Tyler Rand
Managing Director, Advisory Board for the Arts
Keynote Address, Wednesday, May 29, 2024
Tyler joined the Advisory Board for the Arts as a Managing Director in 2022. Originally from the Greater Boston area, Tyler holds over a decade of experience in arts leadership roles ranging from operations to board leadership.
Before joining ABA, Tyler served as the head of marketing, communications, and sales at Stages, an innovative theater company specializing in new works and inclusive storytelling in Houston. Prior to Stages, Tyler led the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra as its Executive Director, after previously serving in the role of Director of Marketing and Communications. His work with orchestras was preceded by a career in classical radio, in which he served in diverse roles spanning development, artistic planning, and general management.
Tyler’s undergraduate studies focused on music theory and music literature. He completed his graduate studies at Harvard University, where he researched arts audiences and creative placemaking, and he completed postgraduate studies in arts and culture strategy at the University of Pennsylvania.
As a musician, Tyler remains active as an oboist, vocalist, and composer. He currently lives in Houston with his wife.
About Advisory Board for the Arts
Advisory Board for the Arts (ABA) is the largest, global network-based learning organization in the cultural sector today. We use our network, our research capabilities, and our expertise to bring together the best ideas from around the globe to help your organization find breakthrough solutions and achieve lasting success.
We work with innovative organizations, both large and small, who are working to transform the cultural sector. They range from some of the largest and most prestigious cultural institutions in the world to some of the most inspiring, smaller organizations who are seeking to transform their art form and connect with their communities. Amongst our membership of over 75 organizations in more than 12 countries are opera companies, ballet companies, orchestras, theaters, performing arts centers, festivals, schools, and museums—all of whom share a commitment to the exchange of ideas towards the greater good of a thriving arts sector. ABA aspires to create an inclusive and equitable work culture for our team and members. We are also committed to supporting arts and culture organizations in their own IDEA journeys through research, data and measurement tools and amplifying the practices of organizations who are successfully creating more equitable and diverse environments for their teams, audiences, and visitors.
Keynote Address, Wednesday, May 29, 2024
Tyler joined the Advisory Board for the Arts as a Managing Director in 2022. Originally from the Greater Boston area, Tyler holds over a decade of experience in arts leadership roles ranging from operations to board leadership.
Before joining ABA, Tyler served as the head of marketing, communications, and sales at Stages, an innovative theater company specializing in new works and inclusive storytelling in Houston. Prior to Stages, Tyler led the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra as its Executive Director, after previously serving in the role of Director of Marketing and Communications. His work with orchestras was preceded by a career in classical radio, in which he served in diverse roles spanning development, artistic planning, and general management.
Tyler’s undergraduate studies focused on music theory and music literature. He completed his graduate studies at Harvard University, where he researched arts audiences and creative placemaking, and he completed postgraduate studies in arts and culture strategy at the University of Pennsylvania.
As a musician, Tyler remains active as an oboist, vocalist, and composer. He currently lives in Houston with his wife.
About Advisory Board for the Arts
Advisory Board for the Arts (ABA) is the largest, global network-based learning organization in the cultural sector today. We use our network, our research capabilities, and our expertise to bring together the best ideas from around the globe to help your organization find breakthrough solutions and achieve lasting success.
We work with innovative organizations, both large and small, who are working to transform the cultural sector. They range from some of the largest and most prestigious cultural institutions in the world to some of the most inspiring, smaller organizations who are seeking to transform their art form and connect with their communities. Amongst our membership of over 75 organizations in more than 12 countries are opera companies, ballet companies, orchestras, theaters, performing arts centers, festivals, schools, and museums—all of whom share a commitment to the exchange of ideas towards the greater good of a thriving arts sector. ABA aspires to create an inclusive and equitable work culture for our team and members. We are also committed to supporting arts and culture organizations in their own IDEA journeys through research, data and measurement tools and amplifying the practices of organizations who are successfully creating more equitable and diverse environments for their teams, audiences, and visitors.
Danielle Brazell
Executive Director, California Arts Council
Keynote Address, Friday, May 31, 2024
National arts and cultural leader Danielle Brazell is passionate about the roles that arts, culture, and creativityplay in advancing civic belonging, equity, economic prosperity, and social connectedness. She has a knack for building new cultural infrastructure, networks, and programs that increase access to the arts. Brazell’s career spans overthirty years as an artist, teaching artist, presenter, arts administrator. In December, 2024, Danielle was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to lead the California Arts Council as its executive Director.
