In this episode, we have a conversation with Natalie Brewster Nguyen – Artist, Activist, Educator, Founder, and Director of Splinter Collective. Natalie begins by sharing a story about how the Splinter Collective came to be and how they became the owner of a 90-year-old adobe warehouse built by the Ronstadt family. They reveal the building’s deep history in serving creatives in Tucson since the 1960s and how it’s activated on a weekly basis by artists and activists through poetry, drag, performance art, and more!
Then, Natalie discusses the roots of their artistic practice and the story of how they landed in Tucson all the way from Chicago. They later get into the power of working at the intersections of art and social justice, the joys of co-parenting as an artist, and the incredible community of creatives that is moving them at this moment.
To hear all this more, listen to the full-length podcast by clicking the link above! To listen to the mini, click below!
Follow Natalie and Splinter Collective on social media!
@nataliebrewsternguyen @splintercollective520
Natalie Brewster Nguyen. Image courtesy of the artist.
An image of Nat and their child from Love Letters Leave No Trace, a collaborative and ritual installation project spanning the last decade. Image courtesy of the artist.Exist 2019: an image of Nat narrating a circus play they wrote about astronomy, mythology, and the history of women in astronomy. Image courtesy of the artist.
Nat and Sir doing partner acrobatics in fox masks 2021. Image courtesy of the artist.
Nat and their daughter Sula 2021 portrait. Image courtesy of the artist.
Nat performing Bodies of Work/Criminal Acts 2018, a piece about labor, sex work, criminality and surveillance. Image courtesy of the artist.
TAGS
Affordable Housing,
artist,
artist mom,
BIPOC,
co-parenting,
LGBTQIA+,
performance art,
Social Justice,
Splinter Collective Arts Warehouse,
Tucson Artist,
