November 28, 2021—I recently had the opportunity to continue the webinar discussion with three esteemed colleagues about the importance of building a culture of belonging within our arts community. I am so happy to share the link with the readers of Arts & Culture Connections. Sponsored by Arts Reach, an association of arts management, marketing and development professionals, the focus of Part 2 of the … Continue reading Steps for Building a Culture of Belonging

Artwork Credit: This Guiding Light” is shared with permission of photographer Chrystofer Davis, poet Jasmine Mans, and artist Layqa Nuna Yawar. This mural was made as part of the #MuralsforJustice initiative in Newark, NJ, as a testament to the collective power of Newark artists and that of 2020’s global protests. See the full mural here: “This Guiding Light”. November 21, 2021—Creating Change, a program launched … Continue reading Creating Change has Big Plans for 2022

November 14, 2021—It’s been a couple of years since I checked in with my colleague Edward S. Holmes, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Equity and Inclusion at Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, Wisconsin. In 2019, Overture Center was among the first arts institutions in the country to elevate the work of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to the C-Suite by naming him its Senior … Continue reading Overture Center adds “Justice” to its EDI Work

Photo credit: Eric Freedman October 31, 2021—Congregation Ahavas Sholom, in partnership with the City of Newark, has launched a monthly public forum to build bridges between the city’s diverse faith, ethnic and racial communities, and unite them to work together for a just, anti-racist society. The year-long program — “Diversity United” — was the idea of Eric Freedman, President and CEO of Congregation Ahavas Sholom, … Continue reading “Diversity United” Seeks to Build Bridges Across Newark

October 23, 2021—I believe one of our greatest challenges as arts administrators is to keep our eyes on the present, as well as the future. That’s why I advocate mentorship and teaching as the cornerstones for ensuring that anti-racist organizations aren’t a fad, but rather the bedrock of our nations’ arts and cultural institutions for generations to come. To help shape the future also requires … Continue reading Investing in the Future of the Arts

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