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10K80 June 29, 2021
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Seattle’s art world: A new age is here, and thriving

Known for its underground, grunge music scene as well as its wide range of visual art forms from painting to glass blowing, Seattle’s art world knows little bounds. With many initiatives advocating and seeking resources for BIPOC artists, Seattle’s diversity in creativity continues to encouragingly develop.

This past year only emphasized the vitality of creatives and the change they can bring. Supported by the city’s programs, Seattle aims to preserve the availability of art to all, while nurturing diversity and an anti-racist environment.

In Seattle’s art world, music returns with a bang

Perhaps one of the most challenging obstacles to overcome in culture this year was that of keeping live music alive.

Seattle’s endless small venues, many of them already supporting BIPOC acts, fought to stay afloat. But the return to the stage of notable acts like the twin duo The Black Tones or Dark Smith only hit harder because of it.

The eclectic Seattle music scene has, especially after this tumultuous year, made way for artists of color where they previously didn’t feel like they belonged.

As their visibility and recognition increase through their work, the community of BIPOC musicians appeared to grow or at least come together at last.

Where rock shows were headlined by white artists, it seems BIPOC acts are starting to access the space they needed. These opportunities and resources allow BIPOC artists to rekindle with the music they were always meant to create but made to think they didn’t belong with.

Indeed there are more Black acts coming together today than there have been in years. And the BIPOC artists with their resources are overcoming the white-washed image of rock that has perpetuated for centuries. Subsequently, the genre is brought back to its roots.

For the eyes and for the mind

Currently, portraits by artist Barbara Earl Thomas are displayed at the Seattle Museum of Art. They draw from complex ideas of race, religion, and society. Her 73 years of age let her tell stories that are of utter relevance today while incredibly rich in history.

“I am a witness and a chronicler: I create stories from the apocalypse we live in now and narrate how life goes on in midst of the chaos.”

Barbara EARL THoMAS VIA SEATTLE ART MUSEUM

Her collection The Geography of Innocence will be up until January of next year.

Power in art

Even though spaces are opening up again, artists do not cease to showcase their creativity through innovative means. Indeed, even if you won’t be able to visit Seattle’s art world any time soon, there are still things for you to see.

Sites of Power is an ongoing online project developed by “viral” conceptual artist Natasha Marin alongside the award-winning director Jay O’Leary Woods.

Marin has curated a series of “exhibits” nestled within the Black Imagination initiative, always people-centric and centering Blackness in art in a “healthy and celebratory way.”

“Black Imagination has engaged (and paid!) Black folks from all over the PNW region and the world– amplifying, centering, and holding sacred a diverse sample of voices including LGBTQIA+ Black youth, incarcerated Black women, Black folks with disabilities, unsheltered Black folks, and Black children.”

via Black Imagination

With the possibilities to “listen, watch, and imagine,” take a moment to immerse yourself in Sites of Power. As tired as we may be of our screens, this virtual collaborative experience is worth the ride.

Youth inspiring youth

Renowned artists begin somewhere, and nothing is as crucial as the encouragement of art-making among youth.

The Colorization Collective was founded by two Lakeside High School friends, Anya Shukla and Kathryn Lau. With the goal to assist young creatives of color by providing them with opportunities and support, the two seniors have now built a community of artists.

Their team continues to provide inspiration through mentorship programs bringing established artists together with aspiring ones, to online workshops and virtual concerts. You can participate, donate and contribute in various ways, shapes or forms.

There’s always more to the art world in Seattle

The Black Embodiments Studio is an initiative supporting contemporary art by Black artists. It is a firm example of the diversity on display in Seattle’s reemerging art world.

Oriented towards writing workshops for cultivating a “complex discourse” around blackness in art, they also provide developmental assistance for working artists. From lectures, one can participate in their Arts Writing Incubator as well as their series of public programs.

They also keep a curated list of exhibits and artistic events happening in Seattle; you can find it here.

In addition, if you are an artist of color in Seattle, or seeking to support the community, you may want to check out Sustainable Seattle’s BIPOC Sustainable Tiny Art House Community (STAHC).

Finally, the city of Seattle itself is continuing to develop various programs that are in place to support art and culture across neighborhoods and opportunities for under-represented artists. Creative Strategies Initiatives and Art & Cultural Districts represent two of them.

By supporting creatives and the centers that encourage them, we create the communities necessary to feed the passion that lies behind art. The art world in Seattle owes a great deal to its robust diversity; there is almost always something exceptional and new to see. And these individuals and groups are paving an important path that has yet to go a long way.

adolessens June 25, 2021
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Teen suicide prevention with Children Action and a labyrinth of love

This year, Children Action, a foundation helping children around the globe, pursued its partnership with MALATAVIE (a suicide prevention initiative) and HUG (the University Hospitals of Geneva, in Switzerland) to bring to life a one-of-a-kind exhibit around teen suicide prevention.

