community liaison

The Sibyls Shrine Community Liaison Residency is not just an artist residency program; it's a living, breathing testament of our power.

Conceived by artist Alisha B Wormsley, this initiative departs from the traditional residency model, shifting the priority from projects to individual people.

At its core, the Community Liaison Residency is a response to pressing ethical and moral questions within the art world. Wormsley's vision centers livable wages for artists and genuine, authentic community support. In a landscape where the duration of artist support is what often falls short, the Community Liaison Residency represents all that is possible.

The Community Liaison Resident Artist
remains in residence in perpetuity,
or until they’ve decided
that they no longer require
the assistance and support.

This is not just an artist residency, its— community building, mutual aid and deep care for each other— a movement towards a more equitable, inclusive and socially conscious art world.

The Community Liaison Resident leads outreach and develops projects for the Sibyls Shrine Network. The Community Liaison Residency Artist receives radical care, rest and support, in perpetuity, including:

  • an unrestricted monthly honorarium

  • a stipend towards materials, studio space, fabrication

  • exhibition and speaking opportunities

  • support for self care

  • childcare and other daily needs

Naomi Chambers

Community Liaison Residency, 2019 - Present

Naomi Chambers (b. 1987, Pittsburgh) is an artist working in painting, sculpture and assemblage. She holds a dual degree in Studio Arts and Marketing from the University of Pittsburgh (2009). In 2017, she co-founded FlowerHouse, an artist collective in Wilkinsburg, offering workshops to support the local community.

Chambers received the Investing in Professional Artists grant from The Heinz Endowment and Pittsburgh Foundation in 2017. Her solo exhibition Communal Futures was held at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center in 2018. She has also exhibited regionally in shows such as SHRINE at The Mattress Factory and Progeny of Change at Brew House Arts.

Currently, Chambers is pursuing an MFA at Carnegie Mellon University, continuing to expand her artistic practice.

“Sibyls Shrine is a self-fulfilling network of Black mother artists.”
-Naomi Chambers

Photo credit: Njaimeh Njie