MFA Late Nites: Hip Hop + Haute Couture

"Wear your best look and join us for a special sneak peek of "Gender Bending Fashion" at the next edition of the MFA Late Nites, an after-hours celebration at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The event features a wide range of programming created in partnership with local organizations, artists, and more:

• Preview "Gender Bending Fashion" before it opens to the public on March 21! The exhibition looks across a century of style that dares to break the rules regarding the relationship between gender and dress. More than 60 boundary-pushing designs are featured, presenting the work of groundbreaking contemporary designers—including Alessandro Trincone Official, Rad Hourani and Thom Solo—in the context of historical trends like the garçonne look of the 1920s and the peacock revolution of the 1960s.

• "Hip Hop + Haute Couture," a lineup of performers in the Shapiro Family Courtyard, curated by Billy Dean Thomas featuring designs by Villada Michelle. The lineup includes DJ sets and live performances by Vintage Lee, DJ SLICK VICK, Neon Calypso, Abdul Johnson and Boston Chery.

• Explore the work of designers SALT, A/C SPACE, Landeros New York and Stuzo clothing in “Ungendering Fashion,” a presentation curated by dapperQ. Each designer will present their collections in custom, interactive installations throughout the evening.

• New York City-based The Phluid Project, the world's first gender-free clothing store, will offer select apparel from their new spring 2019 line in the Main Bookstore & Shop.

• Stop by Fluide's Beauty Bar, featuring an on-site makeup artist, pop-up shop and DIY makeup station. Fluide is a collection of high-impact, cruelty-free makeup for all skin tones, gender expressions and gender identities.

• Find your new favorite ‘zine, a boldly designed poster, evocative jewelry and more at the Maker Market, which will highlight queer, trans and gender nonconforming artists making work in Boston and beyond.

• Express yourself in the Karaoke Lounge with DJ Dayglow! Request a song, bring a drink and try out a new look with fun props and accessories while you perform.

• Get inspired by boundary-pushing designs in "Gender Bending Fashion" and create your own stylish accessories to wear throughout the night.

• In addition to "Gender Bending Fashion," explore the exhibitions "Graciela Iturbide's Mexico," "Postwar Visions: European Photography, 1945–60," "Radical Geometries: Bauhaus Prints, 1919–33" and "Made Visible: Contemporary South African Fashion and Identity."

• Enjoy a variety of food and drink options, including a tasting menu in the Shapiro Family Courtyard, a Beer Garden located in the Garden Cafeteria and wine, beer, soft drinks and snacks at Taste Café.

MFA Late Nites is made possible by Trustee Dr. Jeffrey Leiden and his wife Lisa. Sponsored by Chase."

Facebook Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/569765813539115/?active_tab=about

Location: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA

March 15, 2019

Empowered is a night of poetry, live music with a panel curated to empower Women of Color and encourage them to heal from their traumas and change their narratives.

Light appetizers and refreshments will be served.

Organizer/Publishing Author/Speaker - Slandie is a poet, freelance writer and a cultural curator. After years of trying to assimilate into a society that would never celebrate her duality as a black woman and an immigrant, Slandie decided to catalyze her rebirth through her poetry. She completed her first poetry chapbook Dénouement inspired by emotionally reconnecting with her mother. Dénouement is a record of Slandie’s healing as she regained balance over her mental health, unearthed a deeper understanding about the ways maternal relationships (or lack thereof) affected her, defied society’s constructs of race and gender, planted and nurtured self love until she blossomed. Slandie owns the blog Hidden Angles where she hopes to use her voice to inspire others into taking action and remind women that they have a voice that’s meant to be used without needing permission or validation. Slandie is the president and founder of Black Millennial Book Club - an initiative created in an effort to bring Black Millennials together to read books written by Black Authors.
Event Link

"Happy New Year all!

This will be Queens Talk Second Annual Pre-Valentine’s Day themed meetup: Centering the Love on Ourselves!

As Valentine’s Day approaches, we all can feel the love that is in the air and can also expect the flood of photos of those showing love and appreciation to their significant others/romantic partners. As a pre-Valentine’s Day treat, we will be centering the love on ourselves by discovering what it means to pour into our own cup and cultivate healthyrelationships. We will be establishing boundaries and gratifying ourselves and the ones we love by gracefully practicing assertiveness through discussion questions and relationship building exercises.

