Cassandra Vincent -Performer (USA)

Cassandra Vincent is a multi-disciplinary performer and conceptual designer with a penchant for new work and the gothic side of art. The telling of an engaging story is the key focus and believing that art has no boundaries she has engaged many art forms including dance, theatre, singing, mime, puppetry and magic. NY excerpts: Citation of Excellence from Talkin’Broadway for her performance in “Eli and Cheryl Jump” at Fringe NYC; dancer/puppeteer The Metropolitan Opera’s “Madama Butterfly”, directed by Anthony Minghella; Regional excerpts: “A New Amahl” with puppet master Basil Twist; independent films including voice and motion capture for “ Silver Circle ”; original productions with her company Vincent Magic Productions; LA: film shorts "Blank Canvas" and "One Hell of a Plan"; Best Director award for premiere of play "The Opening" for The Hurricane Play festival; Member AEA, AFTRA, AGMA & SAGe. Her current collaborative macabre cabaret act “La Petite Guignole" has performed in many East Village venues in NYC, at the Inner Circle of Bizarre Magick convention and will be performing in Las Vegas on December 16th 2010 at Jeff McBride's Wonderground

For more information visit:

http://www.cassandravincent.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/ScarletteUnderground

http://www.thescarletteunderground.com/

Cheng-Huai Chuang - Fashion Designer (USA/ TAIWAN)

Cheng-Huai Chuang got his start in design as a young boy by dressing mannequins at his parents’ clothing store in Taipei, Taiwan. In high school, he designed and starred in his own fashion show, “The Little Boy’s Girl” at the Nan-Hai Art Gallery, part of National Taipei University. This show led to an invitation to design costumes for an experimental theater production, “Yes, but not Only” by the Van Body Theater (formerly, Chibody Theater Troupe). He was also invited to participate in the Taipei Taiwan Art Festival after graduating high school.

In 2006, at the age of 18, Cheng came to New York City to attend Parsons School of Fashion Design. Cheng is currently a design intern for emerging Philippine designer Marc Rancy and launched his first collection for Fall/Winter 2010 in February 2010 during New York Fashion Week. Recently, he designed costumes for the musical "You are a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and designed gowns for the Miss New York Pageant and National Sweetheart Pageant of Miss Manhattan 2009 and Miss Jubilee 2010, Inga Schlingmann. He is also the exclusive designer for drag queen Sherry Vine and is currently producing a t-shirt line featuring Sherry and other drag queens called Drag Tease.

http://www.chuang.me/

http://www.dragtease.com/

Lannette Alvarez - Performer/ Visual Artist (USA)

Lannette D. Álvarez, a performing, visual and teaching artist, is a New York City Chelsea native of Puerto Rican heritage. She holds a Bachelors of Arts in Dance and Studio Art from City University of New York, Hunter College. Ms. Álvarez combines her passions for the visual arts with the performing arts and her admiration of "people watching". Her artistic style encompasses rich fluid lines and colors which emit serene emotions from the subject.

Lannette Alvarez currently enjoys serving her community as a teaching artist in several schools and studios in New York City while she continues to perform and practice her crafts.
Visual Fine Artist. As a studio art student Ms. Álvarez trained in acrylic painitng, drawing, etching for print making, and clay work. She has had her artwork displayed throughout the CUNY campus and has been photographed painting for the school website. She presented her first gallery Solo Exhibition LA Arte Spring 2010 at Perry Studios in Harlem, NYC. The art, which was very well recieved, included an almost complete collection of her paintings, drawings, sketches and etches for print making.