As General Manager of DCA, Brazell expanded resources and revised existing policies and programs that advanced access and equity. During her tenure, Ms. Brazell elevated the Department and the vital role creativity, artists, andnonprofit arts organizations play in building vibrant communities. Appointed by Mayor Garcetti in July 2014, Ms. Brazell grew the agency from $13 to $22 million. She formalized a robust $150 million capital improvement portfolio and expanded neighborhood programming with free and low-cost publicly accessible arts and cultural services citywide. Ms. Brazell, in collaboration with a dynamic staff of 84 full-time (and over 200 part-time, including a robust roster of teaching artists), leveraged the city's investment to directly benefit 4 million residents and over 50 million annual visitors.
Prior to 2014, Ms. Brazell served as the founding Executive Director of Arts for LA (2006--2014), a highly effective arts and arts education advocacy organization serving the greater Los Angeles region. Under her stewardship, Arts for LA became a formidable coalition advancing the arts in the largest county in the country. She and her team developed an innovative cultural network that activated stakeholders to advocate for arts and arts education in the County of Los Angeles, created a protocol for collaborative advocacy through a regional policy framework, co-authored cultural policy for arts education, and increased public and private support for the arts and arts education sector in Los Angeles.
Ms. Brazell was previously the Artistic Director of Highways Performance Art Space and the Director of Special Projects for the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. In addition to learning how to throw pottery. Most recently Danielle served as an adjunct professor at Claremont Graduate University, focused on providing consulting and coaching services, learning how to work clay, and serving on the World Cities Culture Forum and SMUs DataArts Advisory Boards.
Keynote Address, Friday, May 31, 2024
National arts and cultural leader Danielle Brazell is passionate about the roles that arts, culture, and creativityplay in advancing civic belonging, equity, economic prosperity, and social connectedness. She has a knack for building new cultural infrastructure, networks, and programs that increase access to the arts. Brazell’s career spans overthirty years as an artist, teaching artist, presenter, arts administrator. In December, 2024, Danielle was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to lead the California Arts Council as its executive Director.
As General Manager of DCA, Brazell expanded resources and revised existing policies and programs that advanced access and equity. During her tenure, Ms. Brazell elevated the Department and the vital role creativity, artists, andnonprofit arts organizations play in building vibrant communities. Appointed by Mayor Garcetti in July 2014, Ms. Brazell grew the agency from $13 to $22 million. She formalized a robust $150 million capital improvement portfolio and expanded neighborhood programming with free and low-cost publicly accessible arts and cultural services citywide. Ms. Brazell, in collaboration with a dynamic staff of 84 full-time (and over 200 part-time, including a robust roster of teaching artists), leveraged the city's investment to directly benefit 4 million residents and over 50 million annual visitors.
Prior to 2014, Ms. Brazell served as the founding Executive Director of Arts for LA (2006--2014), a highly effective arts and arts education advocacy organization serving the greater Los Angeles region. Under her stewardship, Arts for LA became a formidable coalition advancing the arts in the largest county in the country. She and her team developed an innovative cultural network that activated stakeholders to advocate for arts and arts education in the County of Los Angeles, created a protocol for collaborative advocacy through a regional policy framework, co-authored cultural policy for arts education, and increased public and private support for the arts and arts education sector in Los Angeles.
Ms. Brazell was previously the Artistic Director of Highways Performance Art Space and the Director of Special Projects for the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. In addition to learning how to throw pottery. Most recently Danielle served as an adjunct professor at Claremont Graduate University, focused on providing consulting and coaching services, learning how to work clay, and serving on the World Cities Culture Forum and SMUs DataArts Advisory Boards.
Shawn Amos
Curator, The Edye Blackbox, BroadStage
Panelist: Roots, Jazz & Blues AIE Session, Thursday, May 30 at 2:30 pm
Shawn Amos is an internationally known blues artist, award-winning author, and curator of performance events for leading jazz clubs (Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Jazz), brands (Edrington), and PACs (BroadStage).
His current album, Soul Brother No. 1, represents both the culmination of a unique, two-decade-plus artistic career, and a breakthrough in an ongoing journey of self-exploration. From the get-go, Amos has expressed an ever-evolving musical vision through rootsy Americana, singer-songwriter pop,and, as harmonica ace The Reverend Shawn Amos, the blues. Through The Rev persona, Amos has immersed himself in African-American culture, directly linking to the ongoing story of his people’s struggles, triumphs, and unshakable joy. “The whole reason I started playing the blues,” he says, “was it connected me to my race in a way that I hadn’t fully understood.”
