Shape of Togetherness: A Night of Poetry Reading & Storytelling Open Mic

When: Friday, January 3, 2025 | 7 PM – 8:30 PM (Doors open at 6:30 PM)

Where: Best Nail Salon, Bed-Stuy | 1490 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY

About the Event:

The shape of Togetherness is a weaving of voices often unheard, an interlacing of poetry, storytelling, and shared human experience. Set in the intimate space of a Chinese-run nail salon in Bed-Stuy, this event transforms a site of daily labor into a canvas for creativity, solidarity, and exchange.

The evening will feature poets, storytellers, neighbors, and nail salon technicians coming together to share narratives of resilience, care, love, and the quiet yet profound connections that hold communities together.

Through their words, we'll explore:

The stories of nail technicians
Acts of everyday care and tenderness in the face of struggle
Moments of solidarity and resistance that unite us
The untold stories of migrant workers and their migrant journeys
Personal memories and collective experiences that illuminate resilience in Bed-Stuy

By centering the voices of Black, Brown, Asian, and immigrant communities, Shape of Togetherness honors the intersecting lives that form the fabric of our neighborhoods. It is a space to celebrate our cultures' visible markers and the shared struggles and joys that underpin them.

Why This Matters:

Nail salons are often overlooked as spaces of profound cultural significance, seen only as sites of service and labor. Yet, they are also spaces where stories accumulate—where hands meet hands, where resilience is built in quiet persistence, and where human connections are forged across barriers of language, class, and culture. This event seeks to reimagine the nail salon as a vital cultural and creative hub, amplifying the voices of nail technicians and migrants whose labor sustains these spaces while inviting artists, neighbors, and poets to join the conversation.

In the spirit of solidarity, this evening will blur the lines between artist and worker, storyteller and listener, creating a collective narrative rich with care, empathy, and love. Together, we aim to spark dialogue, bridge divides, and celebrate the beauty of human connection.

Supporters:

This project is supported by The Laundromat Project through the Create & (Re)Connect Fund and is fiscally sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts.

Join us:

Celebrate the power of storytelling for connection and understanding. Together, let's transform spaces of labor into sites of beauty, culture, and solidarity.

For inquiries, contact: accentedprojects@gmail.com

Poets & Artists & Neighbors & Migrant Workers

Mai-Elka Prado Gil is the founder of the Afro-Latino Festival of New York. She has directed an annual multi-day music festival and conference celebrating the contributions of people of African descent from Latin America and the Caribbean. .

Additionally, Mrs. Prado is a singer-songwriter. She has done many music collaboration such as vocal tracks for acclaimed Afro- Colombian artists Petrona Martinez, Carlos Vives, Toto La Momposina, Magin Diaz and Bomba Estereo. As an artist, her work has been focused on the exposure of Afrodescendant music sounds from Latin America in the city of New York.

Mai-Elka Prado Gil 是紐約非裔拉丁音樂節的創辦人，她主持了一個年度的音樂節和會議，慶祝來自拉丁美洲和加勒比地區非洲裔人民的貢獻。此外，Prado 女士還是一位創作型歌手，曾與多位備受讚譽的非裔哥倫比亞藝術家合作，包括 Petrona Martinez、Carlos Vives、Toto La Momposina、Magin Diaz 和 Bomba Estereo。作為一名藝術家，她的創作重心在於將來自拉丁美洲的非裔音樂聲音帶到紐約市，讓更多人認識並欣賞這些豐富的文化遺產。

Coming from an international and multi-cultural background, Mica’s work ethos and approach reflects her values – inclusive, accessible and human-centered, with a creative flair for the narrative arts. With a degree in International Affairs, she set out to work in international civil service, and held several positions in communications at the United Nations. She then shifted to lending her skill set to the arts and cultural institutions. Today, Mica consult with both spheres, as well as social media figures with impactful objectives. Her work has reached millions of people globally, providing safe containers for healing, empowerment and mutual aid in vast landscapes, and have been translated into many different languages. Past clients include several agencies within the United Nations, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Community Organized Relief Efforts (CORE), Brooklyn Museum and Big Little Feelings, Inc. Mica is most interested in community care as praxis towards abolition. She has a strong interest in how humans connect, and the many-fold layers and modalities this involves. Her curatorial practice is founded on non-violent and accessible communication, which are all baked into the DNA of everything she does, mainly in service of mostly BIPOC and immigrant communities.

