top of page
Six FSU art graduates exhibit at NYC’s Pen + Brush Gallery
By: Jamie Rager | March 25, 2024
"Works by six Florida State University studio art graduates are on display at New York City’s famous Pen + Brush Gallery as part of a group exhibition honoring Women’s History Month.
“Hit Me with Your Best Shot” aims to highlight how women as well as non-binary and female-identified transgender artists are changing the art world, and world in general. The exhibit features work by the 2023 graduating cohort of FSU MFA alumnae — Jenae Christopher, Camille Modesto, nik rye, Chayse Sampy, AnnaBrooke Greene and Chansong Woo — alongside well-known contemporary artists such as Mierle Laderman Ukeles and Lola Flash. Woo and Greene are also Department of Art adjunct professors.
“I have had the good fortune to have worked with all six of these incredibly talented artists since they began at FSU,” said Jeff Beekman, associate professor and Department of Art chair. “I’ve witnessed their perseverance, support for one another and been so impressed at their development. The results absolutely speak for themselves, and all good fortune that comes their way is entirely deserved.”
Founded in 1894, Pen + Brush was one of the first non-profit organizations dedicated to supporting female artists. The exhibit will be on display at the Pen + Brush Gallery at 29 East 22nd Street, New York, through April 20.
When Pen + Brush asked FSU Assistant Professor of Art and curator Grace Aneiza Ali to choose a visionary artist and artwork for the 2024 exhibit honoring Women’s History Month, she immediately thought of her students — all six of them.
“These six incredible young women granted me the gift of being their teacher as they all faced the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulties in their own lives with courage and resilience,” Ali said. “Their work is bold and brilliant, and it shows that they are ready to shape the future of the field.”
For Ali, the work from this group of students displaying artistic influences from four countries was an ideal fit for an exhibit aiming to honor women in art. The featured work touched on these themes and was influenced by the cohort’s feedback and support throughout their time in the MFA program.
“My creative cohort and our amazing professors including Grace (Ali) truly pushed us,” Woo said. “Not just to sharpen our skills, but to find our own focus and artistic language. Through the program, we’ve built very strong relationships with each other and have grown a lot as artists.”
Four of the six artists traveled to New York City to attend the exhibit’s opening March 7. As the first New York exhibit for each of these artists, it marks a special milestone for their artistic careers.
“It was incredibly meaningful to not only exhibit my work in New York City, but also to be seen as a collective with my cohort,” Greene said. “That feeling of community and solidarity was special, especially as we engaged with a completely different audience around the work.”
The MFA Studio Art Program at FSU is a rigorous and in-depth three-year residency that trains students to become successful artists.
"Works by six Florida State University studio art graduates are on display at New York City’s famous Pen + Brush Gallery as part of a group exhibition honoring Women’s History Month.
“Hit Me with Your Best Shot” aims to highlight how women as well as non-binary and female-identified transgender artists are changing the art world, and world in general. The exhibit features work by the 2023 graduating cohort of FSU MFA alumnae — Jenae Christopher, Camille Modesto, nik rye, Chayse Sampy, AnnaBrooke Greene and Chansong Woo — alongside well-known contemporary artists such as Mierle Laderman Ukeles and Lola Flash. Woo and Greene are also Department of Art adjunct professors.
“I have had the good fortune to have worked with all six of these incredibly talented artists since they began at FSU,” said Jeff Beekman, associate professor and Department of Art chair. “I’ve witnessed their perseverance, support for one another and been so impressed at their development. The results absolutely speak for themselves, and all good fortune that comes their way is entirely deserved.”
Founded in 1894, Pen + Brush was one of the first non-profit organizations dedicated to supporting female artists. The exhibit will be on display at the Pen + Brush Gallery at 29 East 22nd Street, New York, through April 20.
When Pen + Brush asked FSU Assistant Professor of Art and curator Grace Aneiza Ali to choose a visionary artist and artwork for the 2024 exhibit honoring Women’s History Month, she immediately thought of her students — all six of them.
“These six incredible young women granted me the gift of being their teacher as they all faced the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulties in their own lives with courage and resilience,” Ali said. “Their work is bold and brilliant, and it shows that they are ready to shape the future of the field.”
For Ali, the work from this group of students displaying artistic influences from four countries was an ideal fit for an exhibit aiming to honor women in art. The featured work touched on these themes and was influenced by the cohort’s feedback and support throughout their time in the MFA program.
“My creative cohort and our amazing professors including Grace (Ali) truly pushed us,” Woo said. “Not just to sharpen our skills, but to find our own focus and artistic language. Through the program, we’ve built very strong relationships with each other and have grown a lot as artists.”
Four of the six artists traveled to New York City to attend the exhibit’s opening March 7. As the first New York exhibit for each of these artists, it marks a special milestone for their artistic careers.
“It was incredibly meaningful to not only exhibit my work in New York City, but also to be seen as a collective with my cohort,” Greene said. “That feeling of community and solidarity was special, especially as we engaged with a completely different audience around the work.”
The MFA Studio Art Program at FSU is a rigorous and in-depth three-year residency that trains students to become successful artists.
Hit Me With Your Best Shot: Visionaries Selecting Visionaries at Pen + Brush
March 7 to April 20, 2024
Pen+ Brush Gallery | NYC
"For Women’s History Month this year, Pen + Brush is bringing together curators, art advocates, and visionaries from our community to engage in a meaningful dialogue about what is at stake and constantly in play for women artists working today. Hit Me With Your Best Shot is a group exhibition centered around this dialogue, that women are changing the art world and, indeed, the world. Pen + Brush has tapped women curators from across the field who have selected their “best shot”, in the form of one artwork by a woman or non-binary artist. These selections are exhibited here as poignant voices speaking on the challenges and opportunities facing women artists in the current historical context. Hit Me With Your Best Shot emphasizes the importance of making and holding space for women artists while also acknowledging the profound impact women have in shaping narratives, sparking dialogues, and igniting change.
“Dawn Delikat, Executive Director of Pen + Brush, passionately expresses, ‘By bringing our broader community of cultural visionaries together to champion and discuss significant works by women that speak to the current climate we are living in – The goal of the exhibition is to offer a holistic point of view that ignites, inspires, while reenergizing our individual efforts and emphasizes the importance of making and holding space for women artists. This collective celebration is a powerful acknowledgment of the profound impact women have in shaping our narratives, sparking conversations, and influencing positive change.'”
Pen+ Brush Gallery | NYC
"For Women’s History Month this year, Pen + Brush is bringing together curators, art advocates, and visionaries from our community to engage in a meaningful dialogue about what is at stake and constantly in play for women artists working today. Hit Me With Your Best Shot is a group exhibition centered around this dialogue, that women are changing the art world and, indeed, the world. Pen + Brush has tapped women curators from across the field who have selected their “best shot”, in the form of one artwork by a woman or non-binary artist. These selections are exhibited here as poignant voices speaking on the challenges and opportunities facing women artists in the current historical context. Hit Me With Your Best Shot emphasizes the importance of making and holding space for women artists while also acknowledging the profound impact women have in shaping narratives, sparking dialogues, and igniting change.
“Dawn Delikat, Executive Director of Pen + Brush, passionately expresses, ‘By bringing our broader community of cultural visionaries together to champion and discuss significant works by women that speak to the current climate we are living in – The goal of the exhibition is to offer a holistic point of view that ignites, inspires, while reenergizing our individual efforts and emphasizes the importance of making and holding space for women artists. This collective celebration is a powerful acknowledgment of the profound impact women have in shaping our narratives, sparking conversations, and influencing positive change.'”
Data Feminism: Power and Proof
by Jack Fox Keen |
July 10, 2023
"The fifth principle is to embrace pluralism. We need to focus on a wide variety of perspectives from different people, particularly focusing on the margins of society, which are so often overlooked by those at the center. I am often reminded of a story during the start of the pandemic, told to me by artist and activist Nik Rye. Water fountains were being shut down in public spaces and restaurants were closing. Nik realized that these minor inconveniences to the majority of people during lockdown were catastrophic life-or-death situations for a community often overlooked and unheard: unhoused people. Nik had this insight because they themselves had been unhoused and knew that while unhoused, they needed to use public restrooms and water fountains to survive. This is powerful because it reminds us that we have so many unconscious biases and ignorance that we’re not even aware of until someone with different lived experiences points them out to us."
July 10, 2023
"The fifth principle is to embrace pluralism. We need to focus on a wide variety of perspectives from different people, particularly focusing on the margins of society, which are so often overlooked by those at the center. I am often reminded of a story during the start of the pandemic, told to me by artist and activist Nik Rye. Water fountains were being shut down in public spaces and restaurants were closing. Nik realized that these minor inconveniences to the majority of people during lockdown were catastrophic life-or-death situations for a community often overlooked and unheard: unhoused people. Nik had this insight because they themselves had been unhoused and knew that while unhoused, they needed to use public restrooms and water fountains to survive. This is powerful because it reminds us that we have so many unconscious biases and ignorance that we’re not even aware of until someone with different lived experiences points them out to us."
FSU Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House Presents Excellence in the Arts Exhibition
The Florida State University (FSU) Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House is proud to announce the upcoming Excellence in the Arts Exhibition, featuring an array of outstanding works by talented artists. Among the featured artists is Nik Rye, whose poignant series "Stages of Grief" will be showcased. The exhibition will take place at the FSU Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House, providing an inspiring platform for artistic expression and academic excellence.
The Excellence in the Arts Exhibition celebrates the creative achievements of FSU’s honors students, scholars, and fellows. This year, the exhibition will highlight "Stages of Grief" by Nik Rye, a powerful exploration of the emotional journey through loss and healing. Rye's work captures the complex and often transformative nature of grief, using a variety of media to convey the depth of human emotion.
About the Artist:
As an artist working within intermedial performance and socially engaged movements, I reference my personal experiences in relation to local and universal political conditions. As a human rights organizer who has experienced houselessness, anticapitalist dreams pervade my practice—community, freedom, solidarity, equity, radical love, and future joy. In my binary system muckraking attempts, I ironically oversimplify solutions—for instance, community vs. alienation—to reveal abusive systems of power that are complexly woven into our daily lives. Using DIY aesthetics, craft, and collaboration, I create community access points in public spaces to encourage political and empathetic discourse.
Accessibility is an integral part of my practice. Before deciding upon the form of a community access point, I invite the affected public to share their opinions as well as consent to the overall work. The community access points are built collaboratively, reflecting the hand of the people. The work is then installed, usually covertly, and opened to the public. Food is shared as well. The streets become a gallery, a dinner table, and a soapbox in which passers-by are welcome to engage. Accessibility is maximized through live-streams, social media posts, and online discussion threads. Currently, I am investigating components of communication and language in relation to the spectacle as a pathway to community-building and empathy.
Artwork Description
I photographed Keith speaking with Frank (right) from inside my performance 7 Days a Diamond. After Keith was murdered in a hate crime on Gaines Street, I responded with a participatory performance, Keith Stafford Was Murdered, which took the form of a makeshift memorial and bus shelter. This community access point was placed in the vacant space where a bus stop had stood at Gaines and Railroad before its temporary removal by the City of Tallahassee. This removal displaced Keith and contributed to his eventual murder. To aid in the vigil, I incorporated photographs of Keith, such as this one.
