From Student to Alumni Leadership: AITA

    Something I have yet to write about on this blog is my experience with being on the leadership team of my alumni group, Alumni in the Arts (AITA). Back when I was a student in the Baruch Weissman Arts Administration MA program, which I attended 2018-2020 (wow, how time flies!) I was involved in the student organization, Graduate Arts Administration Network (GAAN). I wrote about that experience here, of being brought into the group, somewhat reluctantly, and ending up becoming the VP, then President. It was a wonderful opportunity for personal and professional growth, building leadership skills, and cultivating community. By the time I graduated, it felt like a natural progression to join the (then new) alumni group and build on the foundation we had laid and expand it to the broader Baruch network. 

    My partner in crime, as a student and as an alumna, is Anastasia Gudko. She is a bright, energetic person with an infectious enthusiasm for everything she does. If not for Anastasia, I know I would never have gotten involved in GAAN or AITA. Together we have done a lot of  good work for the Baruch community of arts and cultural workers. As volunteers, I will admit that sometimes this work feels underappreciated, but that's why I think it is important to remind ourselves of the value of what we're doing, mark milestones, and celebrate when possible. The last two years have been extra challenging- graduating in the midst of a global pandemic - but we continue to push forward with AITA, building community and paving the way for more alumni in the arts to join in. 

    Below I have included images of some of the events and milestones we have marked with AITA. The current leadership team consists of Alessia DeFrancesco (Graphic Designer), Vi Tagala (Social Media Manager), Hannah Kolb (Student Liaison), Anastasia and myself. 

Potluck Picnic in Central Park, June 2021

Outing to Madison Square Park, 2021

Results from our Virtual Mentorship Week for Arts & Cultural Professionals, collaboration with Executives on Campus 2021

Virtual interactive event we produced in 2020: How the Arts Can Sustain the Momentum to Confront Racism

Invitation for mentors to participate in our mentorship week 2021

Alumni Spotlight social media series featuring alumni who work in arts administration, 2022

Instagram Takeover series featuring "a day in the life" of alumni who work at cultural institutions, 2022

AITA year n review, 2020

AITA year in review 2021

Increasing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at NYC Cultural institutions

For the last two and a half years, I have been a student in the Weissman Arts Administration Master's program at Baruch College in New York City. And for the last semester, I have been working on my capstone project and writing my M.A. thesis. I graduated on June 8th, 2020. My thesis was nominated for the Marlow Prize in Arts Leadership 2019/20. Although I didn't win, it's still a great honor. This article is about my capstone and thesis, and why I think it's important.

Before I go into detail about my project, I want to share why I chose it. For the last five years, I have been involved in a number of art-related "passion projects." Many of them landed me within circles of people and organizations, such as the phenomenal Dr. Marta Moreno Vega at Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, working to advance cultural equity and social justice through arts and culture. I've been lucky enough to work on a few substantial projects which followed the creation of and directly affected the development of NYC Department of Cultural Affairs' (DCLA) first ever cultural plan, called CreateNYC, published in 2017. One major tenet of the plan was diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within NYC's cultural institutions. Since the plan's release, there has been an Action Plan (2019) with related DEI programs and initiatives launched. 

This kind of work is important to me because I understand the impact, personally. I come from a working-class, first-generation Puerto Rican and Ukrainian, multi-ethnic/racial background. I'm what they call a "non-traditional student." I am also a "first-generation college student" and "lifetime learner." My road has been a winding one. My college career started out as a teenager at BMCC (CUNY) for my A.A., then as an adult at Hunter (CUNY) for my B.A., and later at Baruch (CUNY) achieving my M.A. I know first hand how important CUNY is. I understand how CUNY offers an accessible entry-point (or for me, various entry-points) for people striving towards higher education; those who might not want to, or be able to attend other universities for a myriad of reasons.

It is CUNY's accessibility and affordability which make the student body incredibly diverse, both socioeconomically and in terms of race and ethnicity. Because of this great diversity, the DCLA decided to partner with CUNY to create initiatives meant to help increase DEI at cultural institutions, as was the call made by the cultural plan. One such initiative, CUNY Cultural Corps, offers students paid internships at arts organizations. 

