An introduction from our Executive Director, Julia Di Bussolo:
As we ring in the 2016-17 school year, Arts Every Day is also welcoming some brand new additions to our team. I am excited to work with these extraordinary individuals as we continue to advocate for the arts and arts integration, support teacher leadership, and connect Baltimore City students to the artists, organizations, and cultural institutions that call Baltimore home. With their unique skill sets, drive, and determination, we will be pushing forward Arts Every Day into an exciting direction.
You can stay tuned for exciting news, events, and program updates through this blog and by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Vanessa Jackson, Arts Integration Coordinator
Vanessa joins Arts Every Day as the Arts Integration Coordinator. She has extensive experience working with Baltimore City non-profit community as an artist, educator and advocate for the arts. Vanessa received her Master of Fine Arts in Choreography at Temple University where she was a graduate teaching assistant. She is the first Creative and Performing Artist Scholar from the Department of Dance at The University of Maryland College Park, and she completed her MA in Distance Education from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Currently, she is completing her doctoral studies in Education Leadership at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore focusing on the role of culturally responsive pedagogy in the arts. She is a faculty member at Coppin State University.
Over the years, Vanessa has taught in the Dance Departments at Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, Temple University, Towson University, University of Maryland College Park, and Community College of Baltimore County, and performed internationally throughout Cuba, Korea and West Africa. Vanessa has received numerous grants and awards for her artistic endeavors, especially for her Baltimore City Kid-In-Motion community outreach program. She has performed with Baltimore Ballet, Urban Bush Women (Guest Artist), Alvin Mayes (soloist), Baltimore Opera Company (soloist) and Wally Saunders Dance Company, to mention a few. She holds a membership with the Black College Dance Exchange, American College Dance Association, Maryland Dance Educator’s Organization, National Dance Educator’s Organization, Baltimore City Pierian Organization, and Contemplative Practices in Higher Education Association. Vanessa is the past president of the Maryland Council for Dance, and Maryland Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Association, and former board member of Dance Baltimore. Most recently, Vanessa completed her Vinyasa Yoga certification with a concentration on movement, music and mediation as the core principles of her teaching practice– healing through the arts!
Precious Blake, Development and Administrative Assistant
Precious Blake is the Development and Administrative Assistant as Arts Every Day’s Baltimore Corps Fellow. She will be responsible for managing marketing and communications for the organization, supporting the executive director in securing sponsorships that will fund programming and initiatives, and coordinating special events and programs. She will also be managing our individual donor communication and outreach. Precious is excited to craft stories about Arts Every Day’s role in furthering arts education in Baltimore City Public Schools. She looks forward to engaging with current and future partners that will uplift and support arts education and integration in Baltimore City.
Precious is a recent graduate from the Maryland Institute College of Art where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration with a concentration in Printmaking. Her illustration practice has focused on visual journalism and reportage, which culminated into a seventy page illustrated book entitled “Creatives of Color” for her senior thesis. The book highlights thirty Baltimore creatives and their processes, challenges, voices, and journeys in finding inclusive spaces for themselves and others. This past year she was an Urban Arts Leadership Program (UALP) Fellow through the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance as part of their 2015/2016 cohort. Under this fellowship, Precious was placed with Arts Every Day for a six month fellowship starting in February 2016. She organized programmatic events, led marketing and press outreach, and supported the developmental operations of the organization. As a 2016/17 Baltimore Corps fellow, she will be expanding her role at Arts Every Day as a leader in arts administration and partnering with the creative community of Baltimore to facilitate social change.
Whitney Frazier, Schools and Partnerships Manager
Whitney Frazier will be overseeing all partnerships with schools, teaching artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. Using the Arts Every Day website as a vehicle for communication, outreach, and partnership the Manager will maintain current relationships with schools and identify new relationships with artists and organizations citywide. In addition to the website, Frazier will develop processes, procedures, and events to connect partners to Baltimore City Public Schools throughout the year. She is thrilled to join the AED team to work with talented, like-minded colleagues to ensure that every child in Baltimore city experiences art EVERY DAY.
Whitney Frazier is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, arts administrator and activist living in Baltimore City, MD since 2002. After completing her MFA in Community Arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2013, Frazier led one of the largest arts education programs at The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), reaching students from ages 7-70 by offering a diverse range of arts, design and crafts courses. Prior to her work at CCBC, Frazier was the Community Arts Coordinator at Child First Authority, a nonprofit organization providing after-school programs for Baltimore City Public Schools. She directed a program called Art Core; a team of professional artists and youth leaders co-teaching in Child First after school programs.
We are excited for a new school year and to continue our work to ensure that every student has access to the arts in and outside their classroom. As we turn 10 years old next year, look out for some exciting events leading up to our tenth anniversary celebration!
