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Artists At Work Living wages for living artists. Public art for healthy communities. Long-term recovery together.

Join us for an evening celebrating the arts and artists in Los Angeles County!Artists At Work (AAW) and the Los Angeles ...
09/23/2026

Join us for an evening celebrating the arts and artists in Los Angeles County!

Artists At Work (AAW) and the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture invite the community to celebrate the LA artists and cultural partners in the national AAW initiative and explore the role of artists in recovery and resilience, particularly in strengthening community identity, cultural preservation, and civic memory.

The evening will feature remarks from LA County Arts and Culture Director Kristin Sakoda and a keynote from Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, followed by presentations from local AAW Artists Alma Cielo, Natalie M. Godinez, Benjamin Morales, and Alex McNab about their community work with Los Angeles Conservancy, Los Angeles Public Library/Library Foundation of Los Angeles, Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory, and LA Commons.

The event will include an opportunity for networking to strengthen connections within the LA County cultural field.

Monday, September 28
Check-in: 5:30 PM | Program: 6:00 PM

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Drinks and bites will be served.

Free with RSVP. Limited number of tickets are available on a first come, first served basis. Hit the link in our bio to reserve your ticket!

08/24/2026

In case you missed it, last week we debuted a new video series celebrating the incredible work of the four AAW Artists in Dearborn: Raphique Barakat, Kamelya Omayma Youssef, Lubana Al Quntar, and Layan Srour!

Over the last year, these artists have applied their creative skills and artistic vision to engage in impact areas related to community health and safety, in partnership with lead partner, the Arab American National Museum.

Hit the link in our bio to learn more about the AAW Artists and cohort in Dearborn, and watch the full series.

Special thanks to the Arab American National Museum, Zunnar, and City of Asylum/Detroit.

Filmed & Edited by Joe Aidonidis
Produced by Great Sky Media

08/21/2026

Meet AAW Artist Layan Srour!

Layan Srour is a Detroit-based interdisciplinary artist and curator exploring sound, media, and visual art, with a practice focused on memory, movement, displacement, and belonging, all deeply shaped by her upbringing in Beirut, Lebanon. She is one half of Taqsim, an Arabic electronic and experimental duo with Yvonne Pruneau, rooted in improvisation and personal soundscapes recorded in Lebanon.

In collaboration with the Arab American National Museum and Artists At Work, Layan developed Jalasat (Arabic for “gatherings”), a monthly pop-up performance series that reframes site-specific performance as a point of community care, cultural exchange, and collective storytelling through live music, poetry, and art.

Jalasat aims to strengthen community connections, increase artist visibility, and make cultural engagement more accessible. Each monthly pop-up takes place in a different local café or gathering space, featuring a unique lineup of performers and vendors while maintaining the spirit of creativity and togetherness at its core. Artists are culture carriers and bearers of community as well as keepers of collective memory. Through the support of the AANM, AAW, the City of Dearborn, small businesses, performers, and audience members, Jalasat has become a space of expression, nostalgia, and community.

Watch the full video and learn more about Layan and Jalasat through the link in our bio!

Filmed & Edited by Joe Aidonidis
Produced by Great Sky Media

08/20/2026

Meet AAW Artist Kamelya Omayma Youssef!

Kamelya Omayma Youssef is the author of A book with a hole in it (Wendy’s Subway 2022), which won the Carolyn Bush Award and later earned an Arab American Book Award for Poetry. She is a text and performance worker who teaches, edits, performs, and organizes events in Detroit, NY, and elsewhere. Her work is published by 1080Press, Mizna, Sukoon, the Margins, Poem-a-Day and elsewhere.

During her term with AAW, Kamelya launched an anonymous bilingual publication called Mokh (مخ, which translates to brain). She hopes to create opportunities for community members to write with and  for each other without the pressure to conform to conventions, be they aesthetic or socio-political. The experiment of a curated, anonymous publication is an attempt to communicate clearly without self-censorship or surveillance on critical subjects such as addiction, loss, grief, pain, and identity – offering an opportunity to heal through expression and connection.

By facilitating both online and in-person creative writing/healing sessions, opening submissions online and elsewhere, and welcoming contributors and the community to participate in the bookmaking process, Mokh is a proof of concept for a local print publication that encourages authorship and auteurship. Mokh is a living archive that provides the community an opportunity to produce their own poetics and permissions. And through anonymity, this intervention can happen at once in private and in public. 

