Adriane Jefferson, director of the Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs for the City of New Haven, has made it her mission to advocate for young BIPOC artists and fight for financial equity in the arts in America.

“It is part of my job to ensure that we have a healthy arts eco-system where all people can thrive,” Jefferson said. “BIPOC people do not often receive equitable and just access to the arts and to other industries in general, and it is my job to do everything in my power to even the playing field. I believe that when all people are not thriving or have opportunities to build sustainable lives, then our entire ecosystem fails.”

Public servitude

Jefferson feels doubly responsible in her role as arts administrator because she sees the government as having played a foundational role in creating these inequalities.

“It is our job as public servants in government to reconcile the wrongs through accountability, truth telling, and healing with our community,” she said.

In May, 2022, Jefferson was awarded the American Express Emerging Leader Award at the Americans for the Arts’ Annual Convention for her many initiatives that encourage cultural equity. She founded the Core Race Equity Task Force in New Haven, the Arts for Anti-Racism Pledge, and the Unapologetically Radical Conference, a program she is especially proud of.

“This conference not only equips our audience to do work within their communities, but it also pays dozens of panelists and artists to be part of the event,” Jefferson said. “During our panel sessions, we work with hip hop artists, community organizers, social justice activists, and other cultural bearers to develop solutions around anti-gentrification, buying back our blocks, community civics, and critical race theory. This is truly a direct example of cultural equity in action.”

Supporting young artists in America

Central to Jefferson’s role as an arts administrator is supporting young artists. Among the resources young artists need to thrive, Jefferson listed professional development opportunities, access to mentorships, information on grant writing, networking opportunities, and infrastructural support to create and market their work.

When it comes to what government can do to better support the arts in America, Jefferson believes that greater financial investment is crucial.

“Our legislators need to become aware of more arts advocacy issues and policies that are being pushed so that they can understand the significant and overwhelming return on investment that cities and towns receive when you invest substantially in the arts,” she said. “When you couple advocacy with cultural equity, then we are ensuring equitable arts and cultural landscapes that center artists of color and other marginalized groups.”

Jefferson also argues that the arts need to be more integrated with other government sectors, including healthcare and economic development. “BIPOC artists need to have seats at the table with these sectors in order to use the arts as a conduit for change.” 

Jefferson sees a natural relationship between arts administration and community organizing when seen through the lens of cultural equity. “Cultural equity is not just about those from under resourced communities having access to the benefits that the arts provide,” Jefferson said. “Cultural equity is about people from under-resourced communities having access to all benefits needed in order to have healthy sustainable lives.”

The arts are not exempt from that conversation. “What we are addressing are social issues and injustices that have plagued the black community for hundreds of years,” she said. “The arts play an intersecting and important role in moving the needle forward. The arts can literally be used as a tool for radical change.”

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Hannah Berner is having a moment. With a resume more varied than most — including stints as a professional tennis player, a saleswoman, and part of Bravo TV’s Summer House series, the Brooklyn native is on the road to pursue her true love — standup comedy.

“Looking back, I realize that laughter was the one consistent thing I’ve had throughout life,” she says. “No matter what the world threw at me, I could always make a joke.”

Trial and error

“I never wanted to be a standup comedian when I was younger,” Berner says. “I fell into it through trial and error with other careers, but nothing has felt more fun for me than comedy.”

Berner attributes some of her comedic instincts to her upbringing.

“I grew up in a very funny family,” she notes, “and I’ve always been attracted to funny people. I love writing, performing, and making people laugh so it was a natural fit.”

But Berner also stresses the need for arts funding and the programs it makes possible.

“Doing drama class in middle school gave me the confidence to be silly, speak publicly, and pursue a career in performance arts,” she explains. “Everyone’s brain works differently, and some people thrive with numbers while other people thrive with creativity.”

In fact, investing in the arts is crucial to the future success of young people no matter their ultimate careers. Studies have shown that experience in the arts boosts cognitive ability, social skills, and performance across a wide range of activities while also encouraging more compassion and better behavior overall. The bottom line: Investing in the arts has a long list of benefits for both the individuals who benefit and society as a whole.

Comedy as art

The creativity fostered by her experience in school has led to what’s already an enviable career. After playing tennis both professionally and as a college athlete at the University of Wisconsin, Berner at one point thought she would make tennis her life. After being injured in a car accident, however, she reassessed her ambitions.