During my time as a grad student at Baruch, I noticed some things that made me question the DCLA's Action Plan and CUNY's Cultural Corps program. Particularly, I questioned the functionality of DEI initiatives as they related to graduate students like myself who were studying the specialized field of arts administration. From there, I came up with the idea for my capstone project, CUNY as Cultural Conduit: Pathways for Arts Administration Graduate Students Towards Securing Leadership Positions and Increasing DEI at NYC's Cultural Institutions. I have included the thesis Abstract, below. 

     This capstone project aims to identify gaps, increase communication, connections, and opportunities in creating a more culturally diverse and equitable pathway towards leadership positions at New York City's arts and cultural institutions. Through consulting for the Baruch College (CUNY) Weissman School of Arts and Sciences MA program in Arts Administration, I use it as a particular focus and example of professional leadership training, and make a case as to why this talent pool should and may be incorporated into a road toward leadership positions at New York City cultural institutions, and assisting in increasing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) therein. 

     According to research findings of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) Cultural Plan, CreateNYC (2017), "Staff and leadership of the city's arts and cultural sector should more fully reflect the diversity of our city's population," with a strategy being to, "Support programs that promote arts and culture career pathways for individuals in underserved communities, such as DCLA/CUNY Cultural Corps." Yet three years after the plan's release, the administration struggles to implement accountability measures for cultural institutions or create a viable talent pathway toward leadership positions (as noted at City Council hearing at City Hall, Sept 17th, 2019, "Oversight - Diversity in Cultural Institutions and The New York City DCLA Workforce Demographics Pilot Study- Findings, Results, and Next Steps”). While it is true that CUNY Cultural Corps has provided paid internship opportunities to undergraduate students, CUNY graduate-level students majoring in specialized Arts Administration programs were left out until recently being incorporated into the program as of Fall 2020.   

     Through a series of interviews with arts and cultural professionals who are directly involved in or knowledgeable about policies and practices related to Arts Administration graduate programs, public policy, hiring practices and DEI initiatives, I have gained an understanding of current trends and programs in place for students aiming for careers in the arts and cultural field. By researching scholarly literature and gathering data on aforementioned topics, I have analyzed my findings in terms of the need, potential, and proven strategies towards increasing DEI in cultural organizations. Finally, I have identified areas of opportunity for the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences MA program in Arts Administration, including but not limited to those offered by the DCLA/CUNY Cultural Corps

In the midst of my last semester at Baruch, and while writing my thesis, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The good news is that I had a lot of time to sit at home to research and write. I presented my thesis on May 18th to my program director, David Milch, and a group of my peers, on Zoom. I also had my graduation commencement ceremony on Zoom, June 8th.

During the time in-between, a major uprising sparked across the U.S. as a result of the murder of a Black man in Minneapolis, MN, named George Floyd, at the hands of the police. Protests abound as people of all walks of life passionately call for systemic racism to be identified and remedied, once and for all. Corporations and institutions - including many arts organizations - have released statements of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, and rejecting racism.

However, when we look at the arts and cultural field specifically, the inequities have historically been, and are still stark. Many arts and cultural workers have been saying publicly that these organizations will have to do better than releasing a mere statement, they will have to put the long-term work to increase diversity and address the structural racism present within their own systems.

With that said, I plan on taking the ideas presented within my thesis and advocating for them to be brought to fruition as one small part of the process of dismantling inequitable structures so prevalent in our field. I believe that DEI programs, in conjunction with policy and system change, will be necessary in creating new pathways towards diversifying the arts and cultural field, as we collectively begin to address these issues.

I will end with an excerpt from a statement recently released by Gonzalo Casals, one of my former professors, mentor, and newly-appointed Commissioner of the DCLA.

