Veronica Corpuz is a first-generation Filipina American poet and artist exploring themes of identity, assimilation, loss, and grief. Formerly a director of Three Rivers Arts Festival, she has held roles at Naropa University, Chatham University, New York University, and the University of Pennsylvania. She co-curates MAD BOOKENDS at Carlow University’s Madwomen in the Attic and is a member of #notwhite collective. Her poetry book, The Widow’s Calendar, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press.

Jasiri X is the first independent Hip-Hop artist to be awarded an Honorary Doctorate, which he received from Chicago Theological Seminary. Still, he remains rooted in the Pittsburgh-based organization he founded, 1Hood Media, whose mission is to build liberated communities through art, education, and social justice. He has received the Nathan Cummings Foundation Fellowship, USA Cummings Fellowship in Music, the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Artist as Activist Fellowship, and the President’s Volunteer Service Award.

Avanelle “AJ” No Braid works as a Program Manager at Oglala Lakota Artspace. Her commitment to community and passion for Native traditional art, inspires her to uplift Indigenous artists on the Pine Ridge reservation. She holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership. Previously, she worked at Oglala Lakota College for 10 years and continues to support the higher education of Native students while serving as a current board member with Native American Jump Start.

Shaddai Livingston is a New Orleans-based cultural curator & producer. She serves as the Chief Creative Officer at Ashé Cultural Arts Center and the Executive Director of the Louisiana Afro-Indigenous Society, and a member of many other organizations. Although she holds a Masters in International Business, she views herself as a global citizen and lifetime student. Through her work, Shaddai is committed to the development, sacredness, and protection of humanity and the planet.

Giselle Byrd is an advocate and educator on the transgender journey in America. She serves as Executive Director of The Theater Offensive, making her the first Black trans woman to lead a regional theater in the United States.  There, she is amplifying queer and trans voices through performance. With over a decade of experience as a talent manager, producer, and LGBTQIA2S+ board member, she has helped businesses enhance brand strategy and corporate giving. Byrd also sits on the boards of Callen-Lorde Community Health Center and The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art and advisory board of the Ali Forney Center.

The mission of 1Hood Media is to build liberated communities through art, education, and social justice. We seek to establish a platform for artistic expression to further the economic and creative advancement of artists. Never censoring youth, we provide them a safe space to learn, grow, and tell their own stories. 1Hood Media aims to be the vehicle that will identify, develop, and inspire the artists and activists of today and tomorrow.

The mission of Ashé Cultural Arts Center is to use art and culture to support human, community, and economic development. We believe in celebrating the people, places, and philosophies of the African Diaspora. Ashé Cultural Art Center’s innovative programming is designed to utilize culture in fostering human development and civic engagement. Producing over 350 music, theater, dance, drum circles, and multi-disciplinary events a year, Ashé believes in art as a paradigm-shifting call to action.

KST is leading a groundbreaking national symposium that aims to reshape the future of accessible, equitable cultural spaces owned and anchored by BIPOC communities.

Guided by our vision “Owning Our Future. Thriving Where We Live.,” this three-day gathering in May 2025 serves as a platform to catalyze a critical national dialogue and chart a path forward.

Collaborating with an advisory committee of national and local colleagues, KST curates a cross-industry program that features discussions, performances, and celebrations with leaders in art, activism, urban planning, philanthropy, and government. Together we imagine new financial, operational, and physical structures for BIPOC-owned arts spaces, addressing the structural inequities that the pandemic laid bare.

The symposium spotlights organizations employing new strategies to safeguard culture in their communities. It engages forward-thinking stakeholders invested in emergent models. Look forward to thought-provoking panel sessions, inspiring keynote addresses, and dynamic performances by Pittsburgh and national artists.

symposium soon

FIND FULL SCHEDULE HERE