Teen suicide is one of the primary causes of death among youth around the world, and the past year did nothing to alleviate the weight of the matter, if not make it worse. Indeed, confinement, isolation, and loss made those who were already most fragile subject to the biggest repercussions.

An immersive experience to prevent teen suicides

children action
Labyrinth exterior, Parc de la Grange, Geneva, Switzerland

Named after a play on the word “adolescence” – “Ado-les-sens” (teen senses) – the installation offers an immersive experience exploring the deepest aspects of teenage life and behavior from love to suicidal thoughts.

It is a literal labyrinth with facades rising 10 feet above the ground and covering a 3,230 square feet surface. Temporarily built in the Parc de la Grange (yes, the same one where Biden and Putin met), in Geneva, Switzerland, the exhibit allows for and encourages visitors to learn about adolescent mental health while getting lost within its walls.

Why the labyrinth ?

During the inaugural press conference, Professor Ansermet, former head of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Department of HUG, used the concept of the labyrinth as a description for the intricacies of the self.

He explained that for each and everyone of us to have our own complex journey is more valuable than a straight line; in the long run, it will reveal itself more fitting than a ready-made path set by society. “To each their own labyrinth,” he stated, “both external and internal.”

Featuring artworks by graphic design students, as well as by adolescents in recovery following suicide attempts, the labyrinth emphasises the use of creativity as an exit, as a way out and away from pain and suffering.

teen suicide prevention
Mural by Swiss painter Jazi in collaboration with teens in recovery

Having young artists and students produce this work in honor of other adolescents contributes to the idea of reintegration of those already struggling back into society.

This emphasizes the particular sensibility that transpires through such a project. Showcasing creativity as an outlet, the exhibit supports the importance of cohesion between art, science, culture, and wellbeing.

children action teen suicide prevention

Losing oneself to find ourselves

Indeed, creativity does not come short in this collection of thoughts, exercises, and experiences. Confronting visitors to concepts that might be uncomfortable highlights the idea that conflict will often lead to valuable questions rather than dead ends.

When wandering through the exhibition, one may find themselves stuck, only to turn around and continue their colorful journey through it.

Inside the labyrinth

Dare to lose oneself,
Dare to make mistakes,
To find yourself.

Professor Ansermet

Finding one’s path is in a way inventing one’s self. Recovery begins with allowing youth to be the actor of their own stories and most importantly their authors.

Encouraging visitors’ participation and engagement with the matter, the installation includes self-led activities seeking to deepen our perception and understanding of complex feelings encountered through adolescence and life in general.

Some spaces invite us to share personal experiences, such as a wall that reads “to myself when I was 16,” asking visitors to leave an individual post-it note. Those contribute to individuals coming together, to create a sense of community, and ultimately feel less alone in the midst of our differences.

Interactive murals

A way up and out for teen suicide prevention

Bernard Sabrier, founder of Children Action, further developed the metaphor behind the labyrinth explaining that to find the exit (from pain, sorrow, hurt), one requires a guiding thread towards the outside world. One needs to re-establish broken links with family, school, and the self.

“We build our relationship to the self alongside our relationships to others,” explained Christina Kitsos, head of social cohesion in the city of Geneva. It is one of the main reasons this past year was so problematic and destructive for teenagers who already struggled mentally and socially.

Today, Children Action, MALATAVIE, and HUG, continue to work together in an attempt to unwind that thread and guide adolescents towards a better way out.

Fighting missed preconceptions and destigmatizing the need for help are essential in preventing fatal self-harm. Making an experience such as this one a part of the city and available to all is something our world needs more of.

Indeed, the conversation for teen suicide prevention starts with exhibits like these.

It starts with communication, openness, and the courage to engage. It begins here, with us.

Explore the ADO-LES-SENS labyrinth in more depth here.

  • National Suicide Lifeline: +1-800-273-8255
  • MALATAVIE: +41 22 372 42 42
debut lp June 25, 2021
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To Enjoy is the Only Thing: Maple Glider’s debut LP

Solo artist Tori Zietsch, aka Maple Glider, embodies her musical passion with her debut LP, To Enjoy is the Only Thing. The Melbourne singer-songwriter only started releasing music last year with her track “As Tradition.”

But she has since attracted over 100,000 fans from around the world. With already over 500,000 streams on her recent single “Good Thing,” this collection of songs is bound to follow.

maple glider
Maple Glider via Twenty Three

To Enjoy is the Only Thing

The 9-track album takes us on an introspective adventure that is tender yet mildly somber. Maple Glider describes the project as a mosaic of moments in her life, from the “unremarkable to life-altering.”

Walking past tinsel covered trees in mid-September, swimming along the Calanques in the south of France, car-bonnet frost, darkness at 4pm, lightness until 10pm, a muted feeling, the perpetual grey fog that swallows the Silver Coast, the colour red, this ugly green dress, red wine, red blood, red lips, red is the colour of the cardinal’s robe, Switzerland, my mother’s diaries, a coroner’s report, the sun on my face, the end of love.

Maple Glider about her debut LP, To Enjoy is The Only Thing

She tells us those stories, intimately and always with feeling.

