When I moved to Seattle, from Brooklyn, NY, I knew that I would face some significant differences, but I thought I was ready for it. I was hired as the Executive Director of a beloved arts education organization, serving mostly low income, BIPOC youth in south Seattle and on the southern border of Seattle. Leaving NYC, under the leadership of multiple individuals that didn’t connect with their staff, I vowed to do the exact opposite of them. I wanted to make communal decisions, understand differing perspectives, bring joy into the workday, and, most importantly, trust the staff. This worked well…until it didn’t.
Read moreHOLDING TENSIONS: My Personal Battle of In-Person vs. Virtual
Recently, I’ve described different times in my life as pre-pandemic, during the pandemic, and “post-pandemic.” For me, it brings a sense of clarity to describe the way I was participating in various activities during that point in time. Was it in-person, virtual, or maybe a combination of the two?
Read moreHOLDING TENSIONS in So-Called Australia: Can We Sing With One Voice?
This year, Australia lost a few performing arts icons. One of those was Judith Durham, lead singer of the Seekers and solo artist. She will be remembered for her beloved folk tunes, her uplifting vocals and charming, yet humble demeanour. Her distinctive voice gave us Georgy Girl and the Carnival is Over. This year the music industry paid tribute to the Seekers’ contribution to Australian music. As a quartet they had an innate ability to reflect the national consciousness, most notably captured in their iconic song, I Am Australian.
Read moreHOLDING TENSIONS: The Universe is on the Side of Justice
From documenting stories to exploring futurist frameworks, people want their whole selves honored and not just the palatable pieces. Often, arts organizations and artists desire their art to be appreciated in communities, yet undervalue the work to understand them as people rather than consumers or trophies. Perhaps they enjoy the artform but cannot relieve their duties at home, work, or school to come see it?
Read moreHOLDING TENSIONS: On Diving Deeper into Community Engagement
As the Director of Engagement for Creative Generation, a lot of my work is surprisingly internal — it often centers around how we engage with our community and collaborators — but sometimes I do get to do some work directly with all of you.
Read more