HER Table Showcase Honors the Power of Women Artists of Color
Photo by O’Shea Tometi
A Night of Connection and Creative Brilliance
On Saturday, May 17, at the Rio Salado Audubon Center in South Phoenix, “HER Table” brought together an unforgettable lineup of Black, Native, Latine, Asian and gender-expansive women artists from across the Valley. Through music, poetry, movement and storytelling, the showcase invited audiences into deeper connection with family, self, environment and the freedom we all deserve.
Honoring Lineage and Uplifting Women of Color
HER Table is a multidisciplinary showcase centering women of color artists working across music, painting, art installation, poetry, dance, and film — all featuring original works. Created by The Black Girl Brown Girl Collective in collaboration with Black River Life Arts and Media, the event honors the historically diverse and marginalized roots of South Phoenix.
Held just one week after Mother's Day, HER Table was designed to highlight the creative power of women artists, nurture intercultural connection and belonging, and spark meaningful dialogue around matriarchal care. Artists were invited to respond to the prompt: “What if belonging were a story passed down by matriarchal hands?”
Performances that Moved and Inspired
The evening featured powerful, original works by a range of artists whose stories honored lineage, culture, and the feminine divine, including:
Felicia Penza debuted a custom-built installation titled “You Look Just Like Your Mother,” created in collaboration with her own mother, an accomplished woodworker.
Afro-Venezuelan singer-songwriter Marian shared an original song performed live on the cuatro in a moving duet with her young daughter.
Phoenix-area artist Squyyd stood in the legendary lineage of soulful Filipino voices with a spellbinding piano-and-vocal performance.
Kiah Begaye brought the sacred art of traditional Native jingle dress dancing into the room, filling the space with the energy and reverence of ancestral land stewardship.
Ayling Dominguez and Lydia Zulema Martinez Vega shared powerful original poetry drawing on their indigenous roots and visions of decolonial liberation
Multidisciplinary artist Trinity Miracle shared an original film, A Black Bicentennial, documenting their family’s migratory journey through Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as well as Austin, Texas. Trinity also debuted a new custom-built art installation titled Kemet’s Key.
Poetess Love opened and closed the event with stirring original music performances, channeling the power of positive affirmations to elevate the room’s vibration.
The gathering of 40+ attendees enjoyed food from local vendor Princess Mediterranean Market and a live soundtrack by DJ Panic, all while surrounded by visual art from Stacy Lynn and Dena Cervantes.
A Community Rooted in Belonging
HER Table created an atmosphere of joy, reflection and connection — one where community bonds were visibly strengthened. Attendees were seen talking, laughing, hugging, and building new relationships, with children weaving between chairs as music and storytelling filled the space.
Feedback from the post-event survey reflected the emotional impact of the evening:
“Thank you for creating a space for Black and Brown people to feel appreciated, valued, and supported,” shared one attendee.
“Please keep it up — one of the only spaces where community and belonging thrive.”
“Beautiful curation and honoring.”
Continuing the Vision
Looking ahead, the organizers are planning to stage another HER Table in 2026 with hopes to foster authentic dialogue among women and gender nonbinary people of color in South Phoenix and beyond. The long-term vision is to build grassroots power through shared understanding and storytelling, while resourcing the cultural labor of women and gender-expansive artists — whose work so often sows the seeds of care and belonging.
HER Table was co-presented by The Black Girl Brown Girl Collective and Black River Life, with deep gratitude to the many artists, partners and community members who made the evening possible.
Special thanks to:
Performing artists: Ayling Zulema Dominguez, Felicia Penza, Kiah, Lydia Zulema Martinez Vega, Marian, Poetess Love, Squyyd, and Trinity Miracle
Visual artists: Stacy Lynn and Dena Cervantes
On-Site Vendors: Fly Girl Prints and Dena Cervantes
Photographer: O’Shea Tometi
Live DJ music: DJ Panic
Venue: Rio Salado Audubon Center
Photos by O’Shea Tometi
📸 Photo Gallery: View photos from the HER Table event.
HER Table affirms that when we center women and gender-expansive artists of color, we help cultivate a culture rooted in belonging, care, and collective power. To learn more, support future gatherings, or get involved, visit the host organizations’ websites at
bgbgcollective.square.site
blackriver.life
You can also follow along on Instagram at @bgbgcollective and @blackriverlife, and reach out directly through our DMs — we’d love to hear from you.
