EVENTS
MISED TOUR
MISED TOUR
In 2018-19 the Mz.Icar Collective was incredibly honored to collaborate with Ms. Lauryn Hill to celebrate the 20th anniversary of her iconic album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Our team was commissioned to design a collection of limited edition scarves, tees, and merchandise for the 20th-anniversary tour, and we lent our creative skills in the form of visuals for the world tour.
A few of the pieces created for the tour were on exhibit as part of @nonamegalleryphilly ‘s Hip Hop exhibition.
If you are interested in this work contact sales@mzicar.com
BACK TO THE SOURCE
BACK TO THE SOURCE
In honor of 20 years of indigenous hip hop in Uganda, @babaluku invited a group of extremely talented spoken word artists to commune with incredible local artists in Uganda. We had the chance to tag along with @toughdumplin and document the whole experience. Here’s a teaser from the documentary that we are currently editing of this incredible meeting of the minds featuring the following n. American artists.
@spokensoulto @randelladjei @northerngriots @nthdigri @eddy_daoriginalone @dwayne_morgan @wordsbeatsandlife @substantialmusic
I’m sure one day we will organize and exhibition of this experience, in the mean time we’ll edit, process and recenter. This trip was a whole paradigm shift and It’s being reflected in our work-particularly about being held, supported and in environments that are centered around what is best for its people.
REPRESENT EXHIBITION
REPRESENT
Let’s chat about this show at Paradigm Gallery. It’s a group show with the incredible Nazeer Sabree titled #REPRESENT.
We will be exhibiting new works on canvas, tufted pieces and mixed media pieces from our ‘In Us We Trust’ series. This series is a cheering on of all that is is us. We will be the change, hope, future, architects, value moderator and archivists of culture. This work is a playful celebration of this declaration.
Here a few cool things:
🎁there will be a scavenger hunt in Philly accompanying the show, because we always make it accessible…stay tuned for deets.
🎨If you are interested in previewing the show or purchasing work please click here
💽Each sold piece Mz.Icar piece (over $500) will have it’s certificate of authenticity issued as an NFT.
Please enjoy all these flowers from the seeds we have been planting.
LOVE+GRIT STOREFRONTS
LOVE+GRIT STOREFRONTS PROJECT
Our work is part of the Love + Grit Storefronts Project with @lovegrit- philly + @visitphilly. The project uses public art to turn empty store- fronts into expressions of pride and support businesses impacted by the pandemic. #LoveGritPhilly #VisitPhilly Find my art pieces below
The campaign, an extension of VISIT PHILADELPHIA’s popular Love + Grit podcast, reinvigorates the city’s empty storefronts by transforming them into art installations. The Love + Grit Storefronts Project spotlights Philly’s talented QBIPOC artists and innovative Black and Brown-owned businesses. In the citywide public art installation, each artist has turned an empty storefront into an expression of pride, supporting a business adversely affected by the pandemic and showcasing the potential of storefronts available for lease. The displayed artwork is on view for locals and visitors to see and enjoy through the holidays.
This project was Curated by Ginger Rudolph and Conrad Brenner
Funded in part by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the exhibit features 24 local businesses impacted by the pandemic and 12 QBIPOC artists who have transformed empty storefronts with their artistry, creativity and ingenuity. The 12 participating artists collaborated with two businesses each. QR codes appear on all storefronts, encouraging admirers to check out visitphilly.com/storefronts to learn more information about the campaign, the artists’ inspirations and the business owners’ stories.
WE CHAT ABOUT THE PROJECT ON THE LOVE+GRIT PODCAST
INFINATE
INFINITE is a future-leaning collage/illustration that honors past design, acknowledges Kenya and Steven’s retail journey, and looks to the future. It was inspired by the modern lines of The Modern Republic’s building and its mid-century décor, along with the relationship the furniture’s time period had with West and East African aesthetics.
