I am happy to announce that we have officially launched EducArte, Inc., a new 501(c)3 non-profit organization that aims to build a vibrant cultural arts community through educational programs, bringing together artists, students, and audiences in music and dance. We have a wonderful board and our first event will take place tomorrow on Facebook Live and YouTube Live. It will be a performance and conversation about Brazilian jazz with guitarists and educators Geovane Santos and Richard Miller.
We were ready to embark on our first EducArte school visits back in March, just days after the COVID-19 lockdown began. As such, everything was postponed indefinitely, so we have had to re-strategize for our new reality in which we can only connect to people virtually. This has actually expanded our potential outreach and we are excited to collaborate with artists from all over the country and throughout the world. The pandemic has also give us some time to step back and think through the details of our business plan. We are excited for the potential of this organization to make real change.
We are also committed to responding to the other pandemic that we are currently living through—that is, the racism that pervades our country and has been put into high relief in recent months. While we feel that anti-racist practices and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is in the DNA of EducArte, we are working to ensure that that commitment is evident in every aspect of the organization, from our organizational plan, by laws, policies, programming, and curation.
Check out our new website at www.educarteinc.org. Watch this space as EducArte picks up steam and feel free to make a donation if you want to support. We are excited for what’s to come!