Out of college, she began producing her own comedy videos on Instagram. That led to her joining Bravo TV’s Summer House, a 2019 series about friends who share a summer house in the Hamptons, which in turn led to a co-hosting gig on Bravo’s Chat Room. She was part of the show for three seasons before making the decision to leave and pursue other career opportunities.

Since those opportunities, which include two enormously popular podcasts with more than 20 million downloads, Berning in Hell and Giggly Squad, it’s safe to say Berner is well on her way to dominating the comedy scene. But Berner notes that standup comedy, like many careers in the arts, doesn’t have a simple trajectory like becoming a teacher or a lawyer.

“There are no rules,” she says, “except to become successful you have to write as many jokes as you can and try them out on stage. Finding your comedic voice is hard because no one can help you with it. It is a very creative entrepreneurial experience.”

After getting married to fellow comedian Des Bishop earlier this year, Berner’s not about sitting around waiting for things to happen.

“I’m focusing on my two podcasts while also traveling the country for my standup tour,” she says. “I’m working on some creative projects and also started doing some acting auditions.”

In the meantime, Berner is leaning into her artistic side and the lack of rules. “I love creating and making people laugh, so I’m seeing where that takes me!”

The post From the Court to the Stage: Hannah Berner’s Comedy Journey appeared first on Education and Career News.

Growing up, New Jersey native Madeline Brewer was something of a daddy’s girl. “I just wanted to do anything my dad did,” she says, whether it was playing basketball or literally anything else. Basketball didn’t work out (“it’s a sport at which I am desperately uncoordinated”) but acting was a different story.

“I was in my first play when I was seven,” she says. “I had seen my dad do theater, and I fell madly in love with being on stage immediately.”

Brewer threw herself into her new career with passion, spending every summer over the next decade working in community theater in her hometown of Pitman before taking the leap to pursue acting professionally. “I went to theater school at 18 in New York,” she says, “and 15 months later I did my first paid gig as an actress on the road in Torrington, Connecticut.”

The thrill of it

That first gig confirmed Brewer’s life path.

“It was the thrill of my life. Three months after that, I was sneaking in auditions while working at Victoria’s Secret during the day and a pub at night.”

Then, she found her big break: She booked the role of Tricia Miller, a thief who kept a list of everything she stole so she could someday pay everyone back, on the defining Netflix show Orange Is the New Black. “I fell in love with working on screen and have been following that path for the last decade.”

Since then, Brewer has worked nonstop, turning up in films like Hustlers and the critically acclaimed Cam, as well as television projects like The Handmaid’s Tale and Shining Girls on Apple TV+. At a glance, Brewer’s career seems charmed, but she had to work hard for her success.

“I did 10 years of community theater,” she says. “I also did 10 years of voice lessons and singing in a choir.”

That education in the arts was crucial. “I learned so much about community, about friendship, about honoring commitment, and about confidence and hard work,” she says. “I was challenged as a young artist and as a young person in ways that have shaped so much of who I am.”

Investing in the arts

That experience has made Brewer a fierce advocate for investing in arts programs — in part because of the discipline they teach to young artists.

“I have a powerful work ethic that I attribute both to the passion I have for what I do as well as the respect for the work instilled in me by my teachers, coaches, and directors,” she says.

Brewer contends that young people interested in the arts need specific support and programs to support them.

“There are some things that standardized tests will never be able to teach,” she says. “Especially for children and adolescents whose languages of learning and understanding are larger than what most curriculums provide.”

Brewer is adamant about the power and necessity of arts in our lives — and programs to support them.

“The gifts I have been given from a life in the arts, starting at a relatively early age, are the most important and valuable in my life,” Brewer says.

As a rising star, Brewer knows younger artists look to her for guidance. Her advice to aspiring young artists is simple: “Stay so curious about the world and the people around you. Invest in knowing your own heart and bringing the beauty of it to others. Work hard, work hard, work hard, take a little nap — then work harder.”

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During my time as the EDI research fellow for the Association of Arts Administration Educators, I chose to focus on the current ADEI (accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion) practice and staffing efforts at major performing arts organizations (opera, orchestra, theatre, and multi-disciplinary). I interviewed senior-level full-time ADEI team members from various organizations, finding the scope of areas that these roles cover and the very different approaches to address essentially the same problem. My data revealed that there is no one answer to fix the universal issue of inclusivity in the arts.