Performing Artist. Ms. Álvarez began her dance training at Ballet Hispanico's School of Dance as a high school senior intern and went on to train at other prestigious institutions including American Ballet Theater`s Collegiate Program under the direction of Nancy Raffa where she danced an excerpt of Raymonda by Marius Petipa set by Katie Lydon, Complexions Contemporary Ballet's Choreography Workshop at Baryshnikov’s 37 Arts directed by Dwight Rhoden and Desdmond Richardson, as a scholarship recipient for Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Traditions Program in Beckett Massachusetts directed by Milton Myers, on scholarship at Dance Theatre of Harlem's School under Endalyn Taylor, The Ailey School's Professional Division directed by Denise Jefferson, and Taller Flamenco studying with Felipe Matos and Lordes Recio in Seville, Spain. As a performing artist proficient in Ballet, Contemporary, Horton, Jazz, Ballroom and Flamenco styles, Lannette has been seen on Harlem Stage at Aaron Davis Hall, The Kennedy Center in Washington DC, Meadowlands Arena’s IZOD Center in New Jersey, Mukonoso Japan, Tribeca Performing Arts Center, The Danny Kaye Playhouse, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance for their BAAD As* Women's Festival, Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out Stage, El Museo del Barrio, Bollywood film “Hastey Hastey”, Food Network, UPN Network, WNBC Network, Fox 5 Good Day New York, and at New York City Hall amongst other venues. As well as performing with the company of Ballet Hispanico, Lannette has performed works by Alberto Alonso, an excerpt of Graciela Daniele’s Cada Noche Tango for a tribute to costume designer the late Patricia Zipprodt, Robin Dunn, Sara Erde dancer with the Metropolitan Opera, Nicola Marino of NiMa Dance Works Italy, Earl Mosley, Pedro Ruiz choreographer and former dancer of Ballet Hispanico, Tim Rushton current Artistic Director of New Danish Dance Theatre, Marcos Santos of Broadway’s In the Heights, Kathryn Sullivan, William Whitener, Ellis Wood of Ellis Wood Dance Company, and Edgar Zendejas of EZ Danza, Canada. She has presented her choreography for Merce Cunningham’s Studio, Harlem Stage at Aaron Davis Hall, CUNY Hunter College, CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College, Project FIND New York City Senior Centers, Arts Cure Center LIC and throughout New York.

http://sites.google.com/site/dancelaart/

Christopher Ong - Designer (USA/Malaysia)

Christopher Ong’s design philosophy has always embraced the contemporary living with the graciousness of tradition, tempered by his singular East-meets-West experience. From Malaysia to Manhattan, Christopher Ong’s journey has brought him into contact with a rich diversity of cultures and sensibilities. The result is Metro-Style, a customized fusion of modern and traditional ulticultural motifs that perfectly complementthe modern urban habitat.

Ong earned his Business & Economic degree from York University, Toronto. He pursued his Interior Design education at FIT, New York City. He further polished his design skillsat Island Outpost/ Island Trading; involved from lifestyle product designs to interiordesign of various critically acclaimed, celebrity-frequented boutique hotels inSouth Beach, Jamaica and the Bahamas.He launched his design firm in 2000, and since has designed interiors for clients from theEast coast to the West and across the pond, country homes and townhouses,apartments, art galleries, and a converted barn in England.Clients enjoy his unexpected approach, with touches of eclecticism and a global look andfeel. Yet his pursuit of beauty does not hamper sense of practicality and comfort.Ong is pleased to introduce perfumed candles in his home fragrance collection inspired byhis childhood in Malaysia. The collection begins with four new fragrances, all candlesare exquisitely Made in France, one perfectly suited to each mood and occasion:GARDENIA ~ WHITE TEA ~ PATCHOULI-FIG ~ POMELO. Products can be ordered from the website:

http://christopherong.com/index.htm

http://www.2020chrisong.blogspot.com/

Orélie White - Singer (Canada)

Orélie White was born in Montréal, Canada. While touring in Europe, she met the successful producer and manager CJ BOMB, owner of the music label RAG SQUAD Music (Club 69, Kim Cooper, DJ DOOZER, DJ Palermo, Norman Bass, Max DJ, Bingoboys etc.). She started studying theater in high school and she also sang in the school choir, where she became known as "the little girl with the big voice". She continued pursuing her studies in theater at Marie-Victorin College and earned her degree in the same field at the Université du Québec á Montréal, while performing in various cover bands throughout Montréal's. Music has always been a part of Orélie's life. She has gone on to achieve great success with her shows where she pays tribute to all her favorite singers. This incrediblytalented young Montréal artist never fails to enthrall her audiences with her special blend of vocals and rhythm. Aside from performing her own concerts, Orélie is increasingly requested as a studio singer.

http://www.oreliewhite.com/

Show Devils - Performers/Burlesque (USA)

When all the most amazing stunt performers in the world speak your name with reverence, they call you among THE SHOW DEVILS. Every performer having a history of theater, music and stage production, they are extremely proficient in all of the areas of theater and stunts. On top of all this, SHOW DEVILS originate and create new stunts, setting the bar and forever changing the face of the art from itself. Strong in identity, each and everyone of THE SHOW DEVILS risk their lives for one purpose , to express themselves in a death cheating live drama.