“Friend”

Notably, the song “Friend” came out just this week, as the last single in anticipation of the album. It was released with a video that beautifully supports the humble eccentricity of Maple Glider’s world. Intertwined with unexpected outfits and decors, both lyrics and visuals delve deeper into our humanity.

Claiming it to be one of her most personal pieces, it is a song that was a long time coming for the singer. And indeed, when that endlessly lingering thought in the artist’s mind is finally brought to life, it is a feeling difficult to describe.

I knew I wanted to write it for a long time before I finally did.

Maple Glider about her song “Friend”

Vision and emotion in To Enjoy is the Only Thing

With a distinct artistic vision, Maple Glider welcomes us in an environment that is dreamy, nostalgic, and vulnerable. The homogeneity between songs across the album allows for losing track of time while listening from top to bottom. Her soothing head voice never lets go of its depth and will thus hit you right in the chest.

Unafraid of silence, the same way she dares to go big, the album’s instrumentation builds and mellows where each track needs it most. From plucked acoustic guitar, to full orchestration, the singer-songwriter’s words shine through systematically. And, at that, they are words you do not want to miss.

With titles bound to awaken your curiosity, To Enjoy Is The Only Thing is a humbling moment to spend with yourself, whether on a long drive, walk, or under the night sky.

As of today, stream Maple Glider’s debut LP: To Enjoy is The Only Thing.

Close your eyes, take it in, and enjoy.

a tribe called quest June 23, 2021
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Multifaceted creator Rodney Hazard is taking the world by storm

Originally from Western Massachusetts, the multi-talented creator Rodney Hazard first moved to New York to study design at St. John’s University. After starting his career as a graphic designer, he has worked as a creative director in many fields.

However, over the past years, he has also dedicated his artistic vision to something more: music. With already many successful releases offering a one-of-a-kind sound, his most recent project “Sandcastles,” premieres today.

Sight and sound is everything for creator Rodney Hazard

Art has always been an outlet for the Brooklyn-based creative director, graphic designer, and artist. Whether visuals inform his sound or vice-versa, or whether the two meet somewhere in the middle, it is a realm of his own that Hazard is developing.

His design and music are always “reflecting one another,” he explained.

Also working as a DJ, Hazard’s passion for sharing creativity and emotion with his audience comes before anything else.

Being in front of people and seeing their reactions live. It’s a kind of energy that is unmatched.

Rodney Hazard

And his live performances aim at nothing less. From live beat-making to party sets, the artist always sets out to create a memorable sensory experience for his audience.

Projecting ever-lasting compilations of footage or fractal images (never looping so as to perpetuate the story-telling in his art), his visuals are queued and synced to the sounds he plays.

After a year of trying to recreate that through streaming from home, there is little to contain the excitement of being able to bring his evolving sound back to life.

“Down-tempo melodic trap”

Growing up, Hazard’s record collection comprised tapes by Duran-Duran, and A Tribe Called Quest, all the way to Sade and Bob Marley. His eclectic influences supplied him with a lot to pull from whether consciously or not.

As a result, it is difficult to describe his music. And that’s what makes it so special. Steering clear of defining words, his sound lies in a magical place between afro-beats, hip-hop, r&b, electronic and melodious music.

“Hip Hop is what started everything for me,” says Hazard. Ultimately, the artist’s love for music as a whole is what transpires constantly while talking about his music.

One of Hazard’s first yet most marking collaborations include his time he spent at Diddy Studios in Manhattan with the late rapper, Heavy D, when he was just a senior in school.

Being the first in and last out, everyday, Hazard was forever impacted by the musician’s work ethic, keeping that drive for his craft with him ever since. Starting under Heavy D’s wing, he came out of that period as a close collaborator to him.

Today, he still remembers the importance of seeing every new project as something fresh. He remembers to love every second it, as if he had just started out, the way Heavy D did. With long-lasting passion.

Working magic

Being talented across artistic fields hasn’t stopped creator Rodney Hazard from seeking out collaborators to produce the most engaging work.

His last release this year was titled Mercury Ocean, a 5 track EP. Over the pandemic, Hazard connected with Puerto Rican singer Gigi Santos, making this mini-album a product of this past year at home.

First releasing a track that attracted over 100,000 streams, the duo pursued their endeavors, following Santos’ idea to create a sound that channeled the feeling of “a foreign, underwater world where you can still find your place,” Rodney explained.

A concept that went hand in hand with his approach to making sensory music that seeks to transport the listener, the chemistry between the two musicians led to a sound of its own.

Rodney Hazard’s “Sandcastles”

Unique, transporting music is characteristic of Rodney Hazard’s art. “The world’s my gem,” he said, explaining that being outdoors is always a source of life and inspiration.

Indeed, it is following a trip to Hawaii, which Rodney found absolutely magical, that his new record “Sandcastles” came to be. Honoring the spirit of the place, from mountains to the ocean, the track is a voyage into a different world.

