In “Artistas,” Stephanie Mercedes on transforming mourning into power and change
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According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 132 mass shootings in 2024 alone as of April 30. One of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history was the Orlando Pulse Club shooting in 2016. Forty nine people were killed, and 53 more were wounded at the gay nightclub. The tragedy empowered Stephanie Mercedes to make a statement in her own way.
“How can I think about the ways in which rituals of mourning can be transformed into activism?” says Mercedes.
Mercedes is a queer Argentinian-American interdisciplinary artist. Working with music, performance, metal and welding, she aims to innovate activism ideas and integrate them with memorial and remembrance.
In the final episode of “Artistas in the Capital,” Mercedes takes us through her artistic processes — a look inside at how she creates her music, the challenges she faces and what fuels her fire.
About “Artistas in the Capital”
“Artistas in the Capital” is a monthly conversation with local artists, authors, dancers, entrepreneurs and researchers, ranging widely from the local community to the universality of art. Each episode sheds light on important topics and provides a platform for lifting up artists, writers and other D.C. Latino creatives.
The interviews were conducted by interns in Hola Cultura’s Storytelling Program for Experiential Learning (SPEL). SPEL is dedicated to bringing together D.C. high school and college interns with fellows and mentors for story lab sessions and workshops that prepare them for their futures through the production of accurate digital media published on the Hola Cultura website.
– Story by Crystal Lee
– Copy edited by Michelle Benitez
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