This Friday, February 10th at 5:00 p.m. current resident artist Stephen Longoria will be leading a zine workshop at Ma’s House on 159 Old Point Road in Southampton. Everyone in attendance will collaborate on pieces to create a small zine that focuses on imagery, typography, and collage. Materials will be provided, but participants can feel free to bring their own photos or other supplies and resources for collage and illustration.
Stephen Longoria is a printmaker and muralist who revels in the expressive and rebellious nature of these mediums. He enjoys creating multiple versions of one image through his print runs when he is printmaking, experimenting with different techniques and materials. He also expresses that he finds the sense of immediacy from murals to be exciting. He says, “Both of these mediums allow me to make art that is accessible to a broad audience, whether it be through exhibitions or the public display of Graff work.”
Stephen’s art is rich with themes, and through printmaking and graffiti he explores identity, culture, and even social justice. He is passionate about his work being tools for communication with minority groups in the art world. It is his hope that his art can serve as an inspiration for others to create fun and unique characters as well, and explore how they would live in the perspective area. It is these ideals that led Stephen to be named the current resident artist at Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, Inc.
Loretta A. Silva, or “Ma” as she was known by her family was born in Greenport in 1919. She was a member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation and resident of Shinnecock Indian Reservation. It was always important for her to keep the culture and history of Shinnecock alive, and for it to live on through her children and grandchildren. Family was very important to her, and she was a great protector, mother and grandmother, and was never afraid to speak up in the face of injustice. It was her dream for her home to one day become a museum, which eventually became possible after her passing in 1998, and it has since become a notable and special place unlike any other on the East End.
The studio is led by Indigenous artist Jeremy Dennis, and Ma’s House has an amazing team of artists, coordinators, and directors that keep operations running and thriving. It is because of them that they are able to welcome BIPOC resident artists, hold exhibitions, and events throughout the year. The project was started in June 2020 on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation in Southampton as a communal art space and continues to prosper and help so many artists and community members.
There are many resources available through Ma’s House, including their podcast, library collection that is open to researchers, artists, students, and visitors year-round, and especially their regular calendar of events that range in subject matter from informational, to expressive, to entertaining.
Stephen Longoria is one of many talented artists to have residency at Ma’s House over the years, and his zine workshop on Friday is sure to be an outlet for expression and bring a sense of community and collaboration. And most importantly it will be accessible for everyone in attendance. He has been enjoying his exploration of the East End and the nature it has to offer during his February residency, which he has documented on his Instagram along with his one-of-a-kind artwork. For more information about Ma’s House and to sign up for Stephen’s zine workshop on Friday, February 10th, visit https://www.mashouse.studio.
