October 17, 2021—In August of 2020, Dr. Durell Cooper saw an announcement on LinkedIn about a global arts conference to discuss the state of the world amidst the pandemic. Not a single Black person was included as a speaker. This event was being organized while the world was still reeling from the murder of George Floyd and record numbers of African-Americans (and other people of … Continue reading Creating the Means to Amplify Our Power
L to R: Maria Rosario Jackson, Ph.D., ASU and Shelly Lowe, NEH October 10, 2021—Just in case you missed the reports, I am passing along some historic news to the readers of Arts & Culture Connections: Two women of color have been nominated to lead America’s 35 year-old cultural agencies –the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). … Continue reading Women of Color Nominated to National Endowment Posts
Photo credit: Everett Stroye Logo used with permission October 2, 2021—More than 10 years ago, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation joined forces with scores of people from different backgrounds, disciplines, and cultural and healing practices to co-develop a process to address the impact of racial injustice. The process became known as the Racial Healing Circles. I have had the privilege of engaging in this transformative process … Continue reading Racial Healing Circles Help Bridge Differences
September 26, 2021 — I recently had the opportunity to listen to an interview conducted by Aaron Dworkin with T. Oliver Reid about the Black Theatre Coalition (BTC). The videocast interview is both informative and powerful, and I urge the readers of Arts & Culture Connections to take the time (about 18 minutes) to watch it at this link. The interview was conducted as part … Continue reading Arts Engines Spotlights The Black Theater Coalition
September 19, 2021—I have attended hundreds of theater productions over the course of my career as an audience development and community engagement specialist. This past week, I had an experience that reaffirmed a core value I’ve been promoting for years, and I want to share this insight with the readers of Arts & Culture Connections. The confirmation occurred during a recent performance of the Public … Continue reading Cultural Nuances are an Invitation to the Party
September 12, 2021–Legacy is so important, especially in the arts. That’s why I couldn’t have been happier to read about the appointment of Francesca Harper as the new Artistic Director of Ailey II. Seriously, I believe there is no better person to lead the next chapter of this beautiful company than Francesca, who is both a visionary and great collaborator! Francesca has an extensive and … Continue reading Go Francesca!
September 5, 2021—More than ever before, arts organizations throughout the country are recognizing that their survival depends upon their responsiveness to this era of demands for social and racial justice and the need for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Access (EDI&A). Forward-thinking, “woke” organizations are taking bold action—they are determined that welcoming diverse audiences is a priority for how they intend to do business. What I’ve … Continue reading The Building Blocks of Welcome
August 22, 2021—I recently read an insightful blog post written by my long-time friend and colleague John Haworth about the national arts service organization, Native Arts & Culture Foundation (NACF). Established more than a decade ago, NACF supports Indigenous artists, culture bearers, and Native-led arts organizations through fellowships and project funding. And the projects they support run the gamut—from social justice to community engagement. I … Continue reading Turning the Spotlight on the Native Arts & Culture Foundation
August 15, 2021—As our performing arts community prepares for more and more re-openings, I thought it would be important to share the experiences and lessons learned by our colleagues in other places. My friend and colleague, Erik Gensler, founder of Capacity Interactive, recently shared with me a link to an interview he conducted for his podcast, “CI to Eye,” with Claire Spencer, CEO of Arts … Continue reading CI to Eye with Claire Spencer
August 8, 2021—It’s my favorite time of the summer—HARLEM WEEK 2021! This year’s festival is a “reimagined” event featuring 10 days of live and virtual celebrations of the history, people, arts, culture, and entertainment that reaffirm Harlem as a global destination. As the readers of Arts & Culture Connections know, HARLEM WEEK began as a one-day event of encouragement and fellowship for the African-American residents … Continue reading HARLEM WEEK Reimagined for 2021