來自國際和多元文化背景的 Mica，其工作理念和方法反映了她的價值觀——包容、可及且以人為本，同時具備敘事藝術的創意觸覺。擁有國際事務學位的她，起初在國際公共服務領域工作，並在聯合國擔任多個傳播職位。隨後，她將自身的技能運用到藝術和文化機構的工作中。如今，Mica 為這兩個領域以及擁有深遠影響目標的社交媒體人物提供諮詢服務。她的工作觸及全球數百萬人，為治癒、賦權和互助提供安全的空間，並被翻譯成多種語言。過去的客戶包括聯合國內的多個機構、布魯克林音樂學院（BAM）、社區組織救援工作（CORE）、布魯克林博物館以及 Big Little Feelings, Inc。Mica 對將社區關懷作為通向廢除體系的實踐尤為感興趣。她對人類之間的連結方式充滿興趣，並探索這其中的多層次與多樣性。她的策展實踐以非暴力且可及的溝通為基礎，這些價值深深嵌入她所做的一切，主要服務於多族裔和移民社群。

Kearah-Armonie(aka Kearmonie) is an Afro-Caribbean Multidisciplinary artist specializing in Filmmaking, Poetry/Spoken Word, and Education. Kearmonie is invested in uplifting others through the arts, community organizing, and mutual aid. Having completed their MFA in Post-Production at Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema in 2021, they primarily work as a Film Editor and assistant editor. See their work and learn more at kearmonie.com/

Kearah-Armonie（又名 Kearmonie）是一位非裔加勒比多媒體藝術家，專注於電影製作、詩歌/口語表演和教育。Kearmonie 致力於通過藝術、社區組織和互助計劃來提升他人。他們於 2021 年在 Feirstein 影視學院完成後期製作 MFA 學位，主要擔任影片剪輯師和助理剪輯師的工作。了解更多並查看其作品，請訪問 kearmonie.com/

Faith Hannah Robinson is my full name, but I prefer to go by Faith Hannah. The Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, NY, has been my home for 29 years. I trained with the Made In NY and Reel Works Teen Filmmaking Inc. and worked extensively in theater and film production between 2014 and 2021. I decided to use my knowledge and skills in documentary and narrative filmmaking to create a project dear to my heart. In the summer of 2021, I made an archive page titled "Bed-Stuy Forever" to celebrate my community's pillars and share the rich Black History of Bedford-Stuyvesant through pictures and oral stories. Out of curiosity about where I come from and the generations before me, Bed-Stuy Forever was born. I currently work in the Department of Education and assit children with Special Needs.

我的全名是 Faith Hannah Robinson，但我更喜歡被稱為 Faith Hannah。我在紐約布魯克林的 Bedford-Stuyvesant 社區已經居住了 29 年。我曾在 Made In NY 和 Reel Works Teen Filmmaking Inc. 接受培訓，並在 2014 年至 2021 年間廣泛參與戲劇和電影製作工作。2021 年夏天，我決定運用我在紀錄片和敘事電影製作方面的知識和技能，創作一個我非常珍視的項目。我創建了一個名為「Bed-Stuy Forever」的檔案頁面，以圖片和口述故事的形式，慶祝我的社區支柱，並分享 Bedford-Stuyvesant 豐富的黑人歷史。「Bed-Stuy Forever」誕生於我對自己來源及前幾代人歷史的好奇心。我目前在教育部工作，協助有特殊需求的兒童。

Dee, founder of Digits by Dee, is a native NYC nail artist with 8 years of experience. After studying gallery and museum studies, Dee returned to nail artistry, a passion first-sparked during their teenage years, to make fine art accessible and offer clients a unique space for self-expression. Having started out in makeup artistry, Dee is now revisiting collaborations in fashion, editorial, and commercial creative projects within nail artistry. Inspired by art, technology, fashion, media, and her culture, Dee views the transient nature of a manicure as a celebration of self-care and identity. Known for innovative nail art and meticulous natural nail care, Dee elevates the classic manicure into a meaningful and personal experience.

Dee 是 Digits by Dee 的創辦人，土生土長的紐約市美甲藝術家，擁有 8 年的專業經驗。在學習畫廊和博物館研究後，Dee 回歸了青少年時期點燃的美甲藝術熱情，致力於讓精緻藝術更具親和力，並為客戶提供一個獨特的自我表達空間。起初從事彩妝藝術的 Dee，如今重新投入到美甲藝術中，參與時尚、編輯和商業創意項目的合作。受藝術、科技、時尚、媒體及文化的啟發，Dee 將美甲的短暫性視為一種自我關懷與身份認同的慶祝。Dee 以創新的美甲設計和細緻的天然指甲護理而聞名，將經典美甲提升為一場充滿意義且個人化的體驗。

Richard Gao, originally from Hebei Province, China, has been a dedicated nail technician on Fulton Street in Bed-Stuy for over 30 years. Arriving in New York City in the early 1990s, he brought with him a deep sense of resilience that has shaped his decades-long career. Through his meticulous craftsmanship and warm presence, Richard has built lasting relationship with Bed-Stuy community, transforming his work into a space for personal care and connection.

