By Kamra Hakim, ARAD Professional Development Coordinator

On Monday, October 28, the Arts Administration program was pleased to host Quanice Floyd, founder of the Arts Administrator of Color Network, as the keynote speaker before the 2019 Annual ARAD Internship fair.

Every fall, the ARAD program hosts an internship fair for the students, which includes a notable guest speaker working in the field fo Arts Administration. From this opportunity, students often find internships at these organizations where they are able to gain hands-on professional experience outside of the TC classroom.

Quanice Floyd was this year’s keynote speaker and shared her life story. She was born and raised in Staten Island and was inspired to pursue music at an early age. She began her music career as a composer and then an educator. She explained the connections between her career as an educator and the Arts Administration leadership work she does now. Quanice’s leadership skills, dedication to inclusion and accessibility, and leaning into mentorship has allowed Quanice to pave her way as an Arts Administrator.

Quanice Floyd giving her talk before the internship reception

It was inspiring to witness Quanice speak about the potential for Arts Administration, a traditionally white, colonial, exclusive field, to become more inclusive of diverse voices and provide access to wider audiences. A few years ago, Quanice founded the Arts Administrator of Color Network, the first non-profit dedicated to uplifting the careers of artists and Arts Administrators alike through professional development, leadership training, and community support.

Photo courtesy of the Arts Administration of Color Website

The Network hosts events and primarily supports artists and Arts Administrator of Color in the Maryland and D.C. metropolitan areas. On November 9-10, Quanice will be hosting the convention in Washington D.C., the only annual convention for and by people of color in the arts. Hundreds of arts and arts administrators will gather to experience a weekend of learning, networking, site visits, and community. Available are 20+ breakout sessions, 6 panels, 2 plenaries, site visits, receptions/parties, and unlimited networking and community building. Quanice’s network seeks to show the world that arts administrators of color do exist. Here is more information on Quanice’s network,  and her podcast, Art Accordingly.

ARAD students felt compelled by her journey and reported Quanice’s keynote helped mitigate anxious feelings before participating in the annual ARAD Internship Fair, where they had the opportunity to make connections and network with representatives from area arts organizations for potential internships.

Mingling at the Internship Fair