Nicky da B, Obama, Brooklyn Museum, Czech Gallery: Fall-ing into Madness

It’s been a while since I updated, but over the past few months, I’ve been all over the map! From performing on stage at House of Vans, to taking photos at the Democratic National Convention, to coordinating the first ever Brooklyn-wide open studio with the Brooklyn Museum… I haven’t taken a break in eons.

First, the performance at hot festival was a blast! I did my first  improv dance and sang a ton of songs w/ Natti.

Two days later, I had a piece in “Natural Fallacy”- my first DC group show!

Then in August, I found myself performing on stage with Nicky Da B & King Khan & the Shrines at House of Vans! We got sweaty and covered in confetti. You should have been there!

September rolls around and I’m whisked away to the DNC to see one of the most epic political conventions ever.

And then back to Brooklyn for Go Brooklyn Art open studio project, hosted by the Brooklyn Museum. I spent the entire summer coordinating all the Bed-Stuy artists & voters. The same weekend, my first digital art show popped up on an online gallery for a Czech Atelier. Back story: a Czech student received one of my postcards and decided to use my work to curate her thesis show– click on the photos for more!

Other than that, my interview was featured on Mouth of the Lion, and I was spotted by the Velvetroper at a Gawker event! Phew! What’s next, fall?

TOMORROW: Natti Vogel & Najva Sol play Hot! Festival & Let Bloom EP Release!

Natti Vogel & Najva Sol “Let Bloom”

 

You are Cordially invited to the

Let Bloom Album Release Event

 part of the Hot! Festival

Enjoy a Magical Wedding Party

W/ Music from Natti Vogel & Najva Sol

Accompanied by rock band & string quartet

Comedy courtesy of Jenne Jaffe

Fashion by Samantha Sleeper

Nupital Rites by the Encouraging Priestess

July 12th // 7PM-9PM // Dixon Place Theatre

Tickets HERE

Tour Dates Added, Autostraddle, Lilypad Performance!

It’s been a busy month in the Najva Sol-verse. But here’s the updates:

1. Tour dates have been added to the Love, Inshallah  book tour! The feedback has been absolutely *breathtaking* and I’m proud to announce that I’ll be reading at:

HARVARD (Cambridge)- Feb 13th, COLUMBIA (NYC)- Feb 15th, BLUESTOCKINGS (NYC)- Feb 16th, and BUSBOYS & POETS (DC)- Feb 20th.

2. Autrostraddle included my work in a post called “Art Attack: 100 Queer Women Artists in Your Face!”- next to a mix of goddesses Catherine Opie & Frida Khalo, and other google-worthy emerging artists. I’m number 21- with a Lomography photo of  Katie, the  Babes of NPR blog-mastermind.

3. I’m playing a show with my Let Bloom EP partner-in-song Natti Vogel at the Lilypad in BOSTON this SUNDAY FEB 12th.  More information on the show is available here.

I’ve been counting so many lucky stars that I’m amassing galaxies in my pockets.

MIX Festival x Coco && Breezy x Brooklyn Museum x Molly Crabapple x LES Girls Club x MTV International

Since the last update I’ve been running up & down the east coast making magic. Please remember you can always get up-t0-date info on my facebook page!

For those of you who missed it, here’s what’s happened

1. I performed in collaboration with Damien Luxe & Heather Acs in an hour long performace piece called “The Bearded Lady, The Bald, & The Blonde” at La Mama Galleria, curated by the brilliant Dept. of Transformation as a MIX festival offshoot! I was next to such talent, especially queer art legend Christy C. Road.
2. I had the chance to shoot futuristic design duo Coco & Breezy, with killer style & makeup team-Dori Jay & Hayden Dunham.  Here’s a photo from the set:
3. I was fancy & important with Kae Burke of House Of Yes, and helped her run a workshop at the Brooklyn Museum making 1920′s accessories!
4. The Molly Crabapple posters and CDs for  Let Bloom EP (the kickstarter-funded album w/ Natti Vogel & I) arrived! Now you won’t have long till they are in your hands. (I’ll post a link for those interested in buying either item, ASAP!) 
5. I guest-taught poetry at the Lower East Side Girls Club after-school program & convinced some young girls that it IS important to know what a metaphor is.
6. And last but not least, MTV International followed me and Lowbrow Society for the Arts around as possible subjects for a new documentary on Brooklyn Creatives!

That’s all for now! But so many more announcements are forthcoming. Stay tuned!

Feb & the Future!

It’s snowing in New York & sunny in San Francisco- in between jackets & tank tops- a few things happened.

1. I received a quick grant from the Creative Capacity Fund to attend the Association of Writing Programs Conference last week. 3 days of literary insanity. Phew. Thanks Creative Capacity Fund!

2. Speaking of literary, I was chosen to work with fantastic performance poet Regie Cabico as part of a program for emerging LGBTQ bay area poets called “Out Of Necessity.” He’s my mentor & we’ll be presenting a final work at the National Queer Arts Festival on June 3rd. More on this soon!

3. Now the fun part! A new event! My lovely New School Free Press-mate Courtney Nichols is re-launching her fabulously gay pop-culture website, Fruit Fly Life, and of course, having an epic party Saturday, Feb. 19th at Tree House Gallery.  I’ll be taking photos & showing photos. Details under the events tab.

4. Lastly, something done: OUR KICKSTARTER. We successfully finished & recorded & had a post-recording soiree that dreams are made of. Be ready for the EP to go on sale so soon!

Let Bloom EP poster by Molly Crabapple

Photo from the party, Natti Vogel & I

Donate Now: Kickstarter for “Let Bloom” EP

Natti Vogel, my college friend & fantastic composer, and I launched a kickstarter site today to make an exquisite EP.

The songs are fun to listen to but lyrically & technically heavy. It will feature art by the dreamy illustrator Molly Crabapple & a re-mix by notorious dance/balkan/gypsy DJ Joro Boro. Our goal is to get $3,000 in 33 days.

Natti & I first started working together 5 years ago, and we are finally asking for your support. Anything would be lovely, really.

There’s tons of fun perks- including a poem or a song written just for you! We already have 11 backers, and we are super jazzed to have such sweet community.

If you wanted a fancy & important way to get involved with emerging artists, please check out our kickstarter now!