Announcing the 2022 Arts Writers Residents

Announcing the 2022 Arts Writers Residents

06.23.2022

Announcing the inaugural Black Embodiment Studio x The Luminary x Burnaway Arts Writing Residents! 

Tomi Seyi Laja (Summer ‘22)
Anisa Olufemi (Fall ‘22)

The Luminary is thrilled to announce Tomi Seyi Laja (Summer ‘22) and Anisa Olufemi (Fall ‘22) as the 2022 Arts Writers Residents!

Tomi and Anisa will immerse themselves in St. Louis Black art scenes, taking time to think and write alongside the art and artists that give the city life. The two come from different geographic, intellectual, and creative backgrounds, though they share an interest in the relationships between Black creative practices and the spatial environments they emerge in. 

The Arts Writing Residency is a joint endeavor between The Black Embodiments Studio (Seattle, WA), Burnaway (Atlanta, GA) and The Luminary (St. Louis, MO) that advances the organizations’ long-standing commitments to arts writing as a necessary component to healthy arts communities—and reflects their beliefs that arts writing can and should be supportively cultivated and adequately compensated. To this end, the residents will be hosted at The Luminary, their writing practice will be guided by The Black Embodiments Studio, and their work will be published by Burnaway.

The Arts Writing Residency will provide a structure of support for two writers to enter into and engage with St. Louis’ Black artists, and with museums, galleries, and events that feature and support them. The writers will receive housing accommodations in The Luminary’s residency apartment for one month, a $3,250.00 stipend to support their writing, and $350.00 travel stipend.