If you think you are an eye witness to performers of this caliber risking their well being for an audience of hypnotized spectators, then you are probably watching THE SHOW DEVILS.

http://www.showdevils.com/

Kelly Raines - Photographer (USA)

Photography is more than a job for me.... its my passion and my release from the world. I enjoy exhibiting my work in local galleries in my free time and enjoy photographing local groups such as TASK and the Special Olympics to demonstrate the need for incredible organizations such as these.

Some highlights:

Member of the Arts Council of Princeton

Exhibitor at Gallery 14, Hopewell NJ

Exhibitor at South Brunswick Arts Commission

http://www.kellyrainesphotography.com/index.html

Meeke Mutter - Painter (NTH) (USA)

“When it was impossible to find a dance poster of her liking, she came to the decision to create her own and so began Meeke’s dancers.”

Meeke Mutter is an artist from The Netherlands. She is a painter of abstract figurative dancers: Meeke’s dancers. She works in acrylic and watercolor. She started with abstract painting in 1998. Her artwork is exhibited frequently and considered as stunning and beautiful. To her it is all about the beauty of dance and abstract calligraphy.

Meeke is also a dancer. She began her ballet training at the age of eight and has often performed. Later she switched to competitive track and field and ran 100/200 meters. She recently finished a 3-year Professional Training Program at Dance New Amsterdam in NYC with one year on scholarship. Since January 2010 she is studying ballet at Ballet Arts with Kirill Matveev, Kenny Larson and contemporary with Nina Buisson.

Meeke has received her masters from the Free University in Amsterdam in Culture, Organization and Management (Social Sciences). She also completed studies in senior communication consultancy. She has worked as a communication consultant for HVR Public Relations in The Hague.

Her performance experience includes working with modern companies/choreographers Neil Ieremia, Ex Nunc Ex Nunc, Pieter de Ruiter, Anne Rene Petrarca, Hanna Samson. Meeke has also choreographed productions for live jazz musicians in The Netherlands.

”I love colors, especially gold, I love elegant lines, fast brushstrokes. Being an artist means being able to focus and knowing you cannot go any other way. This is who you are. Fantastic.”

http://www.meekemutter.com/

J - Morrison - Designer/Screen Printer/Performer (USA)

Fans of Xiu Xiu may recognize the work of J-Morrison - he created covers for the Vinyl releases of the band's albums "Fabulous Muscles" and "La Foret" - but the self -described artist/designer and screen printer hopes he'll get even more attention for his live collaborations with artists and musicians in his "performative art". Morrison who's work has been exhibited at New York's P.S 1 and John Connelly Presents galleries, has become a downtown darling for the screen prints he creates on canvases, bags, T- Shirts, for audiences at Manhattan's Exit Art Gallery, Brooklyn's Powerhouse Arena and the New York Book Fair. "I am interested in bridging the gap between commercial art market and consumer culture," he says, "specifically through using screen printing as a vehicle to transport the work into other sectors of life".

http://www.j-morrison.com/

Mary Madsen - Dancer/ Choreographer (USA)

Mary Madsen is a small town gal from Maribel, WI. She holds a BFA in dance from the University of WI-Milwaukee in 2003. Since graduating, she has been living and working as a dancer, choreographer and Pilates instructor in New York City. Mary has been dancing with Regina Nejman and Company for 5 seasons, and also currently dances for John J Zullo Dance. Other performing credits include Simone Ferro and Friends II as a Solo Guest artist, (Milwaukee '09), Fusion Danceworks, David Appel Dance, Rebollar Dance Theater, and Foothold dance. In 2005 Mary co-founded the Indie rock band performance group Jigsaw Soul, which she continues to work with as movement director, performer, and collaboration curator. Early in 2008 she appeared as a featured dancer in their music video Cockroach Hotel. Other choreography credits include the production of ‘You Can’t Take it With You’ at the University of Rochester, NY in 2008, and ‘Open the Dark Door’ in the New York Musical Theater Festival (2009). Mary is truly inspired by the momentum of everyday life on the city streets and challenges you to take a moment to 'be still' every now and then.

http://vimeo.com/13351812

Matthew Johnson - Writer (USA)

I guess the first thing you should know about is that I really don't like writing about myself. I've been writing in one form or another since I was a kid, I get my inspiration from the people around me and the emotions they evoke.
There was a stretch of time where I didn't write as much as I wanted, then I met someone and she opened the flood gates to everything I've been writing lately. She is my muse.

I am a father of two beautiful girls. My main focus in life is making them happy and providing for them, and making myself happy.