Inspiration for the Work: The Modern Republic (1600 W. Girard Avenue), a mid-century modern furnishings store, owned by Kenya Abdul-Hadi and Steven Brown, selling wares from the 1940s through 1970s.

UP AND OVER
UP AND OVER is a visual narrative created using mixed-media street art and fine art to celebrate movement, shift and flow while helping to amplify all voices.
Inspiration for the Work: The African American Museum in Philadelphia (701 Arch Street), dedicated to preserving, interpreting and exhibiting the heritage and culture of African Americans.

THE FULL SET
THE FULL SET: ARCHIVE

We did the damn thing. @kendrasteppdavis and the whole collective came to show all the way out! The Full Set is HERE! @theculurerooms is HERE….and we are very extra.
Huge gratitude to all of our peeps old and new that came out to support, chill and celebrate The Full Set. Big shout out to the universe for granting us a summer day in October.
Doing things together is fun.
Taking up space is a must.
Being fly while doing it is essential.
📸 Courtesy of @dodai
ART AUCTION
BLACK ART AUCTION
Hello, my people! So many of you have requested a way to purchase artwork. To be honest we’ve been spending so much time working on these big public pieces that we haven’t been in the studio very much building up our inventory of artwork.
We are welcoming this winter and enjoying this time to work on new pieces. In the meantime and in-between time, we have the honor of partnering with Calabar Gallery and currently have two large pieces available for auction on their platform. Both Fame and fly could be all yours. Bidding is currently open and will be until December 14th
ABOUT THE AUCTION
“Homesick Philly” Black Art Auction Curated By Chill Moody And Atim Annette Oton Is The First Auction To Celebrate Philadelphia Black Artists Whose Work Speaks To The Creative, Vibrant Stories, Street, Fashion And Visual Culture Of The City. The Auction Will Amplify And Increase Awareness Of Black Artists, Sales For These Emerging Black Artists And Expand The Number Of Buyers And Collectors For Their Work. Working With Visit Philly’s Initiative “Homesick Philly”, The Art Auction Will Be Facilitated By Calabar Gallery’s Web Platform Who Began Art Auctions In 2020 In Response To The Need For Artists To Create Income During The Pandemic. The Auction Will Begin November 29 And Run 15 Days
ROADMAP TO JOY EXHIBITION
ROADMAP TO JOY
(Philadelphia, PA – June 2021) – “Roadmap to Joy” is a public-art exhibition curated by Atiba T. Edwards and Mz. Icar Collective in partnership with The Culture Rooms, FOKUS and Arts and Crafts Holdings. This exhibition features a collection of artists answering the question of what is joy, how do we get there and what does it look like?
“Roadmap to Joy” is a multi-location public art exhibition. “Roadmap to Joy” runs through the summer of 2021 and is on display at 1004 Spring Garden St., and 1124 Spring Garden St. in the Spring Garden area of Philadelphia, PA. Featured artists include Paul Ayihawu; Sa’Diyya Dunkley; Gina Giles; Joelle St. Julien and Andre Walls.
“Joy is the journey we take – knowing, like with any road traveled there will be speedbumps, potholes and smooth roads – as well as the place we find ourselves during and at the end of each day. Joy is a combination of making peace with where and who you are and having a sense of where and who you want to be in your life. The four artists featured truly capture this and help to suggest paths to joy for all!” – Atiba
About Atiba T. Edwards
Atiba is the co-founder of FOKUS and the COO of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. Born in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, he grew up in Brownsville and studied engineering and liberal arts at the University of Michigan.
About Mz. Icar
Mz. Icar is an anonymous interdisciplinary art collective. Their colorful mixed-media, visual narratives celebrate Women, Global Blackness, and Play.
