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@monoyoarts

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Itsekiri for “I have joy!”
Creating and curating art that centers the Black LGBTQ+ experience.
A project by @cultureofcolorcollective
📍Minneapolis

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A year ago today, I made @cultureofcolorcollective official.

I’ll be honest, there were a lot of times this past year when I thought about quitting. Running this is tough, and I wasn’t prepared for just how hard it was going to be. I’ve made plenty of mistakes and had to pivot countless times. There’s also the planning, the worrying, the money, and constantly wondering if people are actually going to show up.

But people keep showing up.

You’ve shown up for me, but more importantly, for the spaces we’re building. I’ve watched people come to an event alone and leave having met new people. I see faces come back again and again. I hear people say on their way out that they’re glad a space like this exists.
And in those moments, I remember why I started.

So to everyone who has bought a ticket, brought a friend, danced with us, or simply showed up: thank you. You are a huge part of the reason Culture of Color Collective is still here a year later. And I hope you continue to show up.

Spaces like this only last if we support them. I want there to be a year two, and a year three, and whatever comes after that.

So here’s my anniversary ask: get your ticket for Indigo Room: The Halloween Edition on October 30 and come celebrate year one with me. Tickets are available now. Link is in my bio.

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Building @cultureofcolorcollective has taught me so much in ways I didn’t even imagine. One of the first lessons was that while the idea of doing all cultural experiences under one banner makes a lot of sense, it isn’t very practical when it comes to day to day structures, programming, and building a sustainable organization.

So through Culture of Color Collective, I am starting Monoyo. It is Itsekiri for “I have joy” and the goal is to create and curate art that centers the Black queer experience, carrying the artistic work like Over 30%, while Culture of Color focuses on the events and the other creative projects.

I don’t fully know what @monoyoarts will look like yet. What I know is that I enjoy building and figuring things out. I also don’t know if it will make sense to anyone but me right now, and that is okay. The goal is to try. So I’m trying. And I am excited and very optimistic to see what I come up with.

More on what that looks like soon.

PS: Prep for the 2027 edition of Over 30% has begun. If you are interested in coming on board as a sponsor/supporter, feel free to send me a DM let’s talk.

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