LaJuné McMillian + Ashley Stull Meyers
2020-2021

Invited Guest - Public Programming

Throughout the pandemic, The Black Embodiments Studio worked to re-imagine public programming in ways that might not ever involve the public. For many artists and writers, the pandemic meant appearing on many live and recorded conversations, increasing their exposure many times over, in ways that could feel taxing and unfulfilling.

BES brought new media artist and creative technologist LaJuné McMillian together with curator and writer Ashley Stull Meyers in the hopes that they might forge a “back-end” relationship, one that “the public” may never see…

About the Program

About LaJuné McMillian
LaJuné McMillian is a Multidisciplinary Artist, and Educator creating art that integrates performance, extended reality, and physical computing to question our current forms of communication. They are passionate about discovering, learning, manifesting, and stewarding spaces for liberated Black Realities and the Black Imagination. LaJune believes in making by diving into, navigating, critiquing, and breaking systems and technologies that uphold systemic injustices to decommodify our bodies, undo our indoctrination, and make room for different ways of being.

LaJuné has had the opportunity to show and speak about their work at Pioneer Works, National Sawdust, Leaders in Software and Art, Creative Tech Week, and Art & Code's Weird Reality. LaJuné was previously the Director of Skating at Figure Skating in Harlem, where they integrated STEAM and Figure Skating to teach girls of color about movement and technology. They have continued their research on Blackness, movement, and technology during residencies and fellowships at the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship, Eyebeam, Pioneer Works, Barbarian Group, and Barnard College.

About Ashley Stull Meyers
Ashley Stull Meyers is a writer, editor, and culture worker. She has curated exhibitions and public programming for a diverse set of arts institutions along the west coast, including those in San Francisco, CA, Oakland, CA, Seattle, WA, and Portland, OR. She has been in academic residency at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art (Omaha, NE) and the Banff Centre (Banff, Alberta). She has served as Northwest Editor for Art Practical and has contributed writing to Bomb Magazine, Rhizome, Arts.Black and SFAQ/NYAQ. In 2017 Stull Meyers was named Director and Curator of The Art Gym and Belluschi Pavilion at Marylhurst University, and the following year was made co-curator of the 2019 Portland Biennial. Currently, she is Program Director for the Multicultural Resource Center at Reed College, and contracting as an Independent Curator.

Biography

Past Programs