We are pleased to announce the fellow and interns for the fourth cohort of the Pan Valley Institute ArteVism Fellowship Program 2023-2024. Please join us in welcoming them!
Joshua Slack makes a statement as an actor, writer, and director. He studied at Fresno State, majoring in both Theater Arts - Acting emphasis and Africana Studies, and at Stella Adler: Art of Acting Studio in Los Angeles. He is also the music minister at his church, Philadelphia Outreach Ministries.
While attending Fresno State, Joshua performed in several theatrical productions, served as the President for the Black Students United, the ONYX Black Male Collective, and acted as a founding member of the Afrikan Black Coalition at Fresno State. He worked with the NAACP to organize the Fresno Black Lives Matter protest in May 2020.
Joshua is a professional photographer with a business, “J. Slack Images.” He uses his photography as a vessel to bring life to his community by depicting images of those from marginalized backgrounds at the forefront. Joshua often serves his community as an activist and speaker when he is not performing. He was also a Fellow during the 2021-2022 Pan Valley Institute ArteVism Fellowship cohort, where he wrote and performed in his solo performance, "CODESWITCH."
Joshua’s life goal is to own a production company emphasizing TV, film, photography, theatre, and other art forms that express the uniqueness of niche storytelling within the Black community. He plans to offer it as a platform to tell the stories that mainstream media won’t tell and uplift his community's unheard voices.
Natalie Moreno-Aguilar, is a twenty-year-old non-binary xicane born and raised in Merced, California. They have been learning and working alongside young folks since the beginning of high school. Natalie has focused on advancing proactive solutions to their community's pressing issues, such as affordable housing, access to mental health resources, and building youth wellness centers.\
They plan to continue planting these seeds within the community through campaigns and strategies for new elections in the city while targeting the root causes of issues in the Central Valley through new ideas from young minds and all movement work passed on before us.
Shane Lara Jr. Is a spoken word artist, author, and activist within the Native American community. A member of the Natchitoches Tribe of Louisiana, Shane uses his talent in poetry and other mediums in writing to raise awareness on issues that affect indigenous people, like the missing murdered indigenous women movement and tribal sovereignty.
Shane is also a poetry slam champion, winning the title in Visalia and a Di De Los Poeticas Champion in 2023 while working alongside Poet Laureates like Bryan Medina, Joseph Rios, and Lee Herrick. Continuing to use his talents to spread awareness, Shane hopes to spread his good medicine to the Valley.
Tsim Nuj Vang (they/them) is a HMoob, Queer child of refugees and a descendant of shamans and healers. They are a dance artist and researcher. Located on Yokuts Land in the Central Valley, the Heart of Cali, their hometown is Merced.
They are a recent alumni of UC San Diego (‘23) on Kumeyaay Land and received their Bachelor of Arts in Ethnic Studies and minored in Dance. Their passion for dancing, organizing, healing, and storytelling helps them dream, imagine, and build a better, more just, liberated present and future. Tsim Nuj is inspired by the collective visions and actions of marginalized communities, transformative and healing justice political frameworks and values, and movements energizing people and youth power.
They are committed to ensuring that their loved ones and communities can meet their basic needs, thrive, and live in dignity. Tsim nuj facilitates and guides their people to experience and embody moments for healing, rest, belonging, and celebration through dance and moving through the world with love, care, and joy.