Art's Progress

Subscribing to the theory that the means are equally as important as the ends when it comes to the artistic process, Jon Sims Center for the Performing Arts' AIRspace(Artist in Residence) program gives queer artists a place to create, perform works, receive feedback, and ultimately develop their talents and ideas for the future. Artists in various disciplines take four-month residencies in order to work on performance pieces that explore same-sex and gender issues. From January 7 to March 24, the four winter artists in residence -- Shari McKoy, Minal Hajratwala, Ryan Galbreath, and Tomi Paasonen -- will trade off Friday nights as they present their works in progress. Audiences get the opportunity to watch the development of individual works through monthly updates, and to witness different performances each week. Each performance is followed by a discussion between artist and audience.

Shari McKoy's Burn draws on her experiences as an African-American lesbian, exploring life, love, and survival. Performed as if around a storytelling-friendly fire pit, McKoy's piece merges video, sound, spoken word, hip hop, movement, and song as she delves into issues of self-perception and how people deal with their own perception by others. The work examines the artist's relationship to her ancestors and her anger at historical and social injustice as she explores sexuality, self-worth, and spiritual growth. McKoy, who has lived in San Francisco since 1996, has been actively involved in community-oriented lesbian theater since her arrival, performing and working with both Luna Sea and Theater Rhino on several occasions. She performs Burn at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 7, at the Jon Sims Center for the Performing Arts, 1519 Mission (at 11th Street), S.F. Admission, is $5-10 (no one turned away); call 554-0402. AIRspace works in progress continue on a rotating basis each Friday evening at 8:30 p.m. through March 24.