Folasade joined The LP team as our Media & Storytelling Manager this month. Get to know more about her!
In what neighborhood do you live?
Lower East Side
How did you first become connected to The LP, or hear about The LP?
I first heard of The LP on instagram through mutual friends who were re-sharing content on social media, I found Kemi, our previous ED and was very inspired by her work and The LP mission. I’ve been aware of the organization ever since and have always been a fan of the work that’s being done within the organization and the communities that are served by The LP.
So, what attracted you to The LP? How does working here relate to your professional goals?
What attracted me to The LP is work that is rooted in community engagement and empowerment. I’m also attracted to the professional development I can achieve in a communications role with many moving parts and lots of dynamic projects.
Do you have your own creative practice? If so, tell us more!
Yes, I do! I’m a writer and podcast host and producer! I also curate exhibitions.
Can you tell us about an artist or project that has inspired you?
I love public art projects that engage citizens across cultures. Some immediate examples that come to mind are Simone Leigh’s work at the High line Park in Chelsea, Sanford Biggers installation at Rockefeller Center, and many others.
What is your favorite film?…album?…food?
OMG! I can’t do favorites! There’s just too much stuff out there that I like. Some top picks are The Fifth Element and Inception, Reasonable Doubt, Lover Rock, Songs in the Key of Life, and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, for food my top picks are Mediterranean, Italian, and all kinds of Asian cuisine which I LOVE!
Where do you do your laundry?
At the laundromat near my apartment
In your opinion, why does art matter?
Art elevates human consciousness beyond its base levels. Art allows us to see the world with new eyes, with a new understanding, and it enable each of us to ask deeply important questions about the world we inhabit and ourselves. Art is transformative and it represents, in my opinion, the best of us as human beings and allows us to aspire for more.
What LP value do you most related to and why?
The LP value I relate to the most is “We Write Our Own Histories.” I think this is one of the single most important things I think about when I consider my work as a writer, content creator, curator, and thought leader within the fields of art and culture. Perhaps if Black people and other groups had historically always had the agency to tell their own stories I’d feel differently but the importance of being the narrator of your own experiences is incredibly important to me.
Folasade Ologundudu is a Brooklyn-born curator, podcast creator and writer seeking to uncover ideas related to the universal human condition. She has written art criticism, profiles, interviews, and essays for ArtForum, ARTnews, Cultured Magazine, Frieze, Photograph Magazine, among other publications. Ologundudu is also the founder of Light Work, a creative media platform rooted at the intersection of art, education, and culture. Through her podcast, Everything Is Connected, she holds conversations with artists and entrepreneurs deeply rooted in visual arts, media, youth culture, and community building.