Quickly, the sculpture, which represented Keith’s memory and presence, began to decay after withstanding a month of Florida sun, rain, and participant interaction. The destruction of his portrait was particularly striking. After twenty-eight days of facing the elements, the photograph became sullied and sun-bleached. In the center, Keith began to fade away. Considering cultural associations with photography, this object reflects the physical impact of life on the street, but it also displays the entropic nature of memory; the soul’s diminishing aura.
The Excellence in the Arts Exhibition celebrates the creative achievements of FSU’s honors students, scholars, and fellows. This year, the exhibition will highlight "Stages of Grief" by Nik Rye, a powerful exploration of the emotional journey through loss and healing. Rye's work captures the complex and often transformative nature of grief, using a variety of media to convey the depth of human emotion.
About the Artist:
As an artist working within intermedial performance and socially engaged movements, I reference my personal experiences in relation to local and universal political conditions. As a human rights organizer who has experienced houselessness, anticapitalist dreams pervade my practice—community, freedom, solidarity, equity, radical love, and future joy. In my binary system muckraking attempts, I ironically oversimplify solutions—for instance, community vs. alienation—to reveal abusive systems of power that are complexly woven into our daily lives. Using DIY aesthetics, craft, and collaboration, I create community access points in public spaces to encourage political and empathetic discourse.
Accessibility is an integral part of my practice. Before deciding upon the form of a community access point, I invite the affected public to share their opinions as well as consent to the overall work. The community access points are built collaboratively, reflecting the hand of the people. The work is then installed, usually covertly, and opened to the public. Food is shared as well. The streets become a gallery, a dinner table, and a soapbox in which passers-by are welcome to engage. Accessibility is maximized through live-streams, social media posts, and online discussion threads. Currently, I am investigating components of communication and language in relation to the spectacle as a pathway to community-building and empathy.
Artwork Description
I photographed Keith speaking with Frank (right) from inside my performance 7 Days a Diamond. After Keith was murdered in a hate crime on Gaines Street, I responded with a participatory performance, Keith Stafford Was Murdered, which took the form of a makeshift memorial and bus shelter. This community access point was placed in the vacant space where a bus stop had stood at Gaines and Railroad before its temporary removal by the City of Tallahassee. This removal displaced Keith and contributed to his eventual murder. To aid in the vigil, I incorporated photographs of Keith, such as this one.
Quickly, the sculpture, which represented Keith’s memory and presence, began to decay after withstanding a month of Florida sun, rain, and participant interaction. The destruction of his portrait was particularly striking. After twenty-eight days of facing the elements, the photograph became sullied and sun-bleached. In the center, Keith began to fade away. Considering cultural associations with photography, this object reflects the physical impact of life on the street, but it also displays the entropic nature of memory; the soul’s diminishing aura.
be/longing, an exhibition of works by FSU’s 2023 MFA graduating class
April 5, 2023 |
The Florida State University Department of Art is pleased to announce be/longing, an exhibition of works by Florida State University’s 2023 MFA graduating class Jenae Christopher, AnnaBrooke Greene, Camille Modesto, nik rye, Chayse Sampy, and Chansong Woo. Hosted by the Museum of Fine Arts, the exhibition will focus on their shared considerations of being in the state of longing regarding the diaspora, community and home.
Christopher, Greene, Modesto, rye, Sampy, and Woo share multimedia practices that provide forms of documentation of lived experiences, past and present. Through participatory performance, video projection, painting, and various multimedia projects, these artists explore the nuances of space, place, and personhood while considering both collective and personal memory. By enacting gestures that take into account the placement and shifting of perception, the artists put forward an expression and vision of hope. Based on their individual, personal experiences, they expand upon various modes of participation to create an intimate space for visitor engagement in order for new modes of encounters to occur all while envisioning an aspiration for tomorrow.
This presentation showcases a group of nik rye’s archival work referencing their ongoing social practice project A// Saints No justice initiated in 2020. Working with intermedia performance and socially engaged movements, rye references their personal experiences in relation to local and universal political conditions. As a human rights organizer who has experienced houselessness, anticapitalist dreams pervade their practice – including a vision of community, freedom, solidity, equity, radical love and future joy. In the first section of the gallery, rye will perform as a DJ during their participatory performance, Echolocation, a protest-themed karaoke party that recreates the community building environment of the act of karaoke in an institutionalized space.
Born and resided in South Korea, Chansong Woo considers how historical memory and trauma transmit to post-generations and constitute memories. Woo uses the narrative triggers of illustrated documentation of the Gwangju Democratization Movement – a moment of people’s struggle against military regimes for democracy in the city of Gwangju, South Korea in 1980. Placed across two conjoining walls of the space creating its own subversive environment, Woo’s large-scale installation of multi-panel black and white drawings will be shown in which the act of physical engagement in the form of a scratch off serves as a bridge between Woo’s personal memory to that of her viewers in her newest installment in her ongoing series About a thing.
Woo’s presentation will be juxtaposed with a group of Jenae Christopher’s charcoal drawings that conceive of depictions of archival imagery of the U.S. Virgin Islands paired with hardened sugar along with a floor installation of sugar bullet casings in a conjoining alcove. As a Caribbean-American artist, Christopher utilizes both drawings and installation to interrogate themes of place, coloniality, cultural identity and hybridity as she works to develop awareness about Caribbean culture and the history of her place of birth, the U.S. Virgin Islands. The new works featured in this exhibition demonstrate the artist’s reflection on the severity of occurrences during the colonial era and their shadows on today’s contemporary political and socio economic state of the U.S. Virgin Islands through a recurring notion of a haunting violence.
Along the expansive back alcove of the space, Camille Modesto will hang a new installation focusing on the experiences of grief and migration. Rooted in her personal experience of migration and assimilation as an artist from Philippines, Modesto questions the ways in which migration affects the psyche of Filipinos and its Diaspora, considering the interrelations between objects, space, and time. Exploring themes of memory, nostalgia, and longing, the installation on view delves into the various ways that grief manifests itself. Modesto engages these complex emotions through the use of video projection of archival and family home videos paired with two mosquito nets as a symbol of home.
AnnaBrooke Greene’s wall oriented sculpture and textile works connect to ideas of the domestic space, memory, time, and the body through materiality. The works on view reflect the artists’ active investigation of the space in which her source materials come from and the memory and history they hold. Along the expansive wall in the second section of the gallery, Greene’s collection of works with both personal and found objects create a fragmented domestic space as Greene offers new iterations of the objects at hand, allowing room for open contemplation and perspective.
Houston-born artist Chayse Sampy’s series of mixed media paintings are an invitation to the family reunion, a return to community with those known to us and by the wake. Within a sea of blue, The Things We Carry vVading in the vVater, questions what it means to love thy neighbor. Based on the enduring spirit of Black resistance, she highlights the shared and collaborative nature of Blackness across space and time, summoning a tradition of fugitive creativity. As a manifestation of W.E.B. DuBois’ “double consciousness” these figurative pieces are monuments capturing the full scope of Black humanity, in all its dynamism and contradiction. She sees this project as a love letter to blackness, to Black people; dead, surviving and thriving.
The Florida State University Department of Art is pleased to announce be/longing, an exhibition of works by Florida State University’s 2023 MFA graduating class Jenae Christopher, AnnaBrooke Greene, Camille Modesto, nik rye, Chayse Sampy, and Chansong Woo. Hosted by the Museum of Fine Arts, the exhibition will focus on their shared considerations of being in the state of longing regarding the diaspora, community and home.
Christopher, Greene, Modesto, rye, Sampy, and Woo share multimedia practices that provide forms of documentation of lived experiences, past and present. Through participatory performance, video projection, painting, and various multimedia projects, these artists explore the nuances of space, place, and personhood while considering both collective and personal memory. By enacting gestures that take into account the placement and shifting of perception, the artists put forward an expression and vision of hope. Based on their individual, personal experiences, they expand upon various modes of participation to create an intimate space for visitor engagement in order for new modes of encounters to occur all while envisioning an aspiration for tomorrow.
This presentation showcases a group of nik rye’s archival work referencing their ongoing social practice project A// Saints No justice initiated in 2020. Working with intermedia performance and socially engaged movements, rye references their personal experiences in relation to local and universal political conditions. As a human rights organizer who has experienced houselessness, anticapitalist dreams pervade their practice – including a vision of community, freedom, solidity, equity, radical love and future joy. In the first section of the gallery, rye will perform as a DJ during their participatory performance, Echolocation, a protest-themed karaoke party that recreates the community building environment of the act of karaoke in an institutionalized space.
Born and resided in South Korea, Chansong Woo considers how historical memory and trauma transmit to post-generations and constitute memories. Woo uses the narrative triggers of illustrated documentation of the Gwangju Democratization Movement – a moment of people’s struggle against military regimes for democracy in the city of Gwangju, South Korea in 1980. Placed across two conjoining walls of the space creating its own subversive environment, Woo’s large-scale installation of multi-panel black and white drawings will be shown in which the act of physical engagement in the form of a scratch off serves as a bridge between Woo’s personal memory to that of her viewers in her newest installment in her ongoing series About a thing.
Woo’s presentation will be juxtaposed with a group of Jenae Christopher’s charcoal drawings that conceive of depictions of archival imagery of the U.S. Virgin Islands paired with hardened sugar along with a floor installation of sugar bullet casings in a conjoining alcove. As a Caribbean-American artist, Christopher utilizes both drawings and installation to interrogate themes of place, coloniality, cultural identity and hybridity as she works to develop awareness about Caribbean culture and the history of her place of birth, the U.S. Virgin Islands. The new works featured in this exhibition demonstrate the artist’s reflection on the severity of occurrences during the colonial era and their shadows on today’s contemporary political and socio economic state of the U.S. Virgin Islands through a recurring notion of a haunting violence.
Along the expansive back alcove of the space, Camille Modesto will hang a new installation focusing on the experiences of grief and migration. Rooted in her personal experience of migration and assimilation as an artist from Philippines, Modesto questions the ways in which migration affects the psyche of Filipinos and its Diaspora, considering the interrelations between objects, space, and time. Exploring themes of memory, nostalgia, and longing, the installation on view delves into the various ways that grief manifests itself. Modesto engages these complex emotions through the use of video projection of archival and family home videos paired with two mosquito nets as a symbol of home.
AnnaBrooke Greene’s wall oriented sculpture and textile works connect to ideas of the domestic space, memory, time, and the body through materiality. The works on view reflect the artists’ active investigation of the space in which her source materials come from and the memory and history they hold. Along the expansive wall in the second section of the gallery, Greene’s collection of works with both personal and found objects create a fragmented domestic space as Greene offers new iterations of the objects at hand, allowing room for open contemplation and perspective.
Houston-born artist Chayse Sampy’s series of mixed media paintings are an invitation to the family reunion, a return to community with those known to us and by the wake. Within a sea of blue, The Things We Carry vVading in the vVater, questions what it means to love thy neighbor. Based on the enduring spirit of Black resistance, she highlights the shared and collaborative nature of Blackness across space and time, summoning a tradition of fugitive creativity. As a manifestation of W.E.B. DuBois’ “double consciousness” these figurative pieces are monuments capturing the full scope of Black humanity, in all its dynamism and contradiction. She sees this project as a love letter to blackness, to Black people; dead, surviving and thriving.
be/longing Art Exhibition at FSU MoMA
FSU MoMA |
Opening Night: April 14th 2023
"be/longing, the FSU MFA 2023 exhibition, opens at FSU MoFA this Friday the 14th at 6 pm.
