ARTISTIC FLOURISH

Your Weekly Recap of ARTIVISM events!

Kai Malette

July, Week Three

It's safe to say that you can lose yourself in the carefully curated vibes of the ARTIVISM crew. Collectively, we continue to create art for the culture, in a way that keeps us from collapse.

Welcome all, to another edition of the ARTIVISM recap blog! It's been a real fulfilling week, as anyone who joined us at any of our events can tell you. Fresh experiences and fun times, straight from the beautiful coalition of minds that band together to create the world that we want to see.

If you missed out on this week's events, that's okay, I guess. I'm here to get you all caught up, announce next week's events, and by the time you finish reading, you'll be ready to join us for our next bout of mischief and creativity!

And of course, feel free to read about the previous weeks here:

All Posts!

Sounds good? Great. Let's do it.

Monday, July 14 - Melodic Mondays at

Aurora Market: Salsa Night

"¿A ti te gustan bailar?"

Everyone should enjoy a good dance every now and again. Luckily, we are very able to capitalize on that wish. As we do every Monday- in collaboration with Aurora Market, we hosted another installment of our 'Melodic Mondays' series, dedicating it to a Salsa/Latin dance night. As a Florida native, an event like this felt like home. For those raised in or born of the culture, I imagine the feeling is similar. IcyTides, one of our favorite hosts and co-founders set his playlist up, and the night began with high energy.

We are always of the mind that active participation is the best kind of participation at our events, so if you come to an ARTIVISM event that has 'dance' in the title, please be prepared to do so. You're never being forced, just heartily encouraged.

"I don't know how to dance, Kai!"

Guess what? Your skill level is never a factor in your attendance. And trust me, if you can count to four, you'll learn. Such was the case of one of our guests, who was unfamiliar with the movement. Within minutes, we got her moving in simple steps, and by the end of the night, she was someone's partner, hitting more complex steps. You're never too old or uncoordinated to learn. While the night played out, we all found ourselves stepping and spinning as the music swirled around us.

You'll be moving just like this, I promise you that.

This all sounds like a rather exciting experience, right? "I wonder when this will come around again, it seems fun!" you may be thinking to yourself. Well, do I have some good news for you: Salsa night will be a monthly event! One Monday each month will be dedicated to a dance party, so keep an eye and ear out for the announcements in the future, and go buy some dancing shoes if you haven't already.

Tuesday, July 15 - Sankofa Jam Session

Ah, Jam Session Tuesday. At this point, our evenings together feel about as natural as breathing, because yes, we do have somewhere to be at 8 PM.

We gathered in Sankofa Video, Books, and Café, as we have done many times before. The instruments were tuned, seats were taken, and a fresh jam began.

Jus Josh lays it down on the bass.

I'm giving a special shoutout to our other co-founder, Jus Josh, for starting the night with a new slap bass instrumental that was funky, smooth, and set the tone for the rest of the night. Everyone who came forward had something new to share- from a soft guitar riff that transformed into a blues piece, or vocals that needed a simple drum background to slowly crescendo. Each act served as a constant reminder that it is through community that we at ARTIVISM evolve. We could host events and play our music for eternity, but it is the people that show up and add their own flair to the evening that bring it home. So, if you have a little jam, a little groove brewing in your mind, don't be shy! Come to our stage and let it out, we'd love to hear it.

We hope to see you this coming Tuesday for another installment at Sankofa, your energy is always welcome.

Full house is the best house.

Saturday, July 19 - Dig Dug Dig Festival

Oh my word, a Saturday event. In this economy? Yes.

ARTIVISM was blessed to be a part of the Dig Dug Dig Music Festival at Penn Social, serving as one of many vendors offering services as live music played in the venue below.

The best to ever work the door!

Our table was originally stationed outside, allowing us to greet people as they walked in- friendly faces to brighten the day. Of course, I say "brighten" in a metaphorical sense. While we were only tabled for a short few hours, the sky decided to open up right in the middle of our time. Nevertheless, ARTIVISM was able to expand to a different audience, and that is all that we can ask for in the long run- for us to share our art where it will be appreciated.

Next Up?

One more week in July, friends! Summer nears its end. But ARTIVISM continues through the days! We've got some special events coming up, and visuals to show for it! Here are your announcements regarding this coming week:

Monday, 7/21 - Poetry and Music Slam @ Aurora Market

Our latest Melodic Monday sees us with a special host for the evening: Afomiya! If you're as curious to know how that will go down as I, swing by Aurora Market at 7 PM!

Tuesday, 7/22 - Sankofa Jam Session

As always, join us at Sankofa this Tuesday evening for another spectacular Jam Session. 8 PM - 10 PM

Saturday, 7/26 - Boiler Room at Epic Lounge!

This is truly exciting. This is a new event for us, but we are hosting a Boiler Room session at Epic Lounge this coming Saturday! Details are coming soon, so please keep an eye on the ARTIVISM Instagram, @_artivism to learn more! This blog will be updated in turn once the announcement is made.

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That's all I have for you today! We extend our sincerest gratitude to you all for your continued support, will, and drive to create a better world through our art.

And now, a passing thought from yours truly: imagination is the greatest song your mind can sing; its tune will carry you to places you never thought possible, creating wonders far beyond your wildest dreams. It's probably the best gift we have as creatives.

Peace and Love to you all! See you soon!

EDIT: As of today, 7/26, we've had to postpone the boiler room to a later date. Sorry y'all! We'll announce a new date later on.