Kenny Rivero: I’m Not a Painter, I Just Brush a Lot

Kenny Rivero’s work, which spans paintings, collage, drawings, and sculpture, explores the complexity of identity through narrative images, language, and symbolism. His process allows him to explore what he perceives as the broken narrative of Dominican-American identity, socio-geographic solidarity, familial expectations, race, and gender roles. Rivero cites the hybrid qualities of salsa, hip-hop, house music, jazz, and merengue—as well as Vodun and Santeria, which were present in his daily life growing up—as core influences on his decision-making in the studio. He is the recipient of numerous residencies and awards including Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters & Sculptors Grant (2018) and Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture Residency, Skowhegan, ME (2017); among others.

Onnesha Roychoudhuri is a writer, speaker, and educator with over 15 years of experience working at the intersection of narrative and social justice. Her work—which seeks to examine and disrupt limiting narratives around identity, agency, and power—has appeared in publications including Rolling Stone, Harper’s Bazaar, n+1, The Nation, Salon, and Mother Jones. She has read and performed on stages across the country and been awarded residencies and fellowships from organizations including Hedgebrook, Blue Mountain Center, and the Center for Fiction. Onnesha is the author of The Marginalized Majority: Claiming Our Power in a Post-Truth America, a Kirkus Best Book of the Year. She is currently an Assistant Professor of English-Creative Writing at Colby College.