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.

Lara M. Evans, PhD, is a scholar, curator, artist, and enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation. An art history faculty member since 2005, she has taught at The Evergreen State College and the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). She led the IAIA Artist-in-Residence Program’s expansion into the IAIA Research Center for Contemporary Native Arts. She is the Vice President of Programs at First Peoples Fund. Her curatorial projects include Shared Honors and Burdens: Renwick Invitational 2023 and Action/Abstraction Redefined (2017–2024). She earned her PhD from the University of New Mexico.

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.

Natalie Sweet (she/her) is a cultural worker and curator based in Pittsburgh, PA, whose work primarily explores socially engaged artistic practices. She currently serves as Executive Director of Brew House Arts, a non-profit art center that hosts community driven fine art exhibitions, artist studios, and residency programs. Natalie earned a degree in the History of Art and Architecture from the University of Pittsburgh and has been involved in collaborations with various organizations including Contemporary Craft and the Equity Impact 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.

First Peoples Fund uplifts Indigenous artists and culture bearers through grantmaking, training, and fellowship programs that strengthen Native communities. The Oglala Lakota Artspace (OLA), completed in 2021 on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, is a Native-led, intergenerational arts facility. Operated by Oglala Lakota Artspace LLC—a partnership between Artspace, Lakota Funds, and First Peoples Fund—OLA provides a space for artists to share, learn, and grow their businesses while supporting community-driven creative and economic opportunities.

The Theater Offensive (TTO) ignites change through queer performance, uplifting LGBTQ+ voices—especially BIPOC and youth—across Boston. Through bold, community-driven programming, TTO fosters artistic expression, leadership, and social change. By creating and presenting innovative works, engaging local communities, and amplifying underrepresented voices, TTO transforms theater into a powerful tool for self-expression and collective action. With a deep commitment to equity and liberation, TTO challenges norms and celebrates the resilience of LGBTQ+ communities.

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