About
Behind VA Shadows is an artists-run DIY public art project founded in December 2021 by a group of Visitor Assistants at the ICA,Boston. Our initiative aims to break down barriers between art and the public, showcasing the creative work of museum workers while extending accessibility beyond institutional walls. By holding the alternative space for the public to engage with the creative identity of museum workers, we advocate for communal care to counter the issues of burnout within art museums and institutions.
We are located at the corner of Mass Ave and 2 Linden St, 02138, Harvard Sq in Cambridge.
Linden St, Harvard Sq in Cambridge, MA. A.
IG
feel free to send all inquires to yolandayanghe@gmail.com
Behind Behind VA Shadows
Yolanda He Yang is a performance, installation artist and community organizer. She is the Founding Director of Behind VA Shadows since 2021.
Yolanda He Yang
she/her
Shelby Feltoon
she/her
Shelby Feltoon is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and independent curator. Her role at Behind VA Shadows is to lead certain curatorial project and collaborate with and aid guest curators to bring their ideas to life.
Nemo Xu
she/her
Nemo Xu is a writer and an information professional in training. She is the editorial and archival lead of Behind VA Shadows. She works with artists and curators to produce exhibition content regularly and is currently working on building an archives for Behind VA Shadows.
Wenbin Huang
he/him
Wenbin Huang is a graphic designer and photographer. He works on the annual catalog design and photographic documentation of exhibitions and programming at Behind VA Shadows.
Theodora Earthwurms
they/them
Theodora “Earthwurms” Shanahan-Jewett is a multidisciplinary artist whose work centers on personal expression, gender exploration, and identity. Their volunteer work includes Horizons for Homeless Children and Big Brothers Big Sisters. Supporting community project like Behind VA Shadows aligns with their mission to increase access, visibility, and care in creative and educational spaces.
Acknowledgements
This project exists because people showed up, brought ideas, patched the holes during pop-ups, painted floors, and lent their hands, minds, and care in countless ways. Most of those companies are museum workers and museum visitors who care about the unseen labor in the insititutions. They participated the show, joined conversations, read drafts, helped with writing, researched, reached out, asked questions, and thought alongside us as the project shifted and grew. We are deeply grateful to the following people for carrying Behind VA Shadows with us, in all the ways that mattered: Alina Balseiro, Alex Lewis, Amanda Baldwin, Amy L. Green, Andrew Harrington, Anna Reidister, Annie Russell, Ashley Cristiano, BARD, Bell Beecher Pitkin, Ben Hood, Brett Bangell, Cameron Boyce, Carlene McGoldrick, Cj Daly, Claire Pellegrini, Corinne Burkhart, Denver Nuckolls, Eben Haines, Elliot Overmeer, Elias Andrés Taborda, Elisabeth Gerald, Emily Mogavero, Erin Rosengren, Erin She Hogan, Fallon Lavertue, Hannah Rust, Helena Abdelnasser, Kathryn Leaird, Isola Murray, Janella Mele, Jarrod White, Jeannie Dale, Jessie James, Joel Rabadan, Jon Erickson, Jon Feng, Julia Csekö, Juliet Degree, Kayla Scullin, L. Scully, Liam Coughlin, Lindsey Flickinger, Mariana Rey, Mariely Torres, Marjorie Williams, Megha Nair, Miao Suen, Monica Srivastava, Nat Reed, Noelle Stillman, Olivia Hochstadt, Patrick Brennan, Quincey Spagnoletti, Qianyue Chen, Randy Aguilar, Ronan Foley, Ryan Ricci, Sam Ledwidge, Shelby Feltoon, Sophie Tachibana Miller, Sudarshan Sahn, Theodora Earthwurms, Tristan Calvo-Studdy, TylerAnn Mack, Willy Weygint, Working Title Boston, Yueyang Peng (we are still updating the full list of names.)