Our show navigates six different art practices connected by themes of memory, love & loss, home & migration, and resistance.
Featured artists:
@_annabrooke_art_
@chaysetheartist
@jenae_art
@camille.modesto
@woochansong12
@nik_rye
On April 20th at 5 pm, the artists will be available for casual discussion about their work within the museum. At 6 pm, the artists will formally talk about their practices to be followed by a panel."
Opening Night: April 14th 2023
"be/longing, the FSU MFA 2023 exhibition, opens at FSU MoFA this Friday the 14th at 6 pm.
Our show navigates six different art practices connected by themes of memory, love & loss, home & migration, and resistance.
Featured artists:
@_annabrooke_art_
@chaysetheartist
@jenae_art
@camille.modesto
@woochansong12
@nik_rye
On April 20th at 5 pm, the artists will be available for casual discussion about their work within the museum. At 6 pm, the artists will formally talk about their practices to be followed by a panel."
Hold for Discussion at 621 Gallery
621 Gallery | April 7, 2023 - April 27, 2023
"This Friday at 621 Gallery, I am honored to perform in Hold for Discussion, a show curated and juried by @amandakleinhans and @quinndukes, featuring an array of inspiring artists!"
"This Friday at 621 Gallery, I am honored to perform in Hold for Discussion, a show curated and juried by @amandakleinhans and @quinndukes, featuring an array of inspiring artists!"
FSU Hosts 11th Art and Education for Social Justice Symposium
March 8th, 2023
"The Department of Art Education, in partnership with the University of Georgia’s Lamar Dodd School of Art and the School of Social Work, hosted the 11th Art and Education for Social Justice Symposium* on and around the Florida State University campus between February 3-5, 2023. The goal of the interdisciplinary event was to include and amplify voices often on the margins of academia and to share theories, methodologies, and results of art and education practices that strive to have a direct public impact. Symposium presentations, conversations, and collaborations responded to the guiding question: “How are art and education inspiring, affecting, and promoting social change?”
The symposium hosted over 40 presentations by researchers and practitioners, hailing from two countries outside the US and over 15 US states, and brought an additional 50 attendees to the William Johnston Building. The event began with a keynote presentation by Tatiana Daguillard, a Project Manager with Blueprint, and independent arts consultant Amanda Thompson titled “Making Memory Artful: The Making of the History and Culture Trail” and concluded with a guided dialogue session that lead to a collective exhibition on display in William Johnston Building’s Gallery 1006. The exhibition, titled “I Commit To…,” documented how Symposium presenters and attendees and FSU students and faculty vowed to promote social change in their respective communities.
Faculty and graduate students from all four programs that make up the Department of Art Education (Art Education, Museum Education & Visitor-Centered Curation “EC”, Arts Administration, and Art Therapy) presented their research. We also enjoyed partnering with colleagues across the College of Fine Arts. Dean James Frazier delivered the opening remarks and spoke to the importance of equity in the arts, Dr. Kristin Dowell (Art History) facilitated a workshop and screening around Indigenous Films and Artist Resurgence; Professor Meredith Lynn (Art) hosted attendees at MoFA, where Dr. Tenley Bick (Art History) spoke on the exhibition she recently curated, titled “Un sentimento di libertá | A Feeling of Freedom: New Italians in the Work of Luigi Christopher Veggetti Kanku.” Professor Terry Londy (Interior Architecture and Design) participated behind the scenes on curating the “I commit to…” exhibition with us.
The Department of Art Education is deeply grateful to the Symposium Planning Committee, co-chaired by Rachel Fendler and Amber Ward. In particular, we want to thank the graduate students who served with us: Illyanna Soares (Symposium Coordinator), Kara Fedje, Minki Jeon, and Ashley Williams. We would also like to especially thank MoFA art educators, Annie Booth and Zida Wang, for coordinating the reception at MoFA. We look forward to seeing everyone again at the 12th Art and Education for Social Justice Symposium in Athens, Georgia, in 2025.
"The Department of Art Education, in partnership with the University of Georgia’s Lamar Dodd School of Art and the School of Social Work, hosted the 11th Art and Education for Social Justice Symposium* on and around the Florida State University campus between February 3-5, 2023. The goal of the interdisciplinary event was to include and amplify voices often on the margins of academia and to share theories, methodologies, and results of art and education practices that strive to have a direct public impact. Symposium presentations, conversations, and collaborations responded to the guiding question: “How are art and education inspiring, affecting, and promoting social change?”
The symposium hosted over 40 presentations by researchers and practitioners, hailing from two countries outside the US and over 15 US states, and brought an additional 50 attendees to the William Johnston Building. The event began with a keynote presentation by Tatiana Daguillard, a Project Manager with Blueprint, and independent arts consultant Amanda Thompson titled “Making Memory Artful: The Making of the History and Culture Trail” and concluded with a guided dialogue session that lead to a collective exhibition on display in William Johnston Building’s Gallery 1006. The exhibition, titled “I Commit To…,” documented how Symposium presenters and attendees and FSU students and faculty vowed to promote social change in their respective communities.
Faculty and graduate students from all four programs that make up the Department of Art Education (Art Education, Museum Education & Visitor-Centered Curation “EC”, Arts Administration, and Art Therapy) presented their research. We also enjoyed partnering with colleagues across the College of Fine Arts. Dean James Frazier delivered the opening remarks and spoke to the importance of equity in the arts, Dr. Kristin Dowell (Art History) facilitated a workshop and screening around Indigenous Films and Artist Resurgence; Professor Meredith Lynn (Art) hosted attendees at MoFA, where Dr. Tenley Bick (Art History) spoke on the exhibition she recently curated, titled “Un sentimento di libertá | A Feeling of Freedom: New Italians in the Work of Luigi Christopher Veggetti Kanku.” Professor Terry Londy (Interior Architecture and Design) participated behind the scenes on curating the “I commit to…” exhibition with us.
The Department of Art Education is deeply grateful to the Symposium Planning Committee, co-chaired by Rachel Fendler and Amber Ward. In particular, we want to thank the graduate students who served with us: Illyanna Soares (Symposium Coordinator), Kara Fedje, Minki Jeon, and Ashley Williams. We would also like to especially thank MoFA art educators, Annie Booth and Zida Wang, for coordinating the reception at MoFA. We look forward to seeing everyone again at the 12th Art and Education for Social Justice Symposium in Athens, Georgia, in 2025.
FSU College of Art Education Social Justice Symposium 2023
"Florida State University’s Department of Art Education recently hosted the “Arts & Education Social Justice Symposium” on our campus in Tallahassee, FL. It was an inspiring event expertly co-organized by my good friends and colleagues, Dr. Rachel Fendler and Dr. Amber Ward, and supported by Dean James Frazier and Departmental Chair, Dr. Sara Scott Shields. Many FSU alum, faculty, staff, and students gave presentations and contributed to the symposium, including (but not limited to): keynote co-speaker Amanda Thompson, nik rye, Dave Gussak, Michelle Torrech-Perez, Marissa Hart, Amber Ward, Sara Scott Shields, Rachel Fendler, Flavia S. Ramos-Mattoussi, Zimeng Zhang, Kristin Dowell, Maclain Hardin-Kurza, Ashley Williams, Kara Fedje, Jill Pable, Marcia Meale, Anthony Woodruff, Alexandra Allen, Daeyung Kim, Donald Sheppard, Jessica Barthle, Oksun Lee, Meredith Lynn, and Tenley Bick. I was honored to give a presentation as well. The event was motivating and inspiring, and I’m looking forward to the next symposium at the University of Georgia in 2025."
FSU Graduate School Fellows Research Sharing
Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House at FSU | November 18, 2023
FSU Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House to Host Research Sharing Luncheon
Tallahassee, FL – November 18, 2023 – The Florida State University (FSU) Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House is excited to announce a Research Sharing Luncheon featuring three distinguished speakers who will present their innovative research. This event will take place on November 18, 2023, and will provide a platform for sharing cutting-edge ideas and fostering academic discussions.
Event Details:
Date: November 18, 2023
Time: 12 PM – 2 PM
Location: FSU Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House, Tallahassee, FL
One of the featured speakers is Nik Rye, who will present their research titled "Now You See Me Moira: Utilitarian Aesthetics of Resistance." Nik Rye’s work delves into the intersection of aesthetics and resistance, exploring how utilitarian art forms serve as tools for social and political activism.
This luncheon offers an exceptional opportunity for attendees to engage with groundbreaking research across diverse fields and to participate in thought-provoking discussions. The event aims to create a collaborative environment where scholars, students, and community members can connect and exchange ideas.
About the Speaker:
Nik Rye is a researcher and artist with a profound interest in the role of art in social movements. Their work, "Now You See Me Moira," examines how utilitarian aesthetics can be harnessed to challenge and resist oppressive structures. As a dynamic speaker and thought leader, Nik brings valuable insights into the ways art influences and shapes societal change.
About FSU Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House:
The FSU Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House is dedicated to fostering academic excellence and providing a supportive environment for scholars to pursue their research and scholarly activities. Our mission is to cultivate a community of learners who strive for intellectual growth and societal impact.
FSU Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House to Host Research Sharing Luncheon
Tallahassee, FL – November 18, 2023 – The Florida State University (FSU) Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House is excited to announce a Research Sharing Luncheon featuring three distinguished speakers who will present their innovative research. This event will take place on November 18, 2023, and will provide a platform for sharing cutting-edge ideas and fostering academic discussions.
Event Details:
Date: November 18, 2023
Time: 12 PM – 2 PM
Location: FSU Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House, Tallahassee, FL
One of the featured speakers is Nik Rye, who will present their research titled "Now You See Me Moira: Utilitarian Aesthetics of Resistance." Nik Rye’s work delves into the intersection of aesthetics and resistance, exploring how utilitarian art forms serve as tools for social and political activism.
This luncheon offers an exceptional opportunity for attendees to engage with groundbreaking research across diverse fields and to participate in thought-provoking discussions. The event aims to create a collaborative environment where scholars, students, and community members can connect and exchange ideas.
About the Speaker:
Nik Rye is a researcher and artist with a profound interest in the role of art in social movements. Their work, "Now You See Me Moira," examines how utilitarian aesthetics can be harnessed to challenge and resist oppressive structures. As a dynamic speaker and thought leader, Nik brings valuable insights into the ways art influences and shapes societal change.
About FSU Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House:
The FSU Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House is dedicated to fostering academic excellence and providing a supportive environment for scholars to pursue their research and scholarly activities. Our mission is to cultivate a community of learners who strive for intellectual growth and societal impact.
All About Love at Working Method Contemporary
Working Method Contemporary |
February 25, 2022
"This coming Friday 02.25 at 7 pm, you are invited to attend the opening of All About Love, a co-curated art show inspired by the writings of bell hooks.
We are exhibiting over 25 artists from all over Florida (and Poland) who have shared with us their works reflecting the abstract in its complexity.
Performances will only take place on opening night.
“The function of art is to do more than tell it like it is - it's to imagine what is possible.”
