Marsha “Pay it no mind” Johnson was a bold and living art form, serving as a model for an Andy Warhol campaign as well as contributing to the “Hot Peaches” performance troupe, her presence was a testament to creativity in its purest form.

The mission of Marsha P. Johnson’s Starship Artist Fellowship is to empower Black trans creatives, offering resources to navigate the challenges posed by transphobia within artistic spaces.

Throughout this inaugural transformative six-month fellowship, five emerging artists were equipped with the tools and resources essential for advancing their craft. Each artist was paired with a mentor, providing a valuable opportunity to learn both technical skills and sharpen the development of their chosen medium. Guided by their mentors, these artists passionately worked to create pieces that mirror their vision for a Black Trans Renaissance. Together, they strive to redefine and elevate the artistic landscape, fostering a vibrant and empowering movement.

Azzan Quick (He/Him)

Azzan Quick is a filmmaker, photographer, and visual artist based out of Durham, NC, a graduate of North Carolina Central University, and a certificate recipient at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. Quick focuses his creative abilities to tell stories mainly surrounding the LGBTQIA+ community as well as the stories of people of color. He believes that art sits at the heart of our preservation and helps us not only iterate our realities but allows these stories to echo throughout generations to come.

Sweet Corey-Bey (They/Them/Theirs)

Sweet Corey-Bey (they/them/theirs) is a transgender musician and cultural organizer based in Philadelphia, PA. As a performer and storyteller, Sweet’s practice is based in the fundamental Black music traditions of Blues, Jazz, Funk, Gospel and Soul. They create subversive, liberatory cultural experiences through their music and shows, a practice informed by their study of gender variant performers and world builders. Sweet is here to carry on the legacy of their ancestors. Sweet is a founding member and bandleader of the genre- and gender-bending artist collaborative Black Folks Don’t Swim? Across various mediums such as content creation, poetry, graphic design, illustration and filmmaking, Sweet’s artistic practice calls audiences to joy, reflection and liberation. Employing Jazz and Neo Soul aesthetics as tools of Black queer ideation and identity, their work shifts cultural narratives to reflect on how gender variant people of the diaspora make meaning, space and places to thrive.