Join Union Hall for a virtual panel discussion with the artists behind our current exhibition, Matter is Minimum. Facilitator Shammai Mading (she/her) and photographer Summer Taylor (she/her) will be joined by Talaya Banks (they/them/she/her), one of the participants of their ongoing project, THEY RAGE, providing a behind-the-scenes view of their process and the creation of their exhibition at Union Hall. Panelists will also take a deep dive into some of the issues addressed through this project, ranging from racial justice to mental health to vulnerability and the expression of anger within our society. This panel will be moderated by Lex Dunbar (they/them).
Lex Dunbar (moderator)
Lex Dunbar (they/them) is a Norf-Philly native and recent transplant to Denver, CO. They are a passionate educator, avid protestor, dynamic workshop facilitator, and compassionate neighbor. Currently, Lex serves as an undergraduate adjunct English professor and is completing a second Master’s degree at Iliff School of Theology. Lex has worked in various non-profits, after-school programs, and Universities, and has experience in program development, speaking, and writing on behalf of the organizations they’ve served. Lex is often heard before they’re seen. They desire nothing more than to see wrong things made right.
Summer Taylor (photographer)
Summer Taylor (she/her) is a photographer most recently based in Paris, France, who focuses on the documentation of representation, vulnerability, emotion and the politicized body. Summer is fascinated with the dynamic relationship that develops during a photoshoot between the photographer and the subject, and believes it is integral in creating a collaborative piece created by both the photographer and the subject of the work.
Shammai Mading (facilitator)
Shammai Mading (she/her) began her studies in Art History, later transitioning to Sociology, while still carrying a deep respect for and interest in the arts. Shammai works actively to build and foster community whether that be working with students to organize within their communities or simply lending a hand and an ear for development of ideas and projects. After partnering in They Rage initially as a participant, Shammai saw an opportunity to assist as a facilitator; helping create a space in which others could be raw, unashamed, and honest.
Talaya Banks (participant)
Talaya Banks is a Black Queer Artist, Imagineer, Anthropologist, Play Enthusiast and Tea Intuitive. Born and raised in Denver, Colorado Talaya appreciates soaking up the sun and communing with the trees. A Black Femme researcher and organizer, Talaya’s passions lie in creating representation for Black women to experience joy, leisure, and safety. She explores play as a tool of disruption to colonialism and self perfection to access emotions in the body. Talaya uses radical honesty as a time machine to heal the past and imagine a play-full, gracious future. With fierce light, she aims to transform time and space to hold Black becoming in the ways we need, as the Let My People Vote Coordinator at Soul 2 Soul Sisters. All praise and adortion to queer Imaginaneers who lead the way: Audre Lorde, Octavia Butler, Alice Walker, Akwaeke Emezi, and Adrienne Maree Brown.