- bell hooks
With hope,
Camille Modesto & nik rye
-
@eltonburgest @emilyraert @acquiringshelbyhubbard @_agua.dulce_ @flowingfrequency @3tsitra @allipryorr @barbaraelart @ricder_ricardo @mimitraaan @lanidaze @killnitkris @aj.smada @woochansong12 @kat_chudy @leah_ellennn @_nobody_told_me_ @steph.mcmillan @promising_young_woman @camille.modesto @_annabrooke_art_ @athenanugent @jenae_art @chaysetheartist @michelle940 @iris_eve_art @morganicstudio"
February 25, 2022
"This coming Friday 02.25 at 7 pm, you are invited to attend the opening of All About Love, a co-curated art show inspired by the writings of bell hooks.
We are exhibiting over 25 artists from all over Florida (and Poland) who have shared with us their works reflecting the abstract in its complexity.
Performances will only take place on opening night.
“The function of art is to do more than tell it like it is - it's to imagine what is possible.”
- bell hooks
With hope,
Camille Modesto & nik rye
-
@eltonburgest @emilyraert @acquiringshelbyhubbard @_agua.dulce_ @flowingfrequency @3tsitra @allipryorr @barbaraelart @ricder_ricardo @mimitraaan @lanidaze @killnitkris @aj.smada @woochansong12 @kat_chudy @leah_ellennn @_nobody_told_me_ @steph.mcmillan @promising_young_woman @camille.modesto @_annabrooke_art_ @athenanugent @jenae_art @chaysetheartist @michelle940 @iris_eve_art @morganicstudio"
I Think You Should Leave at Phyllis Straus Gallery
Phyllis Straus Gallery | November 30, 2021
"My Beginning Ceramics students will be showing their recent work at Phyllis Straus Gallery this coming Tuesday at 6pm🖤"
"My Beginning Ceramics students will be showing their recent work at Phyllis Straus Gallery this coming Tuesday at 6pm🖤"
We Can House Ann Fundraiser at The BARK
November 20, 2021 | The BARK
We Can House Ann: A Fundraiser Event Featuring Local Hardcore Punk Bands and Live Art at The Bark
Tallahassee, FL – November 20, 2021 – Join us for an unforgettable night of music, art, and community support at The Bark in Tallahassee, FL, as we come together for the "We Can House Ann" fundraiser. This special event, hosted by the Tallahassee Houseless Alliance and Tally Community Aid, aims to raise funds to secure housing for Ann, a valued community member in need.
The evening will feature performances by five electrifying hardcore punk bands: Chatterer, Eyesore, Eskizo, Mercy, and Triangle Fire. In addition to the musical acts, the event will showcase the talents of documentarian Morgan Smith and live painter Eric Champagne, who will create on-the-spot works inspired by the night's energy and cause.
Nik Rye, artist and founder of Tally Community Aid, will deliver a heartfelt speech about the importance of housing for all and the power of community solidarity.
Event Details:
Date: November 20, 2021
Time: Doors open at 7 PM
Location: The Bark, Tallahassee, FL
Suggested Donation: $10
"We Can House Ann" is more than just a fundraiser; it's a call to action for our community to support one another and ensure that everyone has a place to call home. Your presence and contribution can make a significant difference in Ann's life. Let's show our support and demonstrate that everyone deserves housing.
For more information and to stay updated on the event, please visit [Event Website/Facebook Page] or contact the Tallahassee Houseless Alliance at [Contact Information].
Come out, enjoy an evening of incredible music and art, and help us get Ann housed. Together, we can make a difference.
About Tallahassee Houseless Alliance:
The Tallahassee Houseless Alliance is dedicated to providing support and resources to the houseless community in Tallahassee. Through advocacy, outreach, and community-driven initiatives, we strive to ensure that everyone has access to safe and stable housing.
About Tally Community Aid:
Tally Community Aid, founded by artist Nik Rye, is a grassroots organization focused on aiding the local community through various support programs, including housing assistance, food distribution, and educational workshops.
We Can House Ann: A Fundraiser Event Featuring Local Hardcore Punk Bands and Live Art at The Bark
Tallahassee, FL – November 20, 2021 – Join us for an unforgettable night of music, art, and community support at The Bark in Tallahassee, FL, as we come together for the "We Can House Ann" fundraiser. This special event, hosted by the Tallahassee Houseless Alliance and Tally Community Aid, aims to raise funds to secure housing for Ann, a valued community member in need.
The evening will feature performances by five electrifying hardcore punk bands: Chatterer, Eyesore, Eskizo, Mercy, and Triangle Fire. In addition to the musical acts, the event will showcase the talents of documentarian Morgan Smith and live painter Eric Champagne, who will create on-the-spot works inspired by the night's energy and cause.
Nik Rye, artist and founder of Tally Community Aid, will deliver a heartfelt speech about the importance of housing for all and the power of community solidarity.
Event Details:
Date: November 20, 2021
Time: Doors open at 7 PM
Location: The Bark, Tallahassee, FL
Suggested Donation: $10
"We Can House Ann" is more than just a fundraiser; it's a call to action for our community to support one another and ensure that everyone has a place to call home. Your presence and contribution can make a significant difference in Ann's life. Let's show our support and demonstrate that everyone deserves housing.
For more information and to stay updated on the event, please visit [Event Website/Facebook Page] or contact the Tallahassee Houseless Alliance at [Contact Information].
Come out, enjoy an evening of incredible music and art, and help us get Ann housed. Together, we can make a difference.
About Tallahassee Houseless Alliance:
The Tallahassee Houseless Alliance is dedicated to providing support and resources to the houseless community in Tallahassee. Through advocacy, outreach, and community-driven initiatives, we strive to ensure that everyone has access to safe and stable housing.
About Tally Community Aid:
Tally Community Aid, founded by artist Nik Rye, is a grassroots organization focused on aiding the local community through various support programs, including housing assistance, food distribution, and educational workshops.
thresholds
Presented by Working Method Contemporary | October 29, 2021
Over a dozen artists exhibit their work exploring the dynamics of home at Working Method Contemporary gallery and surrounding spaces, indoor and outdoor.
One home is drowning and submerged, another is sunbleached, dilapidated but stands resolute in the sun’s orange glow, one is a web suspended in the trees catching light and attention, another is toylike, rendered soft and squishy. A home has more than four walls and a roof: it holds and hosts and creaks. It is a stage, a vessel, sometimes a place for refuge, sometimes a place for pain. More than a dozen artists from the Florida State University Master’s of Fine Arts program are exploring the dynamics of these seemingly simple structures. Through photography, painting, video, performance, installation, writing, textiles and more, these artists are examining the complicated space called home. “Thresholds,” opening Friday, October 29 at 7 PM in and around the Carnaghi Arts Building, located at 2214 Belle Vue Way, will offer three expansive sights for viewer engagement. Outside on the front lawn is a web and a sculpture hanging amongst the trees, inside the former middle school cafeteria will hold larger works and projections and further down the hall in the Working Method Contemporary gallery are even more videos, paintings and textile works.This event is free and open to the public. It is located at 2214 Belle Vue Way and will last from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Over a dozen artists exhibit their work exploring the dynamics of home at Working Method Contemporary gallery and surrounding spaces, indoor and outdoor.
Over a dozen artists exhibit their work exploring the dynamics of home at Working Method Contemporary gallery and surrounding spaces, indoor and outdoor.
One home is drowning and submerged, another is sunbleached, dilapidated but stands resolute in the sun’s orange glow, one is a web suspended in the trees catching light and attention, another is toylike, rendered soft and squishy. A home has more than four walls and a roof: it holds and hosts and creaks. It is a stage, a vessel, sometimes a place for refuge, sometimes a place for pain. More than a dozen artists from the Florida State University Master’s of Fine Arts program are exploring the dynamics of these seemingly simple structures. Through photography, painting, video, performance, installation, writing, textiles and more, these artists are examining the complicated space called home. “Thresholds,” opening Friday, October 29 at 7 PM in and around the Carnaghi Arts Building, located at 2214 Belle Vue Way, will offer three expansive sights for viewer engagement. Outside on the front lawn is a web and a sculpture hanging amongst the trees, inside the former middle school cafeteria will hold larger works and projections and further down the hall in the Working Method Contemporary gallery are even more videos, paintings and textile works.This event is free and open to the public. It is located at 2214 Belle Vue Way and will last from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Over a dozen artists exhibit their work exploring the dynamics of home at Working Method Contemporary gallery and surrounding spaces, indoor and outdoor.
FSU Graduate School Fellows Research Sharing
Virtual | October 14, 2021
FSU Graduate School Fellow to Share Groundbreaking Research at Virtual Luncheon
Tallahassee, FL – October 14, 2021 – Florida State University (FSU) Graduate School is pleased to announce an upcoming virtual luncheon featuring Nik Rye, an esteemed Graduate School Fellow, who will present their pioneering research titled "The Relationship is the Object: Community Building in Art and Activism."
The virtual luncheon will take place on October 14, 2021, and aims to foster dialogue and exchange ideas on the critical role of art in community-building and activism. Nik Rye's research explores how artistic practices can forge stronger community ties and serve as a catalyst for social change.
Event Details:
Date: October 14, 2021
Time: 12 PM – 1 PM (EST)
Location: Virtual (Zoom link will be provided upon registration)
Nik Rye, a dynamic artist and community organizer, brings a wealth of experience to their research, drawing on extensive involvement in art and activism. Their presentation will delve into the transformative power of art to build relationships and communities, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and shared experiences in driving social progress.
This virtual luncheon offers a unique opportunity for attendees to engage with innovative ideas and gain insights into the intersection of art and activism. Participants will have the chance to interact with Nik Rye during a Q&A session following the presentation.
About the Speaker:
Nik Rye is a Graduate School Fellow at FSU and the founder of Tally Community Aid, an organization dedicated to supporting local communities through art and activism. With a focus on creating inclusive spaces and fostering social connections, Nik's work has been instrumental in driving community-centered initiatives.
Registration:
To attend the virtual luncheon, please register at [Registration Link]. Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged.
About FSU Graduate School:
The FSU Graduate School is committed to advancing knowledge and fostering academic excellence through research, scholarship, and creative activity. Our diverse community of scholars engages in cutting-edge research that addresses pressing global challenges and contributes to the betterment of society.
FSU Graduate School Fellow to Share Groundbreaking Research at Virtual Luncheon
Tallahassee, FL – October 14, 2021 – Florida State University (FSU) Graduate School is pleased to announce an upcoming virtual luncheon featuring Nik Rye, an esteemed Graduate School Fellow, who will present their pioneering research titled "The Relationship is the Object: Community Building in Art and Activism."
The virtual luncheon will take place on October 14, 2021, and aims to foster dialogue and exchange ideas on the critical role of art in community-building and activism. Nik Rye's research explores how artistic practices can forge stronger community ties and serve as a catalyst for social change.
Event Details:
Date: October 14, 2021
Time: 12 PM – 1 PM (EST)
Location: Virtual (Zoom link will be provided upon registration)
Nik Rye, a dynamic artist and community organizer, brings a wealth of experience to their research, drawing on extensive involvement in art and activism. Their presentation will delve into the transformative power of art to build relationships and communities, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and shared experiences in driving social progress.
This virtual luncheon offers a unique opportunity for attendees to engage with innovative ideas and gain insights into the intersection of art and activism. Participants will have the chance to interact with Nik Rye during a Q&A session following the presentation.
