What's Next For Our Future Forum Artists?

The pilot year of Open Signal's Future Forum program provided an in-depth learning experience for eight socially-driven media makers. Our inaugural cohort of artists closed their time with us in June, having spent the previous ten months experimenting with art, technology and social engagement while taking their work to the next level in a shared learning environment.

Here's what they're up to:

ariella tai

ariella is one of the curators for the first and the last, a Black experimental film and new media arts project that will be hosting workshops and screenings throughout the summer and fall of 2018.

On July 27, they will host a screening for Kalimah Abioto at the Paragon in NW Portland. Following this, on July 28 and 29, they will host a workshop and screening with Jaleesa Johnston at the Alberta Abbey, and they will also host musician and artist Wizard Apprentice on August 4 (venue to be announced.)

Rounding out the summer into fall, ariella also has an event at the Littman + White gallery in August and will have an installation for the Time-Based Arts festival in September at the Nat Turner Project art gallery.

RaShaunda Brooks

RaShaunda is currently working on the launch of Open Signal Labs, a new incubator for emerging African-American filmmakers. In addition to accompanying artists to Chicago this month, she is also planning several events and projects for Y.G.B., including a jazz concert on August 9 and screening of Black Panther at Lents Park on August 17. RaShaunda also works as the manager for local R&B group Brown Calculus.

Ashlin Aronin

Ashlin is currently at ITP Camp in New York City, building and learning from a group of creatives making art with technology. Following this, he will embark on a road trip around the southern half of the country, playing shows in Loa Angeles and New Orleans. Later this summer, he’ll be at Art Farm in Nebraska to work on material for a new album before returning to Portland.

Jaleesa Johnston

Jaleesa will be facilitating a workshop with the first and the last on blackness, photography and experimental video animation at the end of July. She will also be participating in the New Media Fellowship at Open Signal for the fall session.

She’ll be continuing the Alembic Resident Artist Program with Sophia Wright Emigh and Fernanda D'Agostino at Performance Works NW, and will also be a participating artist in residence at the Centrum Emerging Artist Residency program in October.

Samantha Cohen

Samantha will be teaching animation camps at Open Signal all summer!

Sophia Emigh

Sophia is in month four of the 10-month Alembic Resident Artists Program (a performance residency) at Performance Works Northwest, along with two collaborators from the Future Forum cohort — Jaleesa Johnston and Nanda D’Agostino. They will be developing In/Body, the immersive multimedia performance ritual first performed at Open Signal’s Winter Lights Installment, and sharing its next iteration in a performance next February.

Fernanda D’Agostino

Along with Jaleesa and Sophia, Fernanda is participating in the Alembic Residency at Performance Works Northwest and will continue to develop the performance collaboration begun for the Portland Winter Lights Festival event at Open Signal. Her New Media Fellowiship show at Open Signal opens in September and will include video of Sophia and Jaleesa.

Also in September, Fernanda will have an installation at Disjecta as part of Culinaria again incorporating body work footage of Jaleesa and Sophia. Fernanda has also been invited to collaborate with Justin Hoover and Collective Action Studio on a project in Riga, Latvia to begin in May 2019.