Perspectives from a Performance Artist: Building a Practice and the PerformVu Platform with Asia Stewart (VIDEO)

SEASON 6
EPISODE 03

Welcome to Season 6, Episode 3 of Art Is… a podcast for artists. In today's episode, we're joined by Asia Stewart, a groundbreaking performance artist based in Brooklyn, NY, and the founding artistic director of PerformVu.

Join us as we explore Asia's creative origins and discover how her academic background at Harvard and Cambridge, studying government and sociology, along with her experience in theater, musical theater, and opera, uniquely informs her practice of performance art. Her work seeks to physicalize abstract concepts related to race, gender, and sexuality. Asia creates evening-length performances and duration works lasting hours or days, exploring the afterlife of colonial and patriarchal violence.

In an open dialogue, Asia, Lauryn, and Isotta discuss the development of Asia's performance work and her early innovative use of digital participation from the audience. Asia opens up about the importance of authenticity and the mindset required in her art, as well as how she has coped with rejection throughout her evolving career. She emphasizes celebrating small wins and advocating for one's work.

Asia introduces us to PerformVu, “the netflix for performance art” and discusses how the platform addresses the often overlooked challenges performance artists face in sharing their work online, including issues of discoverability and compensation.

PerformVu is revolutionizing the future of art by connecting audiences to meaningful videos and films that highlight global cultural dynamics. It provides a sustainable financial solution for performance artists, addressing a significant gap in the market. Current media platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, and traditional streaming services such as Amazon Prime and Netflix fall short in offering the culturally relevant and impactful content that 66% of Gen Z and Millennials are actively seeking.

PerformVu fills this void by showcasing a diverse range of performances and artistic expressions that resonate with a culturally conscious audience. (We encourage you to explore PerformVu. For just $4.99 a month, you can access the full collection of videos and films, including the powerful work of Asia Stewart!)

As the conversation draws to a close, Asia asks Lauryn and Isotta how performance enters their lives. They discuss how performance plays into daily life as a person, as an artist, or even as an employee. Isotta shares some thoughts on how she sees marble sculpting as a performance, and Lauryn describes how performance enters her work leading workshops in rehabs and youth homeless shelters, as well as her journey being seen as a business, artist, advocate, and poet.

Asia's innovative approach to performance art and her vision for a more supportive environment for artists provide invaluable insights and inspiration. Her passion is truly energizing, making this episode essential listening for any artist looking to refine their practice and engage with performance.

Perspectives from a Performance Artist: Building a Practice and the PerformVu Platform with Asia Stewart (VIDEO)

SEASON 6EPISODE 03

SEASON 6
EPISODE 03