The fervor of the U.S. midterm election has finally died down. However, the one thing that has not changed as the result of the millions of ballots cast is our nation’s deep class, racial, social and cultural divisions. As a matter of fact, according to a report compiled by the FBI, hate crime in America has had its biggest spike since September 11, 2001. As … Continue reading What Will It Take to Foster Change?

I am pleased to provide an update on Staten Island Arts’ Expanding Audiences and Cultural Participation Initiative, which I first blogged about in June 2017. The two-year initiative, which was the dream of SIA’s Executive Director Elizabeth Bennett, is working with 10 local arts organizations. The goal of the initiative is to develop new strategies for audience development that incorporate the needs and interests of Staten … Continue reading Highlights from the Staten Island Arts’ Expanding Audiences Initiative

I recently wrote a blog about the value of sponsoring an Open House as a way to activate arts and performance spaces and invite audiences to taste—sample your programs. This week I am paying homage to the value of pre-performance experiences that benefit the venue, the artists and the community. New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) launched its PRELUDES program nearly 20 years ago. In … Continue reading A PRELUDE to Something Greater

I recently had the pleasure and honor to serve as host for the Sunday Matinee at Dance Theatre of Harlem. The matinee is the company’s Open House—an open invitation to its neighbors and potential new audience members. It offers participants the opportunity to visit the DTH school and experience the legacy of the company’s late founder Arthur Mitchell, as well as experience and enjoy performances … Continue reading Open Your House To Welcome New Audiences

This week, I have invited Alia Gabres to serve as the guest writer for my Arts & Culture Connections blog. I first met Alia five years ago when she participated in Bite the Big Apple, an international, joint venture between my company, Walker International Communications Group, based in New York, and Kape Communications Pty Ltd, based in Melbourne, Australia. Bite The Big Apple was established more … Continue reading Alia Gabres: An Up-and-Coming Powerhouse with a Global Footprint

    I was a keynote speaker last week as part of the Tennessee Presenters Arts Conversation 18 Conference. Tennessee Presenters is a professional association of performing arts presenting organizations throughout the state. They work together to strengthen the quality and scope of performing arts; to cultivate business relationships and develop cooperative ventures to achieve goals. While many of the attendees were presenters, there also … Continue reading Awakening Talent Agents to Their Role in Creating Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Twenty-years ago, I worked on a project with Isisara Bey and Monique Martin, both expert marketers, producers and dynamic corporate executives. Isisara asked us to provide marketing support for Sarah Jones, a then-emerging spoken word artist. Isisara was an executive at Sony BMG Music and, based on our experience and expertise, she extended an invitation to Monique and me to join her at a meeting … Continue reading Celebrating 20 years of Sapphire and the Creation of a Supportive Community

I met Fleuretta (Flo) Waltrous, owner of Flo’s Body Shop, during our first year in law school at Howard University. We both live in Brooklyn, New York, and our shared interests in dance, fitness, arts and culture, which became our bond in law school, have kept us connected for more than 30 years. Today, Flo leads international yoga, Pilates and fitness retreats for a predominantly … Continue reading Flo’s Body Shop: Creating a Cultural Bridge to Fitness and Wellness

This week, I’m happy to  share an interview I conducted with Erik Gensler, founder of Capacity Interactive (CI) , a digital marketing consulting firm for arts and culture. I first met Erik more than 10 years ago while working on the production of Margaret Garner for the New York City Opera. In addition to being a sought-after speaker on digital marketing for the arts, Erik … Continue reading Interview with Erik Gensler: Recognizing Our Blind Spots to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

As I’m sure you’ve already heard, Arthur Mitchell, who helped break the “color wall” in classical ballet and founded the Dance Theater of Harlem, died on September 19, 2018. Mr. Mitchell danced with the New York City Ballet from 1956 to 1968 and, according to the New York Times’ obituary, “displayed a dazzling presence, superlative artistry and powerful sense of self.” I am so grateful … Continue reading Revisiting and Celebrating a Legacy of Diversity and Excellence: A conversation with Arthur Mitchell and Darren Walker