Upcoming Events
Free Yoga for Women in West Harlem every Saturday
Free Yoga for Women in West Harlem every Saturday
Come join us for a relaxing and rejuvenating yoga session in the heart of Harlem! Our weekly event offers a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Whether you're a seasoned yogi or a beginner, all women (including trans women and non-binary individuals) are welcome to participate. The classes are held at the beautiful Kota Nest, providing a serene and welcoming environment for all attendees.
Date: Saturdays, September 07th - December 28th 2024.
Time: 10:00 AM - 11 AM
Location: Kota Alliance
Our yoga classes will be led by yoga instructor Diana Diaz. Ms Diaz teaches Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga for Harlem Wellness Center. She is also a founding member of IYINY’s Racial Diversity and Anti-Discrimination Committee.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to unwind, stretch, and connect with your inner self. You are welcome to enjoy a cup of tea or glass of water after.
Bring a friend or come solo - either way, you're sure to leave feeling refreshed and energized. See you on the mat!
Sign up in Eventbrite here: bit.ly/4dD1KZw.
Ayni Monthly Digital Reiki Circle
Join Us for a Digital Reiki Circle – Every 1st Wednesday of the Month!
The Ayni Healing Collective at Kota Alliance welcomes you to our Digital Reiki Circle this Autumn. Connect with us online on the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30 PM for a relaxing session of energy healing, guided by a skilled Reiki practitioner. Every circle will focus on a unique monthly theme, creating space for reflection and renewal.
Energy medicine is a practice shared by many cultures worldwide, including Indigenous traditions. We invite you to join us as you are, from wherever you are, to be part of this collective healing experience.
Dates for the upcoming Reiki circles:
November 6th - Trusting the process of Transformation - Fostering Clarity & Hope
December 4th
After signing up, you’ll receive the Zoom link in your confirmation email.
Come as you are in whatever is most comfortable to you. There are no expectations for how you show up - just that however you join is in respect and appreciation to the fellow attendees.
Ayni Healing Collective - Monthly Celebration and Potluck Dinner
Join us at the Kota Alliance community space (43 St. Nicholas Place) in the historic neighborhood of Sugar Hill in West Harlem for our monthly celebrations!
Current theme relates to the different seasons where we lift up the richness of our communities, centering wisdoms and voices from BIPOC community and the Harlem area.
We will be joined by healers and creatives in the community to support the themes of the month and share in collective practices for healing as well as rituals from our various cultural traditions.
Please feel free to bring a side dish, non-alcoholic beverage or dessert if you would like to share with the community.
All are welcome to attend this free potluck offering in the heart of Harlem every 3rd Wednesday of the month!
Dates for the upcoming Potluck dinners:
October 16th
November 20th
December 18th
Doula Social and Self-Care Event
Doula Social and Self-Care Event
Kota is interested in doing something about the crisis in maternal mortality among, especially, Black and Brown people. Doulas are an important part of the solution, and so we are planning to support doulas in whatever way you all think is needed. We are doing a few pilot events starting with this networking/ self-care event at Kota. DeenaLynn from our Ayni program is available to bring some healing modalities for us all to experience; we'll have some drinks and snacks; share experiences, good and bad; and make new friends. If you are only just thinking about training to become a doula, you are welcome as well.
Feel free to bring your children, but please be aware you are responsible for them while in the house (we are working on child care!)
Until we get some funding for this program, we appreciate a small donation to cover the cost of food and drink (including a glass of wine, if you wish - after all, it's happy hour!)
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HOW TO GET TO THE KOTA NEST: We are located at 152nd st. within walking distance from the 145th Street Subway Station (lines A, C and D).Also buses M2, M3, M100, M101, and Bx6.
COVID Policy: Vaccination is strongly encouraged. please stay home if you feel unwell; masks optional
ACCESSIBILITY: There is no elevator in the building. There are 4 steps to the first floor community room. The event may take place on the second floor.
PHOTO PERMISSION: By attending the event, you consent to film or photos from the event, potentially including your image, being shared publicly.
Harlem Women and Non-Binary Artist Q&A: The Meaning of Place
Harlem Women and Non-Binary Artist Q&A: The Meaning of Place
You are invited to a Q&A session with the talented Harlem Women and Non-Binary Artists of The Meaning of Place Exhibit on November 14th at 6pm at the Kota Alliance.
This powerful exhibit showcases the work of Harlem’s women, non-binary and teen artists, whose creations capture the nuanced and complex experiences of life in Harlem. Through multigenerational perspectives, the exhibit explores how age, gender, and identity shape our sense of belonging. These artists, inspired by traditions of celebration and liberation, share their stories of joy, grief, resilience, and everything that connects us to our home and heritage.
Join us to hear directly from the artists and dive deeper into the meaning of place, identity, and community in Harlem.
