WORTHLESSSTUDIOS, in partnership with Even/Odd and Campaign Zero, is pleased to announce the 1-800 Happy Birthday Curatorial Fellowship, supported by the Mellon Foundation.

1-800 Happy Birthday is a multimedia, experiential public art project honoring Black and Brown victims of Police killings and systemic racism by allowing loved ones and the public to leave and listen to voicemails left on the birthdays of those unjustly killed by police—the celebrants. First launched in 2020 as a digital voicemail project by Artist, Filmmaker, and Even/Odd Founder  Mohammad Gorjestani, 1-800 Happy Birthday joined forces with WORTHLESSSTUDIOS in 2022 to bring the digital platform into the physical realm. 

In collaboration with the family members of the twelve inaugural celebrants—Dujuan Armstrong, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Stephon Clark, Fred Cox, Eric Garner, Oscar Grant, Xzavier Hill, Donovon Lynch, Sean Monterrosa, Tony Robinson and Mario Woods—WORTHLESSSTUDIOS’ 10,000 square foot warehouse evolved into a community-accessible exhibition centered around twelve upcycled New York City payphones, where visitors could listen to the voicemails left for each celebrant. The exhibition also featured a family room curated with ephemera and personal items provided by the families, and films directed by Gorjestani, and produced by Even/Odd.

Throughout the run of the exhibition, WORTHLESSSTUDIOS produced more than 30 free public events, from movie screenings and weekly jazz nights, to reiki and trauma healing sessions. Over 2,000 visitors were welcomed to the space, helping raise $12,000 for the Family Impact Fund, which was ultimately donated to each family when the exhibition concluded.

WORTHLESSSTUDIOS and Even/Odd are now looking ahead to the third phase of the project: a second public exhibition to take place in 2025, in which the families of the twelve original honorees will bring their loved ones' stories to a national audience. Campaign Zero has now joined the original organizations to provide strategic support in theareas of development, sustainability and strategic design.

To usher in this next phase, the organizations are looking for a Curatorial Fellow to create and implement the long-term strategic and artistic plans for this new iteration of the project, working closely and collaboratively with the families, Gorjestani, Campaign Zero, Even/Odd and WORTHLESSSTUDIOS.

For more information and to apply to the fellowship, please visit the link HERE.