Achieving Diversity: Arts Administration Leadership Project
About the Program
According to the 2015 Diversity Report prepared by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), which surveyed 1,061 Capital Fund granted arts organizations, current leadership of those organizations was overwhelmingly white. This report directly reflects the imbalance of diversity and inclusion in New York City’s arts leadership. Achieving Diversity: Arts Administration Leadership Project establishes elite and individually-tailored career support for minority and ethnically underrepresented students at Queens College who aspire to leadership in the arts.
The project has five crucial components: mentoring, internship opportunities, group career discussions, cultural performances and exhibition visits (through support from CUNYArts), and Queens College Arts Festival engagement. Each participant will gain professional guidance from industry experts, obtain hands-on training through experiential learning, and achieve career competency with compelling leadership skills. This initiative builds a pathway to identify, cultivate, and implement the next generation of diverse and innovative arts leaders, who will contribute to CUNY's mission of diversity and inclusion.
Meet the 2018-2019 Cohort
Bailey E. Guerrier was born and raised in the New York area. She is a Queens, NY native and current resident of Brooklyn, NY. She Received her associates degree in visual arts awarded by City University of New York Queensborough in the year 2016. Bailey continued her studies at the City University of Queens College where she managed a double concentration in both photography and drawing. She recently received her bachelor's degree in Studio art in the Fall of 2018. In Spring 2017 and Summer 2019 Bailey showcased in two artist exhibition with RAW: Natural Born Artist. As of right now, Bailey has accepted a position as a portrait photographer with a school portraits company. In between the years she has focused solely on photography and worked closely with mentors to help advance her skills and knowledge,and she continues to do so.
Mentor: Maria C. Rhor, Co-Director, Godwin-Ternbach Museum
"Being apart of the Achieving Diversity: Arts Administration Leadership Project has definitely been an experience I will not forget. The most valuable thing it opened up for me was valuable connections, and with connections leads to opportunities. It is a great space to help students and recent graduates expand." -Bailey E. Guerrier
Neophytos Ioannou has been involved with the performing arts since he was three years old. Singing, dancing, and acting from very young, the Queens native attended the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts high school, where he specialized in Vocal Music and Musical Theatre. At Queens College, Neophytos attended the Aaron Copland School of Music, where he double majored in Vocal Performance and Romance Languages and received minors in Spanish, French, and Global Studies. Graduating with Summa Cum Laude Latin Honors, the singer has been extremely dedicated to specializing in Vocal Health, Foreign Language Diction, Musical Theatre, and Latin American music. As of Fall 2019, Neophytos has been continuing his vocal studies and is completing his Masters of Music in Classical Performance.
Some of Neophytos’ crowning achievements have been performing a few choral works at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the LeFrak Concert Hall. The musician has had the pleasure of singing alongside the NY Virtuoso Singers, singing backup for Kelli O’ Hara, and has performed for Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett. Some of his more recent performances include Die Fledermaus as Dr. Blind, The Magic Flute as 1st Priest and 1st Slave, and a featured soloist at the Musical Theatre Revue You Gotta Have Hart. As an instructor, Neophytos strongly believes in the fundamentals of vocal health, musical professionalism, versatility in musical genres, and genuine artistic expression.
Mentors: Susan Dadian, Program Director, Chamber Music America;
Gary Padmore, Director of Education & Community Engagement New York Philharmonic
"Achieving Diversity- Arts Administration Leadership Project’s mission to diversify the arts field and promote all underrepresented cultures was one of the most eye-opening and spectacular programs I’ve ever encountered. As this day and age has hundreds of languages and cultures, the arts industry must adapt and help create masterpieces that genuinely represent these different groups of people. This program allowed me to work with an amazingly well-educated and successful professional in my desired career and helped me see how much of an impact I, myself, can make in the future of the arts. I’ve been able to learn more about myself as an entrepreneur, educator, and artist through this project, and make opportunities that will help shape our future generations." -Neophytos Ioannou
Nine McClain is a nonbinary illustrator from the Bronx with a BFA in Studio Arts from Queens College. With a heavy focus in the study of comics, Nine's art is all about finding the balance between communicating satire and genuine self-reflection of mental health, self-worth, and identity.
In shorter words, Nine likes to make fun of how stressed out Nine gets all the time, and maybe see how much we all have in common with that.
Post-graduation, Nine's focus remains in freelance illustration and finally learning how to cook, the latter with mixed results. With hopes to touch into zines, future comics, and social practice art, Nine's confidence in aiding others in genuine connections and self-reflection through art and words is coming together slowly but surely.
Mentor: Darcy-Tell Morales, Associate Educator, Teen Programs, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
"If you're afraid of the leadership program because you feel you're not a leader, that's alright - in my eyes, the Arts Administration Leadership Project built a foundation underneath me where I'd once felt aimless and unwanted. I can't say I changed overnight to become a huge success. Rather, I would say that from here on, I feel a connection to people who prioritize and want to see me succeed, and I feel and wish to do the same for them. That's a source of strength like no other." -Nine McClain
Noriko Omichi is a New York based musician and dancer who received years of professional training in Chinese Classical Dance before becoming a flautist. Noriko studied at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College under Judith Mendenhall and leads several chamber ensembles there as well as groups unaffiliated with the school. She is also strongly involved with the dance department, where she gained experience in modern dance through strong involvement with the Dance Department under Edisa Week and Guanglei Hui. She has put her multi-arts performance in theater play with Cornerstone Theater Company. Noriko frequently holds solo recitals with the purpose of combining different art forms, performing the standard flute repertoire while incorporating her own choreography—a fusion of classical and modern dance—into collaborative performances with live musicians.
Mentor: Mi Ryung Song, Executive Director, Decoda
Contact
Jane Cho
Director of Administration
Aaron Copland School of Music
718-997-3802
jane.cho@qc.cuny.edu