Watch the full video and learn more about Kamelya through the link in our bio!

Filmed & Edited by Joe Aidonidis 
Produced by Great Sky Media

08/19/2026

Meet AAW Artist Lubana Al Quntar!

Lubana Al Quntar is an internationally acclaimed Syrian opera and classical Arabic singer, renowned for her powerful voice and unique fusion of Eastern and Western vocal traditions. She became the first Syrian woman to professionally pursue opera, earning international acclaim with awards such as Fifth Prize at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium and the Audience Prize at the Belgrade International Competition. 

In collaboration with the Arab American National Museum, Al Quntar founded the Jawqa Choir, a pioneering initiative blending Arabic and Western choral traditions. The choir is made up of individuals of all ages and backgrounds, many of whom bring unique cultural and musical traditions into the shared space. The members include longtime residents, immigrants, students, retirees, and others who are drawn together by a love of singing and a desire to build community through music.

In Dearborn – a city with one of the largest Arab American populations in the U.S. – voices are a powerful metaphor and literal instrument for visibility, resilience, and celebration. Lubanna is motivated particularly by the choir’s ability to offer a welcoming, creative space where people can bring their full selves, regardless of musical training or background.

Watch the full video and learn more about Lubana and the Jawqa Choir through the link in our bio!

Filmed & Edited by Joe Aidonidis 
Produced by Great Sky Media

08/18/2026

Meet AAW Artist Raphique Barakat!

Raphique Barakat is a contemporary Arab musician who uses diasporic sounds in non-traditional ways. He is a Michigan-based creative who released the 14-song concept album emergence by shrinq mountin on May 26th, 2025. He is also an electronic oud house indie experimental looper musician under the name shrinq jabel—making music from scratch, layering sounds, beats, and melodies to combine with more live music. 

Throughout his AAW term, Raphique has been developing an accessible music curriculum for PreK-5th grade with an emphasis on world culture. He is collaborating with ​Zunnar, a Palestinian pop-up cultural center, to create and share videos, worksheets, exercises, and stories that integrate music education and cultural appreciation. Building off of Zunnar’s work providing immersive cultural experiences, the project will be accessible online and will include historical knowledge, traditions, geographical landmarks, and cultural values in Dearborn as an educational method. Raphique hopes this project helps to combat the pressures of assimilation and feelings of isolation prevalent among Dearborn’s Arab-American youth by nurturing their artistic interests, instilling confidence, and affirming their identity.

Watch the full video and learn more about Raphique and ​Zunnar through the link in our bio!

Filmed & Edited by Joe Aidonidis 
Produced by Great Sky Media

Artists At Work and the Arab American National Museum invite you to an evening celebrating the work of local AAW Artists...
08/10/2026

Artists At Work and the Arab American National Museum invite you to an evening celebrating the work of local AAW Artists Raphique Barakat, Kamelya Omayma Youssef, Lubana Al Quntar, and Layan Srour!

Join us on Thursday, August 13 from 6 - 9pm at the Arab American National Museum for an evening celebrating the work of these four Dearborn-based artists. Over the past year, they have been employed by the Artists At Work (AAW) program to apply their creative skills and artistic vision to engage on impact areas related to community health and safety.

The evening will feature a short video on the four AAW Artists along with live performances, showcasing their artistic practice and reflecting on their work in the community.

Drinks and bites will be served.

This event is FREE and open to the public. Hit the link in our bio to RSVP.

We hope to see you there!

08/08/2026

Meet AAW Artist Mariah Ivey!

Mariah Ivey is a writer, poet, musician, and curator deeply rooted in the city’s vibrant arts scene. A 2016 Art & Soul alumna, Ivey founded the genre-bending hip-hop/soul collective We Are TribeSouL in 2017 while continuing her work as a spoken word artist. Beyond the stage, she is passionate about creating accessible, community-centered arts experiences. Ivey hold s a B.A. in Africana Studies and Philosophy, an M.A. in English Creative Writing from Indiana University Indianapolis and was a 2023/24 Intercultural Leadership Institute (ILI) Fellow.

More of This: A Creative Learning Community was created in collaboration between Mariah Ivey and her community partner, the Center for Black Literature & Culture (CBLC) at the Indianapolis Central Library. The project consists of a communal writing series, book club, performances, creative talks and other activations rooted in literacy, imagination, and communal care. More of This is dedicated to adult learners (ages 18+) who have had limited access to books, reading/writing tools, and imaginative spaces that nurture voice, vision, and self-determination.