Panelist: Roots, Jazz & Blues AIE Session, Thursday, May 30 at 2:30 pm
Shawn Amos is an internationally known blues artist, award-winning author, and curator of performance events for leading jazz clubs (Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Jazz), brands (Edrington), and PACs (BroadStage).
His current album, Soul Brother No. 1, represents both the culmination of a unique, two-decade-plus artistic career, and a breakthrough in an ongoing journey of self-exploration. From the get-go, Amos has expressed an ever-evolving musical vision through rootsy Americana, singer-songwriter pop,and, as harmonica ace The Reverend Shawn Amos, the blues. Through The Rev persona, Amos has immersed himself in African-American culture, directly linking to the ongoing story of his people’s struggles, triumphs, and unshakable joy. “The whole reason I started playing the blues,” he says, “was it connected me to my race in a way that I hadn’t fully understood.”
Dawn Robinson-Patrick
Senior Manager of Programs, Gloria Molina Grand Park
Panelist: DANCE AIE Session, Wednesday, May 29 at 2:15 pm Dawn Robinson-Patrick (she/her) has more than 20 years of experience in arts programming, event management, arts education, and creative consultation. Her work is focused on program development for cultural arts organizations and nonprofits that align with diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Robinson-Patrick has held leadership roles with companies including, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 651 Arts, San Francisco Jazz and Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet. Most recently in Los Angeles she served as the Program Director for The Ford and Director of Education and Community Engagement for the Geffen Playhouse. She is currently the Senior Manager of Programs for Gloria Molina Grand Park at the Music Center. |
Robinson-Patrick's curatorial work is dedicated to expanding the creative landscape by supporting a diverse roster of artists and organizations that offer access to all. Dawn also has a long history in the arts as a contemporary modern dance performer, teacher and choreographer. She is a proud graduate of dance from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts in Dallas and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. She has performed with notable companies across the nation including Della Davidson Dance, Liss Fain Dance, Company Chaddick, SoulForce, Nia Love/Blacksmith’s Daughter, Nicholas Leichter Dance and Organic Magnetics among others. Her performance background highly influences her desire to support, promote and cultivate the arts community and its creative expression as an avenue for social justice and change.
Becca Peters
Artist Relations & Booking, Newport Jazz Festivals Fdtn.
Panelist: Roots, Jazz & Blues AIE Session, Thursday, May 30 at 2:30 pm Becca Peters is a 27 year old based in Boston MA with 7 years of music industry experience. At only 19 years old, while studying at Northeastern University, Becca began managing and tour managing local artists. She began working at Newport Festivals Foundation as production assistant in 2018 and has since become the Artist Relations Manager as well as a primary Booker and Curator of the festivals. Over the last 3 years, in addition to her full time position at the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals, Becca has done artist relations for Formula 1, booking and contracting at Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival, and tour management for Robert Glasper. Whether it be through booking and curating diverse and challenging events, or creating a thoughtful onsite experience for artists, audience, and crew, Becca works to contribute to an accessible, efficient, and empathetic environment within the live event industry. |
Karen Mack
CEO, LA Commons
Professional Development Session:
"Arts as a Vehicle for Community & Social Change", Thursday, May 30 at 11:00 am
Karen Mack is a passionate, visionary leader in Los Angeles focused on leveraging the power of arts and culture to empower individuals, build connections and develop communities. Twenty years ago, she founded LA Commons, a South LA based nonprofit implementing artistic and cultural programs reflecting the unique character of diverse neighborhoods to foster interaction, dialogue and a shared understanding of Los Angeles. Through grassroots art projects, festivals and tours in partnership with communities across Los Angeles, LA Commons plays a unique role facilitating local engagement in arts and culture as well as in other important issues - health, transportation and education to name a few, giving residents and particularly young people, a voice and an onramp to making positive change. Prior to work with LA Commons, she served as Public Service Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where she researched the role of culture in community building and Vice President at Community Partners, responsible for Program Planning and Development. She holds an MPA from Harvard University and an MBA from the John Anderson School of Management at UCLA. She has served as the President of the City’s Board of Neighborhood Commissioners and of the nonprofit Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative and is currently a mayoral appointee to the City of Los Angeles Planning Commission (Equity Subcommittee Chair). She also recently complete service as co-chair of the Los Angeles County Cultural and Inclusion Initiative.
