Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2016
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
announces the The 2016 Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Fellows
Nine Fellows will join Co-Hosts Renée Fleming and Yo-Yo Ma at the Kennedy Center Arts Summit on Monday, April 25, 2016 Over the course of a year, Fellows will work with the Kennedy Center to promote their work and develop new artistic ideas and Initiatives that further Citizen Artistry within their own communities.
(WASHINGTON)—The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced the first class of its new Citizen Artist Fellows program, which recognizes artists across the country who utilize their art form for positive impact on communities small and large. These Citizen Artist Fellows will be a signature component of the annual Kennedy Center Arts Summit, to be held on Monday, April 25, 2016 in the Kennedy Center Theater Lab. The Summit, co-hosted by Renée Fleming and Yo-Yo Ma, is a national platform for shining a spotlight on stories of Citizen Artists who live up to President John F. Kennedy’s ideals of service, justice, freedom, courage, and gratitude through exploration, innovation, and creativity.
Fellows will participate in and lead events over the course of the Summit, including a breakout session in which each Citizen Artist Fellow will spotlight their work and explore solutions for challenges they face in their individual fields. For their contributions to the arts and their commitment to the principles of President Kennedy’s legacy, the Fellows will receive national recognition and opportunities to showcase their voice and work in order to further their trajectory and impact.
As part of their role throughout the year, Citizen Artist Fellows will additionally receive support to work as a cohort on a shared community impact project. The inaugural class of Fellows include visionary musician and educator Aquil Charlton(Chicago, IL);Performer, educator, and founder of B-FLY ENTERTAINMENT, Paige Hernandez(Washington, D.C.);Conceptual artist, writer, curator, and community builder Davida Ingram(Seattle, WA);Electronic musician, producer, engineer, vocalist and healthcare sound designer Yoko K. Sen (Washington, D.C.);Gregg Mozgala, actor andArtistic Director of The Apothetae theater company(New York, NY); CJay Philip, Artistic Director of multidisciplinary ensemble Dance & Bmore(Baltimore, MD);Co-Founder of Power House Productions, artist and architect Gina Reichert(Detroit, MI); Monica Yunus, soprano and Co-Founder/Co-Executive Director of Sing for Hope(New York, NY); and Camille Zamora, soprano and Co-Founder/Co-Executive Director of Sing for Hope(New York, NY).T
The Kennedy Center Arts Summit will be held on Monday, April 25, 2016 in the Kennedy Center Theater Lab and will be live-streamed on the Kennedy Center website. The event will be co-hosted by world-renowned soprano and arts advocate Renée Fleming and legendary cellist and humanitarian Yo-Yo Ma, and is presented in collaboration with The Aspen Institute Arts Program and Citizen University.