About the Speaker:
Nik Rye is a Graduate School Fellow at FSU and the founder of Tally Community Aid, an organization dedicated to supporting local communities through art and activism. With a focus on creating inclusive spaces and fostering social connections, Nik's work has been instrumental in driving community-centered initiatives.
Registration:
To attend the virtual luncheon, please register at [Registration Link]. Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged.
About FSU Graduate School:
The FSU Graduate School is committed to advancing knowledge and fostering academic excellence through research, scholarship, and creative activity. Our diverse community of scholars engages in cutting-edge research that addresses pressing global challenges and contributes to the betterment of society.
Two homeless men stabbed months apart on Gaines Street; TPD makes arrest, says cases connected
by Christopher Cann | November 16, 2021 | Tallahassee Democrat
A Tallahassee man was arrested Friday in connection with a stabbing earlier this month of a homeless man on Gaines Street.
He is also a suspect in the murder of Wallace "Keith" Stafford, another homeless man who was stabbed and killed in the same area months earlier.
William Votsis, 64, is being charged with premeditated, attempted homicide. Law enforcement believes he is the man who stabbed Raymond Myers, a homeless man who frequented the West Gaines Street and Railroad Avenue area.
Myers, known to locals and business owners as "Ray Ray," was found badly injured with clear lacerations on his face and hands on Friday, Nov. 5, behind a row of stores along Gaines Street.
Myers was also close friends with Stafford, who was killed July 1, and earlier identified Votsis as his killer to police. According to Myers' interview with investigators, Votsis punched, kicked and stabbed him out of revenge for giving his name to police.
Both victims were profiled in an award-winning Tallahassee Democrat story about the faces of homelessness in Tallahassee, in which 15 people who were living on the streets shared their stories.
As of Friday afternoon, Myers was in stable condition in Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, according to locals who have called to check up on him.
"I talked to him today, and he told me he is doing OK," said Hailey Bynum, a volunteer at The Plant, a DIY community space on Gaines Street that Myers frequented. "We don't really know too much. The hospital doesn't release much."
Investigation begins
After Myers was found and hospitalized, Tallahassee police began interviewing potential witnesses, including a nearby restaurant employee who was working the door of the venue the night before.
She said Votsis, who is homeless, walked up to her and said "other transients were accusing him of stabbing and killing Stafford," according to a probable cause affidavit.
He also told her that "if he wanted to cut someone, he would have no problem doing it."
After her shift, around 3 a.m., she was driving home when she saw Votsis standing above Myers who was lying on the ground, reports show.
Myers' account of the night
Three days after he was hospitalized, Myers was able to provide a statement to police.
He told investigators he was in the Gaines Street area Thursday when he ran into Votsis, who "repeatedly accused Myers of snitching" before threatening to kill him, according to court records.
While trying to fall asleep under a nearby awning, Votsis violently confronted Myers by kicking him and telling him to leave — "otherwise he'd kill him," a TPD officer wrote in a probable cause affidavit.
Myers first sought refuge near the Shell gas station, then a space behind a building of storefronts on Gaines Street — all the while Votsis continued to follow and batter him. As daylight broke, police say Votsis found Myers again and attacked.
"Myers thought Votsis was merely striking him," an investigator wrote. "However, Myers regained consciousness at the hospital and was advised by medical staff that he had been stabbed."
While in a hospital bed, Myers was shown a mugshot of Votsis by police. He told investigators that Votsis was the man who stabbed him and killed his close friend, Keith Stafford, on July 1.
Votsis was arrested by police for "trespass after warning" the same day Myers was hospitalized, according to court records.
Sometime during the arrest, he told officers "he was going to commit heinous crimes so he could be put back in jail for long periods of time," a probable cause affidavit said.
Safety camera footage shows vignettes of violence throughout night
As the investigation ensued, police pulled security footage from motion-activated cameras at the West Gaines Street and Railroad Avenue intersection.
The footage confirmed Myers' testimony that he was bullied, battered and bruised throughout the night by Votsis.
The motion-activated cameras caught vignettes of violence on the screen:
After 3 a.m., Votsis pushed over Myers' shopping cart, which held many of his personal belongings. After briefly turning off, the camera began recording when Votsis walked back into frame and shoved Myers to the ground.
It captured him repeatedly kicking and punching Myers.
Myers, struggling to stand up, eventually dusted himself off and walked in the direction of some local shops just before 4 a.m.
"At no time did the video show Myers provoking Votsis or instigating an altercation," the affidavit said.
On Nov. 9, four days after the incident, TPD received a Crime Stoppers tip containing surveillance footage from behind the tattoo shop where Myers was found. It shows Votsis, holding "an object consistent in size and shape with a folding knife," jabbing and slashing Myers between his stomps and kicks to the man's legs and face.
Again, police note, "at no time did the video show Myers provoking Votsis."
Blood-stained clothes, police summary and Stafford case
On Nov. 9, police obtained a search warrant for Votsis' property locker, as he was already in the Leon County Detention Facility on separate charges. The search yielded a blue denim shirt, denim black shoes, all which "had suspected blood staining," according to the affidavit.
The next day, police arranged an interview with Votsis, but he refused to come out of his cell and speak to officers.
"Based on the video and Myers' statement, it's apparent Votsis repeatedly followed, harassed, battered and ultimately stabbed Myers, motivated by Myers' identification of Votsis during the investigation into Stafford's murder," court records said.
"Given the reported threats made by Votsis to kill Myers, and the demonstrated harassments and attacks, it's apparent the attack on Myers was perpetrated with a premeditated design intended to affect the death of Myers."
Police noted that "sufficient evidence for the arrest of Votsis (for Stafford's death) has yet to be established."
'He's a really sweet guy'
Bynum, who works at The Plant, said Myers is an independent man, who kept his acquaintances — except his "best friend" Keith Stafford — at arm's length.
"When you get to know him, he's a really sweet guy and he's very funny," she told the Democrat. "I would see the two of them together a lot, when Keith was still alive."
Paul Rutkovsky, the owner and manager of The Plant, knew Stafford for a decade, and Myers for about five years.
He emphasized Myers' introspective demeanor, which he described as a "yin and yang" to Stafford's unreserved personality.
"I miss Ray Ray, however I'm hoping he will find a better place," he said. "I don't want to see things pick up where it was left off before this horrible stabbing."
Rutkovsky hosted a memorial for his friend Keith Stafford, who would often draw and paint at The Plant.
"Keith's death was too much for me," he said. "We had a memorial and I almost didn't make it through the whole thing.
"... I love these guys."
A Tallahassee man was arrested Friday in connection with a stabbing earlier this month of a homeless man on Gaines Street.
He is also a suspect in the murder of Wallace "Keith" Stafford, another homeless man who was stabbed and killed in the same area months earlier.
William Votsis, 64, is being charged with premeditated, attempted homicide. Law enforcement believes he is the man who stabbed Raymond Myers, a homeless man who frequented the West Gaines Street and Railroad Avenue area.
Myers, known to locals and business owners as "Ray Ray," was found badly injured with clear lacerations on his face and hands on Friday, Nov. 5, behind a row of stores along Gaines Street.
Myers was also close friends with Stafford, who was killed July 1, and earlier identified Votsis as his killer to police. According to Myers' interview with investigators, Votsis punched, kicked and stabbed him out of revenge for giving his name to police.
Both victims were profiled in an award-winning Tallahassee Democrat story about the faces of homelessness in Tallahassee, in which 15 people who were living on the streets shared their stories.
As of Friday afternoon, Myers was in stable condition in Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, according to locals who have called to check up on him.
"I talked to him today, and he told me he is doing OK," said Hailey Bynum, a volunteer at The Plant, a DIY community space on Gaines Street that Myers frequented. "We don't really know too much. The hospital doesn't release much."
Investigation begins
After Myers was found and hospitalized, Tallahassee police began interviewing potential witnesses, including a nearby restaurant employee who was working the door of the venue the night before.
She said Votsis, who is homeless, walked up to her and said "other transients were accusing him of stabbing and killing Stafford," according to a probable cause affidavit.
He also told her that "if he wanted to cut someone, he would have no problem doing it."
After her shift, around 3 a.m., she was driving home when she saw Votsis standing above Myers who was lying on the ground, reports show.
Myers' account of the night
Three days after he was hospitalized, Myers was able to provide a statement to police.
He told investigators he was in the Gaines Street area Thursday when he ran into Votsis, who "repeatedly accused Myers of snitching" before threatening to kill him, according to court records.
While trying to fall asleep under a nearby awning, Votsis violently confronted Myers by kicking him and telling him to leave — "otherwise he'd kill him," a TPD officer wrote in a probable cause affidavit.
Myers first sought refuge near the Shell gas station, then a space behind a building of storefronts on Gaines Street — all the while Votsis continued to follow and batter him. As daylight broke, police say Votsis found Myers again and attacked.
"Myers thought Votsis was merely striking him," an investigator wrote. "However, Myers regained consciousness at the hospital and was advised by medical staff that he had been stabbed."
While in a hospital bed, Myers was shown a mugshot of Votsis by police. He told investigators that Votsis was the man who stabbed him and killed his close friend, Keith Stafford, on July 1.
Votsis was arrested by police for "trespass after warning" the same day Myers was hospitalized, according to court records.
Sometime during the arrest, he told officers "he was going to commit heinous crimes so he could be put back in jail for long periods of time," a probable cause affidavit said.
Safety camera footage shows vignettes of violence throughout night
As the investigation ensued, police pulled security footage from motion-activated cameras at the West Gaines Street and Railroad Avenue intersection.
The footage confirmed Myers' testimony that he was bullied, battered and bruised throughout the night by Votsis.
The motion-activated cameras caught vignettes of violence on the screen:
After 3 a.m., Votsis pushed over Myers' shopping cart, which held many of his personal belongings. After briefly turning off, the camera began recording when Votsis walked back into frame and shoved Myers to the ground.
It captured him repeatedly kicking and punching Myers.
Myers, struggling to stand up, eventually dusted himself off and walked in the direction of some local shops just before 4 a.m.
"At no time did the video show Myers provoking Votsis or instigating an altercation," the affidavit said.
On Nov. 9, four days after the incident, TPD received a Crime Stoppers tip containing surveillance footage from behind the tattoo shop where Myers was found. It shows Votsis, holding "an object consistent in size and shape with a folding knife," jabbing and slashing Myers between his stomps and kicks to the man's legs and face.
Again, police note, "at no time did the video show Myers provoking Votsis."
Blood-stained clothes, police summary and Stafford case
On Nov. 9, police obtained a search warrant for Votsis' property locker, as he was already in the Leon County Detention Facility on separate charges. The search yielded a blue denim shirt, denim black shoes, all which "had suspected blood staining," according to the affidavit.
The next day, police arranged an interview with Votsis, but he refused to come out of his cell and speak to officers.
"Based on the video and Myers' statement, it's apparent Votsis repeatedly followed, harassed, battered and ultimately stabbed Myers, motivated by Myers' identification of Votsis during the investigation into Stafford's murder," court records said.
"Given the reported threats made by Votsis to kill Myers, and the demonstrated harassments and attacks, it's apparent the attack on Myers was perpetrated with a premeditated design intended to affect the death of Myers."
Police noted that "sufficient evidence for the arrest of Votsis (for Stafford's death) has yet to be established."
'He's a really sweet guy'
Bynum, who works at The Plant, said Myers is an independent man, who kept his acquaintances — except his "best friend" Keith Stafford — at arm's length.