As I have organized my research, I began an analysis of how I believe arts administration training and education programs can incorporate proper ADEI practices within their curriculum. This would enable all staff members (not just those with underrepresented identities) to have these tools prior to entering the professional field. My current discoveries show that organizations allow the onus and greater responsibility of ensuring safe company culture to a token member(s) of the organization, mostly commonly a BIPOC person. How can we attempt to nurture that?

A better way

With my research, I sought to propose solutions that allow non-white arts administrators the ability to operate at full capacity without being subject to societal issues within their place of work. These takeaways fall into four major categories: academic curriculum and training; organizational practice and representation; community connection and education; and HR policy, hiring, and recruitment. The decolonization of current classroom exercises will prepare future arts leaders to enter the field with an inherent inclusive mindset. This may look like inviting guest lecturers, incorporating ADEI courses requirements and/or thesis obligations, discussing portrayal of BIPOC artists onstage and the language utilized when promoting events, and ensuring board representation by abolishing the giving requirement or encouraging non-monetary contribution.

These ideals should extend to accessibility during the search for new hires within companies (beginning with the termination of gatekeeping language commonly found in job posts), and an allotted transitional period for team members being onboarded. The work must be ongoing – organizations should enact continuous trainings, ADEI strategic planning, annonymous surveys to identify flaws in company culture, and ensure representation across all departments and levels of leadership. Companies cannot just reconstruct internally, but they must nourish a community-centric outlook in order to intentionally connect with and serve their people. This enables organizations to discover what their community needs, as opposed to telling their community what they want.

While my findings serve to be beneficial on paper, the shift in our industry will only begin when words are put to action.

The post A Promising Future: How We Combat White Supremacy Through Arts Administration appeared first on Education and Career News.

Lindsey Stirling vividly recalls her introduction to the violin.

“My earliest memories are my parents taking me and my sisters to outdoor orchestra concerts,” explains the 36- year-old classically trained musician. “I noticed the violinists always got the solos. They always got the fun, fast melodies, so at the age of five, I started begging my parents and saying, ‘I want to play.’ They finally got me lessons, but I remember also really wanting dance lessons too, because I had seen a lot of musicals, like ‘Singing in the Rain.’”

Refusing to settle

Intimidated by other young girls dressed in tutus in dance class, Stirling decided to focus on her music.

“We started with half lessons, because my mom couldn’t afford anything more than that, but she eventually found a way to scrape up enough money to pay for these short violin lessons for 15 minutes a week. I really didn’t start dancing until I was in college. I always loved dance, but I never tried it, and I never had a chance to really invest in it. So, I decided I would teach myself.”

Passion reignited

By the time she started college, Stirling was burned out on the violin, and no longer enjoyed playing her beloved instrument. 

“I decided to study to be a therapist instead, but I knew I didn’t want to give up the violin either. So, I went on a search to make it fun again. For the first time ever, I started to not play the classical music I was supposed to play. Instead, I started to play the pop/alternative music that I actually liked, and I started to write music playing with all sorts of different styles. That’s how I found the fusion style that I now have. I started to combine dancing with it because the music felt like it required movement. I couldn’t imagine performing it while standing still, so I taught myself how to dance and play at the same time. I almost gave up the violin, but then came back to it with my passion completely reinvigorated.” 

Merging interests

“I love playing the violin, video editing, costume designing, sewing, dancing, and performing in engaging ways,” Stirling explains. “Who would’ve ever thought these things could have worked so well together? Thankfully they did, and now this is my day job and my night job.

“When I get burned out on writing, I start working on tour costumes. When I get burned out on that, I start practicing my dancing and violin. I have all these different skill sets that I can rotate between and they all kind of fuel the next.” 

Moving beyond “America’s Got Talent“

A hit with countless fans on YouTube, Stirling admits her first performance in the national spotlight wasn’t her finest hour.

“Maybe I wasn’t quite ready to be in front of an audience that big yet, because I had just started this whole dancing and violin thing. It taught me the importance of not judging your entire life and your entire work based on what one person thinks. I replayed that America’s Got Talent moment in my head, and I thought ‘if I can get up off that bathroom floor from crying after the show, then I can totally do it again.’”