Hazard started the track on the plane as he arrived on the island, and finished it once on site. Being immersed in the original place of inspiration for the song allowed him to create a piece that takes us on a journey with him, filled with textured sounds.

The stereo image of the track is as captivating as can be, as he played with space throughout the production and mixing process, for a final product that plays with our senses.

The sensory quality of the project is complemented by Rodney’s collaboration with visual artist Fractually. Self-acclaimed as the “Fractal God”, the New Zealand native first worked with Rodney on his project “Eagle” earlier this year. Together, the two creatives continue to develop an artistic universe that is rather mesmerizing.

Taking the world by storm

This track is a teaser for his upcoming full EP Sandcastles. Moreover, it is a first taste for the new sound Rodney has been developing, which will be revealed to us with a full album titled Nightvision later this year.

For the man that started out as a graphic designer to becoming a creative director, that’s not even all: Hazard has another record in the works and scheduled to release August 6. It is called “Smokey,” so keep an eye out.

In the meantime, take a minute to experience Rodney Hazard’s last single “Sandcastles,” out now.

Music June 21, 2021
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St. Louis bred, LA based artist Brandyn Burnette

As we slowly come out of these unprecedented pandemic times, it was an honor to sit down with Saint Louis-born singer-songwriter Brandyn Burnette to talk about his upcoming EP “F.A.T.E” and the rollercoaster that is life.

The St. Louis artist spoke of how he continued to develop his sound stronger than ever when the pandemic hit. But much like everyone else, he was forced to do things differently.

“The music industry shut down.”

Brandyn Burnette

Before the pandemic hit, Burnette was spending a lot of time in studios. And was starting to build a new sound, after recently signing with a new management team.

“I’m very social,” he explained.

“I love hanging out with friends, love being in the studio, giving and feeding off energy to my collaborators. Before people started getting into zoom, the music industry pretty much shut down. All my sessions got canceled, trips to other countries, songwriting camps… So it was pretty hard, early on, just navigating life indoors.”

Brandyn Burnette

But within those doors, Burnette had recently gotten into a new relationship which revealed itself to be truly inspiring. “I had so much to pull from…” he said.

From going outside mindlessly to suddenly being stuck inside, we were all confronted with this unpredictably insane amount of time to spend with the same people. Brandyn explained how grateful he was to thrive as a pair with his newfound love in that unprecedented setting.

Making music in a digital space

Music is a feeling and energy-based art form and there was definitely something strange about engaging through a screen when it became the only way to create.

“It was a whole new world to navigate,” Burnette explained.

Before that, working with other writers, producers, musicians, “you’d get excited, you could feel it in the room.” Indeed, the digital universe presents a whole new set of challenges.

But the singer-songwriter embraced it: he could work with new collaborators and find comfort in recording from home.

“It felt like a safe space to kind of like explore and to try out different sounds or write about different parts of my life. Some of it was very personal, about what I was experiencing, being somebody who loves being around people, and suddenly being alone with myself.”

Brandyn Burnette

Sources of inspiration

No artist this year wanted to find themselves writing only a series of COVID-related songs about being in lockdown. And simultaneously, human as we are, there came a point where we just couldn’t get on another Zoom call.

So what are you left with to put into a song? Burnette shared those exact frustrations but sought inspiration from them.

“I started finding myself writing about what I wanted life to be like, which was interesting because I’m usually writing about what life is like. But, you know, I had those memories in the back of my head, so I started thinking about what it was going to be like when things opened up again. It was definitely challenging creatively.”

Brandyn Burnette

Grateful for his creative outlet though, whether on Zoom, FaceTime or simply at home, the artist found peace in just being able to make a song.

“I was expressing myself and it really helped with my anxiety… Without knowing where the world was gonna be, with tons of people getting sick around me, people losing loved ones, it was [a] very dark time. But to be able to pump up some creativity and kind of still keep moving through that was amazing, it really got me through… Writing songs got me through COVID.”

F.A.T.E (From Anxiety To Euphoria)

Not only did writing songs help Burnette deal with daily life during the pandemic, it led him to his new, upcoming project: a 7-track EP called “F.A.T.E.,” put together entirely during his time in lockdown working with different producers and musicians from home (including B-Sams).

“I’m so glad to be an artist in this day and age because I feel like a lot of artists are taking more risks and collaborating more with others outside of their genre.”

Brandyn Burnette

The non-conformity in genre is something that is as present as ever in this upcoming project. Pulling from genres that accompanied him throughout his life, he’s kept with him a mentality he learned from his first ever collaborator, the multi-talented musician Jon Bellion.

Burnette constantly finds himself breaking boundaries and doesn’t limit himself to what his music can be; and he still creates his distinct sound palette.

The journey from “anxiety” to “euphoria” reflects the emotional shift he experienced between broken heart and new love, and all those months in between. He explained it ultimately as an “epiphany moment”, when falling in love pulls you out of the darkness.

“F.A.T.E” is about coming out of extreme sadness and anxiety, into a whirlwind of serotonin and euphoria with somebody new.”

