I met Kim Baglieri years ago when she worked at SIPA with Mike. We were all in our mid-twenties trying to figure out our lives as we went through our own quarter life crisis'. We were all community organizers with the local Filipino American community in Los Angeles. When Kim says she loves cats, she isn't joking. I can remember going over to her house in Angelino Heights and laughing at how bad my allergies were set off by her cats. I remember nerding out because Kim's house back then was next to an apartment building that was featured in the film Chinatown. Kim's residence in Los Angeles was for a short period of time. We definitely miss her. NYC is lucky to have this east coast girl back out there. Kim is an amazing visual artist who works in different mediums. You can follow her work on her tumblr (mga lola). You can aslo purchase her artwork at her Saatchi Art site (Kim Baglieri). You can also learn about her work on her site (KimBaglieri.com) and her Teaching Artist and Training Internship page from Community Word Project page. Name(s) Kim Baglieri Affiliations (arts org, fun things you do, etc) I am currently starting out as a middle-school Teaching Artist through Dreamyard Project in the Bronx, after having taught a high-school film project through South of the Navy Yard Artists in a Brooklyn public high school. I was trained as a Teaching Artist by Community-Word Project's Teaching Artist Training and Internship Program. It's so rad and inspiring to work with eager and creative young folks who naturally have a passion for a better world! I am pursuing my MFA in Hunter College's Integrated Media Arts program. From time to time I do community arts projects with Damayan Migrant Workers Association. In 2014, we worked with Tools for Action to create a giant inflatable mop for the People's Climate March that begged the question 'who deals with the economic mess caused by climate change?' Migrant domestic workers, like the Filipino workers forced abroad after Typhoon Haiyan, are the amongst those trying to rebuild their communities and economy back home. Also I make paintings and experimental documentaries and animations. What's the one word you are guilty of using too much? "Cat", "cats", "my cat", "my cats". I utter these words every 15 minutes or so. How did you end up doing what you are doing now? I have always loved working with young people, but have always wanted it to be at the intersection of arts, media work and social justice. Working with SIPA and KmB in LA rooted me in Filipino community and youth work but I didn't get to do too much art with folks. When I moved to NY I was exposed to the realities faced by Filipino domestic workers and youth by working with Ugnayan ng mga anak ng bayan (now Ugnayan Youth) and Damayan. I also became more serious about my art and filmmaking practice. So it was a natural transition to doing Teaching Artist (a NY phenomenon?) work where I get to teach art skills to youth and encourage them to bring out their voices and unique perspectives on the world and issues they face. I also make films and animations now because they make me feel like dancing- I love the movement in them- and tend to work on film more than painting. Which member of the Wu-Tang Clan best describes your personality? I'm not sure but we're all from Staten Island. Dogs or Cats, who wins? Why? Cats, hands down. Because I have 3 and they're my soulmates and are fierce hunters of random household objects like socks and curtain ties, which they kill with great pride. Plus their toes smell good. What is the best part of any given day for you? Weekends- My morning coffee and neighborhood stroll- I'm pretty committed to my morning routine. Weekdays- usually the last 20 minutes of teaching a class, or my morning hour of working on my animation project. In a zombie apocalypse who would you want on your survival team? My partner Leah Obias. She could survive anything. Isn't that romantic? What is the last thing you searched for on google? Venus retrograde If you could talk to your high school self, what would say? You are cool, actually. Keep it up. What is the best thing or meal you ever ate?
Definitely Ethiopian food from Meskerem in LA. Nothing in life makes me happier. Expect for Ethiopian food from Ghenet in Brooklyn. And my Lola's salmon head sinigang that I haven't had since 2007 or so, before she passed away. What is a memorable project that you are working on or have worked on? Right now I'm working on a film about a friendship between two elder Filipin@ immigrant woman who are domestic workers. It dives into their rich imaginative life and reframes their past interactions with nature and society through a queer, feminist lens.
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