October 15, 2023–Glyne Griffith II, Vice President of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Impact for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO), is bringing his corporate experience to the world of classical music and is creating new avenues for engaging with ED&I in that arena. Dr. Griffith, who earned a Ph.D. in Business Administration specializing in organizational leadership, joined the DSO last year as its inaugural EDI/SI … Continue reading Glynne Griffith, II, Leads Dallas Symphony Orchestra ED&I

October 8, 2023—This is National Arts & Humanities Month (NAHM), an opportunity to expand the dialogue in our workplaces and communities about the value of arts and culture to our collective well-being, and the necessity of equitable access. President Joe Biden’s 2023 Executive Order comes at a critical juncture in America—amidst a culture war that seeks to ignore the rich diversity of the American people … Continue reading Supporting the Artists Who Create the Art

October 1, 2023—I hope you will join me in celebrating the recent appointment of Talia L. Young as the CEO of the Newark Symphony Hall (NSH), New Jersey’s largest Black-led arts and entertainment venue. Before her appointment, Talia, a cherished colleague, served for nine months as the venue’s interim CEO, and she has been a member of the NSH Board of Directors since 2014. Over … Continue reading Talia L. Young Named CEO of NSH

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