Sarah Small
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Sarah Small (born 1979 in Washington D.C.) is a
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
-based American artist, composer, singer, filmmaker, photographer, and performer featured on
Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma (born October 7, 1955) is a French-born American Cello, cellist. Born to Chinese people, Chinese parents in Paris, he was regarded as a child prodigy there and began to study the cello with his father at age four. At the age of seven, ...
's
Silk Road Ensemble Silkroad, formerly the Silk Road Project, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization, initiated by the cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 1998, promoting collaboration among artists and institutions, promoting multicultural artistic exchange, and studying the ebb and ...
's
GRAMMY The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
-Winning album, ''Sing Me Home''. She is known for her photographic and
Tableau Vivant A (; often shortened to ; ; ) is a static scene containing one or more actors or models. They are stationary and silent, usually in costume, carefully posed, with props and/or scenery, and may be theatrically illuminated. It thus combines ...
performance series The Delirium Constructions, singing as part of the Balkan vocal trio Black Sea Hotel, acting as the protagonist in the feature film Butter on the Latch by Josephine Decker, and directing the musical album, new music opera performance, and feature film ''Secondary Dominance.''


Education and career

She attended high school at
The Field School The Field School is a preparatory school in Washington, D.C., located in the old Cafritz mansion on Foxhall Road. The school teaches 6th-12th grade, with about 368 students attending as of the 2019–2020 school year. Notable alumni * Zach ...
, in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
and graduated from the
Rhode Island School of Design The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD , pronounced "Riz-D") is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase th ...
in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in photography. After graduating from college, Small moved to Brooklyn and worked as a photographer for 13 years. Her work has appeared in publications including
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...
,
Life Magazine ''Life'' (stylized as ''LIFE'') is an American magazine launched in 1883 as a weekly publication. In 1972, it transitioned to publishing "special" issues before running as a monthly from 1978 to 2000. Since then, ''Life'' has irregularly publi ...
,
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
,
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
, and
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
, has been showcased by
John Schaefer John Schaefer is an American radio host and author. A longtime host at WNYC, Schaefer began hosting the influential radio shows '' New Sounds'' in 1982 and ''Soundcheck'' in 2002, and has produced many different programs for other New York Publi ...
on
WNYC WNYC is an audio service brand, under the control of New York Public Radio, a non-profit organization. Radio and other audio programming is primarily provided by a pair of nonprofit, noncommercial, public radio stations: WNYC (AM) and WNYC- ...
’s
Soundcheck A soundcheck is the preparation that takes place before a concert, speech, or similar performance to adjust the sound on the venue's sound reinforcement or public address system. The performer and the audio engineers run through a small po ...
and
National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
, and exhibited globally at venues including Galerie Caprice Horn (Berlin),
Corcoran Gallery of Art The Corcoran Gallery of Art is a former art museum in Washington, D.C., that is now the location of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, a part of the George Washington University. Founded in 1869 by philanthropist William Wilson Corco ...
(Washington DC), and the
Australian Centre for Photography The Australian Centre for Photography (ACP) was a not-for-profit photography gallery in Darlinghurst, Sydney, Australia that was established in 1973 and which also provided part-time courses and community programs. One of the longest running c ...
. She was named one of the “Top 13 Emerging Photographers” working today, by American Photo Magazine. In 2002, Small began studying Bulgarian vocal production in a start-up Bulgarian women's choir, Yasna Voices. In 2006, Yasna Voices traveled on grant to  Bulgaria to study with master singer Kremena Stancheva, a founding member of the Bulgarian women’s choir, 
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares ''Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares'' (translated as "The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices") is a compilation album of modern arrangements of Bulgarian folk songs featuring, among others, the Bulgarian State Radio & Television Female Vocal Choir, with s ...