Our featured speaker is Tiffany Mangum. Tiffany is a charismatic, energetic, down to earth Southern Belle with a Midwest city twist. After growing up in the DC Metro area and then moving to Chicago where she received her yoga certification, she decided to make Boston her new home in 2013. She brings over 8 years of experience and teaches many styles of yoga catering to all fitness levels and body types. Along her teaching journey, Tiffany found that yoga was not as accessible to the community as much as she desired. She founded Trupeace Wellness - a wellness collective designed to create opportunities and spaces where people from the community could gather and connect to mindful living.

Her commitment to sharing Trupeace Wellness’ vision makes it possible to partner with both for-profit and non-profit local wellness programs to make and mindfulness more accessible. In her own self-care journey, she realized committing to “self” was both challenging and rewardful. Through other Women's stories about their self-care journeys, she also found out that she wasn't alone.

In early 2018, she curated “The Mindful Woman: Goddess Coffee hour” and “Mindful Woman: Roots to Blossoms Self Care Series” as safe spaces to allow women to come together from all different backgrounds, to be vulnerable, to be radiant, to reconnect to self-awareness, self-love, and to share both the intricacies and simplicities of their journeys. She leans heavily into divine wellness as she fosters spaces that motivate, incite open expression, and expunge fears of "not being good enough" or not being worthy. Tiffany is a true inspiration and leaves a mark of self-love and self-awareness whenever she expresses herself.

This meetup is brought to you by our Development Officer, Iris Lapaix, and our Vice President, Nephtalie Dujour.

For any questions, comments, or concerns regarding the meetup, please feel free to send an email to queenstalkinc@gmail.com.

Looking forward to seeing you then! ❤️✨"

Facebook event link - https://www.facebook.com/events/224552745156762/

Art featured in the portraits - Scarred Perceptions by Jacob Giberson
(for more information email elizabest.dicicco@massart.edu

Location: Mass Art's Kennedy Building 625 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115. 
February 9, 2019

Healthy Visions 2019

Theme: Mind, Body, Spirit, Community

Wellness Panel and Resource Tables

Wellness Topics and come learn Afrobeats

Individual and Community Vision Boards - all materials provided

Dinner Served

Free HIV/STI Testing

Giveaways

For more information or group registration

please contact Irvienne Goldson

Irvienne.goldson@bostonabcd.org

Thursday January 31st 2019

5:30-8:30pm

Thelma Burns Building - 575 Warren Street Roxbury

The Theater Offensive's OUT’hood Series will present Boston’s third annual Saint Sebastian Festival 2019 (Festival de San Sebastian 2019). Following the past two year’s major success, this year’s celebration will continue bringing the traditions of Puerto Rican culture and celebrations to Boston. The festival will feature Puerto Rican food, community parade, theater and live performances by: Jorge Arce & Bombazo Boricua, Fabiola Mendez & Herencia Criolla, Samantha Love, and Eric German & His Orchestra. All are welcome to celebrate this special day and learn about Puerto Rican cultural heritage traditions while honoring Saint Sebastian, one of the great icons of modern queer culture.

Location: La Fábrica Central Restaurant

January 19, 2019

"It is with great pleasure that we are moving forward with our two year anniversary banquet. We are celebrating two years of programming at Carson Place 180 Mt Vernon St, Dorchester, MA 02125 from 5:00PM-10:00PM on Sunday, December 16th, 2018. Our theme for the banquet is Embracing the Light Within.

Queens Talk is a monthly women’s empowerment meet-up for women of color. It is an inclusive space for all women-aligned, femme, trans, and gender non-conforming folk of all ages. This program provides a platform for community members to connect with each other through small group discussions, story-telling activities, presentations, and relationship-building exercises to promote growth, introspection, and personal development while bridging the generational gaps that we often witness as women enter into adulthood.

The mission of Queens Talk is to engage women in deep and thought-provoking conversations that will encourage growth and personal development while aiming to connect women to resources in the community that could best serve and benefit their self-growth as well as establishing self-care strategies that are highly effective towards making necessary progress along the way.

At this banquet, there will be very interactive discussion topics and questions, guest speakers Irvienne Goldson and Celeste the Therapist, performances by Oompa, Priscilla Azaglo, and Sol E. Soul, raffles/prizes, testimonials from past participants, buffet dinner, open cash bar, lots of amazing WOC local businesses and vendors, dance floor, photobooth by Ellie Nguyen of 3ary July, and many more!!! DJ WhySham will be setting the tone all night.

