It’s been about a month since TRAVERSE, our group art exhibition here in New York City, and we want to take a moment to acknowledge and reflect upon the magic of the experience. We won’t lie to you – curating an exhibition is hard work, and having leadership training, as many of us here at the Body of Art do, comes in handy when organizing an art show. We had our fair share of challenges, but we’re proud to say that the evening went off without a hitch. All of our blood, sweat, and tears were worth the impact that the show had on our community – on the friends, family, and many passers-by who ventured into our world.

Now, we are left with the imprint of our work, the memories of that extraordinary night, and an overflowing sense of gratitude for everyone and everything that made TRAVERSE a living, breathing thing.

Thank you to our participating artists: Katy Ramirez, Yvonne MacInnis, Viktorija Bowers-Adams, Joe Dulude II, Charlie Wan, Trina Merry, Kyle and Ange of The Art Rising, Sunny Quetzalcoatl, and Hannah of Violetsound Dance. You believed in our vision, and you so generously contributed your time, energy, and most importantly, your art.

Thank you to our photographers, Kenell Turner of SeenSound and Kelsey Smith of Tarte Cosmetics, for capturing the experience and enabling this night to live on.

Thank you to our staff and volunteers: you all brought that extra element that made the show a dynamic, functioning, seamless experience for our guests.

Thank you to Michelle from Chinatown Soup, our gallery, for hosting us and supporting our dream.

Thank you to the friends, family, and fellow New Yorkers who supported us and showed up to the show. Sharing our vision with you was the most important piece of this puzzle, and without you, we would not have had a purpose.

Thank you to the city of New York which, compared to a lot of other places in the world, promotes a cultural platform that encourages artists and citizens to speak their truth without fear of punishment. Our city isn’t perfect, but we recognize how lucky we are to host a show like TRAVERSE with our whole hearts.

And last but certainly not least, thank you to the United States government for reminding us how vital it is to remain vigilant, engaged, and critical, and for lighting a fire under our asses so that we may fight to protect our precious democracy.

We ain’t finished yet.

With love and light,

Dani and Tara, co-curators