. In 2007, Small co-formed Brooklyn's Balkan vocal ensemble, Black Sea Hotel. She has premiered original works with
Kronos Quartet The Kronos Quartet is an American string quartet based in San Francisco. It has been in existence with a rotating membership of musicians for 50 years. The quartet covers a very broad range of musical genres, including contemporary classical musi ...
in collaboration with Black Sea Hotel at St. Ann's Warehouse.  and
National Sawdust National Sawdust is a nonprofit music producer and Music venue, venue in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York with the goal of providing "composers and musicians across genres... a setting where they are given unprecedented support and critical re ...
, and on stage with
Reggie Watts Reginald Lucien Frank Roger Watts (born March 23, 1972) is an American comedian, musician, beatboxer, and actor. His improvised musical sets are created using only his voice, a keyboard, and a looping machine. He refers to himself as a "disinfo ...
and Sxip Shirey and
Joe’s Pub Joe's Pub, one of the six performance spaces within The Public Theater, is a music venue and restaurant that hosts live performances across genres and arts, ranging from cabaret to modern dance to world music. It is located at 425 Lafayette Str ...
. The vocal trio  was featured in Small's Tableau Vivant of The Delirium Constructions in 2011 and headlined the Lund Choral Festival in Scandinavia in 2018. Black Sea Hotel has taught
Balkan The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
folk singing Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
 internationally, with a specialization in songs from
Shopluk Shopi or Šopi ( South Slavic: Шопи) is a regional term, used by a group of people in the Balkans. The areas traditionally inhabited by the ''Shopi'' or ''Šopi'' is called ''Shopluk'' or ''Šopluk'' (Шоплук), a mesoregion. Most of ...
,
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
. Highlights include teaching residences at Sjöviks Folkhögskola in
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
.  In 2009, she taught Portrait Photography to seniors at the
Parsons School of Design The Parsons School of Design is a private art and design college under The New School located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. Founded in 1896 after a group of progressive artists broke away from established Manhattan art ...
, and has taught darkroom photography to children and adults. In 2011, her 120-participant Tableau Vivant performance was featured in The Washington Post and The New York Times. In 2012, Small formed Hydra, another vocal trio, and performed with
Sean Ono Lennon is a British-American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and half-brother to Julian Lennon. Over the course of his career, he has been a member of the bands Cibo Matto, the Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tige ...
and Taxiplasm at The Box. In 2014, Small starred in Butter on the Latch, a
psychological thriller film thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and convention, it ...
directed by
Josephine Decker Josephine Decker (born April 2, 1981) is an English–born American filmmaker. Films she has directed include '' Butter on the Latch'' (2013), '' Thou Wast Mild and Lovely'' (2014), '' Madeline's Madeline'' (2018), '' Shirley'' (2020), and '' Th ...
, which was on
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
's “10 Best Movies of 2014.” In 2016, Small was invited by
Beth Morrison Beth Morrison is an American producer of contemporary opera. Morrison is known for her collaborations with many artists through her company Beth Morrison Projects includes composers David T. Little, Missy Mazzoli, Du Yun, Paola Prestini, Kamala Sa ...
and HERE Arts Center’s
PROTOTYPE Festival Prototype Festival is an annual, weeklong contemporary opera and musical theater festival held in New York City. Program Prototype Festival is an annual, weeklong festival of contemporary opera and musical theater. The festival encourages n ...
to premiere her work “Secondary Dominance” on stage, which has since been made into several music videos and a feature film. As a photographer and performance artist, Small has exhibited and lectured internationally for The Lucie Foundation,,
Apple Store The Apple Store is a chain of Retail, retail stores owned and operated by Apple Inc. The stores sell, service and repair various Apple products, including Macintosh, Mac desktop and MacBook laptop personal computers, iPhone smartphones, iPad ta ...
Soho, and at the China International Photographic Exhibition granted by the
Ministry of Culture of China The Ministry of Culture (MOC) was a ministry of the government of the People's Republic of China which was dissolved on 19 March 2018. The responsibilities of the MOC, which were assumed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, encompassed cultu ...
.


