Li Sumpter, Ph.D. is a mythologist and multidisciplinary artist who employs strategies of world building and D.I.Y survival to cultivate community action and awareness around local and global existential issues. She is the Founder/Director at MythMedia Studios—a creative research lab and collaborative design initiative focused on building better worlds of the future. MythMedia Studios applies mythic frameworks and design principles to the production of small-scale multimedia projects, direct action tools, public art installations and original narrative and message-based content.
The Escape Artist Initiative, established in 2009, is one of MythMedia Studios lead community-based projects spearheaded by Li and a rotating team of collaborators. Li has over 15 years of experience in the field of art, media and museum programming and has worked on several art and social justice projects addressing race, class, identity, environmental injustice and ecological crisis with the New Museum of Contemporary Art, International Center of Photography, AFROPUNK, MoCADA, Climbing Poetree, Rock the Vote, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art, African-American Museum of Philadelphia, BlackStar Film Festival, Mural Arts, the Germantown Historical Society, Scribe Video Center, Haverford College, Slought's Health Ecologies Lab and The Leeway Foundation. Li is currently an adjunct professor of humanities and curatorial studies at Moore College of Art and Design and serves on the North Philly Peace Park's volunteer staff as Director of Community Readiness and Resilience.
