Biweekly zines and podcast episodes feature creatives from across the Black diaspora
Pittsburgh, PA – Pittsburgh-based artist and brand consultant Jason McKoy is pleased to announce the launch of What is Black? Mixcast, a project supported by the Office of Public Art’s BIPOC Artists Bridging Social Distance initiative. What is Black? Mixcast is part podcast, part zine, and part multimedia mixtape that breaks down what it means to be a Black creative. This project defies the myth of a Black monolith through fresh conversations with featured guests around their existence in a field, industry, and world where their voices are often drowned out.
“It’s important that we all connect and share because isolation is bad for mental and physical health,” said Jason McKoy. “It’s also important to hear varied voices throughout the Black diaspora to increase awareness and broaden horizons.”
Applications for Podcast Guests
Applications are currently being accepted from those who are interested in being guests on the podcast portion of What Is Black? Mixcast. To be eligible, applicants must identify as Black and/or from the Black diaspora. Six guests will be selected by the artist to be featured on the podcast and in the zine and mixtape. Guests will receive an honorarium of $50 for their time. To apply, please visit:https://tinyurl.com/whatisblackmixcast.
About the Project
What is Black? Mixcast features a series of six podcast episodes, hosted by the artist, that consist of conversations with six featured guests from the Black diaspora about their interests, inspirations, and expressive media of choice. Releasing bi-weekly from November 2021 through January 2022, these episodes will be published on Wednesdays via Spotify’s Anchor as well as other podcast platforms.
Each episode of the podcast will be accompanied by a limited edition zine, available free of charge at various distribution points in the city. Each zine builds and expands upon the content shared during each episode. The zines will include episode excerpts, imagery related to the featured guest or topics discussed, and artwork or creative samples supplied by the guests. Distribution will begin in November 2021 at specific points such as coffee shops, Black owned businesses, and cultural organizations. A full list of distribution sites will be published on the Office of Public Art website when confirmed.
At the conclusion of the season, a USB drive cassette cartridge will be designed by the artist that features an anthology of all six episodes, plus additional bonus content. This “mixtape” will include MP3s of the podcast episodes, PDFs of the zines, and JPGs of artwork supplied by featured guests. The mixtape will be offered in limited quantities to the public for purchase in 2022. More information will be shared on opapgh.org when available.
About Jason McKoy
Jason McKoy is a brand consultant, ARTvocate, social innovator, and self-proclaimed weirdo. Living with major depressive disorder has informed how he navigates the world creatively. He is the founder of McKoy Creative, a warm hug for your business providing creative services from concept to completion that benefit communities. When not making stuff, he’s either playing video games or sleeping. He hails from NYC.
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