photo by Taja Janel
Gia M Hamilton
executive director & Chief curator
ghamilton@noaam.org
Gia M. Hamilton is an applied anthropologist who employs Social Magic™ methodology to investigate land, labor and cultural production while examining social connectivity within institutions and communities. As a model builder, Hamilton co-founded an independent African centered school, Little Maroons in 2006; later, she opened a creative incubator space- Gris Gris Lab in 2009 and designed and led the Joan Mitchell Center artist residency program in New Orleans as a consultant from 2011- 2013 and director from 2013-2018.
As the Center Director, Hamilton led the development of the two acre campus capital project using a workforce development project HyperLocal and designed the program as a place based, community centered laboratory for visual artists, curators and the creative community with the belief that imagination and creativity are paramount to creating a more equitable and socially just society. Currently, Gia is the architect of her latest projects: Afrofuture Society and Dark Matter Projects. In 2019 she became the Executive Director and Chief Curator of the New Orleans African American Museum
Hamilton received her bachelors in cultural anthropology from New York University and masters in applied anthropology from City University of New York’s Graduate Center. She is on the board of Artists First Responders, Alliance for Artist Communities and Museum Hue. Hamilton recently received the 2018 Next City Vanguard fellowship and was nominated for the 2018 City Business Woman of Year award and was City Business 2022 Hospitality Leader. Gia currently lives in the Treme neighborhood in New Orleans with her family.
Board of Directors
Board Chair
Edgar “Dook” Chase IV
First vice-CHAIR & Fund development chair
David W. Robinson-Morris
Second VICE-CHAIR & Facilities chair
Angela O’Byrne
treasurer
Kyle Wedberg
recording secretary
Julie Henderson
corresponding secretary
Adele London
Programming Chair
Carlos Carmona
Nominating Chair
Diane Jackson
Governance Chair
Mary Champagne-Barnes
Edgar Chase, IV, Michael Griffin, Leith Hill, Julie Henderson, Beverly Matheney, Carlos Carmona, Mary Champagne Barnes , Kyle Wedberg, Angela O’Byrne, Adele London, Rivers Frederick III, Aulston Taylor, Diane Jackson, Anne Collins Smith, Kevin Dolliole, Rhonda J. Broussard, David W. Robsinson-Morris, Henry L. Coaxum Jr.
—
Emeritus
Gail Glapion, Marsha Broussard
Edgar “Dook” Chase, IV
board president
Edgar “Dook” Chase, IV, is the Owner/President of Chase Concessions, LLC, a partner in Chase North, the premier food and beverage operator and management concessionaire at the Louis Armstrong International Airport, and the proprietor of two of their concepts, Leah’s Kitchen and Dook’s Burgers. Chase Concessions also operates eleven other concepts at MSY, as well concepts in Boston Logan airport and Nashville International airport. Meanwhile, Edgar is also continuing the legacy of his Grandmother, Chef Leah Chase, serving as the Executive Chef of his family’s restaurant Dooky Chase’s Restaurant in New Orleans.
Edgar has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. After studying Economics and Finance at Dillard University in New Orleans, Chase received his Masters of Business Administration from University of New Orleans, and went on to receive his culinary degree, from Le Condon Bleu Paris, France. In addition to his formal training, he spent many of his years learning the craft from his grandmother, while working in his family’s flagship restaurant, Dooky Chase’s in Treme. Edgar has developed growing concepts, such as Leah’s Kitchen, Dook’s Place, and Dook’s Burgers as a tribute to his grandmother’s legacy of service and hospitality, featuring dishes inspired by her classic Creole cuisine. His latest project, Chapter IV, opening in winter 2022, will further his inspirations featuring breakfast, brunch and lunch offerings, in Downtown New Orleans.
Edgar is active in his community and civically involved on a number of non-profit boards and commissions; he serves a Chair of the Finance Authority of New Orleans, and board member of Audubon Nature Institute, the New Orleans African-American Museum, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center Authority, and the UJAMAA Economic Development Corporation.
Edgar resides in New Orleans with his wife, Gretchen, and two kids, Sidney and Edgar “Vito” Chase, V.
Carlos Carmona
BOARD MEMBER
Carlos Carmona is a marketing consultant with over 20 years of communications experience. He previously worked with non-profits and community-based organizations before expanding to private sector. Carlos is a native San Franciscan with long ties to New Orleans, having spent some of his formative years in the city. He attended USF and the Academy of Art Academy before graduating from SFSU. Carlos enjoys collecting art with a special interest in emerging artists as well as having a passion for travel. Carlos and his partner reside in New Orleans.
