ABOUT FLOW EXHIBITION / LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT / PROGRAM /
​ARTIST BIOS / SPECIAL THANKS /  PHOTOGRAPHY / SUPPORT

ABOUT FLOW EXHIBITION & PERFORMANCE

Flow (2023) invited viewers to contemplate ways they could find flow in daily life and in relation to water.  This temporary exhibition comprised three rooms of Conni McKenzie's photography and videography of water. Complemented by a nature-inspired score, the experience aimed to anchor audiences in the present moment.

Five performances complimented the exhibition in a feature-length dance theater experience. Each show included dance performance, spoken dialogue, mindfulness practices, and facilitated conversation. Visitors were encouraged to actively participate by embodying project themes and sharing their thoughts about the performance experience or the project's overall impact.

This work premiered in Oakland California and was a part of the 2023-2024 DEAR Residency with New Performance Traditions.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The Flow Exhibition & Performances took place on the traditional and unceded lands of the Ohlone tribes. It is with gratitude and humility that we are able to gather and share art in these ancestral homelands. We encourage all audience members to explore more about the heritage of the Ohlone people and the indigenous heritage of the lands they call home by using Native-Land.ca. To take action towards remetriation in the Bay Area, consider a contribution to the Shuumi Land Tax. 

PROGRAM

​Open Gallery Hours
Wednesday-Thursday: 12 PM - 8:30 PM 
Friday-Saturday: 12 PM - 6 PM
Sunday 10/8: 11 AM - 1:30 PM
Sunday 10/15: 11 AM - 4 PM

​Performance Schedule
Friday, October 6th, 6:30 PM (Performance starts at 7:30)
Saturday, October 7th, 6:30 PM (Performance starts at 7:30)
Sunday, October 8th, 2 PM (Performance starts at 3)
Friday, October 13th, 6:30 PM (Performance starts at 7:30)
Saturday, October 14th, 6:30 PM (Performance starts at 7:30)
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ARTIST BIOS

CONNI MCKENZIE | Artistic Director & Choreographer
Conni is a versatile performer with an extensive background spanning across dance, theater, psychology, education, filmmaking, and photography. In 2021, Conni released her first film, “Set Me Free.” The film was featured in the 2021 San Francisco Dance Film Festival and various other festivals nationally and internationally in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. During the same year, she co-directed "Lungs of the Earth," a short film which was featured in the Bay Area Shorts Festival and the 'All that you touch' exhibit at Thatcher Gallery.

This fall, Conni debuts her first Exhibition & Performance project as an immersive exhibition and dance theater experience. "Flow" explores the pursuit and sustenance of flow states in our daily lives and our connection to the environment, and is a part of the 2023-2024 DEAR Residency with New Performance Traditions.
DANIELLE SMITH | Dancer & Collaborator
Danielle Smith (she/her) is an Oakland-based multidisciplinary hip-hop artist and educator from “the 216,” better known as Cleveland, Ohio. Her credits include being a 2023 BASE Resident through PUSH Dance Company, a 2022 HART resident with Zaccho Dance Theatre, and backup dancing for local drag artists and afro beats artists throughout the Bay Area. Danielle first began crafting her dance style and artistic voice after graduating with a B.A. in dance and social justice from the University of San Francisco in 2018. Her choreography--which is often a mixture of hip hop, afro-beats, stepping, and contemporary dance-- has been presented nationwide since 2019. Currently, Danielle dances for PUSH Dance Company in San Francisco. danielletaylorsmith.com ​
MARY JANE AGNEW | Dancer & Collaborator
Mary Jane Agnew is a Bay Area-based writer, dancer, and artist. She studied Performing Arts and Social Justice, Journalism, and Anthropology at the University of San Francisco. She values interdisciplinary and intergenerational collaboration and writes and makes art about issues she is passionate about.
MONICA FRANGOUL | Dancer & Collaborator
Monica Portugues Frangoul is a teaching artist, holistic movement healer, dancer, and therapist in-training, emphasizing her art in contemporary-ballet and modern dance. She has received her B.A in Performing Arts and Social Justice- dance and a M.A in the Arts of Teaching Reading with a bilingual credential in Spanish, pursuing her passion of working with kids and sharing the exploration of self-love and expression through movement. After working for SFUSD -- as a Spanish immersion kindergarten and first grade teacher-- and a teaching artist with SFArtsEd, she is now exploring the healing nature of movement through her graduate studies at the California Institute of Integral Studies to soon become a somatic based Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT). Her studies in Somatic Psychology inspire her art exploration in the interconnectedness of the psychology of the body and of the mind, the importance of befriending our nervous system, and the power of reconnecting to our bodies through stillness and movement. 
RILEY RICHARDSON | Lighting Designer & Board Operator
Riley graduated UC Berkeley in 2023 with a major in Theater and Performance Studies. She is currently working as a lighting designer and electrician in the bay area. Riley finds water to be healing as it has provided relief to her chronic illness in different ways.
SAINT HILLS | Exhibition Sound Designer
saint hills is a Brazilian multi-hyphenate music artist who has built a diverse and versatile repertoire. Always guided by authenticity and exploration, the producer, DJ and live entertainer has found a unique confluence of Brazilian vibes merging with global waves. In 2022, saint hills starred in the documentary “No More Longing”, which showed how being a trans person impacts his creative process. 
SHUA BARTOLOME | Costume Designer
Shua Bartolome is a San Francisco-based Filipino artist practicing visual art installations, abstract sculptures, photography, editorial imagery & modeling, costume design, and art/spatial curation. Their focus is on conceptual art highlighting non-objective visuals and textures. As another creative outlet, Bartolome has interests and experience in event curation/organization, combining art/spatial curation alongside musical and sound performances.

SPECIAL THANKS

Paul Dresher
Dominique Pelletey
Robert Preetz
Eleni Spyrou
Paule Galette & Vincent McKenzie

PHOTOGRAPHY

SUPPORT





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