About Ayanna McCloud:
Ayanna Jolivet Mccloud is an artist and writer. She is currently an Artist-in-Residence at Project Row Houses. She has participated in exhibitions and residencies throughout the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America. Recent awards include the Idea Fund grant through the Warhol Foundation. Recent exhibitions have been presented at Unit B Gallery in San Antonio; Brooklyn Arts Council and Chashama Project Studio in New York; Diaspora Vibe Gallery and Art Center/ South Florida in Miami; Polvo Arts Studio and Gallery 214 at Northern Illinois University in Chicago; Commerce Street Warehouse in Houston; and at Centro Cultural Recoleta in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has participated in artist residencies in Morelia, Michoacán, México as part of Identidades; Art in Public Spaces International Encounter organized by 5célula; as well as residencies in Haiti, the Bahamas, and St. Maarten. Ayanna received a BA in Visual and Critical Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and lives and works in Houston, Texas where she runs labotanica.
labotanica is a project space in Houston, Texas dedicated to sharing ideas through performances, exhibitions and an upcoming store. labotanica is part of Project Row Houses Residency and Incubation program.
About labotanica:
labotanica was initially created as a blog in 2006. The name “labotanica” originates from botánicas which are often the sites of healing, cultural exchange, and exploration. In 2008, labotanica presented its first public programs in Miami and Chicago. Currently based in Houston’s Third Ward neighborhood, 2009-10 is the organization’s first year of year-round programming.
Programs have included: Exhibitions/ Installations, The School of Latitudes, Grants Program, The Resource Room/ The I, and Hear/ Her/Ear, a series devoted to women in experimental music.