Let’s talk about gatekeeping. Let’s examine the power dynamics in our daily interactions in order to understand how our decisions risk perpetuating a system of oppression. No one should be waiting for this moment to pass and for things to “return to normal.” Our new normal has to be constant engagement in the work of undoing racial injustice through examination and collective action.

[If you would like to  request a copy of my thesis or want updates on the follow-up work related to my project, please feel free to contact me via email.]

Graduation Amidst a Pandemic

     At the beginning of the Spring 2020 semester, my final semester at Baruch, I became the President of our student organisation: the Weissman Graduate Arts Administration Network (GAAN). By March, the world was in a whirlwind of pandemic problems. For students, that meant completing courses online and those who are graduating this June are preparing to do so virtually. To sum up my experience being the President of GAAN during this uncertain time, I decided to post the farewell message I wrote for our newsletter, here. 

Dear Friends and Colleagues, I hope this message finds you and your loved ones well. As we near the end of the Spring 2020 Semester, I am writing my last email newsletter as the President of GAAN. I am preparing to graduate from the program and leave this group in the hands of my trusty Executive Board colleagues: Mitchell-Lee Van Rooij (VP), Sarah Kearns (Treasurer), and Kym Boyce (Secretary).  As you may know, at the beginning of this semester, GAAN held one General Interest Meeting and we were working diligently on planning exciting events for us to participate in together. Specifically, we were planning a Professional Development Exchange special event Self-care for Artists and Arts Administrators; GAAN Explorers special event Audience Engagement at MoMA; and of course an end of semester/graduation party. No one could have predicted that a pandemic would hit and that our campus would be closed.  Obviously, the closure put a damper on our plans for Spring 2020, however, we didn’t let it stop us. We have continued to plan for the future of GAAN being a voice, resource and network for students in the Arts Administration program. In the meantime, we have been sharing important information on our GAAN social media pages and participating in Zoom meetings to touch base with our classmates. We submitted our budget proposals which were approved for the next academic year, and in 20/21 we expect the aforementioned events to take place, and even more happenings to enhance the Arts Administration student experience as GAAN grows.  We have decided to postpone our GAAN Executive Board Elections until next semester when things should be easier to coordinate in transitioning a new team on board. I would like to urge those of you who are interested in student leadership to consider running for a position to be on the GAAN E-Board.  Speaking from experience, first being VP in Fall 2019 and then President in Spring 2020, participating in GAAN was one of the best things that came out of my time at Baruch. At times it was challenging and required a lot of work. But in the end, I was able to contribute to building a group that I believe has and will have value for our community of students and cultural leaders. I was able to gain leadership, administrative, and group-building skills in a hands-on way that I could not have learned in a classroom. Most importantly, I had the opportunity to work and create relationships with some extraordinary people. Luckily, some of the students who’ve come before me have been active in creating a new Baruch Alumni in the Arts Network (AITA) which I plan on becoming involved with. During this transitional time, I hope to create a strong link between GAAN and AITA that continues on into the future. As I said in the very first GAAN Professional Development Exchange, “We are our own best resource,” and I believe that wholeheartedly.  Moving forward, in spite of the challenges we face, my student cohort and I will be graduating this semester and it’s a great accomplishment. Our commencement ceremony will not be held at Barclays as planned, but instead on Zoom. Our Weissman Arts Administration MA Hooding Ceremony will be postponed until a time when we can all come together for a formal in-person ceremony. I’ll be looking forward to that very much. In the meantime, I’m happy to announce that I have been working along with some of my GAAN friends and the chapter co-founders of Young Professionals in the Arts (YPA) on an exciting project. We will be presenting for the AAAE Conference on Wednesday June 10th, with an online program called From Arts Admin Programs into the Real World: How to Set Up Students for Success. There are lots of interesting programs scheduled throughout the conference with tickets available for low or no cost. I will post all of the details below - we hope you will attend. Even though this topsy-turvy semester is coming to a close, it’s not over yet -  we still have a few more things to do. See info and links below. Thank you for everything. Keep in touch! Sincerely, Lorie Caval GAAN President, Spring 2020 linkedin.com/in/lorie-travesia www.loriecaval.com