I enjoy writing and reading, movies and tv. I have a lot inside to write about. I just have to find the words...

http://lyceumdrift.blogspot.com/

Sue K. Green - Photographer (USA)

Photography is a serious hobby of mine. It allows me to give expression to the beauty and diversities around me. I look for that ‘unique’ perspective. Buildings, patterns, flowers and landscapes press me to take them in new focus. I allow myself to appreciate and enjoy the full panorama before studying its’ parts, angles, and lighting. I attempt to create an image that allows the viewer to enjoy the obvious but prompts him to look beyond and create his own story.

CdCC

Cranbury Digital Camera Club has allowed me to grow as an artist by providing me with challenges and new friends with whom I can share my passion. Several of my images have won recognition in their monthly competitions with one, “Geometrics,” taking Best of Show.

PSA, Photographic Society of America has helped to further my development in the ‘art’ and ‘skill’ of photography.

My website is currently under construction but many of my images may be viewed here:

http://www.psa-photo.org/

Awards:

“Geometrics” NYC

1st Place in Class and Best of Show CdCC Competition, May 2008 – Walls

“High Tower” Empire State Building, NYC

HM, January 2008 CdCC Competition – Architectural Elements

“Sail On” San Diego, CA

3rd Place, November 2009 CdCC Competition – Maritime

“On the Buoy” San Diego, CA

HM, November 2009 CdCC Competition – Architectural Elements

“Bird’s Eye Vie” Vestal, NY

HM, December 2008 CdCC Competition – Fall Season Colors

“By the Glow of the Lamp” Forsgate Community, Monroe Township, NJ

HM, April 2009 CdCC Competition – Winter Scenes

“Drip”

3rd Place, October 2007 CdCC Competition – Stop Action

“Fountain in the Fog” Forsgate Community, Monroe Township, NJ

HM, April 2008 CdCC Competition – Water

“Temple of Dendur” Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

HM, December 2007 CdCC Competition – Places of Worship

“Lion’s Paw” San Diego Wild Animal Park, CA

HM, August 2009 CdCC Competition – Animals

“Arnold Palmer” USGA Golf House, Far Hills, NJ

2nd Place, January 2009 CdCC Competition – Portraits

“Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone” Lower Falls from Artists’ Point

3rd Place, October 2009 CdCC Competition – Grand Landscapes

“Bloomin’ Tea” Original Composition

1st Place, January 2010 CdCC Competition – Still Life

“Sound of Music” Museum of Music, San Diego, CA

HM, February 2010 CdCC Competition – Movie Titles

“Tree Ogre” Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ

2nd Place, March 2010 CdCC Competition – Textures

“Flying High” Catskills, Glen Falls, NY

HM, April 2010 CdCC Competition – Standing Out

“Looking at You” Depression Geyser, Yellowstone National Park

HM, May 2010 CdCC Competition – Macro Abstracts

“It’s a Stretch” Thanksgiving 2009

1st Place, June 2010 CdCC Competition – In Flight

Exhibits:

Art and Frame Express, Summer 2007

“City Street”- “Still Life”

Art Way Gallery Princeton, Fall 2009

Art Way Gallery Princeton, Fall 2010

“Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone”- “Across the Lake” – “Morning Mist, Sun, and Shadows”

“NJ Has It All”

South Brunswick Municipal Gallery , January-March 2010

“La Promenade”

“Art for Art’s Sake”

Gallery 125, April 9-June 5, 2010

“Lady of the Lake”

“Spring Song”

South Brunswick Municipal Gallery, April-June 2010

“Cherry Blossoms” – “Tulip Opening”

“Summer Pleasures”

South Brunswick Municipal Gallery, July 13-September 30, 2010

“Sail On” – “Cooling Waters” – “On the Beach”

Lauren Curtis - Photographer (USA)

Lauren Curtis was graduated with a BFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, in 1988. She enjoys working in a variety of media, including oils, acrylics, pen & ink, watercolor and photography. The artist is happiest when creating pieces that represent her love of nature, wildlife, travel and spiritual subject matter. The symbology and mythology of ancient cultures such as Egyptian, Greco-Roman and Celtic are fused with the symbols of modern -day , natural spiritual practices, to form a unique and eclectic style. These images are often portrayed through the woman’s perspective, showing the importance of “The Feminine” , which is sometimes over-looked. Lauren wants to convey the beauty in diversity, as well as the similarities, that run through various cultural belief-systems.