General admission tickets are $40 online and at the door. Use discount code ITSOURANNIVERSARY online or in person for 20% off your tickets ($32). This anniversary banquet is open to everyone.

Tickets are available on Eventbrite here:

www.queenstalkanniversary.eventbrite.com

If you would like to avoid Eventbrite fees, please email queenstalkinc@gmail.com for fixed price tickets or paypal queenstalkinc@gmail.com

A huge thank you to those who have contributed in anyway to make this monthly women’s empowerment meetup possible. The help has been received and is greatly appreciated. For those who would like to further contribute towards our efforts or are unable to attend but would still like to contribute to continue programming efforts for another successful year, you can chip in on the meetup app here:

https://secure.meetup.com/QueensTalk/contribute/https://www.meetup.com/QueensTalk/contribute/ Your contribution helps us cover our costs and make our meetups even better!

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, or would like to get involved in any way, please feel free to get in touch with us via email at queenstalkinc@gmail.com

Thank you so much for your continuous support."

On Tuesday December 4, 6:00 - 8:30pm, join Afrocentered Media and Fenway Women’s Health Team for a screening of Rafiki and a panel talkback at Fenway Health, 10th Floor 1340 Boylston St, Boston, MA. Set in Kenya, the movie features a love story between two young women (played by newcomers Samantha Mugatsia and Sheila Munyiva) in a society that still bans homosexuality. Directed by Wanuri Kahiu, RAFIKI is saturated with joy, heartbreak, and a richly effervescent cinematography that showcases Kahiu’s native Nairobi in all its vibrancy. This film centers LGBTQIA+ African people at the intersections of class, religion, health, politics, love, intimacy, with themes centered around coming out and leaving the nest.

This event is free, but space is limited. Register today!

Light refreshments provided. The location is wheelchair accessible and has gender neutral bathrooms.

Event Program
6pm: Reception
6:30pm: Film Screening + Panel

Panelists:
Shaunya Thomas, Lesbian of Color Symposium and Melanin Pride Festival
Lisa Simmons, Roxbury International Film Festival
Bashezo, Unbound Bodies
Lambert, Men of Melanin Magic

Contact: Tanekwah Hinds, thinds@fenwayhealth.org or Tyahra of Afrocentered Media
booking@afrocenteredmedia.com

Movie Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M_-ucSaFpU

This screening is brought to you by the support and community partnership of:
Lesbian of Color Symposium
Melanin Pride Festival
Roxbury International Film Festival
The Theater Offensive
Unbound Bodies
Wicked Queer Film Festival
For more about the film visit: https://www.rafikimovie.com/
For more about Afrocentered Media visit: https://afrocenteredmedia.com/
For more about Fenway Health visit: https://fenwayhealth.org/

Catering by Tviens Catering Service

AMERICAN GOTHIC!
Drawing on references from the famous Gordon Parks image, Billy Dean Thomas will reclaim what it means to be American Gothic in 2018. Using elements of a silent film, live music, and storytelling, Billy Dean will showcase unreleased music and videos highlighting important, but dark, time periods of their artistic journey as it relates to the darker parts of American History. We advise the audience to come dressed in all black and stay for a killer Dj set by Rilla Force!


All we ask is that the audience come dressed in all black everything! And when purchasing your ticket tag @billydeanthomas and hashtag #bdtamericangothic 

Part of the 2018/19 LIVE @ OBERON Fall Series that includes: STL GLD, Camino 84, Samora Pinderhughes, Billy Dean Thomas, and The Sweetback Sisters

Location: Oberon, Cambridge

November 2, 2018

"THE STORY

This show was inspired by a simple question: What does it look like when we as QTBIPOC are not just surviving, but thriving?

In August 2017, Simone John published her debut poetry collection, TESTIFY. TESTIFY uses documentary poetics to uplift stories of black people impacted by state- sanctioned violence. While Simone was glad to visibilize this struggle in this prolific work, she feels tired of having the only representation of blackness and queerness be through death.

In September 2017, Bashezo and Stokely first met to begin dreaming of an art space that centered QTBIPOC voices, in response to the violent whiteness of Boston's art scene. Eventually the two created Unbound Bodies Collective, a multidisciplinary arts lab that has already curated and hosted one gallery show, community workshops, and a Queer film festival, and has grown to include other collaborators and community partners.