"When you get to know him, he's a really sweet guy and he's very funny," she told the Democrat. "I would see the two of them together a lot, when Keith was still alive."
Paul Rutkovsky, the owner and manager of The Plant, knew Stafford for a decade, and Myers for about five years.
He emphasized Myers' introspective demeanor, which he described as a "yin and yang" to Stafford's unreserved personality.
"I miss Ray Ray, however I'm hoping he will find a better place," he said. "I don't want to see things pick up where it was left off before this horrible stabbing."
Rutkovsky hosted a memorial for his friend Keith Stafford, who would often draw and paint at The Plant.
"Keith's death was too much for me," he said. "We had a memorial and I almost didn't make it through the whole thing.
"... I love these guys."
Activist Creates Art to Help End Homelessness
by Karah Bailey | ABC 27 | September 13, 2021
A local activist's artwork calling out the city of Tallahassee's actions towards homelessness has been removed and now the artist says she wants to see more done to solve the root of the problem.
Nik Rye led construction and design for this makeshift bus shelter after a homeless man who frequently slept where it stood was found dead. This, shortly after the city removed a bus stop bench and awning near the corner of Gaines St. and Railroad Ave.
Rye says the city's removal of covered bus shelters in the area is an act of gentrification that's putting homeless people in even greater danger.
"You can't just push them out of a space. And that seems to be the answer. They're spending a lot of money pushing people out of areas instead of just finding ways to house them. That is on them. That's their responsibility as a local government," Rye says.
The bus stop's shelter and bench were both replaced today.
We reached out to the City of Tallahassee as well as the Big Bend Continuum of Care for their response to Rye's artistic activism and are still waiting to hear back.
A local activist's artwork calling out the city of Tallahassee's actions towards homelessness has been removed and now the artist says she wants to see more done to solve the root of the problem.
Nik Rye led construction and design for this makeshift bus shelter after a homeless man who frequently slept where it stood was found dead. This, shortly after the city removed a bus stop bench and awning near the corner of Gaines St. and Railroad Ave.
Rye says the city's removal of covered bus shelters in the area is an act of gentrification that's putting homeless people in even greater danger.
"You can't just push them out of a space. And that seems to be the answer. They're spending a lot of money pushing people out of areas instead of just finding ways to house them. That is on them. That's their responsibility as a local government," Rye says.
The bus stop's shelter and bench were both replaced today.
We reached out to the City of Tallahassee as well as the Big Bend Continuum of Care for their response to Rye's artistic activism and are still waiting to hear back.
Makeshift Memorial Reminds Us All to Do Better for Our Homeless Neighbors
by Don Ruane | Tallahassee Democrat | August 21, 2021
Lest we forget amidst all the breaking news about mask mandates and city corruption, that there are homeless people in town who need housing, protection and justice.
A new memorial at Railroad Avenue and Gaines Street should sting the community’s conscience. It is a tribute to Wallace Keith Stafford, whose stabbed body was found July 1 in a nearby vacant lot. The plywood memorial sits where a bus shelter created by sculptor Mark Dixon stood until it was removed this summer. It was frequented by homeless such as Stafford.
Back story: Self-proclaimed 'street person' and 'greatest artist in the world' killed in stabbing.
This memorial to Keith Stafford sprung at Gaines Street Railroad Avenue after the city removed a bus shelter sculpture.
The new memorial, if still there, calls out government — and really all of us — to do a better job of addressing homelessness in Tallahassee. We can’t just make benches at Lake Ella uncomfortable, remove public art like the bus shelter or bring city codes down like hammers on churches trying to help.
Please get behind the work of agencies such as the Big Bend Homeless Coalition, City Walk Urban Mission, the Kearney Center and others that provide low-cost housing for low-income people.
Let’s make homelessness and affordable housing the 2022 election issues. Let’s pressure elected officials to bargain harder for this cause with developers who want to fill the land only with high-end housing.
Lest we forget amidst all the breaking news about mask mandates and city corruption, that there are homeless people in town who need housing, protection and justice.
A new memorial at Railroad Avenue and Gaines Street should sting the community’s conscience. It is a tribute to Wallace Keith Stafford, whose stabbed body was found July 1 in a nearby vacant lot. The plywood memorial sits where a bus shelter created by sculptor Mark Dixon stood until it was removed this summer. It was frequented by homeless such as Stafford.
Back story: Self-proclaimed 'street person' and 'greatest artist in the world' killed in stabbing.
This memorial to Keith Stafford sprung at Gaines Street Railroad Avenue after the city removed a bus shelter sculpture.
The new memorial, if still there, calls out government — and really all of us — to do a better job of addressing homelessness in Tallahassee. We can’t just make benches at Lake Ella uncomfortable, remove public art like the bus shelter or bring city codes down like hammers on churches trying to help.
Please get behind the work of agencies such as the Big Bend Homeless Coalition, City Walk Urban Mission, the Kearney Center and others that provide low-cost housing for low-income people.
Let’s make homelessness and affordable housing the 2022 election issues. Let’s pressure elected officials to bargain harder for this cause with developers who want to fill the land only with high-end housing.
Activism & HeArt: The Art of Changing Minds
The Art Nunz | Trip 4 | Virtual Artist Panel | June 2, 2021
The Art Nunz Presents "Activism & HeArt: The Art of Changing Minds" Virtual Artist Panel
Tallahassee, FL – June 2, 2021 – The Art Nunz is thrilled to announce "Trip 4: Activism & HeArt: The Art of Changing Minds," a virtual artist panel featuring influential voices in the realm of art and activism. Join us on June 2, 2021, for an engaging and thought-provoking discussion on how art can inspire social change and shift public perception.
Event Details:
Date: June 2, 2021
Time: 7 PM – 9 PM (EST)
Location: Virtual (Zoom link will be provided upon registration)
This virtual event will feature three dynamic speakers who have made significant contributions to art and activism:
Nik Rye: Local artist and founder of Tally Community Aid, Nik uses their creative talents to support and advocate for the houseless community in Tallahassee.
Gino Romero: Renowned visual artist and activist, Gino’s work focuses on social justice issues, aiming to provoke thought and inspire action through powerful imagery surrounding class and gender issues.
Alex Zastera: Innovative multimedia artist and activist, Alex combines various art forms to address environmental and social issues, pushing the boundaries of traditional art to create impactful statements.
About the Event:
"Activism & HeArt: The Art of Changing Minds" will delve into the intersection of art and activism, exploring how artists leverage their craft to influence societal norms, challenge injustices, and advocate for meaningful change. Each speaker will share their experiences, methodologies, and insights on the transformative power of art in activism.
The Art Nunz Presents "Activism & HeArt: The Art of Changing Minds" Virtual Artist Panel
Tallahassee, FL – June 2, 2021 – The Art Nunz is thrilled to announce "Trip 4: Activism & HeArt: The Art of Changing Minds," a virtual artist panel featuring influential voices in the realm of art and activism. Join us on June 2, 2021, for an engaging and thought-provoking discussion on how art can inspire social change and shift public perception.
Event Details:
Date: June 2, 2021
Time: 7 PM – 9 PM (EST)
Location: Virtual (Zoom link will be provided upon registration)
This virtual event will feature three dynamic speakers who have made significant contributions to art and activism:
Nik Rye: Local artist and founder of Tally Community Aid, Nik uses their creative talents to support and advocate for the houseless community in Tallahassee.
Gino Romero: Renowned visual artist and activist, Gino’s work focuses on social justice issues, aiming to provoke thought and inspire action through powerful imagery surrounding class and gender issues.
Alex Zastera: Innovative multimedia artist and activist, Alex combines various art forms to address environmental and social issues, pushing the boundaries of traditional art to create impactful statements.
About the Event:
"Activism & HeArt: The Art of Changing Minds" will delve into the intersection of art and activism, exploring how artists leverage their craft to influence societal norms, challenge injustices, and advocate for meaningful change. Each speaker will share their experiences, methodologies, and insights on the transformative power of art in activism.
Spare Change
Virtual Town Hall | April 2, 2021
Tallahassee's Spare Change: Virtual Town Hall to Address Houselessness and Community Building
Tallahassee, FL – April 2, 2021 – Join us for "Tallahassee's Spare Change," a virtual town hall dedicated to discussing strategies for fighting houselessness and fostering community in our city. This important event, hosted by local artist and founder of Tally Community Aid, Nik Rye, will take place on April 2, 2021. The town hall aims to bring together community members, activists, and experts to explore collaborative solutions to address houselessness and strengthen community ties.
Event Details:
Date: April 2, 2021
Time: 6 PM – 8 PM (EST)
Location: Virtual (Zoom link will be provided upon registration)
The event will feature an esteemed panel of speakers who are at the forefront of advocating for the houseless community and social justice:
Keith McHenry: Cofounder of Food Not Bombs Global, an organization dedicated to providing free food to those in need and advocating for social change.
Taylor Biro: Member of the LGBTQ+ Task Force for the City of Tallahassee, working on inclusive policies and community support for LGBTQ+ individuals.
Sharlene Jones: Organizer at the Tallahassee Urban League, focusing on economic empowerment and housing assistance for underserved communities.
About the Host:
Nik Rye is a passionate artist and community organizer dedicated to supporting the houseless community in Tallahassee. As the founder of Tally Community Aid, Nik has been instrumental in driving initiatives that provide direct aid and advocate for systemic change.
Registration:
To participate in "Tallahassee's Spare Change," please register at [Registration Link]. Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged to secure your spot.
Agenda:
Welcome and Introduction: Nik Rye
Panel Discussion: Insights and strategies from Keith McHenry, Taylor Biro, and Sharlene Jones
Q&A Session: An opportunity for attendees to ask questions and engage with the speakers
Closing Remarks: Nik Rye
This virtual town hall is an opportunity for community members to come together, learn from experts, and contribute to meaningful discussions on combating houselessness and building a stronger, more inclusive community.
About Tally Community Aid:
Tally Community Aid is a grassroots organization committed to supporting the houseless community in Tallahassee through direct assistance, advocacy, and community-building initiatives. Our mission is to create a city where everyone has access to safe housing and the support they need to thrive.
Tallahassee's Spare Change: Virtual Town Hall to Address Houselessness and Community Building
Tallahassee, FL – April 2, 2021 – Join us for "Tallahassee's Spare Change," a virtual town hall dedicated to discussing strategies for fighting houselessness and fostering community in our city. This important event, hosted by local artist and founder of Tally Community Aid, Nik Rye, will take place on April 2, 2021. The town hall aims to bring together community members, activists, and experts to explore collaborative solutions to address houselessness and strengthen community ties.
Event Details:
Date: April 2, 2021
Time: 6 PM – 8 PM (EST)
Location: Virtual (Zoom link will be provided upon registration)
The event will feature an esteemed panel of speakers who are at the forefront of advocating for the houseless community and social justice:
Keith McHenry: Cofounder of Food Not Bombs Global, an organization dedicated to providing free food to those in need and advocating for social change.
Taylor Biro: Member of the LGBTQ+ Task Force for the City of Tallahassee, working on inclusive policies and community support for LGBTQ+ individuals.
Sharlene Jones: Organizer at the Tallahassee Urban League, focusing on economic empowerment and housing assistance for underserved communities.
