The Artists of Salon XI
Jessi Olarsch (she/her)
2024 Visual Artist-in-Residence
“Painter of purple people”
Jessi Olarsch is a figurative painter based in NYC. In her work, memory, image, and desire combine in a purple dreamscape that tells an unfolding story of queerness. Her paintings consider the shifting boundaries of public and private life, the raw tenderness of queer friendship, and the complicated joy of coming into your own.
Antonyio Artis (he/him)
2024 Performance Artist-in-Residence
“I create work that marries the nerd and the black experience within me!”
Antonyio Artis is an NYC based actor, singer, writer, and producer who graduated with his BFA in Acting from Brooklyn College. Since graduating, his work includes: “New Jack City: Live!” (National Tour), national ad work for “SiriusXM”, and, dearest to his heart, self-producing play to short film adaptations and his solo show (presenting at The Village)! At 16, he wrote and performed an original song on the “Hamilton” stage for the Broadway musical’s “Eduham” Program in 2016!
Tessa Bagby (she/they)
2024 Performance Artist-in-Residence
“Assembler of living collages”
Tessa Bagby is a Bay Area-born, Brooklyn-based director, dramaturg, and nurturer of original live performance. Proscenium-averse in practice, Tessa collaborates with candor, rigor, and care to develop and present new plays in community. Their work asks questions about the relationships between the spiritual and the corporal, desire, personal responsibility, environment, transformation, embodied queerness and unbalanced power.
Spencer Balter (they/them)
“Lets all sit in a circle and talk about our feelings”
Spencer Balter is an NYC based photographer, filmmaker, and multimedia visual artist. In their work, Spencer largely focuses on some of the greatest emotional pains a person can endure. Mostly, they are drawn to themes of traumatic experience and deep emotional processing, as well as the respective journeys toward understanding and healing that come with these parts of life. Through their work, they seek to tell these stories in the hope of cultivating connection, community, and representation.
Debbie Despina Cartsos (she/her)
“Sticking to my morning coffee with my morning pages”
Despina Cartsos is a multi-talented performer, award-winning designer, and the creative mind behind Menagerie NYC. Following in the footsteps of her mother, who was also a designer, Despina became a second-generation designer. She trained in apparel design in Greece and later specialized in intimate apparel at NYC's Fashion Institute of Technology. After nearly a decade in the corporate intimate apparel industry, she launched D.Webb Designs, known for its high-quality, ethically made apparel that is made in a wide range of sizes.
With over fifteen years of dance experience, Despina is a respected belly dance teacher, blending modern and vintage styles. Her ASTERIA classes are inclusive and influenced by her Greek heritage and extensive training with renowned choreographers Dalia Carella and Suhaila Salimpour. She captivates audiences with her fiery personality, often performing to Greek, Turkish, and Arabic music alongside her trusted dance partner, a sword named Thomas.
As the producer, art director, and costume designer of Menagerie NYC, Despina aims to transport audiences to a magical world of dreams. She wants people to feel immersed in a transformative, surreal experience, blending fashion and dance with moving human installations. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her forever partner, Len, with whom she shares the best morning coffee, hugs, and muffins.
Cyn (she/they)
“Stay horny for art”
I’m a 26 y/o queer poc artist trying to expand my creativity in many mediums from paintings to erotic ballpoint. I’m also trying to branch my craft into my tattooing career. I believe rage, horny, and humor is the holy trinity of my work.
Amanda Egan (she/her)
“Making music for the eyes and stories for the heart”
Amanda Egan is from Pompton Lakes, NJ where she began her dance training at the Performing Arts Academy. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Fordham/Alvin Ailey BFA program in 2019, and has since performed with Lydia Johnson Dance, Caterina Rago, Wolf and Swan, and the Merce Cunningham Trust among other freelance dance companies in NYC.
In 2014, Amanda won the Gold Medal at the Tap Dance World Championships representing Team USA in Reisa, Germany. She has recently presented choreography at Spoke the Hub’s Wheelhouse Showcase, DuYe Moves “Choreography in Process” on Governor’s Island, Earl Mosley’s Dancing Beyond, and Spark Theater Festival. Amanda also teaches dance and Pilates, and in her free time dabbles in songwriting.
Rich Garr (he/him)
“Street Art History thru collage [on- and about- your walls and sidewalks]”
Rich Garr is an interdisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn. Broad interests in art and history surface in his work. Whether site-specific wheatpasted paper memorials, traditional collage, or in a tour format- it's all some form of collage. He worked as a teaching artist at the Cleveland Museum of Art and Brooklyn Museum. Later he freelanced as a guide and artist educator around NYC at places like the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Lefferts Historic House, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He has always enjoyed working with kids, and for a long time taught them photography and darkroom techniques at a Lower East Side community center. There, neighborhood photo walks with the kids branched into gallery and art studio visits for adults. Since that time he has integrated walks into collage, and still retains an art and history focus regardless of medium. He enjoys inspiring others to find their own creative platforms and voices (including his own two kids and their friends) and creating platforms for good, timely artwork.