Since that time, she and her team have worked in neighborhoods across the city, implementing artistic programs that foster interaction, dialogue and collaboration for a better Los Angeles. LA Commons plays a unique role as a facilitator of local engagement in arts and culture as well as in other important issues - health, transportation and education to name a few, giving residents and particularly young people, a voice and an onramp to making positive change. Prior to work with LA Commons, she served as a Public Service Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where she researched the role of culture in community building She is currently a mayoral appointee to the City of Los Angeles Planning Commission (Equity Chair) and supervisorial appointee and Co-Chair of LA County’s Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative. LA Commons has been a long time partner with NOCD-NY as exemplified by the collaborative national initiative “Creative Placemaking from the Community Up.”
Professional Development Session:
"Arts as a Vehicle for Community & Social Change", Thursday, May 30 at 11:00 am
Karen Mack is a passionate, visionary leader in Los Angeles focused on leveraging the power of arts and culture to empower individuals, build connections and develop communities. Twenty years ago, she founded LA Commons, a South LA based nonprofit implementing artistic and cultural programs reflecting the unique character of diverse neighborhoods to foster interaction, dialogue and a shared understanding of Los Angeles. Through grassroots art projects, festivals and tours in partnership with communities across Los Angeles, LA Commons plays a unique role facilitating local engagement in arts and culture as well as in other important issues - health, transportation and education to name a few, giving residents and particularly young people, a voice and an onramp to making positive change. Prior to work with LA Commons, she served as Public Service Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where she researched the role of culture in community building and Vice President at Community Partners, responsible for Program Planning and Development. She holds an MPA from Harvard University and an MBA from the John Anderson School of Management at UCLA. She has served as the President of the City’s Board of Neighborhood Commissioners and of the nonprofit Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative and is currently a mayoral appointee to the City of Los Angeles Planning Commission (Equity Subcommittee Chair). She also recently complete service as co-chair of the Los Angeles County Cultural and Inclusion Initiative.
Since that time, she and her team have worked in neighborhoods across the city, implementing artistic programs that foster interaction, dialogue and collaboration for a better Los Angeles. LA Commons plays a unique role as a facilitator of local engagement in arts and culture as well as in other important issues - health, transportation and education to name a few, giving residents and particularly young people, a voice and an onramp to making positive change. Prior to work with LA Commons, she served as a Public Service Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where she researched the role of culture in community building She is currently a mayoral appointee to the City of Los Angeles Planning Commission (Equity Chair) and supervisorial appointee and Co-Chair of LA County’s Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative. LA Commons has been a long time partner with NOCD-NY as exemplified by the collaborative national initiative “Creative Placemaking from the Community Up.”
Manuel Prieto
Executive Director, Boston Court Pasadena
Artist Exchange Panelist: "Cabaret & Performances for Intimate Spaces", Thurs., May 30 at 4:45pm Manuel (Manny) Prieto (he/his/him) has tirelessly championed equitable arts access and engagement for the community of greater Los Angeles. He was formerly the Director of Education/ GRoW at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, and prior to that, Manny was the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Music and Art School (LAMusArt), a not-for-profit arts education institution in East Los Angeles with a 78-year history. Prior to joining LAMusArt, Prieto worked at Center Theatre Group coordinating accessibility programs at the Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum and Kirk Douglas Theatre and implemented bilingual curriculum for their initiative “The Shop: Theatre in Your Everyday Life”. Prieto holds a B.F.A. from the University of Southern California in Theater Design and a M.A. in Nonprofit Management from Antioch University. He was co-chair of the Americans for the Arts Emerging Leaders Council, member of the steering committee of the Latinx Theatre Alliance-LA and a former LACDAC internship program participant and peer mentor. |
Molly Clark
Director, Cal Poly Arts
Artist Exchange Panelist: "Classical Music," Wednesday, May 29 at 3:30 pm Molly Clark is a mission-driven arts administrator and curator with experience working at esteemed arts and education institutions over the last 17 years. She began as Director of Cal Poly Arts at Cal Poly University in San Luis Obispo, California, in 2021. Prior to her position at Cal Poly, she was the Artistic Director at ArtPower at UC San Diego for 9 years. She has experience in developing student and community engagement programs, connecting artists with the campus and community to spark dialogue, discovery, and active participation in the arts through a robust array of lectures, panel discussions, workshops, master classes, co-creation experiences, and K-12 programs. Molly holds a Master's degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management and has a passion for providing access to the arts for all communities. Molly was a Leadership Fellow at the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) in the 2018-2020 cohort. |
Emiko Ono
Director of the Performing Arts Program, William & Flora Hewitt Foundation
Speaker: "Intergenerational Leadership Revisited" Friday, May 31 at 9:00 am Since 2018, Emiko Ono has led the foundation’s team responsible for grantmaking to sustain artistic expression and encourage public engagement in the arts in the San Francisco Bay Area. |
Emiko joined the Hewlett Foundation in 2011. Previously, she served as the director of grants and professional development at the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and the Arts Council for Long Beach, where she held the same title. She also managed docent and education programs, and helped establish a multi-disciplinary arts partnership program at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
In addition to her knowledge of the Bay Area arts community, she is recognized for the her work on cross-generational leadership in the arts, described in a 2016 report, Moving Arts Leadership Forward. As a member of the foundation’s Building an Inclusive Culture working group, she helped lead an internal review of the foundation’s approach to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
She currently serves on the advisory council for Fund the People, which works to ensure funders invest in a well-supported, diverse, and sustainable nonprofit workforce. Emiko holds degrees from the University of California, Berkeley and Bank Street College of Education in New York City.
