January 10, 2021—Like many around the nation and the world, I watched in horror and disbelief as insurrectionists attempted to take over the U.S. Capitol to block the certification by the U.S. Congress of the results of the presidential election of Joe Biden. Incited by the outgoing president and his supporters in Congress, the violent mob action resulted in the deaths of at least five … Continue reading Arts Leaders Speak Out About Capitol Riot
January 3, 2021—I am excited about the new beginnings 2021 offers for so many reasons! I know we all endured unimaginable challenges and struggles in 2020, but I hope you can join me in celebrating the fact that we survived! And some of us even thrived! Despite the shuttering of our nation’s most vital arts institutions and organizations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have … Continue reading Happy New Beginnings!
December 20, 2020—I recently had the privilege of moderating a powerful discussion as part of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s Standing in Solidarity social justice series, which featured some of the most visionary thinkers in the world of the arts. The theme of the program was inspired by and named after Oprah Winfrey’s two-part documentary, “Where Do We Go From Here?” The audience was … Continue reading Arts Leaders Offer a Vision for the Future
November 22, 2020—Last month, the Newark Arts Festival boldly took the leap to the virtual platform, holding its annual three-day event online. It was a major undertaking, and I believe the readers of Arts & Culture Connections can benefit from some of the behind-the-scenes insights Marcy DePina has to share. Marcy is the President of the Board of Directors for Newark Arts, and rolled up … Continue reading The Newark Arts Festival’s Bold Leap to Virtual Platform
I am sure many of you have heard by now about the recent White House memo to cancel diversity training that was issued to all federal agencies throughout the United States. This is likely one of the most blatant acts of systemic or institutional racism that we have ever witnessed; a blatant attempt to distort and dismiss the legitimate demonstrations and calls for equity and … Continue reading Resisting the White House Efforts to Dismantle Federal ED&I Programs
The New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s PSEG True Diversity Film Series recently sponsored a virtual panel of all white advocates titled, “White Fragility—A Conversation About Allyship,” which I believe will be of interest to the readers of Arts & Culture Connections. A week prior to the event, participants were encouraged to watch a video about the book, White Fragility, read by author Robin DiAngelo. More … Continue reading NJPAC Panel discusses Role of “White Allyship”
HARLEM WEEK 2020 has ended and we had a global audience of thousands! I personally would like to thank the readers of Arts & Culture Connections for your participation and support! Every year, a very important component of HARLEM WEEK is the panels, conferences and summits. Despite this year’s virtual platform due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we still were able to offer this important programming—an … Continue reading HARLEM WEEK 2020: Broadway Careers Panel Tackles Bias in the Industry
Acknowledging White Supremacist Tendencies; Taking Steps to Change A few months ago, I shared with the readers of Arts & Culture Connections an interview I conducted with Virginia (Ginny) Louloudes, Executive Director of the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York(A.R.T./New York). Ginny discussed her journey leading members of the service and advocacyorganization for New York City’s 400-plus nonprofit theatres through Equity, Diversity and Inclusion(ED&I) initiatives. As … Continue reading Acknowledging White Supremacist Tendencies; Taking Steps to Change
The Borough of Queens, New York, was recently abuzz with excitement about the grand opening of the Hunters Point Library, a building that has been cited by the New York Times as “one of the finest and most uplifting public buildings New York has produced so far this century.” Offering breath-taking views of the Manhattan skyline from its perch on the East River, this new … Continue reading The Hunters Point Library: A Work of Art and A Community Gathering Place
I am honored and excited to introduce you to another Champion of the Arts, Terri Lee Freeman, who is building bridges between history and the present through her work as president of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN. Since 2014, Ms. Freeman has been responsible for providing strategic leadership to further the museum’s mission as an educational and cultural institution. Over the last … Continue reading Champion of the Arts: Terri Lee Freeman and the National Civil Rights Museum
