Crystal Mason is an artist, culture tender, and community strategist rooted in Black, queer, fat, feminist, and liberatory traditions. Born and raised in Richmond, VA and shaped by time in San Francisco and Berlin, Crystal makes art to tell stories that often go unheard—stories of anger and love, grief and joy, danger and creation. Their work says: Here is a piece of me. For Crystal, art is both a declaration and a tool—against erasure, for memory, and toward a freer world.
With over 30 years of experience, Crystal has cultivated spaces where QTBIPOC voices are centered and celebrated. They co-founded and served as Artistic Director of Luna Sea Women’s Performance Project, led the Jon Sims Center for the Arts as Executive Director, and worked as Administrative Director at Queer Rebels Productions, an intergenerational QTBIPOC arts platform.
Crystal is also the co-creator of the Tree of Change, a visionary network with Jason Wyman (aka Queerly Complex) that supports collective liberation, culture shift, and deep systems change. Their work moves across sectors and communities, always with an eye toward inclusion, imagination, and transformation.
Crystal believes that what we create is a tribute—to our existence, to our resistance, and to the world we are building together.
Photo by Don Bowden
My Theory of Change
I believe that lasting transformation begins with building spaces where people feel a true sense of belonging—spaces that center vulnerability, accountability, and joy. We are living through the collapse of systems rooted in domination, extraction, and control, and while resistance is essential, it is not enough. My theory of change is grounded in the understanding that we must also co-create new systems, cultures, and institutions that reflect the world we are fighting for—one where healing, abundance, and liberation are possible for all. This means tending to the harm we've internalized, cultivating practices of deep reflection, and fostering connection across difference. Through my own consultancy and my work with Tree of Change , Culture Tending Commons, Imagine Us, and the SEIU Bold Center I support individuals, groups, and organizations in setting the cultural conditions that make sustainable, collective change possible. We are not just organizing against oppression; we are organizing for a future where we all thrive.
Check Us Out
The Tree Of Change is going into year 4 working with the African American Arts & Culture Complex. We have accomplished a lot together. The AAACC has been a home, a hub and a holder of Black dreams, history and tools for the future for Black artists and creatives, in the Filmore & beyond. Check out the Impact report we prepared for the AAACC in words and pictures.
People Are Saying
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Crystal Mason worked with ARTSCCC (Arts Contra Costa County) Crystal provided invaluable advice and strategic visioning to build a strong foundation for our organization. We believe in building new, equitable, and grassroots structures focused on community first. Crystal’s professional insights and personal experiences highlighted how institutional gaps can be transformed to be culturally responsive. ARTSCCC is grateful for Crystal’s brilliance!
Jenny Balisle, Founding Executive Director Arts Contra Costa County.
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Crystal Mason led our whole staff in a facilitated discussion, “From Acronyms to Action”, as part of our diversity, equity, and inclusion work. The professional development was requested by staff who wanted some more direction after earlier social justice and equity training. Staff was looking to refine their objectives and key results, seek assistance and deeper knowledge of places where they felt blocked, and learn more about best practices in arts and cultural organizations. The feedback from staff has been overwhelmingly positive. The session was inspiring, challenging, and insightful. Crystal helped our museum recognize what we had already accomplished, as well as helped us start to identify how we can deepen our commitment to social justice and equity work.
Miriam Kronberg, Interim Co-Executive Director, and COO Berkshire Museum
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Crystal and Jason are extremely talented in what they do. They quickly create a welcoming, safe community, and they skillfully guide participants through a process of discovery that reaches even the most hesitant participants. I have personally taken several of their workshops and I have found them transformational.
Hannah Dworkin, San Francisco Opera
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Working with Tree of Change, led by the remarkable facilitators Jason and Crystal, is truly transformative. Their commitment to deep listening, community-driven change, and personal growth is inspiring, and their work has had a profound impact on the team and community. We are just beginning! I would highly recommend Tree of Change to anyone looking to cultivate meaningful connections, foster personal growth, and create positive change in your organization or communities.
Melorra Green , Co-Director, African American Arts and Culture Complex
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