Participating Women and Non-binary Artists
Isa Balbi, Yael Ben-Zion, Sade Boyewa El, Ana Bravo, Natalie Brown, Cathleen Campbell, Lisa Dubois, Shimonda Emanuel, Emilie Frias, Wilhelmina Grant-Cooper, Isis Hannah, Julia Justo, Jiji Kricorian, Rafaela Luna, Nazia Malik, Kelly Mares, Laurie Markiewicz, Tomo Mori, Jennyfer Parra, Arlene Pineda, Jenni Surasky, Christina Tapper, Arza Young
Harlem Teen Artist Q&A: The Meaning of Place
Harlem Teen Artist Q&A: The Meaning of Place
You are invited to a Q&A session with the talented Teen Artists of The Meaning of Place Exhibit on November 16th at 6pm at the Kota Alliance.
This powerful exhibit showcases the work of Harlem’s women, non-binary and teen artists, whose creations capture the nuanced and complex experiences of life in Harlem. Through multigenerational perspectives, the exhibit explores how age, gender, and identity shape our sense of belonging. These artists, inspired by traditions of celebration and liberation, share their stories of joy, grief, resilience, and everything that connects us to our home and heritage.
Join us to hear directly from the young artists and dive deeper into the meaning of place, identity, and community in Harlem.
Participating Teen Artists
Luna Abreu, Stefanie Beckworth, Leilah Cohen, Nermin Hamdan, Ahmir Linder, Simbiat Onikosi, Jayda Schiavone
Young Artist Mentoring Workshop: The Business of Art
Young Artist Mentoring Workshop: The Business of Art
Join us on November 23rd for an inspiring workshop led by Ruthy Valdez as part of the Kota Alliance Artist Mentoring Program, where young artists will gain valuable insights into building a successful art career.
Influenced by her Dominican and Turkish heritage, Ruthy brings a rich, multicultural perspective to her work, where even a simple butterfly can symbolize deeper connections. Each brushstroke in her art celebrates the beauty of diverse experiences.
Don't miss this opportunity to learn and network with fellow young artists in a supportive environment. See you there!
Annual Fundraiser 2024 - Celebrating Harlem Women
CELEBRATING HARLEM WOMEN – December 5, 2024
Please join Kota’s founder and board of directors at an end of year fundraising reception on December 5, from 6pm-8pm, at the Kota Nest when we host Celebrating Harlem Women! Our goal is to raise money to support the expansion of our programs and to meet more needs in the Harlem community and beyond. The evening will honor two champions who have been building a vision for a better future in Harlem and across New York throughout their careers, artist Ruthy Valdez and healer DeenaLynn Dockery-Collins.
Tickets are $95 each. The evening will feature cocktails, delicious hors d'oeuvres, live music, and more during the closing night of The Meaning of Place Exhibit!
Corporate sponsorships and in-kind contributions to our silent auction are also welcome. We hope you can join us for this celebration and investment in the present and future of Harlem!
Meet the Honorees
Ruthy Valdez is a surrealist artist from Harlem and Washington Heights. She creates imaginative pieces imbued with symbolic meaning by skillfully blending colors and intricate patterns. Through her thought-provoking and dynamic paintings, Ruthy unravels life’s deeper mysteries and meanings. Growing up in a culturally diverse environment and influenced by Dominican and Turkish traditions, Ruthy’s art is infused with a unique cultural perspective that is both timeless and universal.
In Ruthy’s world, the simple flutter of a butterfly becomes a symbol of a more intricate relationship. Every brushstroke in her paintings celebrates life’s endless variety and experience.
DeenaLynn Dockery-Collins holds a Master’s in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine, an A.O.S. degree and licensure in Massage Therapy and is a Certified Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki Master and Teacher. Her holistic approach focuses on building curricula and partnerships that promote well-being, particularly within disenfranchised communities, including BIPOC/QTBIPOC+. With over 20 years of experience as a healer and trauma healing facilitator, DeenaLynn combines mindfulness, meditation, nutrition, movement, breath-work, and bodywork to help clients reset and achieve balance in their lives.
Her journey as a healer began over 35 years ago, inspired by personal trauma and a deep desire for inner peace. This led her to spiritual healing, African spirituality, and alternative medicine. Today, her mission is to guide others toward conscious, joyful, and balanced living through natural healing techniques.
Intergenerational Learning and Healing Program
Harlem Community Healing Project: An Intergenerational Education & Healing Program for Girl/GNC Teens and Their Families
The Intergenerational Education & Healing Program for Harlem area high school teen girls and GNC teens and their family members is an exciting new collaborative project between The Kota Alliance and 4Ward Inclusion. This program will run from November 2024-June 2025 over 15 Saturday sessions beginning with 2 introduction sessions on November 16th & 23rd (11:00 am - 2:00 pm) for teens and their parents/guardians to learn more about the program.
This program will integrate The Kota Alliance's trauma-conscious holistic mental health support programming, creative and expressive arts practices, and intergenerational trauma and resilience content alongside 4ward Inclusion's racial equity and trauma informed educational practices and empowering activities that will encourage youth and families from marginalized communities to improve self esteem, self-empowerment and address the stress caused by issues of violence, grief, racism, and poverty.
