New Commission, New Partnership
MIAMI-BASED ARTIST KHÁNH NGUYÊN HOÀNG VŨ EXPLORES THE HEALING POWER OF CONVERSATION IN A NEW PERFORMANCE AND VISUAL ARTS COMMISSION
Maven Leadership Collective, Mitchell Wolfson, Sr. Foundation and Commissioner partner to highlight social practice and community
Next month rising Miami-based artist Khánh Nguyên Hoàng Vũ (they/them) will present a groundbreaking new performance work, commissioned in partnership with Maven Leadership Collective and the Mitchell Wolfson, Sr. Foundation, that explores conversation as portals and containers for abundance. Their new work will be revealed on April 30 at the Deering Estate, centering queer performers, sound healers and inviting audiences to embrace vulnerability and their connections in conversation.
“What’s most exciting about this project is the opportunity it has given me to be fully expressed in my multidisciplinary practice,” said Vũ, Commissioner Season Four artist. “My intention throughout this process is to highlight the value of presence, not just with the self, but communally. As Thich Nhat Hanh states: ‘The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.’ I want to create an environment where the seeds of those flowers can be planted and inspire the viewers to cultivate gardens of their own.”
"Vũ has a unique perspective whose young career is already gaining momentum," said Dejha Carrington (she/her), executive director of Commissioner. "Their work is provocative and inspiring, and invokes us to take accountability beginning at the individual level—to inspire connections and communication in conversation, to be present for each other."
Vũ's recent work examines reclaiming spiritual practices of a strict Vietnamese Catholic upbringing in queer, nonbinary identity. They received their BFA at NWSA and have recently completed residencies with Void Projects, Bakehouse Art Complex, and Oolite Arts Home + Away program at Anderson Ranch. Their previous work has been exhibited at Fredric Snitzer Gallery, New World School of The Arts and The Kampong Gardens.
The new partnership with Maven Leadership Collective is designed to connect communities through social practice with local queer and trans artists of color, and includes: enriched digital storytelling highlighting the work of an emerging queer artist of color; ten Patron-level memberships for queer and trans leaders and ten memberships for locals nominated by Commissioner Season Four members; and this special artist commission with Vū.
“Since Maven's inception five years ago, artists have been at the center of the community of social impact leaders that we support because the arts is one of our five impact areas.” said Danny Anzueto (all pronouns), cofounder and senior director of talent activation for Maven Leadership Collective. “Our partnership with Commissioner is a perfect example on how we can come together with a fantastic community partner to continue to invest in queer and trans artists of color, while increasing access to QTPOC leaders to various cultural experiences offered by Commissioner through their patron memberships.”
“NWSA is very proud of Vũ and their accomplishments”, said O. Gustavo Plascencia, NWSA Dean of Visual Arts. “Vũ finished their BFA Program in 2020, in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. NWSA is pleased to know that not only did Vũ‘s artistic practice survive the pandemic, but they managed to propel their artistic career forward during the last two years.”
Commissioner’s collaboration with Vũ is presented with the support of Mitchell Wolfson, Sr. Foundation to uplift and accelerate the careers of NWSA alumni. The first initiative was a memorial exhibition by Chire Regans (she/her), A Reflection of The Times, honoring victims of gun violence. During the course of the exhibit, NWSA students visited the site at Bakehouse Art Complex; locals walked in procession with performance artist and NWSA alumna Loni Johnson (she/her); and a catalog with a foreword by Pérez Art Museum Miami Director Franklin Sirmans was produced thanks to the leadership of curator Anita Sharma of Women Artist Archives Miami.
About Khánh Nguyên Hoàng Vũ
Khánh Nguyên Hoàng Vũ is (goes by Vũ) is an artist that was born in Biên Hòa,Việt Nam. With an oeuvre that spans from painting to installation, their work opens a unique poetic vein that reflects upon the intensity and constant shifts in contemporary existence. They develop forms that do not follow binary systems that we were brought up around. Rather, the works serve as a safe space for some soft, deep-seated and honest self reflection. Vũ currently lives and works in Miami. For more information visit their website at inhalingnow.com.
About Maven Leadership Collective
Maven Leadership Collective is an ideas lab that harnesses the power of diversity and belonging by investing in talented queer and trans social impact leaders of collor and allies to build resilient communities that thrive even in crisis, transition, and tragedy. We specialize in inspiring talented change agents who are at a critical juncture in their careers or in the lifecycle of the organizations seeking to create solutions that drive performance and promote sustainability. For more information visit the website at mavenleadership.org or on Instagram at @mavenleaders.
About New World School of the Arts
New World School of the Arts was created by the Florida Legislature as a center of excellence in the performing and visual arts. It is an educational partnership of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Miami Dade College and the University of Florida. For more information visit the website at nwsa.mdc.edu.