Ashley Jane Lewis is a new media artist with a focus on speculative design and tech education. Her artistic practice explores black diaspora of the past, present and future through computational and analog mediums including science fiction, networked devices, machine learning, data weaving, food design, bio art and performance. Her award winning work has exhibited in Canada and America, most notably on the White House website during the Obama presidency. As an educator, Ashley has taught more than 3500 young people how to code, landing her on the 2016 Top 100 Black Women to Watch in Canada. She’s helped lower the barrier to entry into creative computing in her work with Dan Shiffman and ml5.org, a “friendly machine learning for the web” platform. Ashley holds a New Media BFA from Ryerson University in Toronto and a Master’s degree from ITP at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

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oopsa

oopsa – Office of Open Practice Studio/Agency is a transdisciplinary creative studio/agency founded by Eric Moed and Penelope Phylactopoulos. oopsa works across architecture, design and public art to create experiences for people, cities, companies and institutions. The hybrid studio/agency framework enables oopsa to work on a wide range of projects through regular collaborations with a curated network of creatives and subject experts in flexible, bespoke teams. The studio’s mission is to create environments for learning, remembering, and rethinking that are approachable, experimental, and experiential. Penelope & Eric met at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design where they both completed Masters in Design Studies with a concentration in Art, Design and the Public Domain. Previously, they each worked as architects in New York City on commercial, residential and institutional projects. oopsa was born out of their collaborative design work, writing, and discussions on the future of design practice.

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GOOD MIRRORS AREN’T CHEAP is a multi-media archival practice and community that centers the stories, aesthetics and works of womxn of color in an effort to help eradicate stigmas faced by girls, womxn and femmes.

Genel Ambrose is a creative practitioner and mother of three girls who is passionate about storytelling. She founded GOOD MIRRORS AREN’T CHEAP in an effort to preserve and celebrate the lives of WOC (particularly Black womxn) and their contributions to society while using their stories to empower future generations.

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LaJuné is a New Media Artist and Creative Technologist creating art that integrates performance, virtual reality, and physical computing to question our current forms of communication. LaJuné has had the opportunity to show and speak about their work at Pioneer Works, National Sawdust, Leaders in Software and Art, Creative Tech Week, and Art & Code's Weird Reality. LaJuné was previously the Director of Skating at Figure Skating in Harlem, where they integrated STEAM and Figure Skating to teach girls of color about movement and technology. They have continued their research on Blackness, movement, and technology during residencies at Eyebeam, Pioneer Works, Barbarian Group, and Barnard College.

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