Ariana Lee

Arts Writer

Ariana Lee is a writer, artist and podcaster. She enjoys reporting on artists of color and the racial politics of art institutions.

Recently published

Models sit for a figure drawing class. (Courtesy Mel Isidor)

This Organization Is Trying To Diversify Boston's Figure Modeling World

The human figure is the foundation to nearly all art students’ educations. Therefore, featuring a variety of bodies in classrooms is crucial to increasing the breadth of identities represented in...

Local Coverage

Jul 26, 2019

A close up of Adrienne Sloane's "The Unraveling." (Courtesy)

Fiber Artist Adrienne Sloane Unravels Our Concepts Of American Democracy

Her piece, titled "The Unraveling," is on view at the Society of Arts + Crafts in Boston’s Seaport. It is comprised of a knitted American flag that obscures a copy...

Local Coverage

Jun 10, 2019

One of The Cauldron's dinner parties. (Courtesy Carlie Febo)

How The Cauldron's Dinner Parties Are Fostering An Intentionally Feminist Community

As Febo puts it, she hopes each person who enters their community, feels “held and seen.”

Local Coverage

May 17, 2019

Paul Craig and Rachele Buriassi in rehearsal. (Courtesy Brooke Trisolini/Boston Ballet)

Boston Ballet Debut — 'ELA, Rhapsody in Blue' — Explores Gendered Violence And Female Triumph

Choreographer Paulo Arrais traces this ballet’s origins back to his childhood in Brazil where gendered violence touched the lives of many women around him.

Local Coverage

May 10, 2019

Samantha Figgins performs at Kennedy Day School in Brighton. (Courtesy Robert Torres)

How Owning Her Disability Helped Alvin Ailey Dancer Samantha Figgins Find Her Confidence

Samantha Figgins became deaf in her right ear after an episode of spinal meningitis, which meant that as a dancer she struggled to process music and catch verbal cues on...

Local Coverage

Apr 30, 2019

Acclaimed film director Ava DuVernay, who is also a producer and film distributor, speaks during the Friday evening program of Vision and Justice at the Sanders Theatre. (Hadley Green for WBUR)

At 'Vision And Justice,' A Deep Exploration Of Black Visual Cultures

In the United States, black visual cultures have always flowered alongside racism. The tension between the two was the subject of “Vision & Justice: A Creative Convening on Arts, Race,...

Local Coverage

Apr 29, 2019

Helga Davis serves as the new visiting curator for performing arts at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. (Courtesy Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum)

Against The White Canon At The Gardner, Helga Davis Reclaims Narratives

At the Gardner, Davis envisions programming that conveys a simple message, “Everything, all music, all art belongs to everyone.”

Local Coverage

Feb 18, 2019

Bonnie Duncan rehearses with a puppet for "Go Home Tiny Monster." (Courtesy Richard Termine/The Gottabees)

In 'Go Home Tiny Monster,' Puppets Grapple With Loss And Celebrate The Joy Of Community

After storms destroyed their home in 2015, Bonnie Duncan and Dan Milstein created a puppet play that tells the story of loss and rebirth.

Local Coverage

Feb 1, 2019

Aby Rivera-Ortiz sits with other teens at the Villa Victoria Center for the Arts. (Courtesy Robert Torres)

Young People Celebrate 50 Years Of Villa Victoria With '50 Portraits' Exhibit

A multidisciplinary art show featuring paintings, drawings, photographs, poetry and music honor the 50th anniversary of Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) at Villa Victoria.

Local Coverage

Dec 18, 2018

Artists work on a mural in Boston's Kenmore Square last summer. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Want To Be A Successful Artist? You'll Need The Right Social Connections, Study Says

Artists who seek success in galleries understand that climbing the ladder is easier with a powerful network. But what they may not realize is that there is new proof that...

Local Coverage

Nov 14, 2018