In addition to her knowledge of the Bay Area arts community, she is recognized for the her work on cross-generational leadership in the arts, described in a 2016 report, Moving Arts Leadership Forward. As a member of the foundation’s Building an Inclusive Culture working group, she helped lead an internal review of the foundation’s approach to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
She currently serves on the advisory council for Fund the People, which works to ensure funders invest in a well-supported, diverse, and sustainable nonprofit workforce. Emiko holds degrees from the University of California, Berkeley and Bank Street College of Education in New York City.
Albert Montañez-Sanchez
Producer of Artistic Programs, Stanford Live
Artist Exchange Panelist: "Classical Music," Wednesday, May 29 at 3:30 pm Albert Montañez-Sánchez is a multidisciplinary artist: producer, performing artist and educator. His creative footprint spans multiple projects and initiatives across different art forms. Recently, Albert was the lead producer for the 25th anniversary festivals celebration of the Getty Center in Los Angeles through the Getty25 Project. He has also participated as a guest speaker at the San Francisco Opera in programming initiatives including pre-opera talks series and conversations about LGBTQ+ and contemporary opera. He is the creator and executive producer of the opera: The Alan Turing Opera Project, music by Swedish Composer Kent Olofsson and commissioned by theHalland Contemporary Opera Festival and the Swedish Arts Council in 2020. |
Currently, Albert is dedicated to produce Stanford Live's 24-25 season at Stanford University, showcasing his ongoing commitment to fostering artistic excellence across art forms. He repriced the role during World Pride 2021 in Malmö- Sweden at Palladium and in 2022 at the Copenhagen Opera Festival with sold out shows. Albert founded and served as the executive director of Opera för Barn (Opera for Kids) in Sweden, in partnership with El Sistema-Sweden and Dunkers Kulturhus. An educational initiative aimed to offer opera education to migrant youth in Sweden.
Albert's artistic journey extends to Asia, where he made his debut with China Philharmonic and the Jiangsu Symphony Orchestra in Beijing, Nanjing and Suzhou. In the United States, he produced and performed the U.S premiere of Jonathan Dove's dramatic cantata, "Hojoki" for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He collaborated with composer Jake Heggie and librettist Terrance McNally in the first showcase of the opera “Great Scott" as Roane Heckle in San Francisco. Albert has performed in prestigious venues such as Wigmore Hall in London for the World Premiere of Elizabeth Ogonek's "Three Biographies for Countertenor and Cello", the Barbican Centre with the London Contemporary Opera as well as taking on lead roles such as Oberon in Britten's "Midsummer Night's Dream" with Halifax Summer Opera in Canada, Telemaco in Monteverdi's "Il Ritorno D'Ulisse" with Opera Studio Nederlands in Amsterdam, The Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas during a Swiss tour with L’Avance- Scene Opera and the title role of Gluck’s Orfeo in Teatro Colon in Bogota.
Currently, Albert is dedicated to produce Stanford Live's 24-25 season at Stanford University, showcasing his ongoing commitment to fostering artistic excellence across art forms.