Mary Champagne-Barnes
BOARD MEMBER
Mary Andre’ Champagne-Barnes was born and raised in New Orleans. She is a graduate of Loyola University of New Orleans with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Organizational Behavior. Her working career began in 1979 with the Urban League of Greater New Orleans, New Orleans Plan Program under the direction of Lambert C. Boissiere Jr. In 1981 Mary began working for Union Carbide Corporation in Taft, Louisiana, which later merged and became Dow Chemical Corporation. Her career with Union Carbide/Dow Chemical spanned 39 years ending on June 30, 2020. While working as a Senior Project Planner/Scheduler Specialist and Scheduling Focal Point, Mary connected Dow with the community as a member and project manager of the Dow Promise Grant Advisory Committee (which awards grants to non-profit organizations working specifically in the African American community).
Awards received during her Dow career include; Service Recognition Award for chairing the St. Charles Operations (SCO) Diversity Rollout Event, Trailblazers Award from SCO Public Affairs, Dow Chemical Corporation Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Award, and Community Service Recognition plaque presented by the St. Charles Parish City Council. Mary also served as the first Implementation Leader of the SCO Women’s Innovation Network, member of the SCO African American Network Implementation Team, a member of the Dow National African American Network Planning Team, and volunteered as an Influential Leader and coached Tech/Tech Power to Influence Workshops. Mary is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. New Orleans Alumnae Chapter where she serves as Assistant Financial Secretary, and Cotillion Attire Chair. Additionally, Mary serves on the Board of Directors for the Total Choice Federal Credit Union, Treasurer/Usher/Trustee Board Member of the Pleasant Zion Missionary Baptist Church, and member of the Kiwanis Club of Pontchartrain, and Co-Lieutenant of the Sunkissed Krewe Float of the Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale.
Anne Collins Smith
board member
Anne Collins Smith is the Curator of Collections and the Interim Associate Director at the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art. She is a cultural curator, art historian, and cultural worker in the literary, visual, and performing arts. She serves of the board of trustees of the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) and the AAMC Foundation and as chair of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Arts Council. She is currently a 2021 Center for Curatorial Leadership Fellow.
Smith’s interests include arts and the economy, arts leadership, audience development, cosmopolitanism, the evolving role of the curator, material culture, public art, visual culture, and African Diasporic continuity in artistic and cultural practices.
Her curatorial practice is inspired by New Orleans jazz musician and cultural ambassador Irvin Mayfield’s perspective about the critical role of advocating for and advancing one’s own culture. He explains, “Culture is about definition. And if you’re not involved in the process of defining yourself, then somebody else will define you; and perhaps they’ll define you to the point where they think you don’t need to exist.” In all that Smith undertakes in her avocation in curatorial leadership, the safeguarding and celebration of culture and shared heritage that drives her work.
Julie D. Henderson
Recording Secretary
Julie D. Henderson is a lifelong resident of New Orleans, Louisiana. She is a graduate of Ursuline Academy. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Loyola University of New Orleans and a Post - Graduate Certificate in Paralegal Studies from Tulane University. Her professional career includes work as Chief Paralegal and Office Administrator for Marc H. Morial, A Professional Law Corporation, Scheduling Assistant for Louisiana State Senator Marc H. Morial and Scheduling Director for Mayor Marc H. Morial during his Mayoral tenure with the City of New Orleans from 1994 – 2002. She later served as Governmental Relations Paralegal at Adams & Reese, LLC and as Contract Manager with Computer Associates(CA) in Reston, VA. She currently serves as Executive Assistant and Chief Advocacy Officer for Daughters of Charity Health Centers for the President/CEO Michael G. Griffin. She has worked tirelessly in Governmental Relations and Advocacy for the last thirty plus years. She is a licensed life insurance agent with Primerica Insurance Services. A member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Board Trustee and Recording Secretary for the New Orleans African American Museum of Culture and History, and Trustee Board Member and Financial Secretary of Pleasant Zion Missionary Baptist Church. She is the mother of one adult son, Julian Joseph.
