An artist, designer, and founder of the Brooklyn-based Weaving and Healing arts studio Weaving Hand, Cynthia Alberto seeks to bridge traditional and contemporary weaving techniques, drawing inspiration from ancient communities of Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Her artwork, performances, and public weaving projects honor traditional and artisanal techniques while also incorporating unconventional materials and a zero-waste philosophy. Throughout her artwork and teaching, Alberto continuously explores the many intersections between weaving and healing, as well as craft and sustainability.

IG: @cynthiaalbertoweaver

Mataas na Guro Francis Estrada began his practice in Filipino martial arts through the Wing Chun Kali System in New York in 2006. He began to focus solely on Pekiti Tirsia Kali in 2010, beginning by training in India with Tuhon Kanishka Sharma, and subsequently with Grandtuhon Leo Gaje and Tuhon Rommel Tortal in the Philippines. He continues to train with Tuhon Rommel as his primary instructor, visiting him in the Philippines and hosting him in New York.

He is the co-founder of Pekiti Tirsia Kali Elite, and carries on the traditions of vigorous training, complete tactical awareness, and values of life, success and good health in programs throughout New York City, New Jersey, and California.

IG: @francisestrada1

Mother Tongue Karaoke: From Philippine Islands to Governors Island is a project composed of events and interactive installation that serves as a learning platform for discovering new words and languages through the vocabulary of karaoke. Each session, the artist Jevijoe Vitug invites non-English speakers or participants whose second language is English to sing their “mother tongue” songs and impart unfamiliar words to the audience.

For this event, the artist focuses on his “mother tongue” language, Kapampangan and collaborated with his mother in the Philippines to learn and sing a folk song “Atin Cu Pung Singsing” (I Had a Ring). Kapampangan is one of the 187 languages in the Philippines and also one of the eleven Philippine languages spoken in Queens, NYC.

IG: @jevijoe