Performance: Malcolm Peacock, To breathe out or die

Malcolm Peacock (b. 1994, Raleigh, NC; lives and works in Brooklyn, NY) is an American multidisciplinary artist. Working across performance, sculpture, and time-based media, his practice explores the emotional and psychic spaces of Black folks by considering the intricacies of intimacy and intentional presence. Through a methodology he describes as “slow choreo,” Peacock proposes a synchronized deceleration of mind and body in order to decouple the value of life from labor productivity while heightening sensory awareness of one’s surroundings. By prioritizing the “untouchable” yet deeply felt remnants of human connection, his work fosters the development of the self in relation to others within both natural and built environments. Peacock has exhibited at the Whitney Biennial (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York), MoMA PS1 (Queens), Carnegie Museum of Art (Pittsburgh), Artists Space (New York), and Baltimore Museum of Art.

Kwami Ketosugbo is from Brooklyn, New York, and his life has revolved around medicine, menswear, and movement for as long as he can remember. He is currently training for the 2026 New York City Marathon on November 1st, and is aiming for a sub 2 hour and 45 minute performance. Kwami was “introduced” to Malcolm in 2024 during a half marathon when Malcolm past him gracefully, yet convincingly. It was at that moment Kwami realized he wanted to train with and learn from the high-performing African American endurance athletes in his community. As the universe would have it, since then Kwami, Malcolm and four of their friends formed Black Distance – a collective and home-base for competitive and performance-based Black distance runners in New York. And when he’s not running, Kwami works in clinical research in the thoracic surgery department at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, a specialty hospital and research institution.

Ricky Hughes is a runner, community builder, and founder of St. Louis Run Crew, a nonprofit dedicated to making running and movement accessible to all. Inspired by the power of running to transform lives, Ricky has worked to create spaces where movement, culture, and community intersect. As an RRCA-certified run coach and Running USA Emerging Leader, he continues to challenge the traditional narrative of who belongs in running. Ricky uses running as a vehicle for connection, representation, and reclaiming space in St. Louis.

Paul Paige is a runner, a coach, a husband, and a dad, and he’ll tell you those roles all feed each other. Running is where Paul finds his clearest thinking and his biggest joy. He’s an active member of the STL Run Crew and is chasing a sub-3 hour marathon, with the California International Marathon as his next big test. For Paul, the miles are about more than a finish time. They’re about discipline, the people who run beside you, and proving that hard things are doable, even as you age. That mindset shapes how he shows up at home. Paul is a proud husband and the father of two young kids, and family is the center of everything he does. He wants his kids to grow up seeing what effort, curiosity, and kindness look like up close, and he credits his wife as his teammate in all of it. Before the marathons, there was tennis. With more than 30 years of coaching experience, Paul has seen how sport can change a young person’s path. That belief led him to co-found Breakpoint Tennis and Life Skill Academy, which uses tennis to teach kids confidence, resilience, and how to handle setbacks. To Paul, the real wins happen off the court. The thread through every part of his life is the same: show up, put in the work, and help the people around you get better.

Dorrian Gordon is a coach, entrepreneur, and elite long-distance runner dedicated to representing Black athletes at the highest level and inspiring others to bridge the gap between self-doubt and the pursuit of greatness. Guided by his mantra, “Stop Doubting Yourself,” Dorrian is committed to helping others recognize their potential, challenge their limits, and pursue more.

The Coyote Time Convening is supported by the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative, established by the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation.

The Climate Forward Institutions Workshop directly supports Counterpublic’s Climate Impact Plan. Learn more here.

This year, the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation awarded The Luminary, G-CADD: Granite City Art + Design District, The Griot Museum of Black History, and the National Building Arts Center funds to lower their carbon impacts across their campuses. In addition, the Foundation awarded Counterpublic a grant to support our work with Laura Lupton of LHL Consulting to implement our climate action plan with a long-term vision toward mitigation, adaptation, and resilience and creating a model for biennials, triennials and other large-scale exhibitions to account for their climate impacts.

The Frankenthaler Climate Initiative is the first nationwide program to support energy efficiency and clean energy use for the visual arts and the largest private national grantmaking program to address climate action through cultural institutions. The ongoing initiative provides critical support to visual arts organizations in the United States seeking to assess their impact on the environment and to lower ongoing energy costs. The Foundation has conferred more than $21.8 million since its launch in 2021, with 401 unique grants given for energy efficiency and clean energy projects at 295 institutions across 42 states and Puerto Rico.