We empower ourselves and our communities at all stages of life. This program supports teens and their families to engage with their own self-care, wellness and empowerment beginning with ourselves and into our communities!
The program will include:
welcome self-care gift bag for all teens at our introduction sessions
stipends+ metro cards for all teen participants
seasonal family programming and graduation celebrations for participants highlighting teens' creative projects
holistic health + wellness practices (including an introduction to acupressure, massage, and other somatic practices)
games and activities to understand and address issues of identity (gender, race/ethnicity, economics), community, and personal stress
creative and expressive arts including creative projects to engage throughout the program year and exhibit at closing ceremonies (both end of winter and end of spring)
snacks for each session
Teen & Family Program Info Sessions + Orientation:
11/16 - Hamilton Library, 11am-2pm
11/23 - Columbia Forum, 11am - 2pm
Program Begins:
12/7 - Kota Alliance, 43 St Nicholas Pl, 11am - 2pm
The Meaning of Place Art Exhibit Opening Reception
Art Exhibition Opening Reception: The Meaning of Place
The Kota Alliance is excited to present the opening reception for our 2024 Art Exhibit, The Meaning of Place, on November 7th at 6PM at the Kota Alliance.
Discover this amazing showcase of Harlem women & non-binary and teen artists whose work explores the complexities of life in Harlem through multigenerational perspectives, emphasizing how age, gender, and identity influence our sense of place and belonging. Inspired by artistic practices rooted in celebration and liberation, these Harlem artists express joy, grief, pain, and everything in between that connects us to where we live, where we come from, how our identities shaped—and are shaped by—our multifaceted sense of community.
A special youth section features teenage artists. Beyond echoing the mutually-shared experiences of adult residents, the teenage artists reveal unexpected insights into growing up in Harlem today. While honoring the historic legacy of Harlem’s Black and Latinx communities, this exhibit also empowers younger generations to express their unique relationships to that legacy, while envisioning the future.
The art exhibition will run from November 7th to December 6th, 2024.
Harlem Women and Non-binary Artist Q&A session Nov 14th at 6pm. Sign up here!
Harlem Teen Artist Q&A session Nov 16th at 6pm. Sign up here!
Participating Women and Non-binary Artists
Yael Ben-Zion, Sade Boyewa El, Ana Bravo, Natalie Brown, Cathleen Campbell, Lisa Dubois, Shimoda Donna Emanuel, Emilie Frias, Wilhelmina Grant-Cooper, Isis Hannah, Julia Justo, Jivan Kricorian-Salomon, Rafaela Luna, Nazia Malik, Kelly Mares, Laurie Markiewicz, Tomo Mori, Jennyfer Parra, Arlene Pineda, Jenni Surasky, Christina M. Tapper, Arza Young
Participating Teen Artists
Luna Abreu, Stefanie Beckworth, Leilah Cohen, Nermin Hamdan Garcia, Ahmir Linder, Simbiat Onikosi, Jayda Schiavone
Meet the Co-Curators
Rafaela Luna, born in the Dominican Republic and currently based in New York City, is an artist whose work delves into social tensions, focusing on themes of race, ethnicity, and gender. Her art explores how society is segmented, using personal memories as a foundation. Inspired by the cultural iconography, patterns, and colors of her upbringing, Luna translates these elements into her canvases, creating works that confront and reflect the complexities of identity and social division.
Cathleen Campbell is a filmmaker and photographer who was recently selected for the A'Lelia Bundles Scholars program at Columbia University. Campbell has photographed Harlem for decades, though she has only recently begun exhibiting her work. In addition to her photographic work, she has built a career as an independent filmmaker, working on various productions and directing her own short films, including Langston Hughes’ NO CRYSTAL STAIR. Her photographs have been featured in 22 group shows and 2 solo exhibitions. One of her solo shows, VISIBLE/INVISIBLE, SEEN/UNSEEN: Harlem Portraits by Cathleen Campbell, at Hamilton Grange Library, was featured on Spectrum NY-1 News. She is a Yale graduate and a longtime Harlem resident.
Women Artist Mentoring Workshop with Ruthy Valdez "How to Price Your Art and Manage Exhibits & Galleries"
As part of the Kota Alliance Artist Mentoring Program, Ruthy Valdez will guide women artists on how to price their art and manage exhibits and galleries effectively.
Influenced by her Dominican and Turkish heritage, Ruthy brings a rich, multicultural perspective to her work, where even a simple butterfly can symbolize deeper connections. Each brushstroke in her art celebrates the beauty of diverse experiences.
Join us on October 10th, 6-8PM, and gain valuable insights into promoting and managing your artistic career!
Don't miss this opportunity to learn and network with fellow women artists in a supportive environment. See you there!
Register through Eventbrite here:
Free Wednesday Evening Yoga for Women in Harlem
Free Yoga for Women in Harlem Wednesday Oct 9th!