Albert's artistic journey extends to Asia, where he made his debut with China Philharmonic and the Jiangsu Symphony Orchestra in Beijing, Nanjing and Suzhou. In the United States, he produced and performed the U.S premiere of Jonathan Dove's dramatic cantata, "Hojoki" for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He collaborated with composer Jake Heggie and librettist Terrance McNally in the first showcase of the opera “Great Scott" as Roane Heckle in San Francisco. Albert has performed in prestigious venues such as Wigmore Hall in London for the World Premiere of Elizabeth Ogonek's "Three Biographies for Countertenor and Cello", the Barbican Centre with the London Contemporary Opera as well as taking on lead roles such as Oberon in Britten's "Midsummer Night's Dream" with Halifax Summer Opera in Canada, Telemaco in Monteverdi's "Il Ritorno D'Ulisse" with Opera Studio Nederlands in Amsterdam, The Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas during a Swiss tour with L’Avance- Scene Opera and the title role of Gluck’s Orfeo in Teatro Colon in Bogota.
Currently, Albert is dedicated to produce Stanford Live's 24-25 season at Stanford University, showcasing his ongoing commitment to fostering artistic excellence across art forms.
Eric Bloom
Director of Artistic Planning, BroadStage
Artist Exchange Moderator: "Roots, Jazz, and Blues," Thursday, May 30 at 2:30 pm Eric Bloom is Director of Artistic Planning at BroadStage in Santa Monica where he began his arts admin journey in 2010. He is most excited at the moment to be working with Artist in Residence Stanley Clarke on the curation and creation of a new international Jazz Festival planned to launch in 2026. A former actor and singer/songwriter, his passion now is for bringing large audiences together to experience artistic excellence. Husband to Jen, #girldad to Aniyah. |
Grace Smith
Senior Artistic Operations Manager, La Jolla Music Society
Artist Exchange Moderator: "Classical Music," Wednesday, May 29 at 3:30 pm Grace Smith (she/her) is currently the Senior Artistic Operations Manager at La Jolla Music Society in San Diego, California. Before joining LJMS, Grace held positions with Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Marlboro Music, and Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia, among others. In 2023, Grace was selected to be a part of the California Presenters Leadership Program 23/24 Mentee Cohort. In 2024, Grace completed APAP’s Emerging Leadership Institute. Grace holds a B.A. in classical studies from Earlham College and a M.M. in international arts management through a partnership between Southern Methodist University, HEC Montreal, and SDA Bocconi. |
Michael Nickerson-Rossi
Artistic Director, Nickerson-Rossi Dance, Palm Springs
Artist Exchange Panelist: "Dance," Wednesday, May 29 at 2:15 pm Michael Nickerson-Rossi's choreography and educational impact is vastly valuable and is nationally and internationally renowned. Michael launched and founded his dance company, “Nickerson-Rossi Dance,” in 2011. His firm belief in charitable and educational benefits propelled Michael to incorporate his company into a non-profit 501c3. The non-profit mission of Nickerson-Rossi Dance is to provide dance programs to youth, young adults, and adults that focus on dance education, dance as a therapeutic value, and access to professional performances. |
Local philanthropist Terri Ketover believed in Michael's work and commissioned the company to perform at the Palm Springs Art Museum’s Annenberg Theater in 2013. He was motivated to create and provide educational experiences to the Coachella Valley and began to work with the Palm Springs Unified School District under the Helene Galen Foundation for the following 3 years.
His reputable work brought Michael to the East Coast where the position of Creative Director of Dance was created for him at the Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center in Pennsylvania created the position for Michael as their Creative Director of Dance because of his renowned work.
While on the East Coast in 2018, he built a modern/contemporary technique program and performance series at Princeton Ballet in Princeton, New Jersey. Additionally, he is a current and founding faculty member at Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Conservatory, in Baltimore, Maryland, where he teaches modern technique, composition, and dance production. Other notable higher educational institutions Michael has educated include New York University, Loyola Marymount University, American College Dance Festival, Drexel University, Rock School(west), and over 30 other universities.
While traveling between the east and west coasts, Michael was commissioned a second time by the Palm Springs Art Museum where he produced his concert "Past & Present" in 2016. As an outgrowth of this program, he founded and produced the Palm Springs Dance Festival (2015/2019). His organization continued gaining momentum which led to an expansion and reformation, the Festival is now, Palm Springs International Dance Festival.
His reputable work brought Michael to the East Coast where the position of Creative Director of Dance was created for him at the Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center in Pennsylvania created the position for Michael as their Creative Director of Dance because of his renowned work.
