. He is the author of two books, The Amalgamation Waltz: Race, Performance and the Ruses of Memory(U Minnesota Press, 2009) and Afro-Fabulations: The Queer Drama of Black Life (New York U Press, 2018). His new book, Black Apocalypse, will appear in 2025 from U California Press in its American Studies Now series. Nyong’o works on black performance, queer of color critique, critical theory, speculative fiction, and contemporary art and music. Since 2021, he has served as a curator of the public program at the Park Avenue Armory, where he has organized events such as “Sound & Color: The Future of Race in Design,” “Hapo na Zamani: The Black Arts Movement Examined,” and “Antagonisms: A Gathering.” He serves on the editorial boards of the journals Social Text and TDR, as well as the Sexual Cultures book series of NYU Press. He has also written for The Nation, n+1, The Baffler, Art Forum, Vogue, Public Books, and the Los Angeles Review of Books.

Kalup Linzy is a video and performance artist born in Clermont, Florida, and raised in Stuckey, Florida. Linzy received his MFA from the University of South Florida in 2003. He also attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Linzy has been the recipient of numerous awards, including a grant from the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowship, Creative Capital Foundation grant, a Jerome Foundation Fellowship, an Art Matters Grant, The Headlands Center for the Arts Alumni Awards Residency, a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Film and Video, and BAU Institute Travel Grant. Linzy is a Tulsa Artist Fellowship awardee and alum-in-residence.

11:00 AM - 11:20 AM

Build In Tulsa doors open. Brunch menu by Prism Cafe.

11:20 AM - 12:00 PM (RSVP required)

A Dialogue On Being

Le'Andra LeSeur will host a panel discussion with Jessica Moss and Alexandra Jane about critical perspectives on Black art and cultivating space for the well-being of Black artists.

12:00 PM - 12:20 PM

Connection & food continues.

12:20-1:00 PM (RSVP required)

Coffee Ceremony & Reflection with Eyakem Gulilat

Join artist Eyakem Gulilat for an Ethiopian coffee ceremony, a tradition of sharing stories, wisdom, and community over coffee from Asikana.

1:00 PM - 1:20 PM

Connection & food continues.

1:20 PM - 2:00 PM (RSVP required)

The Racial Reckoning in Art and Performance

Yale University scholar and Park Avenue Armory Curator of Public Programming Tavia Nyong’o will discuss the racial reckoning in theater, dance, and performance. Tulsa Artist Fellowship alum, Artist, and Queen Rose Art House founder Kalup Linzy will moderate the Q&A.

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Conversations conclude.

About Tulsa Artist Fellowship

With the belief that arts are critical to the advancement of cultural citizenship, Tulsa Artist Fellowship supports artists and arts workers in the heart of Oklahoma’s Green Country. Socially invested artistic practitioners live and work here, intentionally engaging with our city. Tulsa Artist Fellowship is a George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) cultural initiative.

About Build In Tulsa

The mission of Build in Tulsa is to close the wealth gap in America by catalyzing the creation of multi-generational wealth through tech and entrepreneurship. Rooted in the legacy of Black Wall Street, Build in Tulsa is committed to providing opportunities for entrepreneurs who have historically been denied resources and funding.

Visitor Experience

The north entrance to Build In Tulsa is located at 124 Reconciliation Way, between MLK Jr. Blvd and Boston Ave in the Arts District. For wheelchair accessibility, please use the south entrance, which can be accessed through the Build In Tulsa parking lot at the SW corner of Archer Street and MLK Jr. Blvd. If you have any questions about accessibility, need to request accommodations, or want to share feedback, please email [email protected] or call (539) 302-4855.

Tulsa Artist Fellowship is a cultural initiative of the George Kaiser Family Foundation. Open House programs are made possible, in part, by The Bush Hughes Foundation for Progress. Special thanks to the dedicated staff, visionary awardees, artistic contributors, cultural partners, media platforms, presenters, culinary experts, and champions for supporting this ambitious weekend.

Host or Publisher Tulsa Artist Fellowship