Come join us for a relaxing yoga session in the heart of Harlem Wednesday Oct 9th at 7PM at the Kota Alliance! All women are welcome to participate.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to unwind, stretch, and connect with your inner self. Bring a friend or come solo - either way you're sure to leave feeling relaxed and refreshed!
Our yoga class will be led by yoga instructor Diana Diaz. Ms Diaz teaches Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga for Harlem Wellness Center. She is also a founding member of IYINY's Racial Diversity and Anti-Discrimination Committee.
Sign up in Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-yoga-for-women-in-harlem-tickets-1042043178197?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
Conversatorio Abierto - Parteria Ancestral Andina
Conversaremos con Ruro Caituro, Partera Tradicional y Obstetra, sobre la visión andina del embarazo, parto y postparto, los cuidados necesarios, y el por qué es importante continuar con las tradiciones ancestrales. Abierto a preguntas del público.
Fecha: 25 de septiembre de 2024
Hora: 18:00 - 20:00
Ubicación: Kota Alliance, 43 St Nicholas Place @152nd st.
Registrate aqui: https://tinyurl.com/4yyvb3s3
Women Artist mentoring workshop "How to promote your Art through Social media"
As part of the Kota Alliance Artist mentoring program, Ruthy Valdez will teach women artists to promote their work more efficiently through social media.
Growing up in a culturally diverse environment and influenced by both Dominican and Turkish traditions, Ruthy’s art is infused with a unique cultural perspective that is both timeless and universal.
Join our workshop and learn how you can reach wider audiences for your art!
Please register through the QR code or sign up in Eventbrite here: https://shorturl.at/hioop
Ayni Healing Collective Monthly Celebration and Potluck Dinner
The Ayni Healing Collective at Kota Alliance invites you to our Autumn 2024 Community Potluck Dinners in the historic Sugar Hill neighborhood of West Harlem. Join us for monthly celebrations themed around the changing seasons, where we uplift the richness of our communities, centering the wisdom and voices of the BIPOC community and the Harlem area.
Join us for time together where we will open with practices for rest and relaxation and close each evening with a community ritual celebrating the theme of the month and ourselves! The theme for the September celebration is Autumn Equinox.
Date: Sep 18 2024
Time: 6pm - 8pm
Location: Kota Alliance, 43 St Nicholas Place @152nd st.
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/yckbumd6
Call for Artists: 2024 Kota Alliance Art Exhibit
Call for artists Deadline Extended to Oct 16th!
The Kota Alliance is excited to announce a call for artists for our 2024 Art Exhibit: The Meaning of Place. The exhibit will take place between November 7th and December 6th, 2024.
‘‘The Meaning of Place’’ exhibit will showcase and examine complex variations on the lived experiences of multigenerational residents in Harlem. By emphasizing multigenerational viewpoints, this exhibit will honor and explore the diversity and rich history of Harlem, including how age impacts our perceptions of our place in the world. This exhibition interrogates the meaning of place across these intersectional identities, prioritizing the often overlooked perspectives of women and marginalized genders. Inspired by artistic practices rooted in celebration and liberation, these Harlem artists express joy, grief, pain, and everything in between that connects us to where we live, where we come from, how our identities shaped—and are shaped by—our multifaceted sense of community.
A special youth portion of this exhibit will feature teenage artists focusing on their experiences in Harlem. The goal is to engage the wider Harlem community in exploring perspectives that either mirror their own or provide new insights into experiences they have not shared. While honoring the great historic legacy of Black and Latinx communities in Harlem, “The Meaning of Place” exhibit also empowers today’s young artists to express how they perceive their relationship to that legacy, along with encouraging their unique perspectives about the present and the future.
The exhibition is co-curated by Cathleen Campbell and Rafaela Luna.
Eligibility:
Women and other gender minorities* from the Harlem area or currently residing in the Harlem area.
Youth from all genders.
*This includes trans, non-binary, intersex, and any other gender experiences outside of the strict male-female boundary.
Important dates
Deadline for submissions: Wednesday, October 16th
Confirmation of participating work: by Sunday, October, 20th
Artwork drop off: Sunday, October 20th - Monday, October 28th
Opening Reception/Open House: Thursday, November 7th
Exhibition/pop-up shop: Thursday, November 7th-Friday, December 6th
Adult Q&A (evening): Thursday, November 14th
Youth Q&A (afternoon): Saturday, November 16th
Exhibit taken down & artists collect their works: Saturday, December 7th - Saturday, December 14th
Send your application through Google Forms:
Healing Writing Workshop
A Second "WRITING OUR WAY THROUGH IT" Workshop in Our Series, Welcome to New Folx and Previous Attendees, no need to have joined our first session to be with us this June 15th!
This workshop will be an experimental and interactive space for us to be creative in community with each other and share the stories living in our hearts and imaginations. The space is open to anyone interested and there is no need to have writing experience. Bring your hopes, fears, joys, and heaviness and we will write our way through the storyline of our own lives.