Richard Gao，來自中國河北省，在Bed-Stuy的富爾頓街擔任美甲技師已有30多年。1990年代初移居紐約市時，他帶著深厚的韌性，這種特質塑造了他數年的職業生涯。通過他精湛的手藝和溫暖的態度，Richard 與Bed-Stuy社區建立了持久的聯繫，將他的工作轉化為一個充滿個人關懷與交流的空間。

Live Composer

Lisha Nie is an artist whose works span a variety of mediums, including video, sound, sculpture, and installation. She was born in Chongqing, China. She mixes dub, breakbeats, acid, and trance with sound across time.

Lisha Nie 是一位藝術家，她的作品跨越了多種媒介，包括視頻、聲音、雕塑和裝置藝術。她出生於中國重慶。她將杜布（dub）、打破節拍（breakbeats）、酸性音樂（acid）和迷幻音樂（trance）與聲音相結合，跨越時空進行創作。

Project Director

Fei Li is an interdisciplinary artist born in Minnan, China, and based in Brooklyn. Li's recent project was granted the 2025 New York State Council on the Arts Grant Award, 2024 & 2023 Brooklyn Arts Fund and LP's Create and Reconnect Grant. She is also the awardee of numerous funded artist's residencies, fellowships, and grants, including the 2023 Create Change Fellowship of Laundromat project, the Milton and Sally Michel Avery Residency for a Visual Artist at Yaddo, Jon Imber Painting Fellowship at Vermont Studio Center; City Artist Corps Grant and Queens Arts Fund New Works Grant. She founded Accented Projects for collaboration, experimentation, and community building.

Fei Li 是一位跨學科藝術家，出生於中國閩南，現居布魯克林。Li的近期項目獲得了2025年紐約州藝術理事會（New York State Council on the Arts）藝術資助獎，2024年與2023年布魯克林藝術基金（Brooklyn Arts Fund）以及洗衣計劃（LP）創作與重聯資助（Create and Reconnect Grant）。她還獲得了多項藝術家駐地計劃、獎學金和資助，包括2023年洗衣計劃創作與變革基金（Create Change Fellowship）、雅多（Yaddo）的米爾頓與莎莉·米歇爾·艾弗里視覺藝術家駐地計劃、佛蒙特工作室中心的喬恩·伊姆伯繪畫基金（Jon Imber Painting Fellowship）、市藝術集團（City Artist Corps）獎助金和皇后藝術基金新作獎（Queens Arts Fund New Works Grant）。她創立了Accented Projects，致力於合作、實驗與社區建設。

Project Support

Ariana Swei is a multidisciplinary artist and educator based in Brooklyn. They are passionate about genre-bending and socially-engaged works, with a background in both experimental theatre and visual art. Swei works as the Education and Community Programs Coordinator at Ping Chong and Company, teaches at the Brooklyn Museum and the Museum of Modern Art, and is often reflecting on their desire to feel validated by their affiliation with institutions. They hold a BA in Studio Art and English Literature from Washington University in St. Louis.

Ariana Swei 是一位多領域藝術家和教育工作者，現居布魯克林。其對於跨界創作和社會參與的作品充滿熱情，擁有實驗劇場和視覺藝術的背景。Swei 擔任 Ping Chong and Company 的教育與社區項目協調員，也在布魯克林博物館和現代藝術博物館教授課程，並經常反思自己在與機構的聯繫中尋求認同的渴望。其擁有聖路易華盛頓大學的工作室藝術與英國文學學士學位。

Photo credit: Danny Perez

M.Silin is a creative-laborer from Brooklyn, New York. Their work focuses on representation of Black and Brown people, while including statements relating to social justice and dark humor. Aspects of M’s work mostly involves visual arts in regards to curating, abstract design, and zine-making. During the pandemic, M was able to team up with mutual aids in Brooklyn, to create artistic endeavors rooted in community solidarity. In 2022, M has created a zine which focuses on the various food staples in Black and Brown communities in an effort to re-imagine how neighborhoods labeled as “food deserts” can become self-sustainable if they rely on the existing food cultures of their own residents. The zine is now available through Printed Matter. M is also the 2023 Create Change Fellow of Laundromat project.

M.Silin 是一位來自紐約布魯克林的創意勞動者。其作品專注於黑人和棕色人種的呈現，並包含與社會正義和黑暗幽默相關的表達。M 的作品大多涉及視覺藝術，涵蓋策展、抽象設計和小冊子創作。在疫情期間，M 與布魯克林的互助組織合作，創造了根植於社區團結的藝術計畫。2022年，M 創作了一本小冊子，聚焦於黑人和棕色社區的各種食物主食，並試圖重新構想那些被標籤為“食物沙漠”的社區，如果依賴居民現有的食物文化，如何能夠實現自給自足。該小冊子現已通過 Printed Matter 發行。M 也是 2023 年 Laundromat Project 的 Create Change Fellow。