3 minute read
SoMad: An Artistic Hub of Radical Self-Expression
by Stephanie McGovern
Located in the heart of the Flatiron District is a femme and queer-run artist space called SoMad— established with the vision of fostering a creative community for emerging and BIPOC artists. Beginning in 2018, SoMad was created by alumnus Sara Arno, Serichai Traipoom, Carla Maldonado and Paul Simon from SVA’s MFA Photography, Video and Related Media program. They have since been building a creative community that extends into the SVA and SVACE network.
“When Covid happened, as working artists who had lost any sort of income, there was a huge conversation about what we could do to help, and we started extending the space itself as an opportunity,” says co-founder Serichai Traipoom. This expansion was also in response to the 2020 uprising, as Serichai was very active in photographing the protests and events for magazines: “We realized that supporting artists and giving them a place to show their work was something that we could do and that we had the resources to make available.”
SoMad began working on a series of three show installments, inviting independent curators to gather artists aligned with their vision to exhibit in the space. The installments included “Bathing in Blackness: A Necessary New Order,” curated by Kamra Hakim of Activation Residency; “Counterweight,” curated by past SVACE faculty member Patricia Voulgaris; and “FOGO!” curated by Carla Maldonado. With each show, SoMad invited participating artists to choose an organization that they could direct a percentage of their sales to.
In 2022, SoMad decided to put their production education into action by creating SoMad TV, a platform of independent media. The first in-house production, called Activation TV, was an arthouse-inspired approach to a series of three shows dreamt up and hosted by collaborator Kamra Hakim. One program, titled “Black Gaze,” featured Kamra guiding an in-studio guest through an eye-gazing exercise—as a means to connect beyond words and to practice the power of looking. Executive Director Sara Arno noted, “It was a really meaningful project because Covid was running rampant and some of the interactions between Kam and the guests were the first time they had received a hug in months.”
SoMad also held their first open call for curators and artists, bringing in co-curators SVA MFA Fine Arts alumni Jay Elizondo and past SVACE faculty member Lorenzo Triburgo. Their show “(Un)Fixed” explored the expansiveness of gender and sought to challenge the notion of gender as a “fixed” dichotomy. In addition to the group show, SoMad hosted a performance night and a dinner for the artists. “We’re trying to build a space from a place of care, that’s human based and not just a commercial business,” said Serichai. “It’s really about the support, and that community building aspect is what we want to continue doing here.”
SVACE looks forward to watching SoMad as they continue to grow, expand and nurture their creative community.
*To get the extended and detailed story on SoMad, please visit our blog: sva.edu/blog/continuing-education
