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With the Autumn Equinox, we arrive at the moment when the Sun crosses the Earth’s equator and the balance of night and day reach equilibrium. Night inches earlier, bit by bit, as those of us in the Northern Hemisphere glide toward the winter solstice. When the Sun dips below the horizon, a new vision of our 8-ft, gold-gilded sculpture “This Is the Body of the Sun” is born each night. Stop by Arts Landing in Downtown Pittsburgh between sunset and 10pm to experience our sculpture of Ra, the Kemetic solar deity, illuminated in its evening form.

The figure’s chest is wrapped in a 12-row hieroglyphic collar and features a hymn to Ra excerpted from the Kemetic “Book of Coming Forth By Day.” Each of its 12 lines is sculpted in raised relief, transforming the sculpture into a tactile, readable oracle.

The translation is below:

“Ascribe praise to Ra, the Lord of Heaven; the Prince of Life, Strength, and Health; Creator of the Gods. Adore ye Him in His beautiful presence in His rising in the atet boat. The beings of the heights shall worship thee, the beings of the depths shall worship thee. Thine enemy is given to the fire, the evil one hath fallen; his arms are bound, Ra hath removed his legs; the sons of impotent revolt never again shall rise up! The House of the Prince is in festival, the sound of those that rejoice is in the mighty dwelling. The Gods are rejoicing when They see Ra in His rising; His beams flood with light the countries. The majesty of this venerable God advanceth, He arriveth at the land of Manu, He illumineth the earth at His birth every day, He arriveth at His region of yesterday. Mayest Thou be at peace with me, may I see Thy beauties, may I advance upon the earth, may I crush the evil one, may I destroy Apep at his moment.”

We hope that you have a chance to (re)experience the work in this new season.

Music by: @angeltheoracle

#Equinox #Autumn #Spirituality #Astrology #AncientEgypt

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“Give Light to the Whole Circumference” - New Permanent Light Artwork by @rainbowserpentinc (@marques.redd & @mikaelowunna) at the @augustwilsonculturalcenter.

The August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC) has unveiled “Give Light to the Whole Circumference,” a new permanent artistic lighting installation by Rainbow Serpent, visible every night after sunset, that transforms the Center’s iconic exterior into an illuminated public art experience.

Architect Allison Williams conceived the building as a vessel of Black expression, with its signature form modeled after the Somali dhow, a seafaring vessel that carried African culture across oceans. “Give Light to the Whole Circumference” extends that idea through a programmable light experience that activates the Center as a living public artwork that can assume new forms over time.

The installation’s permanent artistic programming draws inspiration from August Wilson’s American Century Cycle, including two immersive light journeys: “Sail the Road of Heaven,” inspired by “Gem of the Ocean,” and “Coming and Going,” inspired by “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.” Additional special lighting sequences have been developed for the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Juneteenth, Pride, and other civic occasions.

The title “Give Light to the Whole Circumference” comes from an ancient Egyptian text that imagines light as a life-giving force radiating outward across the world. In bringing that idea into conversation with August Wilson’s plays, Rainbow Serpent sought to create an experience in which light becomes a language for memory and spiritual transformation – a force that connects the ancestral and the contemporary, the earthly and the cosmic.

Created with support from the Henry L. Hillman Foundation, @radworkshere, and @downtownpitt. Fundraising is still underway for Phase II, which is supported in part by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development and Nancy D. Washington.

Artists / Creative Direction: Rainbow Serpent (Marques Redd & Mikael Owunna)
Technical and Systems Support: @sprklighting
Photo/Video: @joeykennedyphoto

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To celebrate yesterday’s new moon, we want to share one of our latest cosmological portraits entitled “X (Nu/Apuat/Geb).” For those who get to this post early, if you swipe through there is also a little sneak peak at our artistic and photographic process. We rarely share behind the scenes, and this may or may not survive Instagram, so we hope you all enjoy it while it is available.

We had the immense pleasure of collaborating with legendary photographer @ajamustudios last year as he shot “FIERCE: Pittsburgh,” a series of portraits of Black LGBTQ luminaries in Pittsburgh. While he was in Pittsburgh, we also took the opportunity to photograph him in our own Rainbow Serpent style as well. Shot over two days in three distinctive painting motifs, Ajamu embodied the deities Nu, Apuat, and Geb - three deities from Rainbow Serpent Cosmology.

