Virtual speaker series

Women Makers, Artists and Entrepreneurs

Collaborators: African American Fund of Bartholomew County, Columbus Area Arts Council and IUPUC Gender, Equity and Sexuality Studies

Featured Speakers:

• Taylor Staten, a Chicago native and resident who shared her passion and responsibility to build an awareness of Design Architecture particularly with children of color. Taylor emphasized that while students may love art and are skilled in math, they do not always realize that architecture can result from a marriage between those 2 subjects.

• Marja and Chasten Harmon were featured in the second segment of the lecture series exploring Stage work, Black Feminism, Film and the Performing Arts and Moderated by Aimee Zoeller, IUPUC. The Columbus natives shared insights into both the joys and the many challenges of navigating the entertainment industry for women and minorities. Both artists emphasized the criticalness of speaking up and supporting projects that create opportunities for inclusivity and ways of reimagining the workplace.

• The final segment of the series was entitled Language Matters featuring Dr. Kelli Morgan who is a curator, educator and social justice activist who specializes in American art and visual culture. Dr. Morgan’s commitment to the investigation of anti-blackness in this field explored how traditional art history and museums work. As a part of the curricula, students had the opportunity to meet virtually with all speakers prior to the talks. There was also an affiliated student internship to enhance the learning experience and build community partnerships.