Diana Morningstar
For almost 40 years she’s been serving the world as a community organizer, artist, expressive arts facilitator, and traveler and after 20 years of welcoming the world in her home in the Morningstar House near Nashville, she’s returned to Summertown to be near family and to open a home for guests there. She has a passion for community building across lines of race, class, and culture and has done work on the boards and staff of many church and community non-profit organizations, locally, regionally and internationally.
She’s the oldest grandchild in a large farm family in Southern Tennessee and learned the fine art of hospitality from her ancestors, especially warm-hearted grandmothers and great-grandmothers. There was a great synergy and sustainability in the collective, cooperative work of her large family, and in the years in the “city” she brought this ethic and value to life in community here.
After 10 years of leadership in the forms of InterPlay, she designed MorningStar Community Arts, linking arts and social transformation, writing, and performing. Writing poetry all along the journey she is publishing an extensive collection with a title something like: Radical Hospitality: Grief, Grace and Grits. She loved the cultural discoveries of traveling to places like Morocco, Hawaii, Australia, Malawi, Ireland, Greece. Shes the mother of Eric and Sara, and grandmother of 3- Ben, Sam and Kinza. They were born in the “red house” next door, and now live in East Nashville.
There was so much to learn and enjoy in hosting house concerts, circle gatherings, and potlucks in the Morningstar House in this longtime practice of hosting friends and family, sharing stories, friendship, and a web of connections that spans the globe. The tradition continues!
Creative homestays with hosts that were sometimes friends, and sometimes friends of friends, are her favorite way to travel- way before Airbnb came along! It’s such a sweet way to come to know a city by having a safe, friendly, homey landing place. So that’s what she offered, before the guest houses turned into extended stay homes during the pandemic. The spirit of hospitality comes naturally and easy to her, with a family who used to say that she “never met a stranger.” All the world are really just family we haven’t met yet.
The playroom in the Morningstar House holds about 40 people, and now a time has come for more community arts there! Music, circles, social justice circles, poetry, expressive arts workshops, story-telling, and dance!
Marquetta and Eric are the two beautiful humans who are “home” making now in these houses. We enjoy good people in all their variety and we will be dreaming up and designing events to carry on the creative spark! So here’s to the new life chapters!
Life motto: “Sometimes you just have to take a leap and build your wings on the way down”..
Contact: DianaMorningstar@gmail.com
Eric Santagada
Eric Santagada was an artist-in-residence at the Morningstar House back in 2015, focused on writing and performing spiritual songs to uplift humanity. He’s an entreprenuer, author, a great musician and a wise and kind human. He and Diana forged a deep connection based on creativity and radical hospitality. Life took him around the world and back since then, in a full circle. Now that Diana is retiring from active management, Eric has become the new owner of the Morningstar House. He looks forward to continuing the legacy that she has created. and he has a new album coming out soon. He brought his tiny house to the house as an additional creative space. Contact him if you are looking to be part of a creative community, at “home.”
Contact: ericsantagada@gmail.com
Marquetta Dupree
Marquetta Dupree is the Owner of MD Wellness in Atlanta, GA offering holistic health services for the body, mind and spirit. She is currently the Programs Associate for The Intercultural Leadership Institute and liaison to the membership services team of Alternate ROOTS. Marquetta is deeply rooted in a spiritual background of ministering through ones art.
She is a first-degree Reiki healer, singer and sound healer, Mother to one son, and ceremonial facilitator. With a background in West African dance, a Bachelors of Science degree in Sports Medicine, and 6 years of military service gives way to Marquetta’s passion for fitness, dance and love of kinesiology. This allows her to offer a wide range of skills and services to her clients and class participants. Marquetta is a certified group fitness instructor by ACE and AFAA and puts continuing education at the forefront of her business.
In all the work Marquetta does, her goal is to facilitate healthy community and connection. This last summer she became the owner of the “Red House” in Hermitage and is hosting a house full of women guests and creating HOME. Her mother Adora Dupree was the amazing community artist who inspired us all in this whole way of working/playing in the world.
Contact: marquettadupreewellness@gmail.com
Seemi Rizvi and Terrence Brooks are part of the team providing hospitality and maintenance.
Here’s the link to contribute to Morningstar Community Arts circles or to pay for your homestay. Click on “Pay Now” below and choose either the PayPal or credit card link.
Please use the “friends and family” option to save fees.
Venmo at @Diane-Ault or @EricSantagada are also available.
You will receive an instant receipt. Thank you!
