You Belong Here: Our First Dinner Party
Photos by Tess Cagle Photography
On April 21, we hosted our first rendition of our newest series, The Dinner Party.
Behind this series
The Dinner Party is an intimate gathering series partially inspired by Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party. The original art installation is ceremonial banquet consisting of a triangular table with a total of thirty-nine place settings, each commemorating an important woman who has been excluded from history.
Playing on Judy Chicago's concepts of rewriting history, our Dinner Party is simply a meal for the creatives, entrepreneurs and organizers working within our programs—a space to intimately share our stories, break bread, unwind and reflect on professional and personal achievements.
About the first rendition
When we agreed to collaborate with Fusebox Festival and Exploded Drawing for an electronic music showcase (which would bring in talent from all over the United States), it only made sense to give The Dinner Party a shot. We wanted to intentionally introduce these out-of-town artists to one another, while also creating room for them to meet some of the artists in our immediate community—so that's exactly what we did.
On April 21, prior to the show, we hosted 40 artists for dinner. With wine by local maker Rae Wilson and food by Deepa Shridhar, we shared our stories and spent time getting to know one another.
Beyond connection, these dinners serve as a time to learn. After dinner, guests were prompted to answer the following questions.
Here were some of their responses:
What do you believe your art is communicating to the world?
Permission to exist and be goofy and free. We spent enough time nurturing and worrying and working for others.i want my work to let you escape and just be.
- Belonging and magic in the everyday, old school myths in the familiarity of flyness.
- Powerful play in compassionate spaces...that’s my shit
- That I have the power and agency to change something old into something new and uniquely me
- Que somos Xingonas
- Music is love, happiness - a way to enjoy life w/o the strife. Xo
What are three ways you can support the work of the women in this room?
- Professional development, connecting people, workshops, advocate for self-care...
- Listen to each other, share each other’s worth, reflect the light and talk to each women
Genuinely wish the best for them in, support with our dollar when possible, let others know how dope they are
Attend each others events, share/connect with them, with their own resources encourage one another verbally with positivity and how their art is making a difference
Advocate, listen, show up—put in the work and put out the vibes you wish to receive back
Our next Dinner Party will be hosted at BABES FEST on Sept. 2, 2018. Details to be released soon. Thank you to all who joined us.