Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts
In partnership with the Connecticut Office of the Arts, Assets for Artists is thrilled to welcome this group of talented Connecticut artists into our Capacity-Building Program! We hope you’ll take a few minutes to read, meet and follow them as they progress through our program!
Alibaba Awrang
(New milford)
Calligraphic practice can be defined as the art of giving form to signs and sounds in an expressive, harmonious, and balanced manner. For centuries, Persian calligraphy served as a mirror for mystical and literary teachings. In his work, Alibaba Awrang (he/him) presents a new artistic reality – by crossing the border of the long-standing tradition of calligraphy, linking calligraphy with painting, he reconstructs the past and brings it into the present.
While Awrang has a deep understanding of traditional calligraphy and how it was done in the past, he takes a bold new approach with the aim of enriching the art to make it more contemporary. His works reflect both a continuation of and a transition from a long-standing calligraphic tradition. In other words, his calligraphic works are rooted in the past while opening the window to future horizons.
The graphic and aesthetic aspects of calligraphy are hugely important for Awrang. His calligraphy works are important not because of their linkage to religious teachings and Islamic literature, nor because of their belonging to Islamic mysticism. Their uniqueness is derived from the attempt to cross the boundaries of tradition by the combination of script and painting.
Desiré Graham
(New Haven)
Desiré Graham (she/her) is a performer, director, dramaturg, and arts administrator. She sings to connect to a past that is not just hers, but a history of many. She writes to reconcile the shade and the sun. She collaborates, in a constant search for those who also feel the tug to be elsewhere. From 2019-2022, Desiré was based in Tuscany, Italy as a company member at the Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards. Currently based in the U.S., Graham is committed to the cultivation of artistic spaces that foster transparency, active listening and anti-oppressive practices as a requirement. In alignment with these values, Desiré works with Double Edge Theatre and VLA Dance as a recurring artistic collaborator. Additionally, she curates residency spaces such as The Black Residency and On the Table. Graham also hosts a workshop series entitled, Somewhere in Between, an invitation for BIPOC and ALAANA New Haven residents to discover the use of communal singing, give weight to their vibrational soul, activate, and call on others to join in. She is freely in-process, if you have any questions about what she’s done or where she’s been, please ask about it.
Emma Palzere-Rae
(New London)
Emma Palzere-Rae (she/her) is a playwright, actor, director, and producer whose work focuses on the healing power of theater and storytelling. Emma spent 15 years as part of the NYC theater community, where she began producing one-woman plays and founded Be Well Productions. Emma’s solo plays include “Aunt Hattie’s House”, about what compelled Harriet Beecher Stowe to pen “Uncle Tom’s Cabin;” “Live from the Milky Way… It’s Gilda Radner!”; “The Woodhull Project,” about 1872 Presidential candidate Victoria Woodhull; and “Breaking Glass,” inspired by the life of Victorian photographer Julia Margaret Cameron. Emma serves on the steering committee of the League of Professional Theatre Women (CT Chapter), the board of Mystic Film Institute, and co-chairs the New London (CT) Arts Council. She is a member of Actors Equity Association and the Dramatists Guild, where she serves as the regional representative for New England-West. Emma holds a B.F.A in Acting with minors in Creative Writing and Speech from Emerson College, Boston. In 2021, Emma was awarded an Artist Fellowship from the CT Office of the Arts.
Joel Melendez
(harwinton)
Joel Melendez (he/him), co-Founder of the touring duo Matica Arts and Thrive Movement Studio, is a “Physical Artist,” musician, and Capoerista who loves exploring the vast capabilities of the human body. A gifted performer known for his unicycling, clowning, juggling, improvisational and acrobatic skills, he has traveled the Americas performing and learning. Joel is on the Hartford Performs artist roster with his innovative Capoeira program, serves as Capoeira director at Plus One Defense in West Hartford, and is a teaching artist for Oddfellow's Playhouse in Middletown. Joel sees the arts as a vehicle to inspire, connect and transport the audience to a mystical world free of inhibitions where all is possible
Kay douglas
(Watertown)
As an interdisciplinary portrait artist and educator Kay Douglas (she/her) uses her work to engage individuals in conversations rooted in race, history and privilege. Emory Douglas’ and his work for the Black Panther Party for Self Defense as the Minister of Culture is what inspires her artistic style and her desire to use her art as a vehicle to curate brave conversations.