Lauren has had artwork and poetry published by greeting card and crafter companies, magazines and historical organizations, including the Middlesex County Cultural & Heritage Commission. One of her pieces was selected for the

permanent collection of the Joyce Kilmer Library. Her work is displayed in private collections, healthcare centers and galleries. She was selected for a solo exhibit at Johnson &Johnson World Headquarters, July-August, 2009. Lauren has participated in over 90 solo, group & juried exhibitions and is also a member of several NJ Arts organizations. Her artwork has been sold throughout the US and abroad, and can be seen in venues in NJ, NY, MA and PA.

http://sacredcowmusic.com/LaurenCurtisArt/index/index.html

http://laurencurtis.wordpress.com

http://www.laurencurtisart.mosaicglobe.com

http://www.imagekind.com/MemberProfile.aspx?MID=e191dd7c-9467-4a2f-9be4-b6eb58ec4944

Yuhua Hamasaki -Performer/Drag (USA)

New York City's youngest drag queen, Yuhua Hamasaki sings live, acts, lip syncs, and dances. Yuhua has also emceed for numerous contests, dance-offs and the like. This "fierce" queen's performances has been described as flirtatious, witty, funny, loud, wild, and "a rollicking good time". Always expanding her already sizable wardrobe, Yuhua is known for her various looks, ranging from 'real and simple' to over-the-top theatrical campy drag.
Despite her youth, Yuhua has already worked in establishments such as HK Lounge, Boots and Saddles, Lucky Cheng’s, Club Rush, Club Amnesia, Vlada Bar, Evolve Bar, and many more. Yuhua has also promoted and hosted various parties across the city including top venues like Vig 27, Marquee, Star Lounge, and Citrine.

Yuhua is the first runner up in the Gay Socialites Drag Queen of The Year 2009 Awards, and Miss Congeniality of Miss B&S 2010. Yuhua was seen internationally in "The Volta Show" in 2010. Her look was also featured in the Tribeca Citizen Paper, in collaboration with photographer, Chris Zedano. Yuhua has been invited to various schools including Rutgers, NYU, and New Paltz to introduce the art of drag to new audiences. Due to her expertise in drag costume, make-up and performance, The Gay Carribean Pageant invited Yuhua in 2010 to help train amateur drag queens. Yuhua currently resides in NYC and is recording original songs with the internationally-known music producer, Kazuhiko Gomi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OK9z5o0kcLk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mAB3GOxfKI&feature=related

Carl Bromell -Sound designer (Sweden)

I create music and sonic art for dance performance act´s, fashion shows and installations. I try, in everything sonically i do, to explore the nature of he sound and if possible open up a discussion of where the thin line between noise and sound goes.

http://www.grevecarl.se/

Loresa Lanceta -Actress/Singer (USA)

Hailing originally from Louisville, KY, Loresa has been involved in theatre, modeling, music, and dance since the age of five. She attended the Youth Performing Arts School in her native Louisville, and moved to New York City after having graduated from the University of Louisville with a degree in Anthropology. Since then, she has been working steadily in theatre, film, and television. Credits Include: Off-Broadway/NYC: IMELDA: A New Musical(Pan Asian Repertory Theatre), NAATCO's'The House of Bernarda Alba' (Chay Yew, 'Rocky Horror' with Neil Patrick Harris, and 'The Awakening' at the Workshop Theatre Company. Favorite Regional productions include: Miss Saigon (Mimi/Kim cover), My Fair Lady (Actors Theatre of Lousiville, Virginia Stage Company, and TheCleveland Play House), Aida (Nehebka) at Count Basie Regional Theatre, Joseph(Narrator), Evita, and Big River. Film/TV: Salt,Nurse Jackie, and Gossip Girl. She has also worked on various recordings with the Children's Theater Company of New York, is a founding company member of the newly assembled Levianthan Theatre Lab, as well as part of a conglomerate of Filipino artists within the theatre world in NYC called Broadway Barkada, who lend their talents as performers to various charitable foundations. Loresa will next be seen in the New York International Fringe Festival in The Lost Theatre Company's (UN)Natural Disaster. You can visit her website at: www.loresalanceta.com

http://www.wix.com/elledelys/LoresaLanceta

John C. Hume - Performer (USA)

