Maori Karmael Holmes
Communications Consultant
Maori is an interdisciplinary artist, curator and producer. An original member of the Freddie Hendricks’ Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, she has produced short documentaries and music videos about underground hip-hop and contemporary pop art. Her films have been screened internationally at festivals, museums, and universities, as well as broadcast throughout the US. She has taught at Scribe Video Center, Temple University, and Villanova University. As a curator, she has presented programs at Painted Bride Art Center, Swarthmore College, and International House (Philadelphia). She is a recipient of the Leeway's Art and Change Grant (2005, 2006) and Transformation Award (2006) as well as grants from Independence Media (2005, 2007), Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (2008), and Women's Way (2008). Maori is the founding artistic director of the Black Lily Film & Music Festival and in 2009 was named a Creative Ambassador by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation. Born in Los Angeles, her fascination with popular culture and fashion is the result of being raised in a post-Hippie household with limited access to television and a secret stash of Barbie dolls.
Photo credit: Jati Lindsay
