Intersections: Arts AND…

Katrina Pineda, California Representative, Arts Health Early Career Research Network

Katrina Pineda is the California Representative for the Arts Health Early Career Research Network, a graduate of the University of Florida’s Arts in Medicine Master’s Degree Program, and a Design Manager for ABCmouse. She engages in a variety of arts in health initiatives. This includes anything from leading employee volunteer opportunities at work and facilitating art workshops with local nonprofit organizations to conducting evaluations, assisting with research efforts, blog authoring, and connecting professionals at the intersection of arts and health. She is a visual artist by trade (BFA in Multimedia Art from CSU, Chico), but also loves dancing and attempting to play the keyboard.

When COVID-19 social distancing protocols began, Katrina recognized the arts and artists as potential helpers. She joined University of Florida’s Interdisciplinary Research Lab and Performing Public Health Working Group to aid in providing resources and documenting examples of the ways the arts can help with COVID-19 awareness, prevention, and management. She has been particularly interested in the rise of individual arts engagement as people were more secluded in their homes and how the arts can assist with human connection, communication, and well-being. Thus, she joined the Remote Cultures team to focus on the intersection of the arts and social distancing. Additional arts in health interests of hers include studying the potential role of participatory arts on the prevention of cognitive diseases (i.e. Alzheimer’s) and initiating an arts in health mapping initiative for the state of California.

Jason Foster | Destination Crenshaw President and COO

Prior to joining Destination Crenshaw, Jason served as the Director of Strategic Partnerships at River LA, the organization charged with improving and revitalizing communities adjacent to the 51-mile stretch of the LA River. Jason helped to build the non-profit organization from its inception. He developed the organization’s partnerships philosophy and spearheaded programming for River LA’s strategic partnerships. Jason worked closely with community partners, corporate representatives, and residents to grow the civic pride and social responsibility surrounding the LA River.

Before moving to Los Angeles, Jason worked as a Project Manager for Impacct Brooklyn (previously Pratt Area Community Council) in Brooklyn, New York. He managed multiple multi- unit affordable housing projects through construction, including tenant relocations, construction project management, and property management services. Prior to construction management, Jason worked as a community organizer and was involved in campaign policy strategy and coordination.

Jason holds a B.A. in Business Administration, Finance from Howard University, and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. (Beta Chapter), a founding member of Beta Chapter Alumni Association (501(c)3) and the Beta Chapter Investment Club. Jason also holds an MBA from the Metropolitan College of New York where he focused his studies on community redevelopment and small business incubation.

He currently lives in South Los Angeles with his wife and two children, who are all native to Los Angeles. Jason is proud to have grown up in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Mallory Rukhsana Nezam, Founder & lead consultant, Justice + Joy

Mallory Rukhsana Nezam is a cross-sector culture-maker who loves cities and believes that we have the tools to make them more just and joyful. She specializes in public art, creative placemaking/keeping/knowing, organizational development, strategic planning, facilitation and the public domain. Through her cross-sector practice, Justice + Joy, she engages stakeholders across sectors to de-silo the way we run cities and build new models of creative, interdisciplinary collaboration. She has helped build inaugural arts & culture teams in non-arts organizations at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council of Boston, Transportation for America and PolicyLink. Raised in St. Louis, MO, she served as the Founding Director of St. Louis Improv Anywhere, and co-founder of the St. Louis Artivists. Through her art practice she disarms and disrupts public space norms using play and participatory performance. She holds a Master of Design from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design and her research focuses on the racial equity impacts of artists residencies in local government. She is a 2020 Monument Lab Transnational Fellow, was a 2019-2020 inaugural Practices for Change Fellow at Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute of Design & the Arts and is currently the Curator of Partnerships and Programs for FORWARD, a publication by Forecast Public Art. She seeks to be in every room she’s not supposed to be in.

Ben Stone, Director of Arts & Culture at Smart Growth America

Ben Stone serves as director of arts & culture at Smart Growth America and its program Transportation for America. Ben leads the organization’s broad efforts to integrate arts, culture, and creative placemaking into neighborhood revitalization, equitable development, and transportation planning. In this role, Ben launched the nation's first ever artist residencies at statewide agencies, embedded artists in transit agencies to help mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and advised towns, cities, and states on partnering with artists on their transportation and economic development work.

