Artist Alisha B. Wormsley Launches the Sibyls Shrine Network
Contact
Alisha Wormsley, artist
Sallyann Kluz, Office of Public Art
skluz@pittsburghartscouncil.org
For Immediate Release
Alisha Wormsley & Office of Public Art
810 Penn Avenue, 6th Floor
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
Sign-up for the first cycle of program to support Black creative mothers open until May 1, 2020
April 22, 2020. Pittsburgh, PA… Artist Alisha B. Wormsley announced the launch of the Sibyls Shrine Network, an online program to support Black creative mothers in the Pittsburgh area. The network is part of the new Sibyls Shrine artist residency program for Black women, womxn, trans women, and femmes who are mothers and identify as artists, creatives, and/or activists in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Wormsley authored the project in response to her experiences as a Black woman, mother, and artist, and the overwhelming evidence of disparities for quality of life for Black women in the Pittsburgh region. As Wormsley herself experienced, the challenges of parenting in combination with systemic racism and sexism often make the barriers to entry into the art world insurmountable for Black mothers. While Sibyls Shrine was originally designed as a physical residency for artists, the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting stay at home orders have challenged Wormsley and her team to think differently about what support Black creative mothers could use in this time. The first cycle of the program will begin on Sunday, May 3, 3020 and run for eight weeks. Future cycles and opportunities to join will be announced later this spring. Participation is open to Black women, womxn, trans women, and femmes who are mothers and identify as artists, creatives, and/or activists in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For more information and to sign-up for the program, click here.
"My work focuses heavily on the lives of Black womxn in America starting with my own experience,” says artist Alisha Wormsley. “The idea for Sibyls Shrine was a reaction to the isolation I felt from my artist communities when I became a mother. It was other Black mothers who became the biggest help for me. The greatest lesson I learned from others is the ability to adapt and support one another to survive. During this time of quarantine we hope this network is an example of that adaptation. In response to COVID-19 we are creating a space to share ways to survive, offering some financial support and an opportunity to thrive together as creative Black mothers."
The Sibyls Shrine residency program uplifts Black creative mothers with opportunities for skill-sharing, self-care, safe space, and financial support in an effort to further develop their craft and presence in the art world. Based on the responses received, the Sibyls Shrine Network will welcome a first cohort of up to 30 Black creative mothers for an initial eight-week period, to be hosted online. Participants will be supported by this burgeoning network of other Pittsburgh-based Black creative mothers, with an unrestricted honorarium for joining, and access to monthly digital classes and workshops. Participants will also be encouraged to lead their own creative skill-sharing programs with the rest of the collective.
There is no age limit to join the group. All Black creative mothers in Pittsburgh are welcome regardless of their media or discipline, how long they've been making, and whether they practice as a full or part time artist, an emerging creative or an experienced practitioner. Submissions to join the first cycle will be accepted until May 1, 2020. Submissions received after May 1, 2020 will be included in future cycles of the program. For more information and to complete the sign-up form, click here.
Sibyls Shrine is funded in part by a grant from the Just Arts program of The Heinz Endowments.
About Sibyls Shrine
Sibyls Shrine is a new artist residency program for Black women, womxn, trans women, and femmes who are mothers and identify as artists, creatives, and/or activists in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For these womxn, the challenges of parenting in combination with systemic racism and sexism often make the barriers to entry into the art world insurmountable.
Sibyls Shrine is an homage to the Sibyls, the original priestesses of the Black goddess Mami Wata. The term, which predates Greek history, was used to name the guardians of the Matriarchy. The Sibyls Shrine residency program is motivated by a similar goal: uplifting Black mothers with opportunities for self-care, childcare, space and support in an effort to further develop their craft and presence in the art world. Sibyls Shrine was created by artist Alisha B. Wormsley in 2019.
About the Team
Artist Alisha B. Wormsley serves as the project’s Creative Director, and works in collaboration with Jessica Gaynelle Moss as the Administrative Director and Naomi Chambers as the Community Artist Liaison. Wormsley, Moss and Chambers are all Pittsburgh-based Black creative mothers. The Office of Public Art provides additional support as the Sibyls Shrine collaborating organization.
About the Office of Public Art
The Office of Public Art (OPA) is the leading advocate and agent for public art in Southwestern Pennsylvania, facilitating collaborations between artists, organizations, and communities. OPA provides project management, educational programs, opportunities, and other resources for artists working in the public realm, as well as programs for the public to engage with public art and work with artists. Additionally, OPA offers technical assistance, providing support in research, policy development, and project management for organizations throughout the Greater Pittsburgh area. Learn more at publicartpittsburgh.org.