Brandyn Burnette about his upcoming EP

For Brandyn Burnette, it is all about being 100% present

As he continues to create, the ever-evolving Saint Louis musician is digging for even greater levels of honesty than he recently achieved.

Admitting to spending time under the influence, as it is often conceived and true of the music industry, Burnette recently said goodbye to having a foggy mind and somewhat distorted thoughts. After 5 years of smoking regularly with his former partner, he did feel connected to his music but “not super connected to myself,” he said. “So I decided to live a sober life.”

Writing with a clear head is allowing him to dive into deeper parts of himself and tell his story in a clearer way. “It lets me explore things I’ve gone through that I used to think weren’t cool to put in my music but that are actually really important to talk about. Things I never really explored before, because I wasn’t in the best headspace to do so.”

Rather than glamorizing drinking or smoking as he might have done, the singer-songwriter is looking to dig into more personal things such as overcoming anxiety and other mental health issues, peer pressure, and continue writing to help those around him through hard times.

“My emotions are at the surface of my body now.”

Brandyn Burnette

It is a challenge, because of the environment that the entertainment industry provides. But as Brandyn explains, “I’m excited see what it’s like to write about life, without something distorting my headspace. Sometimes it’s painful, but it’s thrusting me towards more honest songwriting.”

Stay tuned for more from Brandyn Burnette

If you haven’t heard them yet, Burnette recently released two of the singles from his upcoming EP “F.A.T.E (From Anxiety To Euphoria): “Addicted” and “Punching Bag”. But there’s more coming.

His new single “Swish” is out today. You can stream it now to get lost in his fresh groove.

And take a minute to follow him on social media and more, and stay tuned for his EP “F.A.T.E” coming to all platforms soon.

2021 summit June 17, 2021
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Small town, big city: Geneva and the 2021 summit

People always ask me what Geneva is like. Small town, big city? I never quite know what to say, because it’s really something in between. Geneva is not a big place, and this fact does not change even with the monumental 2021 summit.

There is rarely a time I go downtown without seeing a familiar face. I know the paved, stone streets of the old town like the back of my hand and nothing feels as much like home as walking by the lakefront or getting drinks or coffee by the river.

But despite that, it doesn’t feel “small” or village-y at all.

What is Geneva like?

Home to the United Nations headquarters, as well as the World Health Organization and many more, there are people from around the world.

The rumble on the streets is a constant blend of languages, reuniting a vast array of cultures. In that way, though this might sound like a stretch, it sometimes doesn’t feel too different from New York City.

what geneva is like
Closed off perimeter in Geneva for Summit (©Geneva State, Le Temps)

To put things in perspective, NYC itself has the same population as the country of Switzerland as a whole.

From bustling to eerily silent: The Geneva 2021 summit

Following COVID-19, everyone found more time to spend outside, and during weeks as hot as this one (which we get perhaps once or twice a year), it can get incredibly busy downtown and by the water.

Which made it that much more striking to see the city as dead as it was these past couple of days. Shutting down the piers and streets on both sides of the lake to enable safe and swift transit for Biden and Putin… the city was paralyzed in a way more drastic than during the first wave of the pandemic. Honestly.

Closed off streets (Route des Eaux-Vives, Pont du Mont-Blanc)

People were told to work from home and school was shifted back to online. Restaurants closed for the day. All week, different areas were prohibited to pedestrians too, as journalistic tents were set up and security enforced.

geneva 2021 summit
Entire Parc de la Grange enclosed with barbed wires

We’d never seen Geneva like it was during this 2021 summit.

Worlds collide

In all sincerity, the commotion the summit generated initially caused some resentment in the implications of having our city host such an event… We’re just recently out of lockdown after all.

But setting the premeditation of it all aside, I can only admit to underestimating the odd excitement of seeing images of Geneva, streets I walk or drive down every day, on a channel like CNN, which always felt so distant.

Before I moved to New York, we would always keep up with the US news from home. Politics and unrest in a country as big as the United States are bound to affect the rest of the world as well.

But after spending a year in NYC, following the crucial recent elections intently, and seeing Biden’s campaign running everywhere, it was that much more insane to watch him stand in front of the beautiful villa at Parc de la Grange, where I jog by on the daily.

Furthermore, seeing live footage of Air Force One on the Geneva Airport’s tarmac, where I’ve boarded every plane in my life. I think I’d only seen that aircraft in movies.

Wolf Blitzer, the anchor of CNN’s The Situation Room, and his team set up their TV set on the rooftop of Hotel Métropole. Giving way to a gorgeous view, it is a spot famous for its happy hour. Blitzer heartwarmingly documented his visit, taking to Instagram repeatedly.

The chief international correspondent for CNN, Clarissa Ward, who has covered ground absolutely everywhere around the world, had the Jet d’Eau in her frame. It is one of Geneva’s most renowned landmarks.

geneva 2021 summit
© CNN YouTube

TV aside, people posted to their social media stories all day, anxiously waiting on their balconies or from street corners. And it’s always somewhat heartwarming to see people you know experiencing something together, however short-lived it may be.

