NEW MA's House Podcast Episode featuring Juan Giraldo and Cecilia Lim!

📸 Juan Giraldo, a Brooklyn-based photographer whose lens captures the intimate, everyday stories of working-class life. Born in Colombia and raised in Paterson, New Jersey, Juan’s work is a love letter to his family, his roots, and the labor that shaped his journey. His photographs—quiet, honest, and deeply personal—reflect the resilience and tenderness found in the homes and break rooms of those often unseen.

🎥 Cecilia Lim (she, siya, ella) joins us from Queens, New York, where she’s spent over two decades using art to build community. A filmmaker, printmaker, and facilitator, Cecilia’s work centers care, connection, and justice. Through projects like Remember Y(our) Connection, she invites us to look closely at how we relate to each other and the land we live on—and what it means to heal, together.

Tune in as we sit down with Juan and Cecilia to talk about immigration, memory, everyday resistance, and the role of art in reclaiming our stories.

In this episode of the Ma's House podcast, hosted by lead artist Jeremy Dennis, Nigerian American comedian, actress, and writer Saidah Belo-Osagie is featured as a guest. Saidah discusses her experiences and creative growth during her week-long residency at Ma's House on the Shinnecock Reservation. The conversation covers her directorial debut film 'Tinge,' her training in clowning, and her approach to comedy that incorporates vulnerability, playfulness, and social commentary. Saidah shares insights into her performance 'A Clown's Exploration of Identity,' her approach to integrating audience participation, and her thoughts on balancing the fun and stress of her creative projects. She also talks about her producing background, her use of social media to build an audience, and her upcoming performances in New York City. The podcast provides a deep dive into Saidah's artistic journey, influences, and the transformative impact of her residency at Ma's House.

In this interview, Jeremy Dennis, lead artist of Ma's House, converses with Megan Hicks, March 2025 resident and archaeologist. Megan explores community ecologies within colonial and capitalistic transformations, focusing on traditional practices in Iceland and Black enclaves in the northeastern United States, especially during the 19th century. She collaborates with native communities to protect heritage sites using excavation, zooarchaeology, and archival research, often through counter-mapping—an approach emphasized in her work with the Ramapo community in New Jersey to protect endangered land with historical significance.

Megan discusses her current book, 'Exposing Erasure: Archaeologies of Marginalization and Resilience in the Northeast,' focusing on the Dunker Hook community and its landscape use. An advocate for the importance of land reclamation and preservation, she shares her experiences at Shinnecock and her support against Indigenous land encroachment. Megan also highlights her pedagogical approach, encouraging Shinnecock youth to engage in archaeology. During her week-long residency at Ma's House, she conducted workshops on counter-mapping and connected with the community, sharing insights on challenges and the significance of engaged archaeology.