Athena Project Arts

We're all on different journeys—and we all ought to have access to the rights and resources necessary to decide what those journeys look like. We ought to be able to make the decisions about our own bodies and futures.

At Athena Project, we launched our Art In Action Campaign because we believe that bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom must be protected. And we believe that, through art and advocacy, we can all take action in our communities to protect these rights.

Want to get involved? We invite you to submit your own Repro Justice art using this link: bit.ly/4t7106K. If you're able, we also encourage you to participate in this week's campaign action item by donating to or volunteering with a local Repro Justice-related organization, and let us know that you did in the comments!

This powerful art piece was created by Denver, Colorado-based artist Dayevynn Celestino Chanslor. You can find more of their work at dayevynn.com or dayevynncelestino on Instagram.

Our bodies. Our voices. Our art.

SisterSong Cobalt ACLU of Colorado New Era Colorado New Era Colorado Action Fund Period Kits Colorado Reproductive Freedom for All

🎭✨ 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞! Our upcoming 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐬-𝐢𝐧-𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 for Monday's FREE Read & Rant online meetup explore among other themes transphobia, homophobia, identity, resilience, chosen community, and the ways our earliest experiences shape who we become:

𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟏𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 | 𝟔:𝟑𝟎–𝟖:𝟑𝟎 𝐏𝐌 𝐌𝐒𝐓 | 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥.
👉 Registration at bit.ly/49xQjT5 or link in bio.

𝐆𝐚𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐤𝐚 (they/she) — 𝑅𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑊𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠
A pack of transgender and nonbinary people, cast out and called monsters by their families and former communities, build a humble utopia in the woods to escape violence and persecution. In the refuge they create together, they find love, acceptance, joy, and a shared humanity that makes them powerful beyond imagination.
gabylabotka.com

𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 (she/her) — 𝑆𝑇𝐴𝐺𝐸𝑆
Loosely inspired by Erik Erikson’s 8 Stages of Psychological Development, STAGES moves through moments when key developmental stages shape who we are and how we relate to others. Through scenes and dance, the play explores how upbringing, memory, and emotional growth influence the ways we feel, connect, and express ourselves.
victoriabaker.my.canva.site

The evening is hosted by Athena Project’s Literary Manager, Reilly Conlon, joined by Read & Rant’s Resident Dramaturg, Samara Siskind.

😈 Protests are why we have rights. We are still 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 #𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 for Athena's 2026 campaign.

🎨✊🏽 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 together online on 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟐𝟒, the day 𝐃𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐬 𝐯. 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧 Women’s Health Organization was decided, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ended the federal constitutional right to abortion.

We invite you to 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨 (without any faces in it other than yours) 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐮𝐦, especially work that connects to action like voting, calling legislators, donating, volunteering, or protesting.

⚧️ Submit your Reproductive Justice and protest art via bit.ly/4c7qMSw or link in bio - and read up on this year's action items at bit.ly/4dAxnW7

⭐ Bonus: 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐀𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭!

🎶 Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment

Are you as put off by the upcoming presidential birthday spectacle as we are? Are you the least bit surprised that only 16% of Americans support the idea of a UFC cage match at the White House?

We certainly aren’t.

So we’d like to invite you into something better: a peaceful, artful counter-event co-organized by the No Kings movement.

On June 14 at 7 PM ET / 5 PM MT, tune in for Rise Up, Sing Out, a 90-minute concert celebrating the freedoms that belong to all of us: speech, religion, press, assembly, protest, and expression.
Across the country, communities will gather for watch parties to sing along, make art, share food, connect with neighbors, and take meaningful action together.

✨ Host or join a watch party and help tell a different story — one rooted not in spectacle, but in solidarity, people power, and freedom for all. More info at riseupsingout.com.

On June 14, we rise up, we sing out, and we keep organizing.

Public cervix announcement!

Reproductive healthcare access should be a guarantee, not a political debate! We all deserve access to the resources necessary to make decisions about our own bodies and futures.

Have your own Reproductive Justice-focused protest sign that you want us to amplify? Share it with us using this form: bit.ly/4t7106K or drop your favorite Repro Justice slogan in the comments for some sign-making inspiration. Create loud, resist proud!

Photography by Gayatri D. Malhotra.

SisterSong Cobalt ACLU of Colorado New Era Colorado Kits Colorado Freedom Arts Reproductive Choices

🎭✨ Calling all women, trans, and nonbinary playwrights!

𝐆𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥‑𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭 (𝟔𝟎–𝟏𝟔𝟎 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬) 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧? Toss it into our Read & Rant lottery! Four plays are chosen each month—two hit a live, moderated Zoom convo with audience feedback and two receive thoughtful written notes from our brilliant Dramaturg Cohort 📝💡

We can’t wait to dive into your work.

𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰: bit.ly/4cYJ0n3 or hit the link in our bio 🔗

This week’s goes to Brianna Straut — an East Texas–born, Denver-based q***r artist whose music is rooted in emotional depth and human storytelling.

Blending heartbreak, nostalgia, resilience, and warmth into a bittersweet folk sound, Brianna creates performances that feel both intimate and expansive. With a voice as striking as the Rocky Mountains she now calls home, she has an incredible ability to make listeners feel understood.

A recipient of the 2019 Denver Westword Music Award for Americana/Roots, Brianna continues to carve out a space in q***r Americana with songs that are vulnerable and timeless. Influenced by artists ranging from classic folk and jazz to Mirah, Jolie Holland, Amos Lee, and Brandi Carlile, her work bridges personal experience with universal emotion.

As we celebrate Pride Month, we're especially proud to recognize Brianna and the many LGBTQ+ artists who help make our community vibrant and connected. We were thrilled to see Brianna recently book a gig through Athena at Kindred Resorts — and hope to enjoy her unique artistry at one of our community events soon.

As 303 Magazine wrote: “Straut pulls from her personal experiences to give her songs a deep sense of emotion that listeners can empathize with regardless of their own experiences.”

If you have a crush on women who create, support them with a donation to Athena: https://bit.ly/3yYWrVx - Donate.

"I am an educator and watercolor painter. Over the last few months, I have been reflecting on the 300,000+ Black women who lost jobs during this administration. Thus, I have been trying to capture the profundity of the loss (for individuals, for Black families and for the broader Black communities) in a series of paintings called 'Civic Violence: Black Women In Free Fall.' So, this painting is a part of that series. Ultimately, I hoped to sell prints of the paintings in order to donate part of the proceeds to organizations supporting these women experiencing federal job loss and DEI-related job loss."

Thank you to Nicole Anderson Cobb for sharing this profound and powerful piece. You can find more of her work at: drnicoleandersoncobb on Instagram or on her website at https://www.nicolecobbproductions.com/.

The fight for cannot stop at abortion rights. In fighting for Repro Justice, we must also fight for Economic Justice, Racial Justice, and Social Justice as a whole, so that every person is guaranteed equitable access to healthcare resources and other basic necessities.

If you're like us and have a passion for reproductive rights AND art, we invite you to share your own piece of original Reproductive Justice art using this submission form: bit.ly/4t7106K and to read more about our campaign at bit.ly/4dAxnW7 (all links in Instagram bio). Our bodies. Our voices. Our art.

SisterSong Cobalt ACLU of Colorado New Era Colorado New Era Colorado Action Fund Period Kits Colorado Sexploratorium

Week 3 of our summer campaign is here! 🎨✊All protest art is still welcome.
June 8–14: This week’s action item is supporting a local Reproductive Justice-related organization.

🤝💸 Your action item: Volunteer with or donate to a local organization working on one or more Reproductive Justice issues.

Powerful change starts at the local level. Athena’s definition of Reproductive Justice is broad, including access to abortion, gender-affirming care, contraception, comprehensive s*x education, safe and healthy environments to raise children, and more. Choose a local organization doing work connected to one of the Repro Justice issues YOU care most about, then take action.
👉🏽 After you register to volunteer or donate, comment on one of our Week 3 Repro Justice posts or send us a DM. Tell us what you did and WHY you chose to support Reproductive Justice in this way.

Need a Colorado-based place to start? Consider organizations like Cobalt, ACLU of Colorado, Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights, New Era Colorado, or Period Kits Colorado.

Sharing your action makes your participation visible and gives you a chance to win a free Repro Justice art print or Athena merch! Detailed instructions for this action item — and all 4 weeks of the campaign — are here: bit.ly/4dAxnW7

Rights are won by people who refuse to sit down, shut up, or look away.

🐍Much gratitude to Julie Kitzes for creating this year's powerful Repro Justice design. Check out her awesome art at juliekitzes.com.

"My inspiration [for creating this piece] was watching other women fighting every day for our rights. I use animals in most of my work for their different symbolism, so I chose rabbits, as they represent fertility and community. And I find the strongest community amongst other women. I put 2 iconic feminine symbols on her armor to show what she is fighting for. And while the arrows may have pierced her shield, she stands strong and unafraid."

Thank you to Denver, Colorado-based artist Natasha R for sharing her piece, "Paws off my rights." You can discover more of her work at her website, adaytocreate.com, and on her Instagram: _adaytocreate.

Do you have any Repro Justice art (in any art form) or Repro Justice protest signs we could amplify? Submit at bit.ly/4t7106K and read more about the campaign at bit.ly/4dAxnW7 (all links in IG bio). They want silence. Art talks back.

SisterSong Cobalt ACLU of Colorado New Era Colorado New Era Colorado Action Fund Period Kits Colorado Sexploratorium