We saw it all, from military tanks (I’m not kidding) driving up the street I used to walk down to ballet class, to army boats out on the lake sailing by us while out on the water earlier this week. It was video after video of the 30 car convoy that escorted Biden to and from the villa of Parc de la Grange.

Tanks on Avenue de France (Photo/@aminatasketches via Instagram)

The President finished his press conference in the blistering sun and had boarded his aircraft before anyone could catch a breath. I doubt it’s ever taken anyone this little time to drive across the city to the airport. Ever.

For a small place, the traffic is usually deadly, but without another car in sight, and no lights, suddenly both politicians were off, in the blink of an eye.

Til next time

It all felt like a lot, and in the most loving way, over the top, because we’re not used to such large-scale implications when it comes to something like this.

We host our share of events from the annual International Motor Show to the nearby music festivals such as Paléo and Montreux Jazz… However, politics rarely take those proportions in this small country. Indeed, the last time such an event occurred was for the 1985 summit between presidents Reagan and Gorbachev, almost 40 years ago.

Seeing “home” on the TV channels that run on cable in my “new home” overseas was in fact quite special. So I’ll continue to try and describe Geneva in the best way I can, until you may choose to pay us a visit again.

abraham lincoln June 16, 2021
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Remembering Juneteenth: How did the U.S. get here?

June 19th marks an unforgettable day in U.S. and world history. Juneteenth is an important part of Black history, an important part of U.S. history. Remembering Juneteenth as it becomes a national holiday means remembering the horrors of slavery, reconstruction, Jim Crow, and subsequent eras, while still being honest about where the U.S. is today.

Let us not forget what the day actually stands for, and trace the origins of a day that speaks of delayed liberation at the hands of nefarious means. This Saturday we honor the day enslaved African-Americans were finally told they were free.

The Emancipation Proclamation

On January 1st, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued an Emancipation Proclamation declaring that:

All persons held as slaves are, and henceforward shall be free.

President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation (January 1, 1863)

Unfortunately, this milestone was not immediately as effective as it should have been, limited by simple means of communication as well as Union versus Confederate rule in different states.

More context surrounding Juneteenth, the newest national holiday

It wasn’t until two and a half years later that the proclamation took effect across the country. Indeed, the Union Army had to enforce President Lincoln’s proclamation for it to truly make a change.

Until they did, it continued to be ignored in many states. Slave-owners even moved to places such as Texas to be able to overlook the late President’s proclamation.

As the Civil War died down in June 1865, the Union Army set foot onto more Confederate territory, all the way to Galveston, Texas. There and then, on June Nineteenth, Union Gen. Gordon Granger announced the end of the Civil War and declared the freedom of all slaves in the state.

“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”

— General Orders, Number 3; Headquarters District of Texas, Galveston, June 19, 1865

Juneteenth history: Was it then the end of slavery?

Again, President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation unfortunately did not ensure slaves’ emancipation nationwide.

Slavery was only formally abolished in December of that year, 1865, when the 13th Amendment was adopted. This made it almost three years for slavery to end after the President’s 1863 proclamation.

A day celebrating freedom

As soon as June 19th, 1866, the date called for a celebration.

Also referred to as Freedom Day, Liberation Day, or Jubilee Day, the holiday brings families together mainly through prayer and good cooking.

Mostly held within one’s household and family, some cities in the US now host larger parties and parades. Some emancipated slaves and their descendants will even pay a pilgrimage to Galveston.

Juneteenth a national holiday

After years of stalling in Congress hoping to make this historic date an official holiday, on Tuesday the US Senate just unanimously passed a bill to make Juneteenth a national holiday. It heads to the House later this week.

Remembering Juneteenth means remembering that it was first recognized as a paid public holiday in Texas in 1980. But the nation has been slow to follow.

Last year’s unrest and heart-wrenching events, from George Floyd’s murder to the tragedy’s subsequent unrest continued to press the importance of the holiday over these past months.

Celebrations were often held on the third Saturday of June, to allow all workers to celebrate. It just so happens to fall on a Saturday this year. But from now on Juneteenth will be able to receive the nationwide attention it deserves. The recognition and officiation of this historic event are much anticipated and will mean Juneteenth is firmly planted in U.S. history.

Remembering Juneteenth means remembering and understanding the full story. It means noting that the day is celebrated outside of the country as well by organizations seeking to honor the culture and achievements of African Americans.

Happy early Juneteenth!

cayley spivey June 14, 2021
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LGBTQ creatives that you need to keep on your radar

There are a plethora of creatives out there that continue to gift us beautiful artworks and also provide audiences with a community to be a part of and identify with. Yes, it is June, and it is pride month, but these LGBTQ creatives matter every single day of the year.

Across art forms, from active advocacy and awareness-raising to being unapologetically themselves, there is a lot that is incredibly inspiring from these artists. Let’s take a look at those that should always be on your radar.

