Our Collective Threads
Weaving Art, Resistance, and Community
Simona Bearcub (she/her)
Artist
A raw, unfiltered force in art and activism, Simona is an Afro-Indigenous, neurodivergent, two-spirit artist whose work is deeply rooted in resistance. They don't just create--they disrupt, reclaim, and demand space.
Her direct action and public art in They Come From Fire included standing where the Lincoln monument fell, uplifting the Dakota 38, and making sure history wasn't just remembered but felt.
Simona also took part in The Condor and the Eagle: Moving Forward After Standing Rock, a Native-led art exhibit at the Elisabeth Jones Art Center, where art was used as a tool for healing and future-building.
In New York Fashion Week, she helped stage a Native takeover, bringing Indigenous designs into a space built by and for colonizers. It wasn't just about fashion--it was about sovereignty, visibility, and flipping the narrative in a world that tries to erase Native voices.
Jason Basquette (they/them)
Artist
Jason's art has always been about defiance. As a neurodivergent, disabled, queer artist, they create not just to be seen but to take back space--both literally and metaphorically.
Fashion, embroidery, painting, wearable art--every piece Jason makes is a reclamation. As a kid, they were their mother's personal dress-up doll, forced into clothing that never felt like theirs. Now, through their designs, they're rewriting that story--deconstructing the expectations placed on them and turning fabric into resistance.
Their work is rooted in destruction: bleach work, cutouts, distressed fabrics--all symbolizing the need to break down the systems that confine us. Whether it's political messaging sewn into fabric or garments that challenge gender norms, Jason's art is about pushing boundaries and making a statement. They've vended at countless queer art markets and Pride events across the Northeast, bringing radical, unapologetic art to spaces that need it most. Now, with Our Collective Threads, they want to create a space where more artists can do the same--without barriers, without compromise, and without asking permission.
Fashion, embroidery, painting, wearable art--every piece Jason makes is a reclamation. As a kid, they were their mother's personal dress-up doll, forced into clothing that never felt like theirs. Now, through their designs, they're rewriting that story--deconstructing the expectations placed on them and turning fabric into resistance.
Their work is rooted in destruction: bleach work, cutouts, distressed fabrics--all symbolizing the need to break down the systems that confine us. Whether it's political messaging sewn into fabric or garments that challenge gender norms, Jason's art is about pushing boundaries and making a statement. They've vended at countless queer art markets and Pride events across the Northeast, bringing radical, unapologetic art to spaces that need it most. Now, with Our Collective Threads, they want to create a space where more artists can do the same--without barriers, without compromise, and without asking permission.
Art as a Catalyst for Change
Explore art that speaks to social justice and unity. Our Collective Threads celebrates the voices that inspire transformation.