FEATURED ARTISTS:
Andrea Walls
See Andrea’s work in person at 915 Spring Garden St (and Green St)
Gina Giles
See Gina’s work in person at 1124 Spring Garden (Ridge Street Side)
Joelle St. Julien
See Joelle’s work in person at 1124 Spring Garden (Ridge Street Side)
Paul Ayihawu
See Paul’s work in person at 1004 Spring Garden
Sa’Diyya Dunkley
See Sa’Diyya‘s work in person at 1124 Spring Garden (Ridge Street Side)
The Culture Rooms
The Culture Rooms is a multi-room experience under one roof that taps into the multiplicity and value of Black Culture today and our hopes for tomorrow. Through multi-sensory installations, performances, and workshops, we present you with a new way to connect Blackness, creativity, culture, and community.
FOKUS
FOKUS uses the arts to educate, empower and unite communities. This is accomplished through community-based events, arts education curriculum and programming, publishing INSIGHT magazine. By increasing the public's access to the arts, the importance and need of the arts is further realized and supported.
Arts + Crafts Holdings
Arts + Crafts Holdings is an active investor and the leading developer on the northern edge of Center City Philadelphia. Affiliates of Arts + Crafts Holdings currently own in excess of 2,000,000 SF of commercial, industrial & mixeduse real estate.
UNRAVELED
UNRAVELED
Super excited to announce the opening of “UNRAVELED: Confronting The Fabric of Fiber Art” Group Show @untitledspaceny this friday. This show will include a few pieces as well as an installation from our ‘Of Expansion’ Series. The following is all the info
OPENING APRIL 17TH “UNRAVELED: Confronting The Fabric of Fiber Art” Group Show @untitledspaceny ✨
✨RSVP Required ✨
The Untitled Space is pleased to present “UNRAVELED: Confronting The Fabric of Fiber Art” a group show opening on April 17th and on view through May 28th, 2021. Curated by Indira Cesarine, the exhibition will feature textile and fiber-based artworks by 40 contemporary artists. “UNRAVELED: Confronting The Fabric of Fiber Art” explores in depth the themes and techniques of the medium through the works of female-identifying artists working with natural and synthetic fiber, fabric, and yarn. The exhibition presents figurative and abstract works that address our lived experience and history through the lens of women weaving, knotting, twining, plaiting, coiling, pleating, lashing, and interlacing. Narratives of self-identification, race, religion, gender, sexuality, our shared experience, as well as protest and the patriarchy are literally “unraveled” through embroidery, felt, woven and hooked rugs, braided and sewn hair, sewn fabrics, discarded clothing, cross-stitching, repurposed materials and more.
Exhibiting Artists: Amber Doe, Carol Scavotto, Caroline Wayne, Christy O’Connor, Daniela Puliti, Delaney Conner, Dominique Vitali, Elise Drake, Elizabeth Miller, Hera Haesoo Kim, Indira Cesarine, Jamia Weir, Jody MacDonald, Julia Brandão, Kathy Sirico, Katie Cercone, Katie Commodore, Katrina Majkut, Katy Itter, Kelly Boehmer, Linda Friedman Schmidt, Lisa Federici, Marianne Fairbanks, Mary Tooley Parker, Melanie Fischer, Melissa Zexter, Mychaelyn Michalec, Mz Icar, Orly Cogan, Robin Kang, Rosemary Meza-DesPlas, Ruta Naujalyte, Sally Hewett, Sarah Blanchette, Sooo-z Mastopietro, Sophie Boggis-Rolfe, Stacy Isenbarger, Stephanie Eche, Victoria Selbach, and Winnie van der Rijn.
More info:
https://untitled-space.com/unraveled-confronting-the-fabric-of-fiber-art-group-show/

STUDIO VISIT: MAS
MAS
My earliest memories consist of watching my grandmother, her sisters, and brothers wine to the wee hours of the morning to tiny whiny and various old school soca tunes. I often joke that soca is the techno of black music. If you want to hang at a soca jam it requires stamina. There is no standing on the walls there is no chilling off to the side. Soca envelopes you.
