Laura Nova is an artist, educator and activist who lives and works on New York’s Lower East Side, creating festive, absurdist spectacles that unite generations and diverse communities. The first Public Artist in Residence to be embedded in New York City’s Department for the Aging, Nova brings expertise and empathy to her projects and actions, designing each element to enhance social wellness and decrease social isolation. Working in festivals, public monuments, and the city street, Nova delivers stories to homebound New Yorkers, organizes an older adult cheerleading squad and designs crafting kits, guides and costumes that help nurture emerging activists of all ages. She is currently designing and teaching in the CareLab at The New School and an Urban Field Station Collaborative Arts fellow advocating for the care and longevity of humans and trees.
Image: Laura Nova, LES Citizens Parade, 2018. Performance consisted of parade floats, costumes, dancers, musicians. Image courtesy of the artist.