Together, Simone and Unbound Bodies are celebrating their momentous one-year anniversaries by co-curating THRIVE, a show about reclaiming our own gaze and recentering QTBIPOC spirituality, playfulness, and joy. THRIVE is first and foremost about connectivity—between poetry and visual art, between artists and audiences, between creatives and their community.

"won't you celebrate with me

what i have shaped into

a kind of life?"—Lucille Clifton

THE SHOW

You're invited to the opening reception of Thrive: A Show and Celebration! Presented by Simone John and Unbound Bodies Collective, Thrive showcases visual art and an evening of poetry celebrating QTPOC survival, diasporic spirituality, and joy.

6PM Doors open, light reception

6:30PM Poetry salon begins

THE WORK

Visual art by:

ALISA SIKELIANOS-CARTER

ARIANA GHARIB LEE

ARIFA AWADALLAH

JULIVIC MARQUEZ

JAE RODRIGUEZ

LAYLE OM

ONA WANG

NATASHA MOUSTACHE

TYAHRA OF AFROCENTERED MEDIA

Poetry by:

KRYSTEN HILL

ANDRINE PIERRE-SAINT

ASHLEY DAVIS

SIMONE JOHN

FOOD

There will be light refreshments available. The reception is free, but donations are welcome!

THE SPACE

The United South End Settlements (USES) is located at 566 Columbus Avenue, Boston, MA, 02116. The space is fully wheelchair accessible. The reception and poetry will happen on the first floor. There will be art on the second floor and mezzanine, which both have wheelchair access. There are all-gender wheelchair accessible bathrooms on the first floor, and men's and women's bathroom on the mezzanine, which are not wheelchair accessible. For more info about USES, visit their website: https://www.uses.org/

The organizers respectfully acknowledge that this event will take place on land stolen from its original holders, the Massachuset and Wampanoag people. We wish to pay our respects to their people past, present, and future.

THANK YOUS

United South End Settlements

RESIST

Fenway Health

Boston Arts and Culture

*Poster for this event was created by Genevieve Diaz Y Rodriguez. Visual art work by Alisa Sikelianos-Carter.

facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/259256598253057/

Location: Harriet Tubman Gallery, Boston, MA

September 28. 2018

"This event aims to gather all generations of people through engagement with interactive artwork and storytelling about Afro-Latin cultures. Come make something creative to add your voice to the artwork, enjoy free mangos, and join the discussion with Haitian and Dominican artists Chanel T Thervil​ and Iris Lapaix​.

This event is part of Hyde Square Task Force's Latinx Heritage Month event series. Visit hydesquare.org for more information about the other events in the series. For any questions, contact Sarah at sarah@hydesquare.org or (617) 524-8303"

Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/2208770889397320/

Location: Hyde Square Task Force, Jamaica Plain

October 13, 2018

"Queens Talk​ is relaunching for our fall series of meet-ups on September 29th at the Erick Jean Center for the Arts, also known as the Dorchester Arts Collaborative from 12:00PM - 4:00PM at 157 Washington Street, Dorchester, MA, 02121.

The theme that will be explored and discussed that afternoon is "Finding the Balance" manifesting your dreams/goals, productivity, as well as how periods of stagnancy could also be purposeful. This is with the understanding that the fall brings with it a sense of a new year and new beginnings, so we will be centering our conversations around how intentional this time can look for us regardless of what phase we are currently in in life.

Our feature presenters and facilitators will be our lovely board members! We are very happy to relaunch with a team of amazing women who are aligned with love for self, the community, and women empowerment. This will be a great opportunity to meet the board as we all process what this season in our lives means for us. I hope you can join us.

Delicious bites for lunch will be provided by local restaurants from the Boston area!

This is a QTPOC inclusive space, all women-aligned, femme, and gender non-conforming folks are welcome and is open to ALL ages.

Spots are limited! General admission is $15 + fees online on Eventbrite and Meetup. To avoid fees, please email [masked] or paypal [masked]

Thank you for those who have contributed in anyway to make this monthly program possible. The help has been received and is greatly appreciated. For those who would like to further contribute towards our efforts, please head to https://www.meetup.com/QueensTalk/contribute/ Your contributions help us cover our costs and make our Meetups even better!

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns or would like to get involved in any way, please feel free to get in touch with us via email at [masked]

We are looking forward to seeing you all then!"

www.queenstalkrelaunch.eventbrite.com

Location: Dorchester Arts Collaborative, Boston, MA

October 29, 2018