Rivers Frederick III
board member
As manager of Supplier Diversity & Development, Rivers is responsible for the development and implementation of Entergy Corporation’s Supplier Diversity strategy. These responsibilities include identifying and prequalifying safe, competitive and competent Diverse and Local suppliers with an emphasis on suppliers located in AR, LA, MS and TX. He has extensive experience as an entrepreneur and as the former Project Director of the Louisiana Minority Business Opportunity Center, a program funded by the U.S Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency. In addition to his role at Entergy Corporation, Rivers supports many diversity related organizations. He serves as a member of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana, Board Chair for Southern Regions Minority Supplier Development Council, Board Chair for the Regional Loan Corporation and is the immediate past Chair for the Edison Electric Institute Business Diversity task force. Rivers and his wife of 31 years live in New Orleans, LA and have three sons ages 26, 24 and 20.
Michael G. Griffin
BOARD MEMBER
As President and CEO of Daughters of Charity Services of New Orleans (DCSNO) and President and CEO of Marillac Community Health Centers, Michael G. Griffin runs a non-profit health care organization that has a 180-year history of service to the greater New Orleans region and is a member of Ascension Health, the largest non-profit health system in the United States, as well as Louisiana’s largest federally qualified health center. Griffin’s foremost priority is to provide access to compassionate, high-quality primary and preventive health care services to all residents of greater New Orleans, regardless of their ability to pay. Griffin served as the board chair of the local coalition of safety-net providers and testified to the US Congress, Energy and Commerce committee to receive over $200 million for health care recovery after Hurricane Katrina. He has served on the health care transition teams for Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, and New Orleans Mayor Mitchell J. Landrieu, and is a frequent lecturer an advisor for several Colleges and Universities. He is a United States Army veteran and is proud to have served our country with a tour in Iraq during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Griffin was the previous NOAAM board president and serves as a trustee on several non-profit boards, including 504 Health Net where he was board chair, the Louisiana Primary Care Association, Urban League of Louisiana, Health Care Journal of New Orleans editorial Board, Daughters of Charity Services of New Orleans (DCSNO), the Daughters of Charity Foundation, and the Marillac Community Health Centers Board of Directors. Griffin earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana and holds a Master of Science-Public Health degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, and received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Our Lady of Holy Cross University in 2014.
Diane Jackson
Board Member
Diane Jackson is the Director of Curriculum and Programs for The Slone Group, an organizational development and training consulting firm based in the Greater New Orleans area.
Diane develops, coordinates, manages all programs and projects for The Slone Group, ensuring the delivery of high-quality and impactful outcomes for their clients.
Diane is an active community leader in the Greater New Orleans area, contributing her time and talent to the betterment of the community.
Her civic leadership activities include Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, Jefferson RISE Charter School (Board Chair), and most recently, the Secretary for the River Region Chamber of Commerce and the Program Coordinator for Leadership River Region.
Adele London
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY
Adele London is co-founder and Director of Business Development for enmasseMedia. She has over 23 years in the field of small business and economic development. Adele’s marketing acumen is highly regarded and has been noted by many of the small businesses and nonprofit organizations. She is highly trained business coach and has been recognized by the SBA and FDIC for efforts to bring small businesses to the next level.
Adele is a very creative thinker, with innovative approaches and cutting edge concepts.
She is accomplished in many aspects of the marketing process including conceptualization, planning, writing, design, placement and distribution, production management and client relations.
An honors graduate of Loyola University of New Orleans, LA, London holds both a B.A. in Political Science and JD. For her outstanding leadership and dedication, she received the coveted Loyola Spirit Award, the highest recognition of a student's demonstration of service to othersat the prestigious institution.
For more than 20 years, she has trained and mentored hundreds of small business enterprises. As a past Director of Business Development for Good Wirk Network, the Exec Director of the SE Louisiana Women’s Business Center and the Business Affairs Manager at The Housing Authority of New Orleans Small Business Program, Adele has assisted some of the most under resourced entrepreneurs to incorporate sustainable business practices and launch successful ventures.
Beverly Matheney
BOARD MEMBER
Beverly Norwood-Matheney is a Community Activist passionate about civic responsibility and philanthropy throughout her community. She has served on numerous boards each supporting the community in a unique way. She channels her love and passion for the arts through her creative and unique ideas for fund development. Beverly is a 2012 Activists of the Year, featured on the cover of St. Charles magazine, Fashionable Philanthropist Award 2009, Outstanding Service and Leadership Young Audiences of Louisiana and 2009 Prix D’Elegance Award to mention a few.
