This Thursday at the Coffee Cave (45 Halsey St.), in recognition of Women’s Herstory Month, EVOLVE NJ presents its celebratory event, YOU MATTER QUEEN. The show will be episode four of the Ascended Artist Series where EVOLVE NJ’s weekly open mic brings in some of the best in local and out-of-state performance art as features,
Last December, after the murders of Eric Garner and Michael Brown by police were ruled by Grand Juries to never see trial, poet Se’lah The-Author presented an event in Center Stage Cuts called YOU MATTER KING. The premise was to take time and show black men, local and beyond, their lives have value, as well as give men and women the platform to say so.
YOU MATTER QUEEN, expands on that premise. Recognizing that similar crimes (and many other stories/ topics in relation to black women) go on with little to no coverage, the vision of ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH ARTISTRY is applied to not only create a platform for women to speak THEIR stories on THEIR terms, but also celebrate those whom have given their all in the name of love and community.
The show will include feature three prominent women artists: Poet On Watch, Director of Programming in the Newark LGBTQ Center; Kelly Thomas, a performance and healing artist, and member of the Essential Elements Collective, whose studio is located at Gallery Affero: and Helena D. Lewis, an alumnus of Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry whose One Woman Play, Call Me Crazy: Diary of a Mad Social Worker won the AUDELCO 2014 award for Best Solo-Performance.
The night will also include tributes to three women whom have been prominent in their contributions to the city of Newark and beyond; Viviana Salgado, Brand Manager at The Newark Times, Founder of VS Design Studios, and Makeup Artist; Breya “Blckberry Mollasez “Knight, poet, author, singer, and hair stylist; and Margie “Mia X” Johnson, Creative Director of Imagined Life LLC, which has produced Peoples Open Mic, Hug The Block, and other projects.
Jaleesa McEachin, a graduate of Essex County College (where she hosts the talk show, Newark : City of Poets) will be hosting the event, with tributes facilitated by EVOLVE NJ Founder and Producer, Sean Battle. The show will also include other special performances, an open mic, and giveaways. There will be a $10 cover, and the show runs from 6PM to 10PM.
For more information on EVOLVE NJ, check the link here.