Ben is a graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Tufts University; and MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning. Prior to joining SGA, Ben served as Executive Director of Station North Arts & Entertainment, Inc., where he led an arts-based revitalization strategy to guide development in the state-designated arts district in Baltimore. Under Ben’s leadership, Station North became a national model for equitable development through the arts and innovative collaboration. Ben has been recognized as a Fellow of the Salzburg Global Forum for Young Cultural Innovators (2014), a Baltimore Business Journal 40 under 40 Honoree (2014), and a Next City Vanguard (2012).

Jennifer Laine, Executive Director, San Benito County Arts Council

Jennifer Laine has served as Executive Director of the San Benito County Arts Council, a State-Local Partner to the California Arts Council, since 2010.  As Executive Director, she has raised millions of dollars arts funding for the county, opened two multi-disciplinary art spaces in downtown Hollister, co-founded the City of Hollister’s Public Art Review Committee, advocated for arts in education and developed dedicated arts programming for some of the area’s most underserved communities, including economically-disadvantaged youth and families, veterans, students with disabilities and system-engaged youth. Jennifer has served as a grant panelist for the California Arts Council and is on the Board of Directors of Californians for the Arts/California Arts Advocates and also serves as Board President of the Hazel Hawkins Hospital Foundation. She holds a B.A. in Art History from UC Santa Cruz and a M.A. in Global Studies from the University of Leipzig, Germany.  Jennifer resides in Hollister with her husband and three children.

Steph Johnson, Creative and Executive Director, Voices of Our City Choir

Singer/guitarist Steph Johnson is an award-winning, multi-dimensional recording artist whose music deftly blends jazz, soul, funk and blues. She’s a captivating performer whose engaging smile is complemented by a lush and distinctive voice.

Steph recently released her new album "So In Love", the 10-song collection of Johnson's favorite jazz standards and ballads. This record features pianist Josh Nelson (Natalie Cole), guitarist Anthony Wilson (Diana Krall), trumpeter Chris Lawrence, bassist Rob Thorsen and drummer Richard Sellers. You can find her music on all digital platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and can purchase it on her website.

Steph has been recognized as one of San Diego CityBeat’s People of the Year. She was also named 2020 Woman of the Year by San Diego Assembly member Todd Gloria. Californians for the Arts highlighted the impact Steph's work has by coining her a California Arts Champion.

Marie Acosta, Board Member CFTA/CAA, Sacramento Artist Corps

Marie Acosta has worked as an actor, writer, director, producer and project manager in the arts in a variety of capacities for over 30 years. Since 2008 Ms. Acosta has led Sacramento’s Latino Center of Art and Culture as the Artistic/Executive Director. She conceptualized, curated and managed new programs including a two-day, outdoor celebration of Día de los Muertos, and a week-long theater production, La Pastorela de Sacramento which she also co-authored.

Ms. Acosta has authored art catalog content, program notes and educational materials for the arts. In 2017, her short story “Raya Sol del Mundo” was included in The Race, Tales of Flight in the anthology by New Mexico artist, Patrick Allen Nagatani. Ms. Acosta is a registered member of the Southern California Tongva (San Gabrieleño) tribe of Indians recognized by the State of California and is fluent in written and spoken Spanish/English. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from California State University, Northridge.

Voices of Our City Choir

Voices of Our City Choir is a non-profit organization that is helping San Diego’s unsheltered neighbors reconnect with hope and possibility through the healing power of music. Founded in 2016, the choir serves as a safe space for mutual aid and community building, and gives a voice to San Diego's unsheltered community, both past and present. Today, Voices of Our City Choir has more than 225 members and has helped over 70 of their members get off the street and into temporary or permanent housing. In addition to its programs and advocacy work, Voices of Our City Choir also serves as an inspirational musical ensemble. In 2020, the choir was introduced on a national scale when they made it to the semi-finals of America’s Got Talent, NBC’s No. 1 summer show. The choir performs with an award-winning jazz group and performance-generated funds help employ case management staff and provide food and resources to choir members. For more information, go to: www.voicesofourcity.org