John C. Hume is most well know to NY audiences as the “darling of the downtown cabaret scene” thanks to his sold out one man show JOHN HUME LIVE WITH DANNY KATZ ON PIANO at The Duplex. Other NYC cabaret performances include the ever-popular JOHN HUME…AND FRIENDS series (also at The Duplex) and 7STAGES which played The Metropolitan Room in Fall 2009. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, John has been treading the boards for almost a decade with a diverse resume that runs the gamut from Shakespeare (Orlando in AS YOU LIKE IT) to Rudnick (Adam in THE MOST FABULOUS STORY EVER TOLD) to Stoppard (Valentine in ARCADIA.) John is thrilled to be making his NY Fringe Festival debut this summer in in GROUP, a new play by Daniel McCoy, playing the role of Alan Schwartz. He is currently working on a new one man show entitled THE BLOND IN THE BOX about his adventures in box officing, which will debut this fall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewu96ZM5OS8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMI6kaq-4cw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LehhtkiY-I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tceGyjkCH8k

Francesco La Macchia - Dancer (USA/Italy)

Francesco was born in Catania, Italy, in 1988. He began his dance training at the age of 10 at "Nuova Accademia Arte Danza" under the direction of Fia Distefano. He started his training in jazz and he continued with ballet, contemporary and Hip-hop. He started to perform at the age of 15 at Teatro Metropolitan, Massimo Bellini and Palasport. Francesco appeared in many dance festivals and fashion runways throughout Sicily, he appeared in "INSIEME", a local TV Channel and performed for the singer Massimo Di Cataldo. He attended numerous workshops and mastersclasses throughout Italy and the US with choreographers such as Michelle Assaf, Clarissa Mucci, Wes Veldink, Jason Parsons, Mandy Moore, and Brice Mousset to name a few. During his years of training he received several scholarships from Fia Distefano, Naike Negretti, Michelle Assaf, Brice Mousset and Wes Veldink. In 2008, he moved to New York City to work with Axis Danz and HaitiDansCo.He is currently a member of Michiyo Tanaka, Ballet Hispanico Ensemble and Steps on Broadway Repertory Ensemble.

http://francesco.moonfruit.com/#

Carole Alexis - Singer/ Songwriter (USA)

Born in Martinique Carole grew up traveling, studying and working between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. In consequence, her composition of different cultures manifest itself continuously through her art sharing with the audience the sense of an attachment to universal values. After receiving an artistic formation at the SERMAC, created by Aimé Césaire and directed by Jean-Paul Césaire, with consciousness of her heritage, she studied in Africa in the school of Maurice Bejart (MUDRA), created by Leopold Sedar Senghor and the UNESCO . Due to these choices, today her musical and choreographic creativity is imprinted of a particular resonance. She has worked on different continents with international companies and artists. Among the performances of Carole Alexis we can mention a few concerts in New York:.River to River Festival, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, with guest such as; Harry BELAFONTE, Danny GLOVER,Kathy ENGEL, Michael RATNER, THE MIGHTY SPARROW, Susan SARANDON and The Harlem Gospel Choir. With her group Osmoses, highlight of the FESTIVAL des FRANCOPHONIE DE NEW YORK, organized by different Embassy, and received a very warm ovation. Osmoses is appreciated in great clubs such as: Big Apple Jazz, Shrine, S.O.Bs, Joes Pub, Satalla, Sugar Bar, etc. Her philosophy and her artistic performances are firmly grounded in the assurance that culture is a vehicle for the affirmation of our identity, a value that she takes from the teaching and the legacy of the three founders of the Negritude movement, Aimé CESAIRE, Leopold SESAR SENGHOR, and Leon GONTRAN DAMAS, Fathers of the Negritude. She believes that art is a tool to express, propose, and communicate the infinite possibility of humanity. She also believes that the artist must be a citizen living in the state of consciousness and should be a platform for cultural action leading to a reflection on the possibility of social change.

http://www.osmosescultures.com/home.html

Tri Huu Luu -Photographer (Vietnam)

I was born in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam in 1972 to a family of seven and a devoted Buddhist Mother. When I was three years old, South Vietnam was overtaken by the North. At that point, my father decided to leave and live in the countryside where he is to this day. My Mother single-handedly took care of seven children and worked as a seamstress to make ends meet.

In 1987, my Mother had stroke and died. Three months later, I escaped Vietnam and arrived in Thailand. I stayed in a refugee camp for about a year and then settled in Minnesota, United States.

In 1994, I entered Minneapolis College of Art and Design and graduated with a BFA degree in 1997. Two months later, I moved to New York City.

In 1998, I was accepted into New York University for a masters degree in Buddhism and photography. Halfway through the program, I decided to stop attending NYU and began studying on my own, traveling to different Buddhist temples throughout Asia where I continue to photograph and study.

Currently, I'm traveling around Asia. Focusing on my new photo series "No Past - No Future"

http://www.trihuuluu.com/