Douglas uses patterns with hidden narratives about the African Diaspora to engage individuals visually with portraiture, while centering stories of liberation, pride and resistance. She creates intentional spaces for her portraits to provoke conversations and it is Douglas’s desire is that people will engage in important dialogue that bridges the gap between historic and current day narratives.
As a mother, artist and educator it is important for Douglas to make work centered around the black experience and how it is influenced by current and past events involving race, history and privilege.
Keith Verdini (AV the artist)
(New London)
Keith Anthony Verdini Jr. (he/him) a.k.a. AV the Artist is a multidisciplinary artist, educator, and entrepreneur born and raised in New London, CT. His art and music explore themes such as social justice, mental health, self-love and his personal experiences with people, love, society and finding purpose. He has been writing and recording music for over a decade and has recently begun to reintroduce drawing and painting back into his life while also exploring new forms of art such as fashion, graphic design and sculpting. His love for art has led him to pursue a career where he can encourage and inspire others through different mediums while also being able to grow as an individual. He currently works as a mentor and Behavior Motivator at New London High School and in his community. His art and clothing has been featured at several in-person events and can be found on his website (www.avtheartist.com).
Michelle Brown (DJ Michelle BEE)
(bolton)
DJ Michelle Bee (she/her), an open-format DJ & visionary, transcends boundaries. Balancing motherhood with exploring her crafts in songwriting, singing, production, education, event curation, and mentorship, she reshapes traditional roles. Her multifaceted and innovative style defies limitations, showcasing versatility and fearlessness in artistic expression.
Beyond DJing, Michelle Bee founded Afro Hrs, celebrating vibrant Afrobeats music without commercial restraints. The initiative, now including an online radio segment called The Afrobeats Hub, provides a dynamic platform for local Afrobeats and Afro-fusion artists of all disciplines. Michelle also hosts weekly karaoke and consistent open mics throughout CT, offering diverse talents opportunities to elevate, showcase, and connect. Through collaborations, she actively shapes authentic cultural spaces, uplifting artists, and creating meaningful experiences.
Her 'From Start to Spin: A DJ Essentials Workshop' empowers diverse communities through transformative music and entrepreneurship education, emphasizing the importance of representation. Michelle Bee's dedication breaks barriers, cultivates inclusivity, and makes a distinctive mark on diverse musical landscapes.
Rya GreenE
(Torrington)
Rya Greene (she/they) is a Connecticut-based queer and nonbinary choreographer, performer, teacher, and dance administrator working on the land of the Mohican people. They graduated Magna Cum Laude from Grand Valley State University, studying Dance and Public & Nonprofit Administration. At Grand Valley, Rya worked with Helanius Wilkins, Stacy Reischman Fletcher, Rachel Abrahams, and Leslie Scott. Working with Abrahams and Scott, they performed in the 2019 GVSU Fall Arts Celebration alongside BODYART Dance. While at Grand Valley she was awarded the Alexander Calder Honors Dance Scholarship, the Upper Division Dance Scholarship, and the Excellence-in-a-Discipline award for dance. Choreographing for studios and colleges, Rya has also presented work at numerous regional dance and choreographic festivals in Michigan and Connecticut. She was the guest choreographer for Garte&Co’s second annual ECLIPSE performance and was awarded a grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts’s New England Dance Fund to go towards the creation of a new work. They also sit on the Connecticut Office of the Arts inaugural READI Council.
Sarah Ghonaim
(Manchester)
Sarah Ghonaim (she/they) is a Muslim-American actor and playwright whose work focuses on social equity through an Arab/North African lense. As an actor, Sarah has played multiple roles in productions by Hartbeat Ensemble, Escapism Productions and Faultline Ensemble. As a playwright, she is currently working with Playhouse on Park for a developmental production of her play “Genies in a Bottle”, a fantastical drama based on Arab and Islamic folklore focused on revealing domestic abuse towards femme presenting characters.