Come as you are and wear what is comfortable for you - we will have space to move our bodies, ground in meditation practice, hear from excerpts of a variety of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous & Other People of Color) writers inspiring us to share our own stories - real or imaginary - in the space. You can bring a journal with you if you like, but we will also have writing supplies on site.
In these times in the world, in our communities, and in our own lives we can feel overwhelmed and overburdened by all that is going on and unable to slow the pace of life to just breathe and sit with what is brewing inside of us. This workshop is a space to slow down, be in community with each other, have fun, find joy, share and release a little of the heaviness of our own load we carry. Come with a playful spirit and you can bring a favorite book or story if you like to share about in the space!
Destination Dining 2024
Kota Alliance’s annual fundraising event, Destination Dining is back!
Destination Dining - Helsinki x Harlem presents some of the most talented chefs from within the New Nordic culinary movement in the European Nordics teaming up with a local super talent to create an unforgettable evening in a historical setting in Harlem.
Back for a second time around at Destination Dining, are the award-winning head chefs and owners of restaurants 305 and Wellamo, Janne Keskevaari and Dani Hänninen from Helsinki. Joining them is the celebrated Bronx-based chef Lana Lagomarsini, most recently known for her appearance in season 1 of Netflix’s new show, the Pressure Cooker.
The evening will start with cocktails and a small bite at 6:30 pm, followed by a sit-down dinner. Tickets are priced at $250 with the possibility for an additional donation to be made. Corporate sponsorships are welcome, from $2500 and up, please inquire at jaana@kota-alliance.org. You can also help us invite some community members by purchasing an extra ticket for $150.
A ticket includes a 6-course dinner created in collaboration between the chefs, and a beverage pairing, including cocktails inspired by the Scandinavian summer designed by internationally awarded bartender Daniel Woodward. Weather permitting, we will enjoy those in our back patio.
Meet The Chefs!
Please let us know about any possible dietary restrictions and/or allergies at least one week before the dinner by emailing us at daniel@kota-alliance.org.
All proceeds from the event go towards Kota’s programming in health and wellness, healing arts, and economic empowerment for women in our community.
Get your tickets here : https://www.eventbrite.com/e/destination-dining-helsinki-x-harlem-nordic-fusion-dinner-tickets-882868662937?aff=oddtdtcreator
Monthly Community Celebration and Potluck Dinner
The Ayni Healing Collective at Kota Alliance invites you to our Community Potluck Dinners for 2024 (Winter - Spring: March, April, May, June).
We join together each third Wednesday a month around a certain celebratory theme - this month we will honour the legacy of Juneteenth.
We will share in a potluck dinner (we will bring the main dish and non-alcoholic refreshments), so feel free to bring a snack, chips, a non-alcoholic drink, side or desert (if you are able).
Our potluck space is a multigenerational space for community-building and connection that also centers young adults, especially folks in transition from homelessness, and our local BIPOC and QTBIPOC community members.
Join us for time together where we will open with practices for rest and relaxation and close each evening with a community ritual celebrating the theme of the month and ourselves.
EQUITY COMMITMENT: The Ayni Healing Collective is an inclusive and affirming space that honors all of our beautiful differences and respects all genders, sexualities, abilities and ethnicities. Come as you are in your full self and bring your own commitment to be respectful and honoring of each other's differences.
AGENDA: Loose and moveable based on the rhythm and flow of each gathering...
6:00 PM: Meet us at the Kota Alliance building (43 St. Nicholas Place, NY, NY) and connect with fellow community members while we share snacks and non-alcoholic beverages together and get settled in the space.
6:30 PM: Rotating facilitation by local BIPOC/QTBIPOC healers of practices for rest and relaxation to ground us in the space and equip us with tools for relaxation we can take out into the world. Following we will share in conversation or host a guest who will give us an offering related to our monthly theme.
7:00 PM: Our shared potluck meal-time will begin after some words of gratitude and reflections on our monthly theme for celebration.
7:45PM: Closing Ritual (outside in our patio space when the weather allows) that connects us to practices and rituals from a variety of ancestral lineages of wisdom and spiritual traditions. May include music, drumming or some other sound-based practice. Stay after to help us clean the community space if you have the time and capacity.
Digital Reiki Circle
The Ayni Healing Collective at Kota Alliance invites you to our Digital Reiki Circle Series for 2024 (Winter - Spring: March, April, May, June).
Join us for our monthly Digital Reiki Circles on each 1st Wednesday. This is a space in the beginning of your month and the middle of your week to set time to take care of yourself.
Each circle will be facilitated by a trained Reiki practitioner/facilitator and will center on a theme of the month. Energy medicine is a powerful tool of many cultures and traditions around the world, and for many Indigenous peoples throughout time.
We offer this space for anyone who wants to join, as you are, from wherever you are - let's share in community space online together.
EQUITY COMMITMENT: The Ayni Healing Collective is an inclusive and affirming space that honors all of our beautiful differences and respects all genders, sexualities, abilities and ethnicities. Come as you are in your full self and bring your own commitment to be respectful and honoring of each other's differences.
