September 24, 2023—This is National Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the numerous contributions of the Latinx and Hispanic community—the second largest racial and ethnic group after White Americans. But amid this annual commemoration from September 15 to October 15, there is a culture war brewing that is threatening the future building of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino and represents a … Continue reading Culture War Hits Latino Museum

September 17, 2023—Minty Fresh Circus, the U.S.-based circus show performed by an all-Black cast, has been chosen for a 2023-2024 residency at the incubator, Jacobs Pillow Lab, which supports dance artists during the crucial development, research, and technical stages of choreography-driven projects. Readers of Arts & Culture Connections may recall an interview I conducted with Monique Martin, who conceived of, co-directs, and produces Minty Fresh … Continue reading Minty Fresh Receives Pillow Lab Residency

September 10, 2023—It’s time to make your plans to attend the 2023 March on Washington Film Festival (MOWFF), which gets underway on September 24, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Offering both in-person and on-demand events, the theme of this year’s festival is “Pulpits, Protest, and Power: The Church and the Civil Rights Movement.” MOWFF is the only film festival devoted to the continued exploration of the … Continue reading MOWFF 2023 Explores Role of Black Church

September 3, 2023—Victoria Valentine, who was on my list of 2021 Champions for the Arts, is the founder of the award-winning blog, CultureType. She stays on top of the world of visual arts from a Black perspective, sharing information weekly about emerging and established artists, as well as legends of the field; arts management promotions; exhibition openings; book reviews, and breakthrough achievements. Ms. Valentine recently … Continue reading 34 New Black Arts Leaders

August 27, 2023—It’s back to school time, and this week I hope you will check out the 10-minute Arts Engines’ videocast with Corey Williams, Associate Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Roosevelt University in Chicago. Mr. Williams has nearly 20 years of experience working on university campuses and is widely regarded for his extensive expertise in securing resources for student support; overseeing … Continue reading Back to School with RU’s Corey Williams

August 20, 2023—Last week, along with Tony Award-winning producer Irene Gandy, I had the honor of moderating the HARLEM WEEK Arts & Culture/Broadway Summitt. This was our fourth annual virtual summit, which provided an update on the demands for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Access both on and off Broadway. With the current escalation of culture wars aiming to cancel the history of and stories about … Continue reading HARLEM WEEK’S Spotlight on Broadway

August 13, 2023—I recently had the opportunity to watch another great videocast on Arts Engines with Aaron Dworkin. This time Aaron interviewed Marc Scorca, President and CEO of OPERA America. During the interview, Mr. Scorca shared his vision of what Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Access looks like for the opera community. He sees it as an opportunity to move opera forward and enrich the art … Continue reading Welcoming New Voices in Opera

August 6, 2023—Despite the attempted pushback against much-needed and necessary Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Access programs, I am always grateful to hear about Champions for the Arts who are still working for and promoting these essential values. I recently learned about the work being done by Sheri Notaro, Vice President of People and Culture at the Minnesota Orchestra. She was interviewed on Arts Engines with … Continue reading Sheri Notaro Advances DE&I in Minnesota

July 30, 2023—The countdown to the kick-off of HARLEM WEEK 2023 is underway, and as regular readers of Arts & Culture Connection know this is my favorite time of the summer! This year’s events begin on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, and continue through Sunday, August 20, 2023, with both in-person and virtual events. Sponsored by the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce (GHCC), the annual festival … Continue reading Getting Ready for HARLEM WEEK 2023

July 26, 2023— After 20 years, Toni-Marie Montgomery, Ph.D., is stepping down next month as the Dean of the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University. A graduate of the University of Michigan with both a Master of Music degree and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano chamber music and accompaniment, Dr. Montgomery was the first African American dean of a major music … Continue reading Dean of Music School Shares Impact of Work