While on the East Coast in 2018, he built a modern/contemporary technique program and performance series at Princeton Ballet in Princeton, New Jersey. Additionally, he is a current and founding faculty member at Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Conservatory, in Baltimore, Maryland, where he teaches modern technique, composition, and dance production. Other notable higher educational institutions Michael has educated include New York University, Loyola Marymount University, American College Dance Festival, Drexel University, Rock School(west), and over 30 other universities.
While traveling between the east and west coasts, Michael was commissioned a second time by the Palm Springs Art Museum where he produced his concert "Past & Present" in 2016. As an outgrowth of this program, he founded and produced the Palm Springs Dance Festival (2015/2019). His organization continued gaining momentum which led to an expansion and reformation, the Festival is now, Palm Springs International Dance Festival.
Charles Santos
Executive Director/Artistic Director, TITUS DANCE/TITUS UNBOUND
Artist Exchange Panelist: "Dance," Wednesday, May 29 at 2:15 pm TITAS/DANCE UNBOUND, Executive Director/Artistic Director, Charles Santos, has had an extensive career in the nonprofit performing arts field of presenting, performing, and producing. He danced professionally and founded the Austin Festival of Dance. In 1995, and became Managing Director for Eos Orchestra in New York then became the Producing Director for DRA, a program of BC/EFA. After two and half years with DRA, he was the Managing Director/Associate Producer at the World Trade Center’s Lower Manhattan Cultural Council producing the highly acclaimed Evening Stars series, named “Best of New York” festivals. He moved to Dallas October 2001 as Executive Director/Artistic Director of TITAS. |
Mr. Santos created a new business model for TITAS generating a wide array of new works, commissions, and cultural collaborations. He has served on many boards including MMIAM International Advisory Board, Dance/USA, Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, DRA National Advisory Board, Booker T Washington HSPVA Advisory Board, Dallas Arts District, and Texans For The Arts. He regularly works with federal, state, and cities reviewing cultural projects and develops cultural collaborations between Dallas-based artists and internationally touring companies.
Corrina Lesser & Marie-Reine Velez
CP Board Member, Corrina Lesser is a multi-disciplinary public programmer from upstate New York. After beginning her career in book publishing at Houghton Mifflin Co. in Boston, she moved to Boulder, Colorado to work for the Summer Writing Program at Naropa, the Buddhist-inspired university founded by the poets Allen Ginsberg and Anne Waldman. From there she served as the director of programming and planning for the Chicago Humanities Festival, the largest public humanities organization in the country, where she focused on the Festival's literary programming and transitioned the organization to year-round presenting. Most recently she served as the director of Public Events and Community Programs for Scripps College and as the founding artistic director of Scripps Presents, the College's public programming series. A graduate of Brandeis University and of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she earned an MA in arts administration and policy, she is currently an arts and culture supervisor with the City of Beverly Hills.
Marie-Reine Velez is the assistant director of USC Visions and Voices and one of the co-founders and co-producing artistic leaders of Los Angeles–based Asian American theatre producing collective, Artists at Play. In both roles, she works with artists, administrators, faculty, students, and fellow producers to engage audiences through the power of the arts. As an arts leader, she works towards systemic anti-racism and equity through resource sharing, consent, and empathy. A theatre and music events producer since 2005, Marie-Reine previously worked with TeAda Productions as a producer and general manager, and at Center Theatre Group in the literary department. She is a board member of California Presenters and has served on national and regional committees of the Consortium of Asian American Theatres and Artists (CAATA); the Western Arts Alliance Professional Development and Hyphen+Asian committees; and the California Presenters Professional Development and Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) committees.
Marie-Reine Velez is the assistant director of USC Visions and Voices and one of the co-founders and co-producing artistic leaders of Los Angeles–based Asian American theatre producing collective, Artists at Play. In both roles, she works with artists, administrators, faculty, students, and fellow producers to engage audiences through the power of the arts. As an arts leader, she works towards systemic anti-racism and equity through resource sharing, consent, and empathy. A theatre and music events producer since 2005, Marie-Reine previously worked with TeAda Productions as a producer and general manager, and at Center Theatre Group in the literary department. She is a board member of California Presenters and has served on national and regional committees of the Consortium of Asian American Theatres and Artists (CAATA); the Western Arts Alliance Professional Development and Hyphen+Asian committees; and the California Presenters Professional Development and Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) committees.
