Finding Inspiration in Every Turn
Celestina is an interdisciplinary and experimental artist with an international oeuvre. Her work is a synthesis of social practice, writing, activism and performance work for public art, theater, film and justice causes. Notable features include being the youngest director to have ever been awarded the prestigious Our Town grant by the National Endowment of the Arts for the original public art installation and performance showcase, "Sacred Voice of the Bayou," performing at El Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City alongside the rebel art troupe La Pocha Nostra, and being awarded multiple scholarships to attend Columbia University's Arts Administration program in New York City.
Project Snapshot
Celestina's projects connect diverse communities to exciting exploratory art projects. Her work is imbued with a bold and unapologetic feminism, radically inquisitive inclusivity, an ongoing commitment to equity and a tangle of raw emotion. At the core of this practice are people: audiences, collaborators, and supporters who have uplifted the work and placed it on the international stage.
Sacred Voice of the Bayou
In 2018 I was the youngest director to ever be awarded the prestigious "Our Town" grant by the National Endowment for the Arts to lead my original social practice and public art project "Sacred Voice of the Bayou."
This work combined themes of heritage, ecology and community. Mediums utilized were metal installation, video art, ethnography and performance art. Collaborating artists were Matthew Fries, Julian Luna, InputOutput, and Y.E. Torres. Support from Houston Arts Alliance and councilman Robert Gallegos.
In 2021, during the height of SARS-COV-2, I wrote and directed the original art film, "Jaguars in Jumpsuits." The film was shot in Sydeny, Los Angeles and in New York City. It features original music, costumes, movement, and a diverse cast. Collaborating artists were besomethingsoft, Robert Mackenzie Ross, Gabi, Hannah Hughes and Meadow. It has screened at Fusion Festival, El Clemente Soto Velez, TXRX Labs, and Saint Bimbo. Screening supported by 2021 City Artist Corps Grant by the NY Department of Cultural Affairs.
La Pocha Nostra - El Museo de Arte Moderno
In 2018 I moved to Mexico City to join the internationally renowned rebel artist collective La Pocha Nostra as I was cast in Guillermo Gomez Pena's retrospective at El Museo de Arte Moderno. The culminating performance that I starred in appeared in alongside Lilian Rivera and Ricardo Gomez was at the heart of MAM's sculpture garden. Over 10,000 attendees were present for the final show. This piece is an exploration of the sensuality and fallibility inherent in Christ's image and the false dichotomy of male/female spirituality.
School for the Movement of the Technicolor People -Taisha Paggett
In 2016 I collaborated alongside fellow Houston artists with black choreographer Taisha Paggett on their movement project which began in California and had traveled across North America, arriving at this point at Houston's DiverseWorks. Kim Zumpfe was the set designer. Following Taisha's tutelage, I led a public workshop with fellow performance artist Brittani Broussard on movement techniques for connectivity.
Innocent Violence & In Walking Distance -Zoukak Theater
In 2015 and 2016, I was cast as a writing and performance collaborator for original productions at Counter Current Festival by the Lebanese socio-political troupe Zoukak Theatre. I appeared as David Bowie in the production, "Innocent Violence," and as a Tarahumara woman in "In Walking Distance." Both performances drew heavily on relevant crisis happening in Texas at the time, as we explored issues ranging from the border crisis to toxic masculinity.
FlamingFemme: ft. Ene-Liis Semper, Darcey Steinke, Michelle Yue, Iona Kewney, PANMELYS
In 2015, I attended a writing workshop taught by Darcey Steinke at the American University of Paris. I conducted my first interview for the project with her, and was then inspired to speak with more successful women artists around the world. The following year, I backpacked solo across Europe and North America, supported only by a small grant from my undergraduate, The University of Houston. From these interviews I produced an original feminist zine, FlamingFemme.
Quotes on Celestina's work from Colleagues and Industry Experts
"Celestina (is) a Renaissance person." -Will Nunziata, Broadway Director.
"East Lawndale Civic Association was grateful to all who were a part of this successful endeavor (re: Celestina's 'Sacred Voice of the Bayou') and we hope to see more of these types of projects introduced in our community." -Elisa Gonzalez, Houston Mason Park local and East Lawndale Civic Association President.
Support From
Celestina Cardona-Billington