Past and President Organizations: Founding member of the Circle of Red, American Heart Association; Young Audiences of Louisiana, board member and former President; Young Audiences Kate Middleton Charter School, board member; Developer of Dancing for the Arts Fundraiser for YALA in its 8th year; Council of Alcohol and Drug Abuse for Greater New Orleans, Vice President present; New Orleans Botanical Garden Foundation, board member; Urban League of Greater New Orleans, former boarder member; Urban League Guild of Greater New Orleans, former Guild President; Arts Council of New Orleans, former board member; Crescent City Chapter of Links, Inc.
Angela O'Byrne
BOARD MEMBER
President of international design-build-develop firm Perez, A Professional Corporation, Angela O’Byrne is a passionate advocate for women and minorities in design, construction, and real estate development. Born in Cali, Colombia, Angela came to the United States at the age of five, later becoming a US citizen. She earned a Master of Architecture from Tulane University and an MS in Real Estate Development from Columbia University, and has since become a licensed architect in 20 states, a licensed general contractor in 3 states, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and a LEED Accredited Professional. Her firm’s projects include recent work in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Haiti, El Salvador, Germany, and West Africa. Angela has been on the Board of Directors of numerous nonprofit organizations dedicated to a variety of missions, including AIA NO, AIA LA, City-Works, CREW NO, CREW Network, Newcorp, Tulane Univ. School of Architecture, Columbia Univ. Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, & Preservation (GSAPP), NO Chamber of Commerce, and many others. She has won many awards for her work and community service, including the 2018 AIA Louisiana Honor Award for Excellence in Sustainability for design of Patrick Taylor Science & Technology Academy and 2016’s US Dept of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency’s (MBDA) Minority Professional Services Firm of the Year.
Aulston Taylor
BOARD MEMBER
As Chief Development Officer of an All-Boys Catholic High School in New Orleans, Aulston Taylor serves as principal advisor to the CEO on Advancement and Fundraising matters and works with him to expand the school’s fundraising strategies. He leads the development and alumni relations efforts and brings focus to pipeline building, strategic engagement and creative best practices.
Prior to joining St. Augustine High School on February 1, 2019, Aulston spent nearly a decade as a Sales Executive with Viacom Media Networks, specifically BET Networks. In his time with BET Networks, Aulston was responsible for nearly half a billion dollars in advertising and sponsorship revenue. Negotiating and stewarding deals with mega brands such as Apple, State Farm, Clorox, SC Johnson, Warner Bros., Chase and many others to provide creative solutions to enhance product positioning to the African American audience via the networks multi-platform approach.
Aulston is a 2016 graduate of NYU earning a Masters of Science in Integrated Marketing with a concentration in Brand Management. He earned his BS in Business Administration from Texas Southern University in 2003.
Aulston is a believer in the business of education and preserving history. At St. Augustine High School, Aulston supports students annually with the Aulston G. Taylor Endowment Fund. As a preservationist, Aulston occupies a seat at the table as a member of the board with Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans.
Aulston is an avid runner who strives to run 1,000 miles a year, although he has never participated in a marathon.
Ann Leith Hill
Board Member
Entrepreneur, Leith Hill, has a passion for connecting people and helping them feel grounded in all arenas. Her business experience spans three decades of both for-profit and non-profit work, all with the unifying theme of improving the human experience. Leith currently works as a professional coach and serves as an advocate for racial equity and social justice.
Her coaching as the Entrepreneur Whisperer focuses on helping women and men feel grounded for maximum success. Leith partners with clients to access their power, lead with confidence, and exceed their goals. Her motto is “Live with no regret about yesterday, with no anxiety about today, and with confidence about tomorrow.”
Prior to coaching, Leith was the CEO and founder of Ellary’s Greens, three organic, sexy-healthy restaurants in New York City. Her mission to enable better living through delicious, nutrient-dense, hyper-local options was fully realized in the restaurants and is evident in the reviews from guests, celebrities and athletes, and international media. Leith intentionally designed a grounded, connected workspace for her team and a relaxed, connected experience for her guests.
Leith Hill is from New Orleans where her family has been dedicated to improving the greater New Orleans community for six generations. Leith is honored and delighted to serve as a Trustee on the Board of Dillard University, which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2019. She sits on the RosaMary Foundation board and is a member of the ACLU of LA’s Arts & Business Justice Collaborative. Additionally, she mentored young women in New York City and continues to give back through the non-profit sector. Leith is committed to improved racial equity and to criminal justice/prison reform.