About the Host:
Nik Rye is a passionate artist and community organizer dedicated to supporting the houseless community in Tallahassee. As the founder of Tally Community Aid, Nik has been instrumental in driving initiatives that provide direct aid and advocate for systemic change.
Registration:
To participate in "Tallahassee's Spare Change," please register at [Registration Link]. Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged to secure your spot.
Agenda:
Welcome and Introduction: Nik Rye
Panel Discussion: Insights and strategies from Keith McHenry, Taylor Biro, and Sharlene Jones
Q&A Session: An opportunity for attendees to ask questions and engage with the speakers
Closing Remarks: Nik Rye
This virtual town hall is an opportunity for community members to come together, learn from experts, and contribute to meaningful discussions on combating houselessness and building a stronger, more inclusive community.
About Tally Community Aid:
Tally Community Aid is a grassroots organization committed to supporting the houseless community in Tallahassee through direct assistance, advocacy, and community-building initiatives. Our mission is to create a city where everyone has access to safe housing and the support they need to thrive.
City Walk hosts town hall to help homeless clients
by Micah Cho | March 20, 2021 | ABC 27
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Saturday afternoon, the City Walk Urban Mission hosted a town hall to brainstorm ideas on how they can help Tallahassee's homeless if they are forced to shut down.
Ideas ranged from trying to change the city's land-use code for more transitional housing options and to create a media campaign centered around the shelter's clients.
Right now city walk is working to file an appeal on the decision by the city to keep it in its current location on Mahan.
City Walk's permit to operate as a shelter was denied by city staff earlier in March, putting the futures of their homeless clients unknown.
Renee Miller, who operates City Walk, told ABC 27 that they're going to keep holding these informational meetings to try and come up with a permanent solution that will benefit their clients and the communities they work in.
"Those of us who work with this population and those who care decided to have a town hall of our own and to come up with solutions that are the best practices of what we are seeing being out here in the streets, getting our hands dirty, and doing the work that we would go to the commissioners and the powers that be with what we feel as though the people need," said Miller.
People who live near city walk say while they feel for those in need, they don't think their community is the best place for the shelter.
"I believe that for the people that are at the shelter, it's needed. I wish there was more for them to do. I don't feel like they have a purpose when they leave in the morning, and I feel that there's a huge need in our community right now," said Marie Bradley who lives close to the shelter. "We have to take care of these people, but is this the right place? I'm not sure."
City Walk said they will continue to house their clients at their Mahan Drive shelter until the appeal process is finished.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Saturday afternoon, the City Walk Urban Mission hosted a town hall to brainstorm ideas on how they can help Tallahassee's homeless if they are forced to shut down.
Ideas ranged from trying to change the city's land-use code for more transitional housing options and to create a media campaign centered around the shelter's clients.
Right now city walk is working to file an appeal on the decision by the city to keep it in its current location on Mahan.
City Walk's permit to operate as a shelter was denied by city staff earlier in March, putting the futures of their homeless clients unknown.
Renee Miller, who operates City Walk, told ABC 27 that they're going to keep holding these informational meetings to try and come up with a permanent solution that will benefit their clients and the communities they work in.
"Those of us who work with this population and those who care decided to have a town hall of our own and to come up with solutions that are the best practices of what we are seeing being out here in the streets, getting our hands dirty, and doing the work that we would go to the commissioners and the powers that be with what we feel as though the people need," said Miller.
People who live near city walk say while they feel for those in need, they don't think their community is the best place for the shelter.
"I believe that for the people that are at the shelter, it's needed. I wish there was more for them to do. I don't feel like they have a purpose when they leave in the morning, and I feel that there's a huge need in our community right now," said Marie Bradley who lives close to the shelter. "We have to take care of these people, but is this the right place? I'm not sure."
City Walk said they will continue to house their clients at their Mahan Drive shelter until the appeal process is finished.
Art MFA Nik Rye’s Performance and Show Brings Awareness to Homelessness
March 23, 2021 | Department of Art, College of Fine Arts FSU
FSU Art MFA ’23 Nik Rye brings attention to homelessness and the aftereffects of incarceration in Tallahassee through a week-long performance, February 8-15, 2021, at The Plant, a local non-profit creative space. The piece, titled Seven Days a Diamond, symbolizes the seven days she spent in jail for being homeless and sleeping outside. Locking herself into a “box” behind a storefront window, she painted the walls with the diary entries following her experience in jail. With only 7 bottles of water, 4 rolls of toilet paper, hygiene wipes, and hand sanitizer, she is dependent on others’ food donations. She hopes the performance will garner more visibility to the more than 100 homeless in the Tallahassee area. The story was broadcast on several news outlets including The Tallahassee Democrat, ABC 27 WTXL, and WCTV.
The performance will be followed by a show titled Seven Days a Diamond: Archive Show, also at The Plant, opening Friday, March 26, 2021 at 7 pm with an artist presentation.
here’s this criminalization of homelessness that happens everywhere in the United States, and in other countries too, where we just treat them like they’re not people.
Nik Rye is a multimedia performance artist whose work addresses themes of traumatic growth, communal ethical dilemmas, and current & future dystopia under capitalism. She is currently living in Tallahassee, Florida. She earned an AS in Graphic Design at Broward College, a BA in Studio Art at Florida State University, and is a current Studio Art MFA candidate at Florida State University.
FSU Art MFA ’23 Nik Rye brings attention to homelessness and the aftereffects of incarceration in Tallahassee through a week-long performance, February 8-15, 2021, at The Plant, a local non-profit creative space. The piece, titled Seven Days a Diamond, symbolizes the seven days she spent in jail for being homeless and sleeping outside. Locking herself into a “box” behind a storefront window, she painted the walls with the diary entries following her experience in jail. With only 7 bottles of water, 4 rolls of toilet paper, hygiene wipes, and hand sanitizer, she is dependent on others’ food donations. She hopes the performance will garner more visibility to the more than 100 homeless in the Tallahassee area. The story was broadcast on several news outlets including The Tallahassee Democrat, ABC 27 WTXL, and WCTV.
The performance will be followed by a show titled Seven Days a Diamond: Archive Show, also at The Plant, opening Friday, March 26, 2021 at 7 pm with an artist presentation.
here’s this criminalization of homelessness that happens everywhere in the United States, and in other countries too, where we just treat them like they’re not people.
Nik Rye is a multimedia performance artist whose work addresses themes of traumatic growth, communal ethical dilemmas, and current & future dystopia under capitalism. She is currently living in Tallahassee, Florida. She earned an AS in Graphic Design at Broward College, a BA in Studio Art at Florida State University, and is a current Studio Art MFA candidate at Florida State University.
No Islands: nik rye | Artist Documentary
by Cat Family TV | March 12, 2021
Participatory performance artist Nik Rye responds to her own experience with homelessness in the context of the housing crisis in Tallahassee, Florida.
“No Islands” is a docuseries by April Cluess and Wil Liam which profiles individual artists that make up the broader Tallahassee art community.
We hope you enjoy the first full episode featuring Nik Rye! Stay tuned to learn more about cool people doing interesting things in the Tallahassee area.
Video credit: Brad Taylor April Cluess Wil Liam
Participatory performance artist Nik Rye responds to her own experience with homelessness in the context of the housing crisis in Tallahassee, Florida.
“No Islands” is a docuseries by April Cluess and Wil Liam which profiles individual artists that make up the broader Tallahassee art community.
We hope you enjoy the first full episode featuring Nik Rye! Stay tuned to learn more about cool people doing interesting things in the Tallahassee area.
Video credit: Brad Taylor April Cluess Wil Liam
Tale of Two Tally's Revisited
by Amber Tynan | March 15th, 2021 | Tallahassee Democrat
We originally ran this article in January 2020 with plans to highlight (through a series of articles) what the Tale of Two Tally's really looks like in our community. But as we all know, shortly thereafter, COVID became our reality.
We are re-running it now, as COVID has further compounded many disparities that exist for our neighbors and will spend the next few weeks highlighting our members' work in bridging the gap and creating equitable options to meet their needs.
As Florida’s capital city, it is harrowing to understand that in Tallahassee there are nearly as many people living in poverty as those that do not. Beyond that fact, there is not much dividing those two groups either; a health emergency or unexpected car repair has and can change the trajectory for many working families and individuals into the unknown.
Our community is witnessing and feeling the effects as one of the most economically segregated regions in the country, now more than ever with compounding effects of COVID-19. We have all read the articles and seen the reports stating the rate of poverty in Tallahassee is growing and among those most affected are single mothers and people of color.
We often get asked how poverty has become so prevalent especially when social and human service nonprofit organizations exist to “meet the needs of those in crisis.”
While our agencies exist to indeed provide that true safety net, funding has never been at a level that has kept pace with the demand for services. I honestly cannot say that I am confident there will ever be enough funding when there are inequities that exist that perpetuate the cycle of generational poverty and in turn prevent economic mobility.
Economic security is something we should all be championing for our neighbors; meaning access to reliable employment, fair and equitable wages and the ability to provide for our basic needs. Seems reasonable, right?
Have you or your family ever contemplated your ability to have safe housing, working utility services, access to healthy foods, reliable transportation or adequate healthcare? If you answered no, you’re in the narrowing majority. If you answered no, can you imagine what it would be like for you if those concerns were a reality like they are for the 43% of Tallahassee-Leon County residents who live at or below the poverty threshold (2018 UWBB ALICE Report)?
There is no magic remedy to reverse these numbers, but there is hope for our community in addressing the growing poverty trends through collective engagement. Certainly, increased investment in human services will create a stronger network and infrastructure but this is only a part of the solution.
We need to approach this holistically to begin to solve our community’s greatest problem through prevention and intervention strategies that achieve long-term economic security for everyone.
Tallahassee has the creativity, resources, dedication, and leadership to create a sustainable community where basic resources are provided and all residents are healthy, educated, safe, and live as independently and productively as possible.
Over the next few weeks, we will dedicate our column to our UPHS member agencies to provide their unique perspective on the Tale of Two Tally’s and give you a glimpse into the two worlds that exist for our neighbors.
The economic strength of Tallahassee and health of our neighbors depends on an effective, accountable, and proactive nonprofit sector. UPHS and our partners are committed to advancing public confidence and support for the nonprofit sector by exemplifying ethical practices, accountability, and the highest standard of quality service to ensure a quality of life is possible for everyone.
We originally ran this article in January 2020 with plans to highlight (through a series of articles) what the Tale of Two Tally's really looks like in our community. But as we all know, shortly thereafter, COVID became our reality.
We are re-running it now, as COVID has further compounded many disparities that exist for our neighbors and will spend the next few weeks highlighting our members' work in bridging the gap and creating equitable options to meet their needs.
As Florida’s capital city, it is harrowing to understand that in Tallahassee there are nearly as many people living in poverty as those that do not. Beyond that fact, there is not much dividing those two groups either; a health emergency or unexpected car repair has and can change the trajectory for many working families and individuals into the unknown.
Our community is witnessing and feeling the effects as one of the most economically segregated regions in the country, now more than ever with compounding effects of COVID-19. We have all read the articles and seen the reports stating the rate of poverty in Tallahassee is growing and among those most affected are single mothers and people of color.
We often get asked how poverty has become so prevalent especially when social and human service nonprofit organizations exist to “meet the needs of those in crisis.”
