A Socially-Distanced Chat With T-Talks’ Felicia DeRosa
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we at Wild Goose Creative (WGC) have still been hard at work for our Columbus community and are constantly striving to do all that we can to ease the tensions that such an event has brought upon many of us. One of our more recent projects that we’ve been able to undertake while we’re all apart from one another is a renewed vigor to share some of the programming features that we offer at Wild Goose.
We chatted (long-distance) with T-Talks founder, Felicia DeRosa. Trans, or “T” Talks, is an ongoing, monthly storytelling event for and by the Columbus trans community that seeks to lift voices, raise awareness, and inspire healing through the power of storytelling, with the hope of dismantling discrimination and violence against the trans community at large. T-Talks is one of the more recent additions to the family of Wild Goose Creative’s programming.
Let’s start off with a simple enough question: Who are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background and how long you’ve been involved with the Columbus arts community.
Me? Ok… First off, I’m originally from Long Island NY, but spent the majority of my life in San Francisco, CA. My wife Gwen and I, came to Columbus in August 2010 after a five month stint In Europe and the United Kingdom. I had been invited out by an art fair in Prague, that turned into a residency in Brussels, representation, and then a belated honeymoon.
I’ve been a professional, working, multidisciplinary artist for a little over 34 years — since 1986. (I was 12 when I got my first big break). But — It wasn’t until after I graduated Art School (the Academy of Art University 1997) when things started really taking off. At that time, I had become a staple of the west coast “Low-brow”/“POP Surrealism” scene, exhibiting across the US, Europe, and Taiwan. In 2007, in the wake of an economic crash and a need to re-calibrate some career goals, I embarked on a 7 show, 6 city cross-country art tour that ended in the Chelsea arts district of NYC. Following that, I relocated to Chicago, where I got into public art, and city murals. This was when I first took on my first few paid roles as an art educator. I was in a few big art fairs, and that led into my transcontinental adventure.
So, when Gwen and I came to Ohio, it was originally for family, and to sort of re-acclimate to being back in the U.S., as well as figuring out our next steps. But we quickly fell in love with the area and I found a home with 83 Gallery. I set up and got back into production, while integrating myself in the local scene here. I attended CCAD from 2012–2014 in pursuit of my MFA. In 2013, I began a five year stint teaching technical anatomy, and drawing — all the while showing locally, as well as in San Francisco. When 83 Gallery disbanded, I began showing with 934 Gallery and at the Vanderelli Room — my main venue. In 2016, 3 years into my role as instructor, I came out to my students and colleagues as a transwoman. I took a couple years off from art to process and focus on my transition, and then re-emerged in late 2017/early 2018 with a solo exhibit at 934 Gallery.
I’ve been in transition, living my truth, since January 1, 2016. It was then that I started getting into advocacy. First for my students, who felt their identities were not being respected in the institution, and then later as a youth leader at King Avenue United Methodist Church. I evolved my advocacy into activism, when I began volunteering for Trans Ohio first by speaking with various businesses, schools, and faith communities on inclusion and gender equality, and then later as a co-organizer of the Trans Day Of Remembrance (2016–2019). I officially joined the board in 2017.
In early 2018, I and my former students organized a trans visibility march/rally in protest of the federal attack on trans rights in the U.S.. To this day, I continue to speak at, and participate in rallies, and marches with my trans siblings in the name of solidarity, peace, and diversity within the Trans community at large.
Could you tell us a little bit about this fantastic story-telling program you’re running? Tell us about T-Talks, Felicia! What made you decide to start a program such and how did you start T-Talks?
I stepped down from the Trans Ohio board in 2019, with the intent of starting my own arts outreach non-profit organization and artist collective. Part of this goal is to also be a ‘hub’ for local activist/advocacy groups that do not have their own physical space to meet, plan and fund raise, as well as being a sort of common ground to encourage transparency and support within our diverse, intersectional community.
Trans Storytelling or “T-Talks,” is part of this collaborative vision.
As a group, T-Talks seeks to undermine and disarm the discrimination and oppression, and violence of / towards all trans-identified people socially, politically, and culturally. The hope is that by sharing our stories with the rest of the queer/ally community and- especially, those outside the trans / queer community, we can dismantle the ignorance of who we are. And, thereby, fight against the hate and violence that threaten our basic human, inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As an educator, I believe proper education is key to the success of empathy, which in itself is key to proper understanding. So, “T” Talks then count as an informative, educational series with the higher goal of activism and advocacy.
I think a lot of people want to be involved in community programming, but don’t know where to start. How did you come to Wild Goose and make this project happen?
Wild Goose Creative has a great reputation of being a fab community space and art venue. When I was seeking out possible folks to host T-Talks and maybe even develop a partnership with, they were the first on my list.
If someone is looking to get into community programming, I’d first suggest exploring the community to see if anyone is already doing something in line with your passion. If it isn’t there, reach out to established organizations for mentorship.
With T-Talks being one of the newer programming features of Wild Goose and no doubt one that I think the community is in need of: Where are you hoping it goes from here? What are the long-term goals of this program?
Beginning in Columbus, Trans Storytelling seeks to travel throughout Ohio, collecting stories and informing the public, with the end goal of reaching every major city in the US, (with the help of social media, such as YouTube) with an annual convention (like Ted Talks) and, potentially, books/video series published of these stories in association with queer historians.
Before we bid each other adieu, would you mind telling us about how our viewers can support this new program, especially in the time of a global pandemic?
Subscribe to and then share our YouTube videos. Like and Follow our social media, like the FB page and share those resources. The more people see us, the more people can empathize with our stories and experiences, the greater our chance to change the world.
We invite all individuals of the trans-identified communities, which encompasses the whole of the gender spectrum, including but not limited to: transgender, transwoman/feminine, transman/masculine, genderqueer, non-binary, gender non-conforming, gender-fluid, bigender, agender, two spirit, pangender, and intersex, to participate by contacting us through T-Talk’s Facebook group page to either attend an event, volunteer, or become contributors.
Be you. Be heard. Be loved.
You can find out more about T-Talks through their Facebook page, Instagram, and Youtube channel.
You can see more of Felicia’s artwork at her website: derosaart.com.
Our programming and rental events are the driving force of what we do at Wild Goose Creative. If you support what we do, consider making a donation or becoming a member at: wildgoosecreative.com/support