In 2016 I attended Trinidad’s carnival for the first time. Being of Caribbean descent, carnival, soca music, and the culture, in general, was very familiar. This trip was special because it was the first time that I experienced this culture fully embraced by society. In Toronto you have Caribana and it’s fun but the city tolerates Caribana because it brings in so much money. In New York you have the West Indian Labor Day parade and that’s a good time except for that time I almost got ran over by a cop trying to disperse crowds. New York also seems to tolerate the West Indian Day parade. But Trinidad is down for the whole thing. Municipal buildings are closed carnival in Trinidad. This is a nationwide celebration. Throughout the days leading up to the Mas, You can hear various steel pan ensembles practicing throughout Port au Spain from late at night till the early hours of the morning. You can peek into storefronts that are filled with costumes in various states of completion.
To experience that particular version of carnival was a freedom that I had never ever seen. One of the great things about it is that it’s a multi-generational event So you see your grandma, your auntie’s, the children everybody participating. The whole place shuts down just to have this release. It’s a celebration of color, movement, dancing, everything and it seems like everyone understands that this releases imperative to the workings of society.
Waiting to get through customs I conversed with a gentleman who told me he had been slowly upping his intake and alcohol so that he could be ready for the amount of fetes that he was going to have. A fetes a party, or lively gathering, for many of them the ticket price includes food and liquor. You have breakfast fetes, boat fetes, dinner fats lunch fest pre carnival fetes etc. Throughout carnival you’ll often see people with multiple plastic bracelets that act as tickets to various fetes.
Before we get into these lovely bodies and reminders of warm sunlight on our skin, let’s get into the history of the celebration. Carnival is a Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent.The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typically involves public celebrations, including events such as parades, public street parties and other entertainments, combining some elements of a circus. Elaborate costumes and masks allow people to set aside their everyday individuality and experience a heightened sense of social unity.Participants often indulge in excessive consumption of alcohol, meat, and other foods that will be forgone during upcoming Lent.
From an anthropological point of view, carnival is a reversal ritual, in which social roles are reversed and norms about desired behavior are suspended.
And like most things in this region of the world black folks got a hold of carnival and took it to the next level, these elaborate multi-day celebrations. They were not invited to the ceremonies of their masters and would put on their own festivals making fun of their masters and so this became a partially satirical event.
This whole experience got me really thinking about the idea of being completely free losing one’s inhibitions and being able to practice ceremony without judgment, over-policing, or unnecessary parameters. Basically, what’s it like to be free? How do we cultivate ways in which we can perpetually tap into that experience?
Years later many some of the images I shot on this experience would be used for various design projects particularly for Machell Montana’s soca volume one and soca volume two both of these design projects sit extremely dear to my heart as they depict current visual representations of us by us. They depict rarely publicly displayed cross-generational expressions of freedom and joy within blackness.
I’m reflecting on this experience in a chilly 23 degree Philadelphia artist space. I’m sharing this because in a time where it’s so challenging to gather, be around people and share this type of energy I hope these images serve as a reminder that it exists and It’s part of our narrative.
SEE ME MURAL
SEE ME MURAL
Cambridge edition- 17 hours…the race against rain.
May everyone be as supported as we were on this mural. May all your endeavors raise the vibrations.
And there was that time when the prolific @marka_27 assisted me. This dude is the truth.
Even @toughdumplin got a lil dirty. We appreciated that.
elevate and hold each other.
About the work:
“It is a reminder to walk with eyes open. Through color and composition, this piece explores the positive impact of representation and the lasting inspirational value of being able to see oneself iconically depicted”
👁 Curated by @streettheorygallery
📍 Location: 541 Mass Ave behind Rev Clinics @centralsqbid
🎥 @toughdumplin
📸 @leehopkins_ for @ow.ley
Big thank you’s to @redbull @centralsqbid @mikemovesfornow @marka_27 @brekone @toughdumplin and all of our contributors on @patronicity!
#mzicar #mixedmedia #streetart #streettheory #streettheoryproductions #celebrateblackwomen #blm #blacklivesmatter #seeme