Geanina Riley

Geanina Riley is a multi-hyphenate storyteller based in Brooklyn, and born and raised in Philly. As a lifelong learner with a passion for decolonization and collaborative arts, she's created curriculums, art, and justice campaigns alongside nonprofits that advocate for black, queer, and marginalized communities. Nonprofits include ExpanaED Schools, The African American Policy Forum, and now the National Urban League, all of which have supplemented her artistic practice. Her work interrogates and centers the intersection between black femme identity, sex, spirituality, and community. Nina holds a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Environmental Art and Social Practice from Pace University. She is a recipient of The Working Theater’s Mark Plesent Commission Fun for Playwrights, the Pace University Jurors Prize in Art, and the LGBTQ Center’s Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advocate of the Year. Currently, she is a resident with VibeTheater Experience.

What drew you to the M.A. in Arts Politics:

Artistry and creation are ways to embody and re-envision the world we want to create. It is the bridge between our world, spirituality, and activism. This program would allow me to integrate my academic interests with my artistic aspirations in a focused, expansive, and interdisciplinary environment. I want to deepen my practice and explore the racialized body as a site of harm and violence, as well as the origin for radical visions of the future.