A Holistic Healing and Well-Being Community Open House Day

The Kota Alliance invites you to a wellness open house where you can come and join us to explore holistic health and wellness in Harlem. The work of Kota focuses on women/girls/gender marginalized persons in our work - engaging health/wellness and arts/culture in Harlem. We invite all who are interested to engage with our space, The Kota Nest, in the heart of the Sugar Hill neighborhood for a day of grounding, centering, and care.

We understand that we live in a world, a nation, a city and a community in a season of flux - in this time we invite you to a protected space and time to care for yourselves in community with fellow Harlem folks.

In partnership with Harlem Wellness and Ayni Healing Collective we are offering a day of well-being including opening yoga, (by appointment) holistic healthcare practices, healthful snacks and beverages, and closing sound healing. Join us for some or all of these offerings throughout the day. Try something new. Take care of you!

Day Flow

1- 1:30 PM Tea Time, Healing herbal teas to help soothe the nerves, Meet & Greet, Wellness Registration- energy movement

1:30- 2:00 PM Wellness circle- chair yoga, meditation, breathing

2:00 - 5: 30 PM Sample Mini Therapies - First come first served, Healing the Body, Mind & Spirit, Energy Medicine - Deep Relax Acupuncture, Acupressure, Reiki, BodyWork - Neck/Shoulder/Back Release, Hand/Arm Massage, Energy Readings - Tarot

2:30-3:00 PM Journaling/art space

6 - 6:30 PM Mindful Movement for EveryBody/ strong back, soft front-. Community play

6:30 - 7 PM Closing - Sound Healing Offering

Fee: $5 per single session or $20 for all day.

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 December 2024-June 2025 over 15 Saturday sessions.

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

Program Begins:

12/7 - Kota Alliance, 43 St Nicholas Pl, 11am - 2pm

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.

Exploring Art as a Career: Infinite Possibilities

Join us on November 23rd for an inspiring workshop led by Ruthy Valdez as part of the Kota Alliance Artist Mentoring Program, where teens and young adults will gain valuable insights into building a successful art career. Learn key strategies on genres, marketing, branding, and managing finances to grow your creative practice and succeed in the art market.

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!

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

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

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.

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.

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.

We will continue the Potluck events next year quarterly. More info on the dates coming up!

Dates of the previous Potluck dinners:

• October 16th

• November 20th

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:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-price-your-art-and-manage-exhibits-and-galleries-for-women-artists-tickets-1033703834997

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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.

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.

RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ayni-healing-collective-monthly-digital-reiki-circle-tickets-837983018767?aff=oddtdtcreator

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.