About
Jacks McNamara a genderqueer artist, writer, activist, organizer, designer, educator, and performer living in Oakland, CA. Jacks is the co-founder of The Icarus Project, a radical mental health support network and media project by and for people living with the dangerous gifts that our society commonly labels as "mental illness," and the subject of the poetic documentary film Crooked Beauty.
Co-author of Navigating the Space Between Brilliance and Madness, Jacks' writing has appeared in numerous publications, blogs, and zines. In January 2011 they released the chapbook/zine, So Many Ways to Be Beautiful, available online here. Jacks is currently at work on Scarsongs, an anthology on trauma and resilience.
A lifelong artist and designer, their creations have been shown across the US and Canada, as well as appearing on the covers of books and magazines, in posters, and on the web. Most recently Jacks' work was shown in Manhattan as part of the Navigating Disability exhibition in conjunction with the Reelabilities Film Festival, where Jacks was a featured presenter. Jacks's artwork is frequently available for sale or in prints - more info here.
Since 2004 Jacks has spoken, facilitated workshops, and performed across the US, Canada, and Europe, at venues ranging from the US Social Forum and the UK Feminist Health Gathering to numerous universities, queer art spaces, high schools, and activist centers. A dynamic presenter with the ability to capture a group's imagination and facilitate community-building conversations, Jacks travels frequently and can be booked for events in your community. For more information about available workshops and upcoming events, click here. They would love to talk about collaborating on artshows, coming out to perform poetry and music, facilitating workshops, doing public speaking around mental health, or otherwise being involved in events that spread art, radical honesty, and liberation. Be in touch!
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