What does Kultura Dyad mean?
Kultura is a play on the word “cultura” (eng: culture), and “Kuskatan”. Kuskatan, or Cuscatlan, refers to the land of El Salvador before its colonization—the indigenous people, whom we honor in all our practices.
Dyad, (meaning “a pair”) honors the founders of Kultura Dyad as two individuals, as one. We have since had help along the way, but we know sometimes all it takes is one idea, and one person to believe in you.
Kultura Dyad’s Mission
arte, comunidad, justicia
Established in 2021 in NYC, Kultura Dyad is a nomadic curatorial initiative, not confined to physical spaces but dedicated to crafting cultural experiences wherever it goes. Our commitment lies in crafting open, grounding, and culturistic spaces for Black and Brown bodies through intentional artistic programming.
With a vision set on collective liberation, our programming is designed to earn the respect and support of the community. Simultaneously, we strive for a future where accessibility is key, aiming to unlock new opportunities for collaboration and ensuring just compensation for artists.
We bring transformative events to diverse settings, offering unique platforms for growth, engagement, movement, and expression. Join us in redefining spaces, fostering meaningful dialogue, and celebrating the profound richness of our collective identity.
We have had wonderful connections in our nomadic workshops, using indigenous herbs, practices and learning to write, and express ourselves through art altogether. Kultura Dyad centers its programming on engaging with brujas, healers, artists, indigenous practices and honor the lands we stand on, Lenape and Paumanok lands.
Labor de Amor
We feel that this project is a labor of love, like a calling. Our ancestors were storytellers by divine nature. They were effortlessly able to tell legends and myths from our lands.
As children of migrant parents, their journeys and successes have only inspired us to honor our roots, our culture, and embrace what we have yet to learn.
Our events embrace poetry because of the emotion and depth found in the craft. Listening to storytelling helps us learn from our own communities, and how poetry evokes [from] them. Our shows are lessons in art, culture, emotion, and overall community. From 2021-2023 KD hosted several poetry open mics in Harlem, and curated shows highlighting emerging poets of NYC/LI + other surrounding cities!
Para Todes
We are often reminded of the disparities that affect us in our society. We are working to dismantle white supremacy, capitalism, and the patriarchy in all of our messaging, events and in our personal lives. The narrative of not being enough is not one that makes it through any of our doors.
kultura dyad was founded as a space that allows the utmost welcoming environment so we can all thrive in our best way, with support from us!
Any of our past, present, and future programming revolves around community and how WE interact with art. Allow us to welcome you to our spaces where you’ll find (or learn) something new every time.
We are currently working on making our website more accessible, and observing policies and rights for accessibility in NYC and Long Island. We are learning, and committed to our growth.
Meet Us!
We like to envision this project as a vehicle to cruise the streets of longing. Riding along and finding a world where we could see the faces that make up our communities on stages and platforms, and not just out of our windows. We know that the world is changing, but there are still gaps in representation in the arts world. Kultura Dyad will always work hard toward closing that gap.
-
Founder, Curator
Jeanette (b. 1990) is a queer writer and poetry artist from, and based in NYC. She uses her writing as a continuation of oral histories and legends passed down through her ancestors. She honors Pachamama through her practices as an ode to her divine feminine lineage and their labor. She also writes about trauma in the body and chronic illness, living with Sjogren’s Disease, Fibromyalgia, and other chronic illnesses. Her work has been nominated twice, and awarded by Dyson College Society of Fellows at Pace University.
More recently, she collaborated with The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center, Vera List Center, and Bluestockings NYC for a project by Jorge González in October 2021.
She is currently working on an family archival project using portraitures and poetry. She is also writing a horror fiction novel. She is still curating programming for Kultura Dyad, and looking for collaborators.
-
Co-Founder, Director of OperationsMark (b. 1988) raised in Queens, NY, is an interdisciplinary creator and consultant who has a history of counseling and community engagement. Mark has a long standing relationship with spaces in Harlem where he used his skills in theater lighting design, and spent four years as a curator at The Poet’s Den.
In 2018, he began his journey as an abstract painter, and shares his works with loved ones and friends. Mark is currently behind the scenes with Kultura Dyad, but can often be found supporting at events! He now works for the City of New York.
like what we’re doing, and want to support us?
help fund our cause! we are not a non-profit organization, and we fund everything out of pocket! any money received goes directly back into kultura dyad. it will be used toward commuting expenses, website maintenance, event coordinating fees, labor costs, and artist funding! anything helps! thank you for your support, it means so much to us.
