Brooklyn native Cheri L. Stokes this week was named one of Hi-ARTS' new artist resident.
The nonprofit said its 2024 Spring Artist Residency Cohort will provide artists work development opportunities, mentorship, financial support, and a physical space for creative processes.
Stokes is both a dancer and choreographer, with a performance background that spans several genres including west African, afro-contemporary, contemporary, and hip-hop.
In addition to her accomplishments in the realm of dance, Stokes also produced “Around the Way Girl,” a research project that examined and commemorated the impact that women in Bedford Stuyvesant made on Brooklyn and hip-hop culture during the 1980s and 90s.
Other artists joining Stokes in the residency program are Jourdan Ash (New York creative), Najee Omar (award-winning writer), and Curtis “Tony” Turney (musician).
Once completed, the residency participants will go on to share their work with audiences and communities through a public showcase — which can include anything from a staged reading, to an open rehearsal, or even a visual exhibition, according to Hi-ARTS.
Originally founded as the Hip Hop Theater Festival before rebranding in 2011, Hi-ARTS has a long history of supporting Black theater artists, such as Chadwick Boseman, Craig ‘MuMs’ Grant, and Eisa Davis.
In the present day, the arts organization said that it is dedicated to helping out artists of color through developmental residencies, educational programming, and civic engagement.