LGBTQ creatives through the lens

Jess T. Dugan – Focused mainly on capturing portraits, Jess T. Dugan is not only preoccupied by the visuals but by what lies beneath them. The artist goes a step deeper with the subjects they photograph, raising awareness and sensibility to their personal stories. There is a beautiful, touching nature to Dugan’s work in its coherence, rawness, and balance.

Menelik Puryear – New York City-born and Brooklyn-raised, Puryear mostly works with lifestyle and fashion magazines.

Blending modern with retro he finds a certain depth in everything he captures and his photographs see no boundaries in terms of perspective, deco and style.

Through his work, he also uses his platform to support other creatives’ achievements and important causes being fought for.

For your ears

Muna – The American electronic-pop trio consists of artists Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson. Known for advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, they are constantly engaging in conversation with their audience on Twitter. In honour of pride month, they curated a playlist asking their followers for input. You can stream the playlist here.

Overall, the band never ceases to drive and inspire their community.

Cayley Spivey – With a Spotify bio that reads “the ginger tomboy you never knew you needed”, the pop-indie-rock artist is as relatable as it gets. As playful and sarcastic as she often is, nothing stops her from getting very real and speaking out for LGBTQ+ rights.

With a new EP on the way, keep an eye out for Spivey’s upcoming music.

In writing

Samra Habib – A Pakistani Canadian photographer, Habib is not only virtuous behind a camera but with a pen in hand. This year, her memoir We Have Always Been Here, was recommended by Mauree Turner, Oklahoma’s first Muslim lawmaker.

In it, Habib not only addresses queerness and gender but also ties it in with questions of religion, specifically Islam.

On another front, the Oprah Daily recently compiled a series of book recommendations from queer authors who explain why each novel was inspiring and important in their lives. The list is not short of compelling suggestions, with the contributions of a total of 115 LGBTQ+ writers. Take a scroll through it right here.

LGBTQ creatives inspire and understand, everyday

Whether it be June or any other month, there are artists to inspire you. Creatives shine every day of the year even if it is not Pride Month.

LGBTQ creatives bound to make you feel less alone through their art and the communities they foster. And they ought to be celebrated.

Bruh June 9, 2021
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COVID graduation: The bittersweet feeling of “freedom”

It’s been quite a year… And in spite of its few silver linings, plowing through Zoom calls and online examinations only exacerbated the desire of students to get this academic year over with. With the uncertainty dictating our lives, envisioning “graduation” during COVID revealed itself to be even more of a challenge and a roller coaster of emotions.

Still, this important transition was celebrated in a variety of ways across the nation. We asked graduates who were recently granted their freedom about the bittersweet feelings behind such an experience.

An attempt at reality

It was nothing like what I expected.

Amanda, Cornell University

Among other colleges like Duke University and New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, Cornell University was one to make an in-person graduation possible for its students. Amanda, who recently graduated from the institution, shared her feelings with us following the event.

“I was relieved and grateful we were able to have some sort of in-person ceremony,” she said.

“However, it felt a bit impersonal that we didn’t get to walk across a stage or hear our name announced. I was so glad to be allowed 2 guests, though I wish my whole family was able to watch in person. In classic Ithaca fashion, the weather was gloomy and cold, but it almost felt like the perfect way to culminate my experience at Cornell.”

A COVID graduation… on Zoom

Unfortunately, an in-person commencement was not the choice of every college. Padma, a graduate student of NYU, explained she was grateful for one thing. This was in fact her master’s graduation and not her bachelor’s.

I would be really devastated if it was my undergraduate graduation ceremony this year, because one can get as many masters as they want, but a bachelor only happens once in a lifetime.

Padma, New York University

NYU’s mention of an in-person commencement fell through relatively quickly. This was to the understandable sorrow and frustration of many, especially as restrictions seemed to loosen.

The university’s ceremony was held on Zoom. And in spite of efforts, it could not equate to what graduation is truly supposed to be like. The students’ disappointment, made worse by the year that led up to it between unchanged tuition fees and lack of human contact, was rather unanimous.

The disconnected feeling of celebration and the lack of opportunity to take graduation photos as one traditionally does in front of the arch at Washington Square Park, all contributed to the particularly bittersweet taste of this year’s transition to freedom.

I don’t know what a master’s graduation was like before Covid-19, but I’m sure the atmosphere was definitely more formal, celebratory, and real.

Padma, NYU

For students this academic year, finding silver linings in the unexpected

Despite the ache of not having graduation take place in person, the circumstances let some students get creative. Trinity, another graduate student at New York University, shared her own adventure with us, starting with this:

NYU ditched me on graduation, so I ditched NYU for Hawaii!

Trinity, New York University

Granted, that may not be the traditional take on the event. But taking the good with the bad, the group of recent graduates sought to create their own unforgettable experience on the special day.

“A couple of friends and I planned our graduation trip to Hawaii after we heard that we wouldn’t have an in-person graduation,” said Trinity from NYU.