While our agencies exist to indeed provide that true safety net, funding has never been at a level that has kept pace with the demand for services. I honestly cannot say that I am confident there will ever be enough funding when there are inequities that exist that perpetuate the cycle of generational poverty and in turn prevent economic mobility.
Economic security is something we should all be championing for our neighbors; meaning access to reliable employment, fair and equitable wages and the ability to provide for our basic needs. Seems reasonable, right?
Have you or your family ever contemplated your ability to have safe housing, working utility services, access to healthy foods, reliable transportation or adequate healthcare? If you answered no, you’re in the narrowing majority. If you answered no, can you imagine what it would be like for you if those concerns were a reality like they are for the 43% of Tallahassee-Leon County residents who live at or below the poverty threshold (2018 UWBB ALICE Report)?
There is no magic remedy to reverse these numbers, but there is hope for our community in addressing the growing poverty trends through collective engagement. Certainly, increased investment in human services will create a stronger network and infrastructure but this is only a part of the solution.
We need to approach this holistically to begin to solve our community’s greatest problem through prevention and intervention strategies that achieve long-term economic security for everyone.
Tallahassee has the creativity, resources, dedication, and leadership to create a sustainable community where basic resources are provided and all residents are healthy, educated, safe, and live as independently and productively as possible.
Over the next few weeks, we will dedicate our column to our UPHS member agencies to provide their unique perspective on the Tale of Two Tally’s and give you a glimpse into the two worlds that exist for our neighbors.
The economic strength of Tallahassee and health of our neighbors depends on an effective, accountable, and proactive nonprofit sector. UPHS and our partners are committed to advancing public confidence and support for the nonprofit sector by exemplifying ethical practices, accountability, and the highest standard of quality service to ensure a quality of life is possible for everyone.
FSU Grad Student Advocating for Hoseless Through Art
by Marena Benoit | Her Campus | October 29, 2021
Nik Rye is an artist at our very own university making change for the houseless in Tallahassee. We conducted an exclusive interview to find the inspiration for their work and what it’s like working so closely in response to city politics and creating meaningful connections with houseless people. They have a unique experience giving them a revealing perspective that they shared with us below! We at Her Campus love this story that started with a goal of helping basic needs and turned into meeting much deeper needs of the people in our city.
Her Campus (HC): I have gathered that you are a grad student at Florida State University (FSU), is that correct? Was your undergrad also here?
Nik Rye (NR): Yes, I am an MFA Candidate and Fellow in the Fine Arts department anticipating graduation in Spring 2023. I finished my BA in Studio Art with a focus on Ceramics and Printmaking at FSU in Spring 2020 at the start of the pandemic. However, I did not have a traditional undergraduate experience. I started my BA at the University of Central Florida in 2008 in Journalism. After experiencing several hardships, I found myself without my scholarship or home by 2010. I returned to college in 2013 at Broward College and received an AA in less than a year and paid out of pocket while staying at a friend’s house and working as a bartender.
In 2014, I was arrested for feeding the houseless in Fort Lauderdale. My case was open for three years, which caused my applications to universities to be denied. I went back to Broward College in 2016 while my case was still open, receiving an AS in Graphic Design after two years. I worked as a graphic designer at a few South Florida companies, including Radical Jack Press, a grassroots print shop owned and operated by the late Jack Lieberman, an FSU alum and prominent activist who taught “How to make a revolution in the USA” with the Center for Participant Education on campus in the 1960s and was expelled. I came to Florida State University in 2018.
HC: I would love if you could describe some of your recent or favorite works of yours.
NR: I am currently working on The Tallahassee Project which is a series of participatory and activist artworks. It started with Things the Police Have Said to Me (2019), in which I placed porcelain bowls covered in black text quoting cops, such as “There’s No Honor Code Among Criminals” and “Thieves or Squat Your Legs and Cough” into areas of Tallahassee that felt familiar to my houseless experience.
At the start of the pandemic (March 2020), I founded Tally Community Aid, a mutual aid organization and art experiment dedicated to providing water, food, birth control, harm reduction and educational material to the city. In February 2021, I completed the performance, 7 Days a Diamond, and followed it up with an archival exhibition and live reading in March 2021.
Most recently, Keith Stafford Was Murdered was a social sculpture that used a collaboratively constructed memorial referencing the bus stop (and Keith’s only source of public shelter) that was removed from the corner of Gaines and Railroad in order to build community. On the night of its installation, several houseless individuals and locals shared a meal, lit candles for Keith and shared stories about him and themselves. After 25 days, the City of Tallahassee destroyed the artwork and returned the original bus stop showcasing their responsibility in Keith’s murder.
HC: Why did you create this?
NR: The Tallahassee Project (2019-present) is a way for me to unravel my own life, subjecting it to the scrutiny of the public, while simultaneously bringing awareness to the houseless experience humanizing it through an activist lens. Moreover, the series of works is intended to engage individuals in empathy with the goal of creating community. Human connection is an antidote to capitalist alienation and a path to fundamental cultural change.
HC: Do you have any on display around town?
NR: Keith Stafford Was Murdered (2021) was the most recent to be in the public eye that included a physical object. I also had two physical pieces, Whiteboxes and an artbook of instructional scores humorously depicting houselessness and activism called Spare Change: Anything Helps, exhibited in 621 Gallery in the past month.
Importantly, the nature of my work is highly conceptual and focused on sharing the human experience, connection and dialogue. Tally Community Aid members and I can often be found around town speaking with different folks and genuinely engaging while also supplying them with things they need. Keith Stafford Was Murdered was more than a DIY memorial. The real art found itself in the antagonized city government and their resulting actions, the acceptance and solidarity of Tallahassee citizens and the multiple houseless individuals who felt safe and listened to.
HC: Can you tell me a little bit more about Tally Community Aid? Do you have any events coming up, or other ways students could get involved?
NR: I founded Tally Community Aid in March 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as a direct response to the closure of shelters, food pantries, restaurants (and their restrooms) and public water fountains. Understanding the plight of the houseless experience and the impact these closures would have on the houseless people in Tallahassee, I initially intended to bring care packs to people on the street from my car for just two weeks. Soon after, an immense amount of support and donations flowed in as well as multiple volunteers. When the George Floyd uprisings started, we also distributed food and water to the frontlines of the actions to keep the demonstrators from becoming too dehydrated or weary. We have existed for over a year now, slowly evolving and adapting to the needs of the Tallahassee community.
We will be hosting a fundraiser punk show soon to house Anne, a local houseless woman, before winter. We will also be starting an open monthly meeting with dates to be determined soon. Fellow students are welcome to follow @tallycommunityaid on Instagram in anticipation of these events (and @nik_rye on Instagram).
Nik Rye is an artist at our very own university making change for the houseless in Tallahassee. We conducted an exclusive interview to find the inspiration for their work and what it’s like working so closely in response to city politics and creating meaningful connections with houseless people. They have a unique experience giving them a revealing perspective that they shared with us below! We at Her Campus love this story that started with a goal of helping basic needs and turned into meeting much deeper needs of the people in our city.
Her Campus (HC): I have gathered that you are a grad student at Florida State University (FSU), is that correct? Was your undergrad also here?
Nik Rye (NR): Yes, I am an MFA Candidate and Fellow in the Fine Arts department anticipating graduation in Spring 2023. I finished my BA in Studio Art with a focus on Ceramics and Printmaking at FSU in Spring 2020 at the start of the pandemic. However, I did not have a traditional undergraduate experience. I started my BA at the University of Central Florida in 2008 in Journalism. After experiencing several hardships, I found myself without my scholarship or home by 2010. I returned to college in 2013 at Broward College and received an AA in less than a year and paid out of pocket while staying at a friend’s house and working as a bartender.
In 2014, I was arrested for feeding the houseless in Fort Lauderdale. My case was open for three years, which caused my applications to universities to be denied. I went back to Broward College in 2016 while my case was still open, receiving an AS in Graphic Design after two years. I worked as a graphic designer at a few South Florida companies, including Radical Jack Press, a grassroots print shop owned and operated by the late Jack Lieberman, an FSU alum and prominent activist who taught “How to make a revolution in the USA” with the Center for Participant Education on campus in the 1960s and was expelled. I came to Florida State University in 2018.
HC: I would love if you could describe some of your recent or favorite works of yours.
NR: I am currently working on The Tallahassee Project which is a series of participatory and activist artworks. It started with Things the Police Have Said to Me (2019), in which I placed porcelain bowls covered in black text quoting cops, such as “There’s No Honor Code Among Criminals” and “Thieves or Squat Your Legs and Cough” into areas of Tallahassee that felt familiar to my houseless experience.
At the start of the pandemic (March 2020), I founded Tally Community Aid, a mutual aid organization and art experiment dedicated to providing water, food, birth control, harm reduction and educational material to the city. In February 2021, I completed the performance, 7 Days a Diamond, and followed it up with an archival exhibition and live reading in March 2021.
Most recently, Keith Stafford Was Murdered was a social sculpture that used a collaboratively constructed memorial referencing the bus stop (and Keith’s only source of public shelter) that was removed from the corner of Gaines and Railroad in order to build community. On the night of its installation, several houseless individuals and locals shared a meal, lit candles for Keith and shared stories about him and themselves. After 25 days, the City of Tallahassee destroyed the artwork and returned the original bus stop showcasing their responsibility in Keith’s murder.
HC: Why did you create this?
NR: The Tallahassee Project (2019-present) is a way for me to unravel my own life, subjecting it to the scrutiny of the public, while simultaneously bringing awareness to the houseless experience humanizing it through an activist lens. Moreover, the series of works is intended to engage individuals in empathy with the goal of creating community. Human connection is an antidote to capitalist alienation and a path to fundamental cultural change.
HC: Do you have any on display around town?
NR: Keith Stafford Was Murdered (2021) was the most recent to be in the public eye that included a physical object. I also had two physical pieces, Whiteboxes and an artbook of instructional scores humorously depicting houselessness and activism called Spare Change: Anything Helps, exhibited in 621 Gallery in the past month.
Importantly, the nature of my work is highly conceptual and focused on sharing the human experience, connection and dialogue. Tally Community Aid members and I can often be found around town speaking with different folks and genuinely engaging while also supplying them with things they need. Keith Stafford Was Murdered was more than a DIY memorial. The real art found itself in the antagonized city government and their resulting actions, the acceptance and solidarity of Tallahassee citizens and the multiple houseless individuals who felt safe and listened to.
HC: Can you tell me a little bit more about Tally Community Aid? Do you have any events coming up, or other ways students could get involved?
NR: I founded Tally Community Aid in March 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as a direct response to the closure of shelters, food pantries, restaurants (and their restrooms) and public water fountains. Understanding the plight of the houseless experience and the impact these closures would have on the houseless people in Tallahassee, I initially intended to bring care packs to people on the street from my car for just two weeks. Soon after, an immense amount of support and donations flowed in as well as multiple volunteers. When the George Floyd uprisings started, we also distributed food and water to the frontlines of the actions to keep the demonstrators from becoming too dehydrated or weary. We have existed for over a year now, slowly evolving and adapting to the needs of the Tallahassee community.
We will be hosting a fundraiser punk show soon to house Anne, a local houseless woman, before winter. We will also be starting an open monthly meeting with dates to be determined soon. Fellow students are welcome to follow @tallycommunityaid on Instagram in anticipation of these events (and @nik_rye on Instagram).
bottom of page