ARTISTIC DIRECTOR,
BAX/BROOKLYN ARTS EXCHANGE

Marlène Ramírez-Cancio is a Puerto Rican cultural producer, artist, and educator based in Brooklyn, New York. As Artistic Director of BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange, a multigenerational arts organization nurturing creative expression and artistic process, she creates spaces of inquiry and praxis for artist-led initiatives. Since 2008, she has directed EmergeNYC, an incubator and affinity network for socially engaged artists to develop their creative voice, explore the intersections of art and activism, and connect to a thriving community of BIPOC, migrant, and LGBTQIA+ practitioners. Now housed at BAX, EmergeNYC fosters a brave space for experimentation, risk-taking, and mutual accountability, and has over 350 alumni in New York City and beyond.

Through Mujer Que Pregunta, Marlène works as a Process Doula and Tarot practitioner, helping artists, scholars, and cultural workers shape their ideas and clarify their vision. As Artist in Residence with Aster(ix) Journal, she created the Chancletazo for Your Soul deck, a reimagining of the Tarot Major Arcana with Latinx cultural icons. Marlène also co-founded Fulana, a Latina satire collective (active 2000-2018), and leads yearly satire and parody workshops for emerging artists.

She is a Steering Committee member ofLxNY | Latinx Arts Consortium of New York, chairs the Board of Directors of theNational Performance Network, and serves on the Board of Advisors ofThe Action Lab and the Center for Artistic Activism. She is also a founding member of the Cultural Equity Coalition of New York.