Before opening Ellary’s Greens, Leith served for eight years as Board Chair at an independent grade school on Long Island, NY. During her tenure, Leith built a strategic board of directors and transformed the school by raising more than $4,000,000. Her work fundamentally changed the trajectory of the school, allowing it to entirely restructure every aspect from its curriculum to its financial future.
Leith is proficient in French and Spanish in addition to English. She holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from Boston College and a Bachelor’s Degree in French and economics from Harvard University. These degrees shape her understanding of the conflict between the basic human needs for connection, acceptance, and acknowledgement versus the real-world economic and social disparities that often inhibit their realization.
Leith Hill currently lives in Brooklyn, New York and is the passionate mother of two sons ages 26 and 23. In her free time she writes both persuasive essays on systemic, pervasive racism and humor pieces about online dating.
For more about Leith Hill Coaching, please visit leithhill.nyc.
Instagram @ellarysgreens
Kevin Dolliole
BOARD MEMBER
With over 40 years of experience in various facets of the aviation industry, Dolliole applies advanced, innovative approaches to air service development, customer service initiatives, and construction project management. He is involved in many organizations that are dedicated to the advancement of aviation and related industries.
He currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA). He is also a member of American Association of Airport Executives’ (AAAE) Policy Review Committee, and previously served on the Board of Directors for Airports Consultants Council.
Rhonda J. Broussard
BOARD MEMBER
Rhonda J. Broussard (she/her/hers) is an author, entrepreneur, and futurist. As the Founder & CEO of Beloved Community, Rhonda works at the nexus of Equity in Schools, Equity at Work, and Equity at Home.
Rhonda founded Beloved Community to create sustainable paths to regional racial and economic equity. Her vision for Beloved Community is informed by her leadership in education and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s goal “to create a beloved community” that would “require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives.”
David W. Robinson-Morris, Ph.D.
BOARD MEMBER
David W. Robinson-Morris, Ph.D. is an author, philosopher, social justice, and human rights advocate activist, educator, philanthropist, community organizer, DEI practitioner, and administrator.
Dr. Robinson-Morris is the Founder & Chief Reimaginelutionary at The REImaginelution, LLC, a strategic consulting firm working at the intersections of imagination, policy, practice, and prophetic hope to radically reimagine diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) toward racial justice and systemic transformation by engendering freedom of the human spirit; and catalyzing the power of the imagination to reweave organizations, systems, and the world toward collective healing and liberation.
Gail Glapion
BOARD MEMBER
MUSEUM STAFF
Executive Director & Chief Curator
Gia M. Hamilton
guest Curators
Sabrina C. Mays
Where the People At? - Collective Memories of Life in Tremé
Shana M. griffin
First Frame: The Prelude of Seeing Black
Eric Waters
Girard Mouton III
Kalamu ya Salaam
Operations
Brittany Everfield
Creative Producer
Cameron-Mitchell Ware
Fund Development & communications coordinator
Irene Bolds-Hatten
Curatorial ASSISTANT
Amaya Cooper
Curatorial Fellow
Mikayla Weary
Archival fellow
Cameron McEwen
Sabrina C. Mays
guest curator
Sabrina C. Mays was Born, Raised, and Nurtured in the Seventh Ward of New Orleans. She was mentored by New Orleans Freedom Riders, which grew her commitment to social justice, community service, advocacy, and activism. Through advocacy and activism, her commitment to community, culture, tradition, and social justice remain embedded in remembrance and steadfast in resiliency. A child-centered educator, she taught third-fifth grades at McDonogh 15 Creative Arts Elementary School. Additionally, she was Program Manager of the New Orleans Public Schools Education of Children and Youth in Transition (Homeless) Program. Post-Hurricane Katrina, she served as Constituent Liaison and Special Events Coordinator for New Orleans City Council District D; Monitor for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth Program for the Louisiana Department of Education; Executive Director of the Orleans Public Education Network; Deputy Director and Interim Director of the New Orleans Recreation Department, and is co-producer of the Treme/Seventh Ward Arts and Culture Festival.
