Pussy Noir and Victoria Reis: A Conversation about Collaboration

Join us for a conversation between artist Pussy Noir and curator and gallery director Victoria Reis. They will talk about the specific collaborations they have undertaken together as well the broader importance of collaboration to their professional and creative practices.

An ArtNOW and 2024 Intercultural Center Black History Month Event

Jason Barnes (Pussy Noir) was born and raised in the Washington, D.C., area and grew up in its theaters and rehearsal halls. At 18, diving headfirst into the New York entertainment industry, Barnes began with styling photoshoots and working backstage at fashion shows. He spent some time in Paris, enchanted by the European fashion and art scenes, and is influenced by the time to this day.

Mixing his background in music, theater, art, and fashion, the Pussy Noir character developed into an androgynous entity within the nightclub circuit; later, museums and galleries around the city. A popular act in the D.C. region, Barnes continues to culture his brand by giving the audience exuberant energy during performances and providing a gender-queer imagery inviting the audience to have a full sensory experience during their/his performances. Barnes has made appearances and performed in many groundbreaking shows and events. He also produces and performs in a “one-woman” cabaret at Trade, now in its third-year run.

https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/n/no-nz/Pussy-Noir/

Victoria Reis is a curator, writer, and arts organizer who has been actively supporting contemporary visual artists and arts organizations within local, national, and international contexts since 1991.

In 2002, Reis co-founded Transformer, an internationally recognized non-profit visual arts organization based in Washington, DC. Since 2006, Reis has been leading Transformer as its Executive & Artistic Director, curating and presenting substantial exhibitions and programs in support of emerging artists, innovative cultural production, and new & best practices within contemporary visual art. Reis has established comprehensive cultural partnerships & collaborations with an extensive range of arts, educational, and diplomatic organizations and institutions. She has launched and advanced the careers of several hundred artists.

In May 2017, Reis expanded Transformer’s programming to include Siren Arts, an Asbury Park-based summer residency program for emerging visual artists working within the performance art discipline. Reis is a Founding Member of Common Field, a national network of art spaces and artist-led initiatives. She has been a member of ArtTable since 2000. In 2018, she joined the Board of Directors of Monmouth Arts, a non-profit arts organization supporting artists and arts organizations throughout Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Transformer DC: https://www.transformerdc.org/about
Siren Art series: https://www.transformerdc.org/siren-arts

For 2024 Black History Month Events visit: https://www.monmouth.edu/intercultural/black-history-month/