REIKI INFO:
Reiki is a gentle non-invasive, but powerful bio-field form of holistic healing. Reiki supports the body, mind, spirit and emotions in relieving stress, reducing pain, increasing immunity, and enhancing well-being. It is an alternative complimentary energy medicine that is safe for use with traditional medicine treatments.
Call for artists!
Calling all high school students in the Harlem area! You're invited to submit your artwork (both 2D and video) to an art exhibit hosted by The Kota Alliance. Our goal is to provide you with a platform to express your unique interpretations of the theme "Coming of Age," focusing on the journey of teenage life and its connection to emotional well-being.
Participants in this exhibit will have the opportunity to express what this theme means to them in relation to their own experiences and reflections on emotional wellness.
Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf87NTPaW8LGLAdk6W6QBIa7MvOk5nh1YEQNiKMQLokDp7Hlg/viewform
Mommy & Me Art Mentoring Workshop
Celebrate mothers month with Kota and artist Ruthy Valdez at our "Mommy & Me" artist mentoring workshop where West Harlem moms and mother figures and their kids create art together!
Ruthy Valdez is a surrealist artist from Harlem and Washington Heights. She creates imaginative pieces imbued with symbolic meaning by skillfully blending colors and intricate patterns. Through her thought provoking and dynamic paintings, Ruthy unravels some of life’s deeper mysteries and meanings. Growing up in a culturally diverse environment and influenced by both Dominican and Turkish traditions, Ruthy’s art is infused with a unique cultural perspective that is both timeless and universal.
In Ruthy’s world, the simple flutter of a butterfly becomes a symbol of a more intricate relationship. Every brushstroke in her painting celebrates life’s variety and experience.
This event is free of charge.
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mommy-me-art-mentoring-workshop-tickets-896644215987?aff=oddtdtcreator
Community Lunch Celebrating New Moms
Join us at Kota Nest as we extend the Mother's Day celebration!
Calling all new moms in our community to join us for a post-Mother's Day lunch featuring Diandra Sital, a local caterer and chef.
The event is dedicated to supporting new moms' and coming together as a community.
Let's gather together to create a supportive space where we can openly discuss our needs, share resources, and provide ongoing support for one another.
This event is free of charge, but be sure to register to secure your spot.
Link to Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-lunch-celebrating-new-moms-tickets-888604629367?aff=oddtdtcreator
Ayni Healing Collective Monthly Digital Reiki Circle
Each circle will be facilitated by a trained Reiki practitioner/facilitator and will center on a theme of the month. Energy medicine is a powerful tool of many cultures and traditions around the world, and for many Indigenous peoples throughout time.
We offer this space for anyone who wants to join, as you are, from wherever you are - let's share in community space online together.
Writing Our Way Through It - Writing Workshop
This workshop will be an experimental and interactive space for us to be creative in community with each other and share the stories living in our hearts and imaginations. The space is open to anyone interested and there is no need to have writing experience. Bring your hopes, fears, joys, and heaviness and we will write our way through the storyline of our own lives.
Learn more about Teresa Mateus who will lead the workshop.
Ayni Healing Collective Monthly Celebration + Potluck Dinner
Our potluck space is a multigenerational space for community-building and connection that also centers young adults, especially folks in transition from homelessness, and our local BIPOC and QTBIPOC community members.
Join us for time together where we will open with practices for rest and relaxation and close each evening with a community ritual celebrating the theme of the month and ourselves.
Afternoon MaterniTEA Party
April 13, 2024
Join us on Saturday, April 13th, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at Kota Alliance in New York City for a community care and conversation space celebrating Black Maternal Health Week. This event is designed for soon-to-be and new mothers from Harlem and surrounding areas, offering nurturing support, information, and resources for the birthing and mothering journey. Hosted by Kota Alliance and My Angel Doula Alliance, with support from Ayni Healing Collective, the schedule includes a welcoming meditation, herbal tea conversation, community games, holistic healing clinic, gratitude ritual, and a shared meal. Gift bags will be provided as tokens of appreciation.
Sign up on Eventbrite.
Women's Community Dinner: Focus on Breast Cancer
Join us for a special community dinner at Kota Alliance! We are coming together to raise awareness and support for women diagnosed with, or survivors of, breast cancer. At this in-person event we will enjoy healthy and delicious food, inspiring stories, and a chance to connect with others who have been affected by this disease.
We will have a guest speaker, Dr. Philip Kivitz. Dr Kivitz is a retired radiologist with expertise in breast cancer screening. Special guest: Wilhelmina Grant-Cooper of Sistaah.org (Survivors Inspiring Sisters Through Art and Advocacy for Health), an arts-based non-profit organization which seeks to inform, encourage and facilitate access to early detection of breast cancer by connecting the medically underserved to free screening services.
We will be serving salmon, rice and greens - if you require special accommodations, eg. vegan, let us know by emailing info@kota-alliance.org.
Join us for this meaningful event! It's an opportunity to learn, ask questions, and help us spread awareness and show support for those affected by this disease.
