SEASON 37 | JANUARY 2025
Ebony Stewart
January 24, 2025 - MLK Day open mic
January 25 - 10-year Anniversary and Book Launch - WASH
MLK Day open mic - 8pm
Ebony Stewart returns to The VORTEX to host the annual Open Mic honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Friday, January 24, 2025.
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10-year Anniversary and Book Launch @ The VORTEX
8pm
One night only! Ebony Stewart returns to The VORTEX on Saturday, January 25, 2025 to celebrate 10 years as a professional poet and launch her new book–WASH. The VORTEX is proud to have been a stepping stone on Ebony’s international career as a writer, performer, and artivist.
Ebony will be joined by special guest Rudy Francisco, one of the most recognizable names in Spoken Word Poetry. Rudy Francisco has shared stages with prominent artists such as Gladys Knight, Jordin Sparks, Musiq Soul Child, and Jill Scott. Ultimately, Rudy's goal is to continue to assist others in harnessing their creativity while cultivating his own. Rudy Francisco is the author of “Helium.” He is also an Individual World Poetry Slam Champion, a National Poetry Slam Champion and has appeared on NBC’s “The Tonight Show” starring Jimmy Fallon and “The Bachelorette”
Also featuring Smoke Slam is a Houston-based competitive poetry team consisting of LeChell “The Shootah” Rush, Sherrika Mitchell, Blacqwildflowr, RJ Wright, and Aris Kian. Between them, Smoke Slam holds 18 individual national titles, five respective team titles, and one coaching title. Amassing over 150,000 followers and over 2 million views on social media, Smoke Slam members have performed, taught, and hosted worldwide. Smoke Slam is coached under the internationally recognized, legendary Ebony Stewart, one of the most decorated poets in Texas. The Q&A will be moderated by Aris Kian.
About Ebony Stewart’s new book, WASH:
Ebony Stewart’s third collection is uncompromising and emotionally raw. Through trauma and recovery, black girlhood comes of age in WASH, journeying through moments of self-discovery, mental illness, love and heartbreak. Stewart reckons traditional definitions of womxnhood, exploring its complications, its communities, and its queerness.
WASH brutally dissects black womxnhood for all its blood, beauty, sacrifice and strength. With Stewart’s distinct, lyrical voice, WASH is a collection that both brings you to tears and brightens your day.
There will only be a limited amount of copies available, so folks might want to order an autographed pre-sale.
About Ebony Stewart:
Ebony Stewart, most affectionately known as Eb or Gully, is an author and international touring interdisciplinary artivist. As a Black womxn writer and performance artist, Ebony Stewart harnesses the power of creativity to explore and challenge societal norms, personal identity, and the intersectionality of her experiences. With a spellbinding blend of storytelling, verbal fitness, and raw emotion, she captivates audiences, inviting them into a world where vulnerability becomes strength and authenticity reigns supreme.
She is the author of BloodFresh, Home.Girl.Hood., and Love Letters to Balled Fists. Her work has been featured in Button Poetry, AfroPunk, For Harriet, Teen Vogue, The Texas Observer, Houston Public Media, The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 2: Black Girl Magic, 2021 Colorism Healing Writing Contest, Write About Now Poetry, plus countless others. Her voice-over work in commercials and films such as, Red Wing, Gulf Coast Love Story, and Black Girls: A Never Whisper Justice documentary has earned her recognition as a skilled and versatile artist.
Drawing from her own lived experiences as a woman of color, Ebony delves fearlessly into themes of race, gender, and social justice, using her art as a platform for empowerment and change. Through her poetry, she confronts uncomfortable truths, amplifies marginalized voices, and celebrates the resilience of Black womanhood.
Ebony is also a mental health advocate, consultant, and former sexual health educator who is seen in the community as the hood’s favorite mental health specialist.
As one of the most decorated poets in Texas, Ebony is a respected coach & mentor, one of the top touring poets in the country, and the 2017 Woman of the World Poetry Slam Champion. She has shared stages with many prestigious figures in the artist world such as, the late-Amiri Baraka, Carmen Carerra, Marsha Ambrosius, Patricia Smith, Rudy Francisco, Ariana Brown, Lupe Mendez, and so many more. She has performed in 49 states, at over 200 colleges and universities across the country, as has been featured internationally in Canada, Australia, Ghana, and Norway.
Ebony’s one woman shows, Hunger and Ocean, received their world premieres at The VORTEX and received B. Iden Payne Awards & the David Mark Cohen New Play Award. Her work transcends boundaries, seamlessly blending elements of theater, spoken word, and visual art to create immersive experiences that challenge, provoke, and inspire. From intimate solo pieces to collaborative multimedia projects, Ebony Stewart fearlessly navigates the complexities of the human experience, inviting audiences to engage in dialogue and reflection long after the curtains fall.
With a unique voice and an unwavering commitment to originality, Ebony Stewart continues to push the boundaries of performance art, using her platform to uplift, educate, and ignite meaningful change in the world.
Ebony Stewart is supported in part by VORTEX Repertory Company, Save our Springs Alliance, the City of Austin Economic Development Department, Six Square Austin’s Black Cultural District, and ATX Theatre.
Managing Director, Melissa McKnight. Producing Artistic Director, Bonnie Cullum.