An Evening of Performances,Video, Music Benefitting Equity Strippers Noho Amitis Motevalli / Amir Koshgele Kontrol/ Cynthia Herrera Emily Lucid Video by Riv Trulee Hall Kayla Tange Amitis Motevalli Free but all donations go to Equity Strippers Noho Strip Down, Rise Up! Exhibiting Artists Rachid Bouhamidi Cynthia Herrera Amitis Motevalli Katherina Olschbaur Kyle Ranson Kayla Tange "As an act of friendship and solidarity with Equity Strippers Noho and in an effort to bridge artist communities with those of organized labor, LAST Projects Gallery is pleased to present in “Strip Down, Rise Up!”, an exhibition of works by Rachid Bouhamidi, Amitis Motevalli, Katherina Olschbaur, Cynthia Herrera, Kyle Ranson and Kayla Tange Inspired by the historic actions of striptease dancers who went on strike for seven months in 2022 in North Hollywood and their struggle for a safe workplace and equitable treatment by their employers, these artists have created works that attempt to illuminate the creative labor and ingenuity of exotic dancers which, like other forms of sex work, is often denigrated and cast in to the shadow of social life. From depictions of the vibrant sites of street theater on the picket line to candid portraits that aim to humanize and personalize the struggle of women and men engaged in what is often considered marginalized labor, the exhibition is conceived of as both an acknowledgement of the ongoing fight for a safer working environment by a vulnerable segment of working people and as a celebration of the gains made by the only union of exotic dancers in the country." - Rachid Bouhamidi