Please, sign up to the event here.
Free Yoga Class Series
We are starting our new yoga class series together with our partner Harlem Wellness Center. First class is on Saturday the 13th of January at 10-11am, repeating every Saturday after that. You're welcome to stay and enjoy some tea in our community space after the class. Sign up through Eventbrite, email, or by calling.
Capacity is limited, so make sure to sign up!
Sign up on Eventbrite, by email info@kota-alliance.org or call/text 347 884 3626.
About our yoga instructor, Diana Diaz:
Diana Diaz, is a 500 hour yoga teacher with advanced certifications in Anatomy and Physiology, Accessible Yoga, Holistic Sound Healing, Yoga Philosophy, Healing Relationships, and Yoga for Stress Management.
She is a Native Nuyorican and mother (a Millennial and a GenZer) who is passionately dedicated to serving marginalized communities.
Diana is also an author, specializing in personal essay, memoir and creative non-fiction. She conducts workshops and retreats that combine the grounding and spirituality of yoga with the discipline and self-reflection of writing. The yogic practice allows us to embrace vulnerability in writing through the safety and strength of our Inner Peace.
Free Yoga Class Series
We are starting our new yoga class series together with our partner Harlem Wellness Center. First class is on Saturday the 13th of January at 10-11am, repeating every Saturday after that. You're welcome to stay and enjoy some tea in our community space after the class. Sign up through Eventbrite, email, or by calling.
Capacity is limited, so make sure to sign up!
Sign up on Eventbrite, by email info@kota-alliance.org or call/text 347 884 3626.
About our yoga instructor, Diana Diaz:
Diana Diaz, is a 500 hour yoga teacher with advanced certifications in Anatomy and Physiology, Accessible Yoga, Holistic Sound Healing, Yoga Philosophy, Healing Relationships, and Yoga for Stress Management.
She is a Native Nuyorican and mother (a Millennial and a GenZer) who is passionately dedicated to serving marginalized communities.
Diana is also an author, specializing in personal essay, memoir and creative non-fiction. She conducts workshops and retreats that combine the grounding and spirituality of yoga with the discipline and self-reflection of writing. The yogic practice allows us to embrace vulnerability in writing through the safety and strength of our Inner Peace.
A Celebration of Light - A Celebration of Humanity: Art Exhibit
During the months of December and January, the Kota Alliance hosted A Celebration of Light – A Celebration of Humanity: a month-long visual art exhibit and pop-up shop for women/womynx.
During the winter holiday season, many cultures and religions traditionally celebrate with images of light. Clouded by the darkness of world events, artists can point the way to affirm our shared humanity and provide a symbol of hope.
The exhibition asserted the diverse experiences of women/womynx artists as they reflect on humanity and lightness. The exhibition also served artists in the community by providing a platform for arts sales. Organized by Yael Ben-Zion.
Women's Health Forum
The Women's Health Forum is an opportunity for organizations in Northern Manhattan to come together and discuss important topics related to women's health. This event aims to bring mental health issues into focus, including how we address them through holistic and healing modalities and the arts. Don't miss out on this informative and engaging forum where you can network with like-minded individuals, share what your organization is doing in this field, and learn from others. Mark your calendars and be prepared for an inspiring day filled with insightful discussions and valuable connections. We look forward to seeing you there!
Agenda:
9:00 doors open - breakfast
10:00 Welcome by Kota
10:10 Keynote speaker: Catherine Monk (Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology; Chief of Division of Women’s Mental Health)
10:35 Roundtable intros of organizations in the room
11:00 Moderated discussion
11:50 Conclusion
12-1pm Lunch and networking
Keynote Speaker Catherine Monk
Catherine Monk, PhD, is the inaugural Diana Vagelos Professor of Women’s Mental Health and Chief, Division of Women’s Mental Health, in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology (Ob/Gyn) and Professor of Medical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Monk is the founding director of Women’s Mental Health @Ob/Gyn, an embedded service helping women across the life course and enhancing health equity by accepting most insurances for mental health care. Dr Monk’s research, at the PerinatalPathways lab, brings together the fields of developmental psychopathology, developmental psychobiology, developmental neuroscience, and perinatal psychiatry to focus on the earliest influences on children’s developmental trajectories—those that happen in utero—and how to intervene early to help pregnant people and prevent mental health problems in the next generation. Her research has been continuously funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) since her NIH Career Development award in 2000. Dr. Monk directs the new Center for the Transition to Parenthood (TtP): Two Generation Impact, a research-to-practice initiative to provide greater support and information to all patients undergoing perinatal care, address the mental health of all parents, improve infant outcomes, and promote family well-being.
Call for Artists: Holiday Exhibition
During the holidays Kota is hosting an art exhibit centered on celebrating light and humanity at the Nest!
We hope to exhibit as many women/womxn artists' works as possible. If your work corresponds to the theme, we invite you to submit an application.
