ANGELA MISKIS
2021 Culture Push Fellow, Fellowship for Utopian Practice
Angela Miskis (b. Ecuador, 1987) is an artist and community organizer based in Southeast Queens. Her work is influenced by her family upbringing, dedication to social service, and building a healthier and more sustainable future in her immediate community. Angela Miskis graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 2013 with a degree in Visual and Critical Studies. Her honors include the Silas H. Rhodes scholarship (2011), and the Visual and Critical Studies Scholarship (2013) which awarded her a five-month artist residency at the Leipzig International Art Programme (2014) in Germany. Recently, Miskis was awarded a residency at ChaShaMa's ChaNorth International Artists Program (2019) in Pine Plains, NY, and the ArtWorks Inc. Seminar Fellowship at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (2020). She is currently a Create Change Fellow with the Laundromat Project in New York, and a Utopian Practice Fellow with Culture Pusher (2021).
Instagram: @angelamiskis / @abuela_neighborhood_maintenanc
Website: angelamiskis.com / Subscribe to Angela’s Mailing List.
Support Angela’s Work Directly through Donations:—
Venmo -> @AngelaMiskis / CashApp -> $AngelaMiskis
PROJECT: "LEAVE SOME FOR ME." A PROJECT BY ABUELA NEIGHBORHOOD MAINTENANCE
My project, "Leave some for me." will conduct youth community workshops in my neighborhoods of Queens Village and Hollis. I will work with middle to high school students and use art and activism to draw attention to the ongoing litter problem and illegal dumping happening in our area. During the workshops, kids will brainstorm solutions to addressing overconsumption, improper disposing of trash, and reflecting on the impact of litter on their wellbeing and how they and their guardians can make a difference. I will provide writing prompts and artistic guidance to help youth harvest and develop their vision.
Together we will create community-led digital poster designs depicting the youth's vision for developing their neighborhood. The posters will be printed and placed on the walls near heavily littered streets and with a lot of foot traffic. I will rent a local community center already involved in grassroots work and I will promote the workshops by connecting to existing local organizations that will help me amplify my outreach.
This project will show youth that their voice matters in defining their community's future. It also reminds adults that their actions affect younger generations, and thus, they should strive to think long term when making political or policy decisions that will affect us all for many years to come. The project expands my ongoing community work under my organization, "Abuela Neighborhood Maintenance," where I use text, crafts, design, and photography to call attention to the volunteer work during our community cleanups and encourage onlookers to join in to keep our neighborhoods clean.
I created, Abuela Neighborhood Maintenance, to bring my heritage closer to my art and to honor my grandmother and her dedication to public service, which shaped the woman I am today. I also honor memories of my grandfather, who was tailored and used to make clothes for me. I handmade the lettering on the volunteer clothing to show my love and gratitude for their work.