AAAE ONLINE CONFERENCE SERIES: 2020 VISION FOR STUDENT SUCCESS Association of Arts Administration Educators (AAAE) - As the field of arts administration continues to grow and evolve, what skills do students of arts management need to succeed on campus and once they join the workforce? How do we adequately prepare the next generation of arts managers for their professional work via pedagogical approaches and other forms of support? The in-person conference (originally scheduled for May 28-30 at Baruch College, NYC) has been cancelled, but the 2020 conference will proceed virtually as a series of online sessions to be held every week day in May and June. Graduate Arts Administration Network (GAAN) and Young Professionals in the Arts (YPA) will be presenting during this 2020 online edition with a program called, From Arts Admin Programs into The Real World: How to Set Up Students for Success. Please check out this link for more info: https://aaaeconference.sched.com/event/c1ys/from-arts-admin-programs-into-the-real-world-how-to-set-up-students-for-success A note from. AAAE: We welcome all to participate in the AAE Conference, regardless of ability to pay. However, we would appreciate support for the financial shortfall its cancellation has caused the organization. For those who have or are graduating from the program, check out Baruch Alumni in the Arts (AITA) The AITA leadership team (Anastasia Gudko+ Jessica Epstein + Cathy Price), together with fellow Art Administrators have developed a plan and vision for the future of our community. Stay tuned for updates!  If you are interested in joining an Event Planning Committee or the Leadership of AITA, please send an email to baruch.aita@gmail.com Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/760590424383456/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8777229/ Something for all 2020 graduates   *May 15 - Pres Obama High School Commencement Address *May 15 - Pres Obama HSBU Collegiate Commencement Address *May 16 - Oprah Commencement Address *June 6 - Barack and Michelle Obama and Lady Gaga Collegiate Commencement Addresses. https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/barack-michelle-obama-youtube-graduation-bts-lady-gaga Baruch Commencement 2020 Baruch College is working out the details to host a Virtual Commencement experience on Monday, June 8. Creative students, faculty, and staff are working together to ensure that the virtual celebration is special and memorable for all graduates and their families and friends around the world. For more information go to the Student Life Website: https://studentaffairs.baruch.cuny.edu/studentlife/commencement/ Each term, Baruch College goes through an evaluation process for our instructors and courses with the goal of making them better. We can't accomplish this without your comments and suggestions. This information will provide us with concrete steps we can take to improve our classes. *Help make classes better for everyone *The survey takes just a few minutes of your time *Your contributions will be anonymous *See evaluation results about 6-to-8 weeks after the semester ends If you have not received your personalized link, goto: Sincerely, Lorie Caval, President - Mitchell-lee van Rooij, Vice President - Kimberly Boyce-Lazare, Secretary - Sarah Kearns, Treasurer. Weissman School of Arts and Science Graduate Arts Admin Network (GAAN), Executive Board Members Spring 2020. Facebook Email Instagram

So GAAN, So Good

2019 has really zoomed by! The New Year – and new decade – is upon us. So many things have happened this year, I have barely had any time to write any blog posts. What’s taken up most of my spare time was school and studying, but also being on the Executive Board of my student organization. The organization, Weissman Graduate Arts Administration Network (GAAN for short) is something I got involved in last year, as a student in my cohort (James Stanton) founded it as his thesis capstone project. But then he graduated and as the e-board had to be reelected, somehow, I became Vice President for the Fall 2019 semester. “It will be easy,” they said – “It will barely take up any time,” they said. Famous last words.

In reality, being on the e-board of GAAN as VP in Fall 2019, has been fun, as well as a challenge and learning experience. Yes, it is a lot of work, especially since the organization is new, my colleagues – Anastasia Gudko (Pres), Federica Mei (Treasurer), Daveneal Duncan (Secretary) – and I had to put a lot of effort into organizing and professionalizing procedures. And since it is still a small group, the work was all ours to complete. In the end, we surpassed our responsibilities in terms of sustaining an official student organization within Baruch College, and I’m happy to say that it is thriving and growing.