Cult Goddess
“An ear candy trip with modern and nostalgic vibes!”
Cult Goddess emerges as a psych pop group with compelling elements of hip hop and baroque. Anchored in the dark heart of NYC, their sound is a trip of ear candy songwriting and opulent string arrangements that cut through the noise.
Akil Grubb (he/him)
“Navigating the world and understanding the self (Photography as Anthropology)”
Akil Grubb is a Brooklyn-born photographer and UX researcher with an education in psychology. His work is a culmination of his day-to-day experiences, travels, friendships, interests, emotions, and mindset. In many ways, photography is a therapeutic process for him, allowing the visualization of growth and change in his life. In 30-50 years, Akil hopes that he or anyone else can look at his work and think, "Yeah, I have a good idea of who Akil is," as defined by the world he interacts with.
Charlotte Martin (she/her)
“Making art cause everything else sucks”
Charlotte Martin is a Photographer and Filmmaker living in Bushwick. As a trans photographer, she uses her lens to find community with others, capturing small human moments that link us all together. From this vantage point the walls that separate us break down, and we become one.
Soph Metcalf (they/them)
“good hearted gremlin”
Soph Metcalf is an NYC-based actor, musician, and writer. They are a divisor and collaborator, and their work pastiches musical theatre, performance art, documentary, and dance. As an actor, they have worked with Tectonic Theatre, The New York Neofuturists, Prospect Musicals, and The Acting Company, and worked on regional stages across the US. They are a Gemini, Gemini-rising with a Leo moon.
Gagarin (they/them)
“Locally based at the corner of weird and sexy”
Gagarin is a theatre maker currently based in Brooklyn. With a practice grounded in physical and devised world, Gagarin works to develop and bastardize our classical monoliths. They currently serve as a Curator with Expand the Canon where they establish gender equity in the classical canon. Previous collaborations and works include; Hedgepig Ensemble Theatre, The New Georges, PhysFest, SITI Company and Blessed Unrest. They also run a low cost movement collective for artists and all others to practice physical theatre disciplines as a way of establishing a positive connection to their bodies.
Paula Maria Persiani (she/her)
“I am a Nuyorican artist passionate about sharing my experiences through paint, drawing, and sculpture.”
I am a proud New Yorker from The Heights, channeling my passion into expressionist paintings, fabric tapestries, ceramic and wooden sculptures, and curated art installations. My work sheds light on sexism, gender identity, systemic racism, and neocolonialism, exploring these themes within the constructs of identity and gender. Inspired by my vibrant community, urban landscapes, and rich Nuyorican heritage, I weave a tapestry of vivid colors that celebrates the spirituality and vision that guide my art.
Wannabe (he/him)
”11.6 seconds is all it takes”
Wannabe is a new visual art project by Marc David Wright. Using a laser scanner, scraps of magazines, newspapers, and other ephemera, Wannabe came about as Marc experimented with promotional materials for The Village. As he figures out this new medium of expression, he feels safe behind this pseudonym to explore new techniques and waste a lot of time sitting over his scanner.
Latrell Antonetty (he/him)
“Latrell The Music Mover!!”
Latrell is a 27-year-old Bronx native with a deep passion for theater and music. Having written and performed in numerous shows across New York City, Latrell brings creativity and authenticity to every project. This year, they are presenting their beloved play, A Bronx Christmas Story, aiming to share a message of love amidst the city’s holiday hustle.
Latrell has performed with renowned artists and productions, including The Roots, T-Pain, and Vy Higginsen’s Mama, I Want to Sing on its North American and Japan tours. As a DJ, Latrell has brought vibrant energy to events for notable figures such as Will Ferrell, DJ Suss One, Sherri Shepherd, and Ari Lennox. Inspired by artists like John Legend and Alicia Keys, Latrell continues to infuse heartfelt emotion into their music and performances.
Catalina Toro (she/her)
“I like to transform feelings into form, isn’t that amazing? Alchemy.”
Catalina Toro's artistic expression resonates with confidence and emotional depth. Born and raised in Colombia, Catalina has lived in New York City since 1998. Self-taught, yet deeply influenced by mentorship and assisting top NYC artists like Vik Muniz and James Hyde, she immersed in the NYC art scene merging figurative and abstract elements with mythic symbolism. Her work embodies a fusion of art theory, history, and personal narrative, capturing the essence of a scene, reflecting her heritage and a rich cultural milieu of contemporary New York. She presently works as a live performing artist.
Our Team
Caroline Potter Shriver, Co-Founder & Artistic Director
Marc David Wright, Co-Founder & Artistic Director
Dana Seach, Managing Director
Elizabeth Kline, LA Producer
David Kahawaii, LA Producer
Riva Dhamala, Creative Consultant & UX Designer
Annabel Hope, Creative Consultant
James Kenna, Creative Consultant
Special Thanks
Judson Memorial Church
Jalen B
Shania Benjamin
Romello C
Arriella Guidubaldi
Santo Jacobsson
Elisabeth O'Neill
Brianna T
Lilly Qualls