Together, these figures form a triptych of elemental forces: Nu, the primordial Black waters of infinite potential; Apuat, the opener of ways and cosmic navigator; and Geb, the god of the living Earth and tactile embodiment.

Through fluorescent body paint, sacred gesture, ultraviolet photography, and precise photographic composition, the portrait reimagines the ancient Egyptian Geb–Nut tableau as a modern-day Black queer cosmogram. Ajamu’s body becomes both surface and conduit, a living axis where myth and flesh converge. This is portraiture as ritual act.

Creating the final composited image greatly expanded our creative practice - layering temporal and spiritual registers into one visual field. The result is composited embodiment, a photographic cosmogram that signals a deepening of our engagement with myth, ritual staging, and the living body as divine text.

Photography & Painting: @marques.redd & @mikaelowunna
Model: @ajamustudios

#rainbowserpentcosmology #cosmology #divineart

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Lately in Pittsburgh Pt. 3. Thaddeus Mosely's 100th birthday celebration. While a part of our summer roundup, this celebration deserves its own highlight. The late sculptor Thaddeus Mosely is a legend, an icon, and one of the best representations of Pittsburgh and craft our city could hope for.

Photo credit Kilolo Luckett (Alma | Lewis).

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Georgia friends! Tomorrow, Friday, Aug 21 @ 5:45pm, we will be screening our film “Miracles: The Redd Family Collection of Black Art” at @maconfilmfest. Please join us at @masmacon for a screening and panel featuring Melgenia Redd and @marquita.sams from the Redd Family.

About the Film:
In 1990, Melgenia and Vernon Redd opened a gallery called Miracles Fine Art, and it was the first institution of its kind in Macon, GA, that specialized in exhibiting the work of Black artists. Inspired by an activist passion forged in an era that saw the end of Jim Crow, they were determined to contribute to the preservation and celebration of Black art and culture. Over time, they built a collection of over 800 items, including paintings, sculptures, masks, mixed media works, and woven fabrics. In 1996, the gallery was closed due to health challenges. The entire collection was subsequently moved to storage.

This documentary explores the history of the collection and its revival in the 2020s by their children @marques.redd and Marquita Sams.

#MaconFilmFestival #MiraclesFineArt #BlackArtCollection #ReddFamilyCollection

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This week at PRS we bring you more musical celebrations, in-depth discussions, esoteric explorations, and one-of-a-kind talks throughout our beautiful campus AND online! PLUS tune in to KCHUNG (kchungradio.org/stream) this Wednesday morning for our monthly radio show SEEKERS' SALON 😎

👉 Swipe to see the full lineup!

For details and tickets, visit prs.org/events ✨

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Saturday August 15! Join us for an online talk with Dr. Marques Redd.

“Bringing the Gods Back to Life: Black Queer Cosmologies in Sculpture, Ritual, and Film”

What does it mean to revive ancient Egyptian cosmology as a living, embodied practice centered on Black queer life? In this online class, Dr. Marques Redd shares the vision behind Myth‑Science of the Gatekeepers, a project of the collective Rainbow Serpent (which advances Black LGBTQ culture through emerging tech, multimedia art, and traditional African knowledge systems). The project’s core is a set of sixteen life‑size glass busts of Black queer people, each cast in the form of a reimagined Egyptian deity – Amun, Khonsu, Ra, and others.

These sculptures are potent ritual objects at the heart of a rapidly growing artistic and spiritual universe, inspiring additional works produced by Redd such as (1) Blackstar Sanctuary, a VR film featuring a virtual temple dedicated to the sixteen deities; (2) Opening the Mouth, a live performance, inspired by the ancient Egyptian Opening of the Mouth ritual, designed to ritually enliven the statues; (3) This is the Body of the Sun, an eight‑foot, cast aluminum sculpture of Ra; and (4) May We See Thy Beauties, a forthcoming feature film with fourteen members of the Sun Ra Arkestra.

Redd will situate this work within three interwoven histories: the complex metaphysics of ancient Egyptian artmaking; the African American tradition of engaging ancient Egypt (beginning with the 19th‑century scholar, journalist, and abolitionist Martin Delany); and the long, often overlooked lineage of Black queer artists who have activated Egyptian myth as a source of liberation.

