Emily Johnson / Catalyst Dance
Emily Johnson is an artist who makes body-based work. A Bessie Award winning choreographer and 2015 Guggenheim Fellow in Choreography, she is based in Minneapolis and New York City. Originally from Alaska, she is of Yup’ik descent and since 1998 has created work that considers the experience of sensing and seeing performance. Her dances function as installations, engaging audiences within and through a space and environment—interacting with a place's architecture, history, and role in community. Emily is trying to make a world where performance is part of life; where performance is an integral connection to each other, our environment, our stories, our past, present, and future.
I worked closely with Emily from 2014-18 as Lead Creative Producer, shaping fundraising, development of projects, dramaturgy, casting, and more. I was also responsible for booking, managing and directing touring toward short and long term goals.
More info on Emily here.
Emily Johnson/ Catalyst's 'SHORE'
Artist: Emily Johnson / Catalyst
Project: SHORE
Project Description: SHORE expands beyond the theater into the world. Over the course of a week, SHORE includes four equal parts: COMMUNITY ACTION (volunteerism) in partnership with community organizations; STORY (a curated reading); PERFORMANCE that begins outdoors and moves into a theater; and a festive, culminating potluck FEAST to which participatns bring stories, recipies and dishes to share.
Services: lead producer, project manager, stage manager, booking agent, grant officer, location scout
Sites:
Northrop University (Minneapolis)
New York Live Arts
Bunnell Arts Center (Homer, AK)
On the Boards (Seattle)
Artshouse, Melbourne and Yiirimboi (Melbourne, AU)
Developmental residencies: PuSH Festival (Vancouver), Creative Time (Sydney, AU), Florida State University (Sarasota), Northrop University (Minneapolis); Artshouse (Melbourne, AU)
MAP Fund Award, Guggenheim Award, Creative Capital Award
Emily Johnson / Catalysts 'UMYUANGVIGKAQ'
Artist: Emily Johnnson / Catalyst
Project: UMYUANGVIGKAQ (at the Ace Hotel)
Project Description: Umyuangvigkaq is a durational sewing bee with currated and guided conversations on indiginaity in America. It is a place to gather ideas. Here we will recognize and celebrate indigenous people, artists, art, methods, and audience. We will stitch together a quilt of conversation, ideas and fabrics. We will acknowledge indigeneity as we work to indigenize the performing arts world and the world at large. Come with ready hearts. Come all day for a stitch. Every 2 hours we'll shift a conversation to a new critical topic engaging the intersections of the Indigenous with contemporary American culture.
Services: Umyungvigkaq, producing associate, booking agent
sites:
Coil Festival, PS122 at The Ace Hotel
LA Performance Practice at The Ace Hotel
Emily Johnson/ Catalysts' 'Then a Cunning Voice and a Night we Spent Gazing At Stars'
Project: Then a Cunning Voice and a Night we Spent Gazing At Stars
Projcet Description: Then a Cunning Voice and A Night We Spend Gazing at Stars is a multi-year project dedicated to building an all-night, out- door performance gathering. The work includes in equal measure: making quilts, performance, storytelling, song, and a night outdoors under the sky. It relies upon people coming together to voice intentions, witness, work, experience time, rest, and imagine.
Services: lead producer, project manager, stage manager, booking agent, grant officer, location scout
Sites:
Performance Space NY & Randall's Island Park
The Wassaic Project & Williams Collage
City of Chicago
Artshouse, Melbourne
Developmental support: Williams College & Mellon Foundation, Mass MOCA, City Of Chicago Public Programs, Artshouse Melbourne
Emily Johnson/ Catalysts' 'Then a Cunning Voice and a Night we Spent Gazing At Stars'
Project: Then a Cunning Voice and a Night we Spent Gazing At Stars
Projcet Description: Then a Cunning Voice and A Night We Spend Gazing at Stars is a multi-year project dedicated to building an all-night, out- door performance gathering. The work includes in equal measure: making quilts, performance, storytelling, song, and a night outdoors under the sky. It relies upon people coming together to voice intentions, witness, work, experience time, rest, and imagine.
Services: lead producer, project manager, stage manager, booking agent, grant officer, location scout