Lindsey Stirling’s advice to others

Stirling, who’s preparing to release her second Christmas album and begin a holiday tour, encourages aspiring artists not to abandon their dreams.

“There are a lot of opinions and voices out there. Especially with social media, there’s no shortage of people sharing with you what they think about you. I think it’s so important to constantly remind yourself that the most important voice to listen to is your own.”

The post Lindsey Stirling: Embracing the Artist Within appeared first on Education and Career News.

This is the largest group of alumni to work on TV productions across major networks, including last year’s breakout hit “The White Lotus” and this year’s thrilling fourth season of “Stranger Things.” More than 50 alumni from various degree programs worked on 26 different Emmy-nominated productions. A special congratulations to the four alumni who were personally nominated for their work. 

Sean Brennan (Film 2006), supervising art director of “Stranger Things,” nominated for Outstanding Production Design for a Period or Fantasy Program (one hour or more).

Ben Gamble (Film 2002), camera operator for “Survivor,” nominated for Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program. Ben has been on Survivor for 10 seasons. This is Ben’s fourth Emmy nomination.

Joshua Gitersonke (Film 2007), director of photography for “The Amazing Race,” and nominated for Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program. Josh has been on the show’s camera crew for 13 years and has received 9 Emmy® nominations during his career. He won an Emmy® award in 2019 for his work on “The Late Late Show Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special.”

John Valerio (Film 2002), editor of “The White Lotus,” nominated for Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series. 

The Los Angeles Film School is proud to support the creative endeavors of its students and alumni as they journey into the entertainment industry. Since 1999, the school is rooted in Hollywood and has expanded its degree offerings online to serve students around the world. Visit lafilm.edu for more info.

The post Honoring the Largest Class of Alumni From The L.A. Film School for Their Contributions to the 74th Primetime Emmy® Awards appeared first on Education and Career News.

Art has been called the first language of childhood. Even before they can speak, children communicate and learn through visual expression. Grasping paint brushes and crayons helps children develop the fine motor skills they need to write and tie their shoes. Unstructured play with art materials fosters spatial reasoning skills and reinforces concepts like cause and effect. In sharing their artwork, children build confidence, strengthen important relationships, and expand their vocabularies.

The benefits of art class do not end in early childhood. According to data published by Americans for the Arts, recent studies have found positive correlations between student success and arts learning. Key findings show that an education rich in the arts can help close achievement gaps, motivate students to continue learning, improve academic skills, boost standardized test scores, and lower dropout rates. There is also growing evidence that integrating the arts into other subjects may enhance learning. A four-year study conducted through the Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education’s (CAPE) Partnership in Arts Integration Research (PAIR) paired professional teaching artists with elementary school classrooms to measure the impact of arts-integration in subjects like math and language arts. Researchers found that students in arts-integrated classrooms were more engaged and had higher test scores than students who received only conventional instruction.

Long-term benefits

Critically, the skills gained with a visual arts education translate to success in the workforce. In its 2010 Global CEO Study, IBM surveyed 1,500 CEOS worldwide across 33 industries. Approximately 60% of those surveyed cited creativity as the most important leadership quality for success in business.

Despite these benefits, too few American students receive a quality arts education. According to data published by Americans for the Arts, the demands of academic accountability measures and other factors have marginalized art classes in school curriculums. A 2011 research study published by the National Endowment for the Arts showed that rates of arts education declined from 1982 to 2008 and that those declines were concentrated among low-income students and students of color.

Nine in every ten Americans agree that “the arts are important for a well-rounded education,” according to a public opinion survey conducted by Americans for the Arts. As the only institutions with the capacity to reach nearly every American student, schools are vital for ensuring equitable access to the arts. By better understanding the deep connections between students, communities, and the arts, we can be better advocates for policies and programs that support artists and arts education programming nationwide.

The post Research Agrees: Art Class Matters appeared first on Education and Career News.

How did you first discover your passion for art and music?

As a kid I always loved expressing myself artistically and using my imagination. I am Hmong, and so most places I grew up in knew little to nothing about our history and culture.

Who or what inspired you to become an artist? What currently inspires you?