Sabrina, through the guidance of Samella Lewis, assisted William “Bill” Fagly, curator of He’s The Prettiest: A Tribute to Big Chief Allison “Tootie” Montana’s Fifty Years of Masking Exhibition, NOMA 1995. She curated Visions in Transition: A Photo Documentary of Homelessness, Urban life, and City Landscapes As Seen Through the Eyes of Homeless Children and Youth, Labelle Gallery, 1996, and various national homeless conference venues; an exhibition of homeless children’s art (Art Without A Roof) at the Contemporary Art Center’s White Linen Night, 2005. Additionally, Sabrina co-curated Rooted in Resistance, Remembrance, Ritual, and Resilience: Black Masking Indian Suiting Exhibition, Prospect 4: The Lotus in Spite of the Swamp, United States Mint, 2017, and Judy Hands: A Retrospective Exhibition of Connecting Threads, Xavier University at Louisiana Art Gallery, 2021. She identified and coordinated commissioned artists Adewale S. Adenle (Congo Square Bamboula Dance), Elizabeth Catlett (Mahalia Jackson), Kymistry Dummons (Buddy Bolden), Sheleen Jones (Allison “Big Chief Tootie” Montana and the Brass Band), and Steve Kline (The First Opera House) to create sculptures in Louis Armstrong Park, 2010.
Sabrina has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education and Master’s in Museum Studies, 2020, Southern University at New Orleans. Presently, she is enrolled in the Educational Leadership Graduate Program at Louisiana State University at Shreveport.
SABRINA LOVES HER NEW ORLEANS - - PEOPLE, CULTURE, TRADITION, AND RITUALS!
Brittany Eve
Operations Coordinator
Brittany Eve is a natural organizer and detailed oriented worker. Raised in New Orleans, she has nurtured her managerial and entrepreneurial spirit through her journey of event planning, film/tv production, print publication and the beauty industry. Throughout her 10 years of experience, Brittany has always held art, Black people and New Orleans culture near and dear to her heart which is the inspiration and driving force of her life’s work.
Cameron-Mitchell Ware
Creative Producer
Cameron-Mitchell Ware is a multi-hyphenated, award-winning Theater Artist, Creative Specialist, Social Change-Agent, and Master Teacher from New Orleans, La. He is an uncommon voice in the enduring global movement that illuminates the evolving stories and cultural experiences of the African Diaspora through varying sophisticated multimedia enterprises.
Irene Bolds-Hatten
Fund development & communications coordinator
Irene is a multihyphenate artist, alchemist, educator and community builder from San Francisco, Ca. Passionate about creating impactful change, she joins NOAAM with an enthusiasm to continue serving the African Diaspora through historic preservation, artistic expression and collective healing.
Some of her professional experience lies in communications and marketing, non-profit fundraising, behavioral health, and administrative operations. Her artistic concentrations expand across the disciplines of writing, digital design, dance, and curation. She finds joy in giving reverence to the earth through her life-long journey with ancestral plan medicine. A lover and learner of life, she approaches each day as an opportunity to create more magic.
Amaya Cooper
curatorial assistant
Amaya Cooper is a rising senior at Xavier University of Louisiana seeking a degree in Fine Arts with a minor in Mass Communications. Amaya is originally from Houston, Texas and is a multimedia artist who is well versed in photography, graphic design, and painting. Most recently, her photographs titled, “The Unit”, were showcased at the Ashe Cultural Arts Center’s “The Black Experience” Exhibition, which commented on the necessity Black men’s presence within the Black community.
Throughout her collegiate experience, Amaya has worked with Prospect.5, as a gallery attendant and is now working with the New Orleans African American Museum as a curatorial intern. While she is influenced by the arts, Amaya is also passionate about community service within marginalized communities. Through community service through her university and working within arts administration, Amaya has learned the importance of fusing arts and community and will continue to prioritize this quality in her career after graduation.
Mikayla Weary
curatorial fellow
Mikayla Weary is an interdisciplinary artist and film student at Dillard University with a background in community organizing, fundraising, and nonprofit work. While in the creative world, she is the president of her family's non-profit organization Black Coffee Northwest in Seattle, Washington. She plans to continue as a storyteller through visual arts after college and hopefully open her own non-profit for black youth creatives
Cameron McEwen
archival fellow
Cameron McEwen is an arts administrator and MA candidate in art history at Tulane University. His research focuses on contemporary Black art, performance, and social practice within the United States. They obtained a BA in art history from Boston College and previously held positions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and at the Richard H. Driehaus Museum in Chicago.