SHEY RIVERA RIOS

Shey ‘Rí Acu’ Rivera Rios (they/them) is an interdisciplinary artist and cultural worker. Their artistic creations span a myriad of topics, from home to capitalism to queerness and magic. Rivera has 14 years of experience in the nonprofit arts sector intersecting creative practice with urban planning and cultural equity. Rivera was former Co-Director and Artistic Director of AS220, a renowned arts organization and creative incubator in Providence, RI. After 8 years at AS220, Rivera took on the role of Director of Inclusive Regional Development at MIT CoLab, in the Dept of Urban Studies and Planning of MIT, where they co-designed and implemented workshops on collective leadership and community innovation in Colombia. Today, Rivera is an independent artist and consultant for the arts sector. Rivera is the founder of Studio Loba in Providence, a storytelling lab that produces artistic and cultural projects that explore community issues and imagine solutions for thriving communities. Notable projects include: theatrical productions Antigonx (2022) and Fire Flowers and a Time Machine (2020); lead curator for El Corazón de Holyoke (2020-22) and Mi Gente Siempre Responde (2020) public art projects in Holyoke & Providence; MoralDocs (2020-22) and FANTASY ISLAND (2017-2020) transmedia artworks; and LUNA LOBA performance series (2015-2022), among many others. Rivera was born and raised in Borikén (Puerto Rico) and is based in Providence, RI -land of Narragansett and Wampanoag peoples.