Harlem LGTBQIA+ Health Forum
Join us for a space of community, conversation, resource-sharing and visioning together around our shared work in and for LGBTQIA+ communities in Harlem.
This event will include a breakfast (beginning at 9:30 am), a guest speaker, and shared networking and conversation space where a collective of representatives from Harlem-area organizations, institutions and community groups will lift up the work we do, the needs we meet and what we hope to build for LGBTQIA+ community in the neighborhood.
It will be a space to dream together and imagine the ways we can support each other's work and partner together into the future. We will close with lunch from 12-1:00 pm.
We hope you will join us for an event with representatives from across the fields serving LGBTQIA+ folks in mental/emotional, medical/embodied, spiritual care and beyond.
The Keynote Speaker: Betty Pierre
Betty Pierre, LMSW is a Haitian American Social Worker, Poet and Activist who lives, writes, and performs poetry in New York and Florida. She is the author of a poetry collection Babel 2007 (Infinity Publishing). Multilingual, she weaves Creole, French and Spanish into her poems reaching broad audiences with the scope of her pieces. She has published in community newspapers and received an Editor’s Choice Award from the International Library of Poetry (2006). She is a recognized Writer’s Digest International book award poet. She received a World of Poetry merit certificate for her poem Once the Bountiful. Her powerful poem Who is Jane? was published in the International Women’s Writers Guild Black History Month journal (2021). Her landmark poem, Who will Save the Children addressed the issues of child abuse. She is currently working on finalizing her second poetry collection, Nothing in Isolation. She is a member of the Bronx Council of the Arts, The National Writers Union, and the International Women’s Writer’s Guild.
She merges social activism and art to raise awareness about Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking, Sexual Assault and Runaway Homeless Youth. As a social work leader, she implemented many initiatives to improve child wellbeing for children in adolescents in foster care, and the critical need to provide secondary education to foster care youth. She organized Child Commercial and Sex Trafficking Prevention, and Domestic Violence conference for hundreds of attendees. She designed several group curriculums for working with parenting Spanish families, adolescents, and young children (6-12 years of age). She developed protocols for inter-county jurisdictional agreements, child fatality prevention, training and is currently working on initiatives to combat institutional racism.
Opening Ceremony Facilitator: Imani Rashid
Imani Rashid is a respected educator, community organizer, writer, activist, Yoruba Priest, motivational speaker, mentor, event curator and institution builder. Born in New York City, she was given the name Betty Bullen and later adopted the name Imani Rashid that was given to her by her partner Naema in 1975. Naema thought her name should be more meaningful. Imani Rashid means, "rightly guided", "true faith" and "the high one".
Imani managed to complete her undergraduate education at NYU as a member of AKA sorority despite suffering from undiagnosed narcolepsy. As a graduate student she studied Education and Human Development with Dr. Jeanne L. Noble; a renowned educator, author, activist and first African American woman to be made full professor at NYU. An activist was born, when Dr. Noble chose her to be part of the 1960's team who travelled throughout the states integrating schools. She had a front-row seat to observe the dichotomy, the disparity and the disappointment that segregation brought.
Imani Rashid has been a Harlem resident for decades and presently helps to lead senior citizen workshops in Tai Chi and Qi Gong. She believes intergenerational networking is the only way to move forward. As a black queer elder Imani is truly grateful for all the queer and trans youth for whom she has become a mentor and spiritual guide. Her trans men mentee's remind her of her bestie, lesbian activist Maua Flowers, who founded Salsa Soul Sisters, one of the oldest black lesbian organizations in the USA.
"I am truly living a sacred life of reciprocity, whatever I impart is given back and more."
The Face of Justice: Amplifying the Voices of West Harlem Women Artists
The Kota Alliance is hosting a month-long, curated visual art exhibit centered on women’s identity and social justice.
Documentary Film Screening: Vianey
Kota Nest is excited to host a documentary screening of Vianey (2016) together with the Finland Center Foundation.
For the past ten years, Marko Vuorinen has been returning to New York and the US. It was here that he made the transition from photographer to filmmaker. Since then he has filmed three documentaries, two of which are situated in New York: Tamara W. (2014) and Vianey (2016). The latter, which will be screened in this event, was filmed during Vuorinen’s last residency with the FCINY. He is not looking to tell stories of victims but of people with large spectrums to their lives and wants to document not only why a woman has become marginalized in society but how that person has processed it and their future direction.
Vuorinen will join for a Q&A session on Zoom after the screening. Refreshments will be served.
More about the film here.
The event is free of charge but donations are encouraged. Join us for the screening at 7PM at the Kota Nest!
Registration through this link.
The Face of Justice: Self-portraiture workshop with Rafaela Luna
In this workshop, we're not just creating art; we're exploring who we are. Guided by West Harlem Rafaela Luna, you'll bring your self-portrait to life, all while uncovering hidden talents and meaningful insights. Together, we'll brainstorm and reflect on the shaping of the self through the lens of social justice.
No prior art experience is necessary – just an open heart and a desire to explore your identity through creativity.