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Welcome to My Blog: Arts and Culture Connections
Dear Colleague, Imagine a world without theater, music, dance, visual arts, books or the support of our essential cultural institutions. Unfortunately, the current political climate has awakened us all to the possibility that we may be standing at the threshold of what could become be a dark, abysmal and soulless landscape. Against that backdrop, today, I am launching my new blog to champion the arts, … Continue reading Welcome to My Blog: Arts and Culture Connections
Meet the 2023 Champions for the Arts
December 31, 2023—I am delighted to end this year with the announcement of my 2023 Champions for the Arts—people and organizations who have been engaged in advancing Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Access (EDI&A) within the arts and cultural community, despite the growing backlash against these essential efforts. The 2023 Champions for the Arts are Rissi Palmer, founder of Color Me Country™; Patrick A. Bradford, … Continue reading Meet the 2023 Champions for the Arts
Making Plans to Mentor Youth
December 24, 2023—My mentor in faith, Daisaku Ikeda, recently passed away. He was a giant amongst philosophers and religious leaders; he was a citizen statesman who impacted the lives of millions of people worldwide. Dr. Ikeda advocated for many principles I deeply believe in, especially mentoring youth. Dr. Ikeda believed in providing youth with encouragement that fostered their sense of identity, empowered them with courage … Continue reading Making Plans to Mentor Youth
Sharing the Gift and Power of the Arts
December 17, 2023—As a lifelong Champion for the Arts, I am optimistic about the profound, transformational power of the arts. Given the current fractured state of our nation and the world, I think this is an important time to remember that art and culture must have a pivotal role in bridging the divides that are ripping at the fabric of our common humanity. A little … Continue reading Sharing the Gift and Power of the Arts
Cultivating the Life of an Artist
December 10, 2023—As the readers of Arts & Culture Connections know, I am passionate about both mentoring and spreading joy through the arts. I was delighted to hear the multi-talented Adriana Zabala, the renowned mezzo-soprano and Yale music professor, talk about the importance of both during a recent interview on Arts Engines with Aaron Dworkin. Ms. Zabala discussed the importance of cultivating a life as … Continue reading Cultivating the Life of an Artist
National Day of Racial Healing 2024
December 3, 2023—The 8th Annual National Day of Racial Healing will be observed on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, offering the arts community the opportunity to lead the way with programs and events that help us see not only who we are as a nation, but also the potential of what we can become. Begun in 2017, the National Day of Racial Healing is observed on … Continue reading National Day of Racial Healing 2024
BON Summit Looks Ahead to the Future
November 26, 2023—The Black Orchestral Network (BON) recently held a summit to explore the future of inclusivity within American orchestras and featured the voices of Gen Z students who are pursuing classical music careers. BON was founded by a group of Black orchestral musicians who first began meeting to develop a connection with each other and to harness their collective creativity to develop initiatives to … Continue reading BON Summit Looks Ahead to the Future
Panel to Discuss Misrepresentation
November 19, 2023—In honor and recognition of Native American Heritage Month, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center is holding a Standing in Solidarity program to convene a virtual panel that will discuss the misrepresentations of Native American people and their heritage. The program will be held on Monday, November 27, 2023, at 7 p.m. (ET). The misrepresentations, which range from sports mascots to television and … Continue reading Panel to Discuss Misrepresentation
Met Opera Launches ‘X’ with Public Reading
November 12, 2023—I recently had the opportunity to participate in what I believe was an innovative audience development and community engagement project presented by New York’s Metropolitan Opera in support of a new staging of the brilliant opera, X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, which is being performed until December 2, 2023. Pianist and composer Anthony Davis, known as the “dean of African-American … Continue reading Met Opera Launches ‘X’ with Public Reading
Wise Words from a Young Arts Leader
November 5, 2023—I recently read an interview with the award-winning writer, university professor, policy leader, and Rhodes Scholar, Tope Folarin, about the importance of the arts during both personal and social crises. The interview was posted on Medium at this link. I believe Mr. Folarin, who also serves as the Executive Director of the progressive think-tank, the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C., and … Continue reading Wise Words from a Young Arts Leader
2023 Arts Vibrancy Index Shows Value of the Arts
October 29, 2023—SMU DataArts has released its 2023 Arts Vibrancy Index, which ranks and highlights the large, medium, and small arts-vibrant communities throughout the United States. This is important, data-based information that reaffirms the tremendous value of the arts to community growth and development. At the same time, the report acknowledges the impact of arts and culture programming cutbacks, layoffs, shifts in audience behavior due … Continue reading 2023 Arts Vibrancy Index Shows Value of the Arts