Get tickets now at prs.org/events✨

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It’s almost been a month since RIANOUTLOUD! Live: Pride & Joy Edition. I’ve been reflecting on that evening with so much gratitude.

Thank you to our incredible guests who were a part of the live podcast—thank you for sharing your stories, your vision, and your leadership so openly and powerfully. Your voices created such meaningful and impactful conversation.

💥 Marques Redd & Mikael Owunna from @rainbowserpentinc

💥 Duane Binion from @thetruetpgh
💥 Vincent Jameson from @fortheboyspgh

A special thank you to Dr. CC Calhoun ( @cc.calhoun )for believing in this vision and to the August Wilson African American Cultural Center ( @augustwilsonculturalcenter )for opening your doors and providing such a beautiful home for this conversation.

Pride & Joy was a reminder that when we intentionally create space for Black LGBTQ+ voices, something truly special happens. I’m forever grateful to everyone who made that night one I’ll never forget.

📸: @jayefrances_imagery

Until the next live experience. 💥💥10/17💥💥

#pittsburghevents
#blacklgbt
#blackqueercreatives
#livepodcast
#blackgaypodcast

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🌈💥We’re just ONE WEEK AWAY from RIANOUTLOUD! LIVE: The Pride & Joy Edition in partnership with the @augustwilsonculturalcenter !

Join me on Friday, June 26 for an evening of powerful conversation, community, and celebration as we spotlight Black LGBTQ+ leaders making an impact right here in our city.

This event is FREE and open to everyone! Doors open at 6 PM, and I would love to see you there as we celebrate Pride, joy, and the beauty of showing up as our authentic selves.

🎟️ Register here: https://event.awaacc.org/prideandjoy2026

#PrideAndJoy #PittsburghPride #BlackLGBTQ #AugustWilsonCenter #PittsburghEvents 🌈🎙️✨

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🌈💥The lineup is set for RIANOUTLOUD! Live: Pride & Joy Edition!

Join me for a powerful conversation featuring:

💥Duane “Naheen” Binion ( @ineeksupa )– @thetruetpgh

💥Mikael Owunna & Dr. Marques Redd (@mikaelowunna & @marques.redd ) – @rainbowserpentinc

💥Dena Stanley ( @denanicolesmith ) – @transyouniting & @officialpittsburghpride

Together, we’ll discuss leadership, community, creativity, advocacy, and the future of Black LGBTQ+ Pittsburgh.

📅 Friday, June 26, 2026
📍 August Wilson African American Cultural Center
🚪 Doors Open: 6 PM
🎙️ Live Podcast: 7 PM

💥This event is FREE and open to all!

Reserve your spot today: https://awaacc.org/event/pride-joy/

Come celebrate Pride, connect with community, and be part of the conversation.

#RIANOUTLOUD #PrideAndJoy #PittsburghPride #BlackQueerExcellence

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THANK YOU @moadsf and especially Chief Curator @keyjolee for the absolutely incredible experience I had this weekend at ENGAGE and UNBOUND: ART, BLACKNESS, and the UNIVERSE. I am truly honored that I was asked to keynote this event and got a chance to talk about the importance of understanding The Cosmos is a Black Aesthetic! Also thank you to @oasasun, @michimeko, and @ledette for all the teachings and the warmth 🙏🏽 If you’re in SF: go see the UNBOUND exhibit while you can. (until mid-August!)

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Rainbow Serpent is a cultural infrastructure builder, Black queer intellectual ecosystem, residency platform, mentorship structure, spiritual technology lab, commissioning entity, convening institution, transmedia production studio, and workforce incubator for artists of all disciplines (from musicians, dancers, and poets to welders and camera operators). We are helping to create an arts and culture sector that prioritizes artist-led cosmologies and institutions, local cultural movements with global impact, long-duration worldbuilding, decentralized infrastructure, politically expansive work, transformative ritual spaces, and reparative investment. Thank you @theheinzendowments for documenting our journey as an emergent cultural institution.

H Magazine
📝 by @ls.elwin15208
📸 by @joshuafranzos

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