Arts and Democracy

 Season One, Episode 4 of Arts and Democracy welcomes nationally renowned audience development and community engagement leader Donna Walker-Kuhne , author of Champions for the Arts: Lessons and Successful Strategies for Engaging Diverse Audiences . In a wide-ranging conversation with host Olga Levina , Donna traces her journey from professional dancer to arts administrator and shares the “small st...

 At the Intersection of Art, Culture, and Faith   Season One continues with a powerful conversation between host Olga Levina and arts leader, actor, and strategist Deonté Griffin-Quick —a bridge-builder dedicated to equity, community, and systems change. From his early arts education in New Jersey public schools to his work building statewide networks and serving on major grant panels, Deonté refl...

In this episode of Arts & Democracy: A Global Conversation , host Olga Levina speaks with Shawn Emamjomeh — a self-described “child of revolution” whose life spans Iran, Silicon Valley, Broadway, and the ancient Citadel of Erbil. Shawn reflects on how collaborative art on stage, city-building in Iraqi Kurdistan, and his Color & Light Festival have all been ways to build community in fragil...

In this moving episode of Arts & Democracy: A Global Conversation , host Olga Levina speaks with activist and former Executive Director of the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus , Mark McDonald , about the power of music, activism, and community in times of crisis and change. From his early days in small-town Missouri to leading one of the nation’s most visible LGBTQ+ ensembles, Mark shares how th...

In our debut episode of Arts & Democracy: A Global Conversation , Olga Levina sits down with museum education professional Thomas Goehner — formerly of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and The Textile Museum — to explore the future of museums in a time of unprecedented political pressure. From his decades shaping educational programs across major cultural institutions to his perspective on...