Arts & MuseumsThe Steering Committee

I am a theater director who also studied music while I was an undergrad. I have been drawn to the idea of the various arts departments and other groups at the college working more closely together ever since the inception of the Arts at Amherst Initiative in 2012. As the Initiative's mission has evolved, we are open to supporting ideas that create intersections between the arts and sciences, as well as other humanities. As I re-join the Initiative after a few years off, I'm especially interested in how we can showcase creative writing in performative ways, and to include voices that aren't always heard.

Before permanently settling in the US, I was director of the Lobkowicz [Art] Collections in Czech Republic. I joined the Mead in 2010 as a researcher for the Thomas Whitney collection of Russian art. In my current role as Study Room Manager and European Print Specialist, I coordinate artwork requests and installations for academic programs, and have curated and collaborated on several exhibitions.
For more than a decade I have co-facilitated “Collecting 101”, a program engaging students in acquiring art for the Mead while centering artists from underrepresented communities. I seek opportunities to integrate digital humanities and sciences into collection based projects, and to encourage interdisciplinary and intradepartmental use of the Mead’s collection. Last year I initiated a collaboration between the Mead and the Athletics department on an art project which will become a permanent initiative. As a new member of the AAI steering committee I look forward to learning and supporting creative, exciting, and community bridging undertakings.

Having just graduated from Amherst this past December, I am thrilled to continue my engagement with the arts community as the 2022-2023 Arts Coordinator. As a liberal arts student at heart, I resonate strongly with the Initiative's mission to defy departmental and disciplinary boundaries, and I am excited for the opportunity to help expand that vision. I hope to build a career in the field of public programming, so I cannot wait to see what invaluable experiences my year with the Arts at Amherst Initiative will offer. 

A founding member of the Arts at Amherst Initiative, I’m excited to serve again on the Steering Committee. In the early years of the Initiative I helped to organize annual interdepartmental arts festivals and other events. Inspired by the ways our Initiative has continued to evolve and expand, I’m interested in helping to foster a vibrant, creative, and visionary interdisciplinary arts community on campus and between our various departments. A saxophonist, composer, and writer, my teaching and research revolve around improvisation, networking and interactive technology, composition, and African American music.