My first artistic influences were from watching my own family sing, draw, make, and play. I love learning and exploring mediums and ideas that are new to me. Hmong people exist all over the world even though you will not see a country named after us. We have continued to integrate our cultural ways with the places and people we live among. This resilience is what keeps me inspired; we can bring forward traditions and reimagine them new as time changes.

Tell us more about your experience with Springboard for the Arts.

Springboard is a tremendous resource for artists. I attended my first artist career development workshop over 15 years ago. Over time, with their assistance, I was able to take on several creative community development projects and more recently established a collaborative business. They have supported some of the most significant milestones in my artistic career. Now I get to support other artists as an Artist Career Consultant (ACC).

The post Inside One Artist’s Journey Exploring and Expressing Their Culture appeared first on Education and Career News.

Scott R. Sheehan

President, National Association for Music Education

The future of music education is bright but not without challenge. The pandemic highlighted inequities in resources and funding among schools, especially in historically marginalized communities. Although these issues can seem overwhelming, communities are increasingly calling for equitable opportunities for students, and access to music education must be a key component of this equation.

Equitable opportunities in music education begin with teachers. Now more than ever there is a great need to recruit new music teachers into the profession. It is critical that the music education profession builds a diverse workforce that is representative of students throughout the United States and the world.

With many schools placing newfound emphasis on student wellness, music educators can help students understand their own feelings and interactions with others through music. Similarly, music educators have the capacity to create belonging and connection in ways that are unique to music learning.

The post Music Education Finds a Way appeared first on Education and Career News.

“My father, Irving, was an art dealer in Los Angeles and hung out with the likes of Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, Christopher Isherwood, and more. My mother was an art historian, so much of my young life I was immersed in various types of visual art.”

As CEO of the multi-media production company Blumhouse, Blum has made a killing embracing the grisly and gruesome. His studio has delivered high-grossing, low-budget flicks such as “Paranormal Activity”, “The Surge,” and Jordan Peele’s critically acclaimed thriller “Get Out.” But along with masterfully relaunching John Carpenter’s Halloween franchise, Blumhouse has churned out an impressive series of documentaries, television projects, and movies that include Spike Lee’s biographical crime film “BlackKklansman.”

“I’ve produced so many movies, but I feel like I’m just getting started. I like to think that it feels this way because I’m still having fun at what I’m doing.”

The early years

Growing up in New York City, Blum was always competitive, which he describes as a blessing and a curse.

I had street smarts, but my book smarts and grades were just ok. I wasn’t the best student, but I knew how to work hard, which to me made up for not being the highest performing student.” 

Blum, 53, credits the Taft School in Connecticut for preparing him for college.

“Boarding school forced me to lean into all my interests, and to be okay with trying new things independently.”

A drama major and 1991 graduate of Vassar, Blum says the college helped shape his film career, which began with the early project “Kicking & Screaming.” A Hitchcock seminar cemented his interest in the horror genre.

“My time at Vassar also taught me the importance of friendship and networking, which is so essential in the entertainment world.”

Real world experience 

With school behind him, Blum was more determined than ever to break into the industry. While hanging out with an eclectic mix of young actors and directors in NYC, he met Ethan Hawke, who suggested Blum join him in running his theater company.

“At 25, I decided to work with Ethan at Malaparte, and I was opened up to a whole new social world. I learned how to produce and how to work with and connect to artists.

“I always had goals of making movies with a cultural impact that would change the way people saw the world, but I never focused on monetary success,” Blum explains. “When I first started working on scary movies, one of the things I loved about it was all these directors were such misfit outsiders who never seemed to get much respect from mainstream Hollywood. I felt very at home with this cast of characters, and they really loved what they did, which I respected enormously.”

Follow your passion

Included in Time magazine’s 100 list of the world’s most influential people, Blum encourages aspiring filmmakers to give it their all.

“When I founded Blumhouse, I built the company on a model of keeping storytelling at the heart of each project, and I want to employ a new generation of directors, producers, screenwriters, and more to do the same.

“Technology has made it so that you don’t need all the fancy equipment or someone to help you distribute your work. You can shoot a movie on your phone, and you can upload it to YouTube when you’re ready. Go make your project and make it available for people to watch.”

He adds, “Be collaborative with people. Do more than just give and take orders. Be flexible, and have fun. Don’t chase what’s hot. The most important thing when telling a story is to keep it true to your experience and who you are as a person.”

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