Select photography exhibitions

* 2017 - Fast Forward//Rewind, Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia, US * 2011 - ''Human Time Space'', DOB Hua Lamphong Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand * 2011 - ''Neubacher Inaugural Exhibition'', Neubacher Shor Contemporary, Toronto, Canada * 2010 - 100 Portraits - 100 Photographers, Fotoweek DC, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., US * 2010 - ''Art of Photography Show'', Lyceum Gallery, San Diego, California, US * 2010 - ''Vignettes'', Bleicher/GoLightly Gallery, Santa Monica, California, US * 2010 - ''Art Taipei Forum'',
Taipei World Trade Center The Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC; ) was inaugurated in January 1986 by Taiwan's foremost trade promotion organization, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), to provide a single, modern venue that would combine Trade fair, e ...
, Taipei, Taiwan * 2009 - ''Bova Images Festival'',
Bova, Calabria Bova (Calabrian Greek: , romanized: ''Chòra tu Vùa''; Calabrian: ; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about southwest of Catanzaro and about southeast of Reggio. It is o ...
, Italy * 2008 - ''Delight and Horror: The Photographs of Sarah Small'', 1000 Words Photography * 2007 - ''Soft Ground, Platform Gallery'', Winnipeg, Canada * 2004 - Art+Commerce Festival, Emerging Photographers, Tobacco Warehouse, Brooklyn, NY, US


Select performance art

* 2017 - PROTOTYPE Festival - ''Secondary Dominanc''e * 2011 - Powerhouse Arena - ''Tableau Vivant of the Delirium Constructions'' * 2011 - Bathhouse Arena - ''Tableau Vivant of the Delirium Constructions'' * 2011 - Skylight One Hanson, Williamsburg Clocktower Building - ''Tableau Vivant of the Delirium Constructions'' * 2010 - 92Y Tribeca - ''Tableau Vivant of the Delirium Constructions''


Filmography


Discography


Select music photography

* 2014 Brooklyn Rider, ''The Brooklyn Rider Almanac'' * 2009 Kitka, ''Cradle Songs'' * 2008 Jan Vogler, ''Tango''! * 2008 Martin Bisi, ''Sirens of the Apocalypse'' * 2007 Jan Vogler, ''Concerti Brillanti'' * 2006 Shara Nova's My Brightest Diamond, ''Bring Me the Workhorse''


Select photography awards

* 2010 - Selected as 1 of 50 Top Finalists for Artists Wanted: Exposure 2010 * 2010 - Selected by Magenta Foundation as 2010 US Flash Forward winner * 2009 - “10 Best 10” Photo Contest Winner - Resource Magazine and Win-Initiative * 2009 - 1 of 2 American finalists selected from 65 countries by ITS#EIGHT International Talent Support, to be flown to Italy for exhibition and award ceremony. * 2009 - Selected 1st Place winner for 2009 Fine Art Xto Nude Image Awards to be exhibited in Farmani Gallery in July. * 2009 - Winner of Magnet Media's Zoom-In-Online Viewfinder's Challenge, judged by David Turner and Redux Pictures Director, Marcel Saba. * 2008 - Chosen as 1 of 13 Top Emerging Talents by American Photo Magazine. * 2008 - Avant Guardian Competition Winner - Surface Magazine * 2008 - Finalist - Critical Mass Competition * 2004 - Emerging Photographer Competition Winner - Art + Commerce


References


External links


Artist's website
* Article written by a performer in Tableau Vivant {{DEFAULTSORT:Small, Sarah 1979 births Living people American artists Rhode Island School of Design alumni Rhode Island School of Design alumni in music American women composers 21st-century American composers 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women musicians 21st-century American women singers American people of Jewish descent American women in electronic music Avant-garde singers Nudity in theatre and dance 21st-century American women photographers 21st-century American photographers