Jennifer Sarkissian
- General Manager, Green Lane Ent. / Nacional Records
"Global Music," Friday, May 31 at 11:00 am
Jennifer Sarkissian is the General Manager at Green Lane Entertainment/Nacional Records, an independent entertainment company with offices in Los Angeles and Madrid and team members in Mexico City, Barcelona and New York. Green Lane Entertainment houses record label (Nacional Records, which has over 100 GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY awards and nominations) and live events including the LAMC (Latin Alternative Music Conference), as well as licensing & sync, and artist management and booking via MTA (Magnus Talent Agency). She forms part of Billboard’s inaugural Latin Women in Music Executives Hall of Fame honoring female music executives with powerful trajectories. 2024 marks Jennifer’s 18th anniversary with the company.
Byron Au Yong
Associate Professor | MFA and BA, Director of Arts Leadership Programs, Seattle University
Artist Exchange Panelist: "Classical Music," Wednesday, May 29 at 3:30 pm Byron Au Yong (歐陽良仁) expands classical music prompted by his upbringing in the Pacific Northwest and queer organizing. From site-responsive events like "Kidnapping Water: Bottled Operas,” performed by hiking singers and percussionists in 64 waterways throughout greater Seattle, to multimedia installations like "Piano Concerto—Houston,” for 11 pianists created in collaboration with social sculptor Susie J. Lee and computer scientist Soyoung Shin, Au Yong's initiatives encourage engagement and shift perspectives. |
His compositions have been presented at a wide range of venues, including the American Conservatory Theater, Exploratorium, International Festival of Arts & Ideas, Fairmount Water Works, La Jolla Playhouse, Live Arts Miami, Montalvo Arts Center, Nashville Opera, and Virginia Tech Center for the Arts.
Currently, Au Yong develops the musical requiem “Forest Aeternam," where participants listen and sing with trees. In addition, Au Yong is an Associate Professor and Director of Arts Leadership programs at Seattle University, serves on the board of the Music of Asian America Research Center, and has led workshops for Asian Musical Voices of America, Stanford ITALIC, Strategic Planning Partners, Taiko Community Alliance, and more. His honors include a Creative Capital Award and Sundance Institute Time Warner Foundation Fellowship.
Currently, Au Yong develops the musical requiem “Forest Aeternam," where participants listen and sing with trees. In addition, Au Yong is an Associate Professor and Director of Arts Leadership programs at Seattle University, serves on the board of the Music of Asian America Research Center, and has led workshops for Asian Musical Voices of America, Stanford ITALIC, Strategic Planning Partners, Taiko Community Alliance, and more. His honors include a Creative Capital Award and Sundance Institute Time Warner Foundation Fellowship.
Lauren Pacheco
Co-Creative Director, Chicago Humanities
Panelist: "Speakers & Podcasts: Friday, May 31 at 10:00 am Lauren M. Pacheco (she/hers) is a curator, civic practice artist, and community organizer. A proud Chicago native and third-generation Mexican American, Pacheco's family has deep roots in the Pilsen, Tri-Taylor, and Brighton Park neighborhoods. Lauren's degrees from the University of Illinois at Chicago, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Northwestern University have equipped her to make a significant impact in her field. As the former Director of Arts Programming and Engagement at the School of the Arts at Indiana University Northwest (Gary, Indiana), she spearheaded community outreach and partnership development, curated galleries, and initiated unique cultural projects across campus. Her work on university DEI+ strategies and regional partnerships has fostered inclusivity and diversity. |
Today, she's a Co-Creative Director at the Chicago Humanities. This new dual leadership model will enhance creativity, underscore the Festival's commitment to collaboration, and help CHF reimagine the festival experience as it returns to in-person programming. With more than fifteen years of experience, Lauren has organized various cultural public programs, festivals, and exhibitions. Today, she serves as a resource to policymakers and institutions in the public dialogue about issues that impact artists and creative enterprises. Her civic affiliations and volunteerism include Landmarks Illinois, Chicago Creative Reuse Exchange, Calumet Heritage Area, and The Ragdale Foundation.
Lauren is co-founder of the Chicago Urban Art Society and the Slow&Low: Chicago Lowrider Festival. In Indiana, her independent arts practice -Steel Studio - explores creative adaptive reuse, public art, historic preservation, and cultural policy.
Lauren is co-founder of the Chicago Urban Art Society and the Slow&Low: Chicago Lowrider Festival. In Indiana, her independent arts practice -Steel Studio - explores creative adaptive reuse, public art, historic preservation, and cultural policy.