This project is guided by two commitments: literacy as liberation—reading, writing, and storytelling as practices of resistance, survival, and empowerment—and communal care & wellness—reframing the library as a sacred third space where healing and connection can flourish. 

Guided by the themes of writers like Audre Lorde, Octavia Butler, Alice Walker, bell hooks, and more, the gatherings will be grounded in an ethic of love, radical care, and truth-telling. The outcomes may include a live performance, a community anthology or zine, and a digital archive of readings and resources on the library’s website for future community use.

Watch the full video and learn more about Mariah Ivey and tCenter for Black Literature & Culture (CBLC) at the Indianapolis Central Library through the link in our bio!  

Filmed & Edited by Joe Aidonidis 
Produced by Great Sky Media

The implementation of Artists At Work in Indianapolis is made possible by the support of the Herbert Simon Family Foundation.

08/07/2026

Meet AAW Artist Andre Parnell! 

Andre Parnell is a community activist, mentor, muralist, youth arts educator, and designer dedicated to using art as a tool for transformation. His work blends public, fine, and commercial art to create spaces that foster connection, healing, and cultural pride. Through murals and creative programming, he sparks dialogue, amplifies community voices, and inspires collective growth. As an educator, Parnell empowers youth to see themselves as artists and leaders, encouraging creative expression with purpose. 

Lawrence Speaks, a collaboration between artist Andre Parnell and Arts for Lawrence, is a deep investigative process on the Far Eastside. The core objective is to transform the neighborhood into a living archive by documenting and celebrating the personal narratives, historical accounts, and collective identity of the community. This journey aims to map the neighborhood’s resilient spirit and identify the local figures who truly embody its unique character.

The project centers on structured oral history sessions, community conversations, and artistic workshops to capture the complexity of the Far Eastside. These sessions specifically explore the marriage of risk and resilience within the community’s experiences. Arts for Lawrence acts as the central hub, providing the necessary space for residents to actively participate in co-creating their neighborhood’s narrative.

Crucially, the gathered stories and information are synthesized into initial proof-of-concept designs, which will culminate in tangible, enduring outcomes such as artworks and installations. Ultimately, this effort seeks to forge deep community connections, turning captured history into a shared vision that inspires future creative and cultural development.

Watch the full video and learn more about Andre Parnell and Arts for Lawrence through the link in our bio!  

Filmed & Edited by Joe Aidonidis 
Produced by Great Sky Media

08/06/2026

Meet AAW Artist Ash Robinson! 

Ash Robinson is an American multidisciplinary artist born and raised in Indianapolis. Trained as a furniture designer and maker, she earned her BFA from Herron School of Art & Design in 2010. While attending San Diego State University for graduate school, Robinson began experimenting with a wide range of mediums and concepts. Known for her reflective portraits, her work is inspired by the resilience, beauty, and complexity of the Black community. With boldly vibrant textures, Robinson considers her multi-media approach as a representation of an eclectic Black society. 

Ash Robinson is collaborating with the Little Red Door Cancer Agency, a longtime provider of free support services for individuals and families impacted by cancer in Central Indiana, on The Power in Transformation, a series of art-making workshops and conversations centered on how breast cancer treatment affects the body. The Power in Transformation creates space for breast cancer survivors to share personal stories that speak to how their bodies, identities, and sense of self have been shaped by treatment and recovery. By centering these voices, the conversations will honor the emotional and physical realities of survivorship while fostering connection and recognition among those who may see themselves reflected in these experiences.

Drawing inspiration from her own journey as a breast cancer survivor, Ash hopes that the workshops and conversations will contribute to a larger narrative that challenges the silence and stigma of treatment. While much of the project unfolds through workshops and shared dialogue, Ash envisions the creation of a collaborative artwork inspired by these lived experiences, one that reflects the complexity, vulnerability, and strength within the Little Red Door community.

Watch the full video and learn more about Ash Robinson and the Little Red Door Cancer Agency through the link in our bio!  

Filmed & Edited by Joe Aidonidis 
Produced by Great Sky Media

The implementation of Artists At Work in Indianapolis is made possible by the support of the Herbert Simon Family Foundation.

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