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Today we’re spotlighting SWAN Day Chicago now in its 7th year of celebration. We caught up with Rachel Gadson, SWAN Day Chicago co-coordinator, to talk about what’s in store for this year’s celebration.
StateraArts: Tell us a little bit about what's on the docket for SWAN Day Chicago.
Rachel Gadson: Sure! This year we'll be featuring Black women hairstylists. Showcasing our hair as art is such an empowering and affirming tool that we are so excited to explore. We wanted to explore the creativity within the Black woman’s hair experience and how so much of it is representative of how we uniquely express ourselves. We’ve specifically hand-picked women in 5 different hairstyling categories: Natural Hair, Weaves, Colorist, Braider, Short Hair Stylist/Barber. We want this to not only be an exhibition of the expressions of Black women’s multifaceted hair care but a celebration of the innovative and talented women behind them. We hope the attendees of this year's SWAN Day Chicago leave with an enlightening experience.
SA: What makes you most excited about SWAN Day Chicago this year?
RG: I think what's most exciting is being able to highlight and showcase such an expressive and unique art form that isn't celebrated as much as it could/should be. Black women have used hair in many ways to express style, creativity and influence culture. We are honored to accentuate the diversity of this immersive industry.
SA: Can you tell us a bit about why you feel called to lead SWAN Day in this capacity?
RG: Creating space to empower our peers has always been the fuel to lead SWAN Day events. Charne Graham and I started the celebrations here in Chicago in 2014 under the guise of wanting to create opportunities for women to support other women. It is also vital that we make the artists feel appreciated for the amazing commitment they display to their craft. It's not often that women are credited and honored in the world of creative arts, especially black women. We found that if we continue cultivating these spaces to lift up our peers, then we have done our part in effecting a change to that narrative. Fostering a strong sense of community of extremely talented women from Chicago is the root of why we take on the mission each year.
MEET THE ARTISTS
Courtney "Conay" Elzy is a licensed cosmetologist located in Chicago, Illinois, specializing in braids & protective styling. She aims to provide top of the line service to each and every client.
www.conay.as.me
IG: @conay_control
Latoya Johnson owns Laced Layers Beauty and specializes in natural hair care & protective styles.(Image is of LaToya’s work, on model @themonalena)
www.lacedlayers.com
IG: @lacedlayers_beauty
Sheena Renee is a well known hair expert and master stylist in the industry today. Known for her ability to create sleek, shiny curls and beautiful soft waves, her wide range of abilities have made her a sought after stylist in Atlanta for years. Sheena also specializes in remarkable sew-in extensions and wig installs.
www.sheenarenee.com
IG:@iamsheenarenee
For over 20 years, Chicagoland premier celebrity stylist Kesha Levy, continues to lead the beauty industry in expert salon services. As a visionary and trendsetter, her highly trained Chicagoland team provides a number of services; natural hair haircare, cutting edge hair styling, flawless extensions, the “Perfect ponytail” for any occasion, advanced cutting and protective styling. https://www.keystylist.com/.
IG:@keystylist
SWAN Day Chicago will take place on April 4th, 6-10pm at Pear Nova Studio (2150 S Canalport, Chicago). To stay in the loop about SWAN Day Chicago, check out and follow their FaceBook page here, or visit their website at http://www.swandaychicago.com/. We love SWAN Day!!
Interested in adding your women-led art event to the Statera Calendar? Please submit your information HERE.