“I mean, what could be cooler than wearing your bikini under your graduation gown and having a graduation ceremony at the beach? We zoomed in to the virtual commencement at 4 am local time. Just to catch the moment when our names were called. Then we fell back asleep, ready for a day full of activities in the nature.

It was THE BEST GRADUATION experience I’ve ever had! Yes, not having an in-person graduation basically means not having a graduation at all. But we found a better (and hotter) way to celebrate this significant journey and transition of ours, together!”

Trinity, NYU

A COVID graduation isn’t ideal, but it means just as much, if not more, as any other year

Graduation isn’t quite replaceable. It’s a transition that happens once, maybe twice, or a handful of times. But each one signifying a new chapter in life.

It is with heartache that for another season yet, we had to watch these accomplished students throw their caps in the air at a distance or through a screen. But in no way does the peculiar unfolding of events take away the value and importance of what graduation represents.

We wish every one of the students from the recent academic year the greatest of successes in the future; one that is hopefully brighter and more real than the past year proved to be.

Deep sea creatures
Kulture June 8, 2021
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Deep sea creatures you don’t know about… and might not want to

There is an entire world out in the deep realms of the planet’s waters that is home to creatures you’d never know existed. Today, as we celebrate World Oceans Day, we take a moment to shed light on a series of deep sea creatures.

These unlikely species have been seen before in person, but not by many. And with their intense and almost surreal appearances and activities, maybe that is for the best. Regardless, on this World Oceans Day, we wanted to share exploration into the deep sea, of creatures who will make you think more about what this planet holds.

13,000 feet deep: the Dumbo Octopus

deep sea creatures
© NOAA, Okeanos Explorer (via oceana.org)

If you just thought of Disney’s 1941 film Dumbo, then you guessed it right.

With two ear-like finches extending from above each eye, this octopus was indeed named after the famous cartoon.

But rather than flying high in the sky, the Dumbo Octopus is actually the deepest-living creature of its kind. Inhabiting waters of at least 13,000 feet in depth, its average size is about 11 inches, so you are probably just as likely to run into one of these as you are of encountering a flying elephant.

3,330 feet deep: the Barreleye

creatures world oceans day
© 2004 Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)

A creature that truly propels us to the other dimension that is deep, deep water is the Barreleye fish or “spookfish,” which… really is a little spooky.

With a completely see-through top part of the head, the Barreleye somewhat looks like an animated, CGI, sci-fi organism. Surprisingly enough, the fish usually only measures about 4 inches in length, making its appearance probably more mind-boggling than it is intimidating.

Mostly found in Northern Pacific regions, the fish can remain completely motionless due to its flat fins, making it just a little spookier.

2,000 feet deep: the Vampire Squid

deep sea creatures world oceans day
© 2004 MBARI

In the same way that vampires live during the night, the squid of the same name thrives in the darkest of waters, where virtually no light ever shines through.

Able to survive at ocean depths with the lowest of oxygen concentrations, the Vampyroteuthis infernalis is much less threatening than it sounds. Indeed, no blood-sucking here.

Although its scientific name stands for “vampire squid from hell,” it only feeds off of particles drifting through the deep waters in which it lives.

700 feet deep: Rhinopias

Considered one of the holy grail’s of underwater photography, this genus of the scorpionfish is housed in the Pacific and Indian oceans.

It is one of the reasons Lembeh in Indonesia is a sought-out destination for underwater photographers. Artist Nadya Kulagina was able to get up close and personal with the creature.

Known to move very slowly, if at all, Rhinopias actually aren’t completely harmless. Behaving like other scorpionfish, they can camouflage to their surroundings quite convincingly.

So while their relatively huge mouths won’t be as much of a problem for you as it may be for other small ocean creatures, their venomous spines might. Then again, unless you are actively looking for one, finding yourself nose to nose with one like Kulagina did is rather unlikely.

Back at sea level: The Mudskipper

World famous photographer Thomas Peschak has captured creatures from the depths of the ocean to its surfaces.

See his shot of a Mudskipper; the result of remarkable perseverance and patience from the artist. On the coasts of Kuwait, the fish can lie motionless on muddy surfaces for hours on end, making this photograph of it thrust into the air a rarity.

Though not dangerous in its nature, it is not to be mistaken with a creature of the same family of Goby fish.

The latter has been associated with cases of tetrodotoxin poisoning. Mostly defensive with its peers while in the wild, the Mudskipper is known to be misleadingly aggressive. However, that does not stop some individuals from keeping one at home in a tank.

Wild deep sea creatures

These creatures live so deep in the ocean that their pictures are most often captured by robotic gear and apparatus. Thus, none of us have actually ever seen many of them in the flesh.

However, that does not stop talented photographers from adventuring into the sea to capture mind-blowing images.

From the shores we see to the extravagant and unattainable depths of the ocean, we remain unaware of a lot of what lives on Earth. There are unimaginable kinds of beings, many that would be difficult to make up. On World Oceans Day, let’s celebrate the wilderness and uniqueness of the waters that make up our home.