Tough Gossamer (Yarrow)

Tough Gossamer (Yarrow) is a queer black artist, earth-worker and mama.  They are an inter-discplinary artist asking in every work: how can we be here?  And lately: how can we be here together?  They have practiced as a musician for over fifteen years recording and playing shows.  Throughout their life, studying black ethnomusicology expanded and influenced their sound.  In 2020 they came out with their self-produced, written and performed album *Bathwater*.  That same year they began farming and, in 2021, became a farm apprentice at Neighborhood Land Power Project (NLPP).  By 2022 they were a lead farmer at NLPP, and were able to expand their role as a workshop facilitator, creating and leading series on food sovereignty and stewarding to the neighborhood.  In 2023, they gave birth. In postpartum, and while learning how to parent, they delved into black agricultural archives.  In 2024, they transitioned to being a full time parent and artist and began painting a project that would culminate in 2025 as an exhibition *I Love Myself When I Am Smiling, Then Again When I'm Looking Mean and Impressive* at DaVinci Art Alliance.  This year, they have leaned into being an acoustic mentor, creating containers for sonic experiments for their collaborators' projects and showing their friends how to song-write.  They are currently in School for the Ecocene DIY PhD program.

Tough Gossamer was born and bred in New York City, Occupied Lenapehoking land and is based in Philadelphia, Occupied Lenapehoking land.  They are most at home in the shadow of a tree.