Avalon Hogans is an artist, writer, and curator for change. As a dedicated advocate to civil rights through her poetry, Avalon was awarded with a proclamation for a day in her name (Avalon Hogans Day, November 17th) and was named the 2021-2022 Houston Youth Poet Laureate by the City of Houston. Since her laureateship, Avalon has collaborated with organizations such as the Houston Rockets, League of Women Voters, and NASA. She was named a 2023-2024 Freedmen’s Town Research Fellow at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH) where she conducts research and cultivates creative projects about the history of Houston’s first Black Historical District. Avalon poem was featured in a film by Nahtan (Nate Edwards) in the THIS WAY exhibition at CAMH. Avalon was also named a 2023-2024 Loewenstern Fellow where she will help create and curate art for the Azadi Ethical Storytelling Project, an annual art exhibition in Nairobi, Kenya for the United Nations World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30. Aside from her fellowships, Avalon is the librettist for Mami Wata: Uncovering Heritage Through Opera, which will be staged at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music in February. Most recently, Avalon creative directed “Out of Bounds,” a Black student fashion show at Rice University and she’s currently creative directing Soul Night, a Black student musical showcase at Rice. Avalon is a sophomore at Rice studying Creative Writing, African and African American Studies, and Civic Leadership.

Berlin is an multidisciplinary artist whose focus is creating work that addresses themes of sustainability, life preservation, and disruption. Berlin’s interest in modularity informs his practice as he aims to redefine the quality of life and the purpose of the community through art. By utilizing a variety of mediums including sculpture, installation, film, performance, and painting.
Berlin strives to expand the perspective of connectivity and create work that is accessible to a wide audience by using his modular approach to creating art defined by developing sustainable solutions through all mediums.

Amarie Gipson is the 2023 Lead Freedmen’s Town Research Fellow. She is also a Houston-born art worker, writer, and creative entrepreneur. Gipson has held curatorial positions at The Studio Museum in Harlem, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Renaissance Society (Chicago), The Contemporary Austin, and The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Independently, her writing has been published in several journals and magazines such as Artforum, ARTNews, ARTS.BLACK, Cite, ESSENCE, Gulf Coast, MUD, and THE SEEN. She created an open format dance party and community called PHYSICAL THERAPY, where she serves as creative director and resident DJ. She is also the former Arts & Culture editor of Houstonia Magazine, where she worked to bring much needed attention to Houston’s art scene. With nearly a decade of experience in the realms of fine art, music and media, Gipson built The Reading Room with a desire to share her deep passion for Black culture. It is a culmination of her professional experience and a labor of love.

Charonda Johnson is the Engagement Manager for HFTC x CAMH. She also holds roles as the Community Liaison and Vice President of both Houston Freedmen’s Town Association and Preservation Coalition; she is also the President of the Fourth Ward Health and Educational Center. She has developed and maintained relationships with the local community, nonprofits, churches, and businesses since 2013, launching and managing several programs such as after-school programs, summer camps, STEM innovation labs, and culture experience tours for Freedmen’s Town. She spends her free time cooking and reading.