Personally, I was able to utilize some of the skills that I already had, but more importantly, I discovered some new goals and interests. Back in the Spring of 2019, I conceptualized an event for GAAN called the Professional Development Exchange (PDE), subtitled “We Are Our Own Best Resource.” I started by gathering information from students in the program, to identify the most pressing issues in relation to being arts administration grad students looking to secure jobs in the field. With that, I invited a cross-section of students with different levels of experience to participate in a roundtable-style discussion, which I moderated. The PDE turned out to be part professional development, part therapy session, and (to me) felt like a Social Practice art project. Success! 

The success of the PDE lead me to want to work on more professional development projects for GAAN. I always knew that I had a love for event production, but also realized that I very much enjoy being a moderator and facilitator. Who knew?! After becoming VP in Fall 2019, I would have ample opportunity to do this. First, we scheduled our mandatory General Interest Meeting (GIM), within which Anastasia thought it would be a good idea to include a segment called, Success Stories Sessions, which would include one student and one program alumni discussing a recent successful arts-related endeavor, and me as moderator. The SSS worked out very well within the GIM format, where we also made general announcements and encouraged students to participate and take advantage of our club. 

Next, we coordinated with the Director of Baruch Graduate Career Services to collaborate on a larger event called GAAN Insiders. This was to be a moderated panel discussion, featuring five program alumni who are leaders in the arts and cultural field. For this I utilized the power of polling once again, and asked program students and alumni what their most pressing career-related issues were, as well as whom they might like to suggest as panelists. In building our list, I consciously kept in mind the need for a well-balanced and diverse panel in terms of race, gender and professional discipline. We came up with a dream-team, consisting of  Liz Tuncer (Director at Samuel Owen Gallery); Iyvon Edebiri (Artistic Director of The Parsnip Ship, Associate Producer at ArKtype Productions and Public Forum Assistant at The Public Theater); Matthew Brookshire (Major Gifts Officer at The Actors Fund); and Milena Deleva (Executive Director at Elizabeth Kostova Foundation); and moderator, Paola Francisquini (Development Consultant, AnnexB). Being a larger and more complicated event, it required quite a bit more planning and preparation – from promotions through production. In the end, GAAN Insiders was a great success also. In addition to providing useful and inspiring information, it also created a new pathway for current students and alumni to connect with one another.


While GAAN is still relatively small, my colleagues and I have out in have laid a good foundation for our network to grow. So far, we have been recognized by our program directors at Baruch, mentioned on social media posts, and had an article written about us in the Baruch Ticker newspaper.


At the end of the day, being a part of GAAN has provided me with an incredible network of friends and colleagues. It has also enabled me to hone some familiar skills and cultivate new ones which I will carry with me into my professional life as an arts administrator. As VP I’ve had to embrace a leadership role and constantly reflect on what that means in the GAAN context, as I prepare to become President of the club in the Spring 2020 semester. My current e-board cohort are all graduating, but I hope to be working with them still, as they join the new Baruch Arts Admin Alumni Club, officially launching in January 2020. A new GAAN e-board has been elected – Mitchell-Lee Van Rooij (VP), Sarah Kearns (Treasurer), Kimberly Boyce-Lazare (Secretary) – and we have already started working on projects for the Spring 2020 semester.


As a grad student with a full-time job, an art practice, and other responsibilities, taking on this role has definitely not been as easy as I had thought; but like they say, “Nothing good comes easy.” And so far, being a part of GAAN has definitely been good.

Group shot from GAAN General Interest Meeting, Fall 2019

GAAN E-Board Fall 2019

Group shot from GAAN General Interest Meeting, Fall 2019

GAAN Insiders panel discussion Fall 2019

GAAN Insiders panel discussion Fall 2019

GAAN Insiders panel discussion Fall 2019

GAAN Insiders panel discussion Fall 2019

GAAN Insiders panel discussion Fall 2019

GAAN Insiders after-party at Tara Rose

GAAN Insiders after-party at Tara Rose

GAAN Explorers painting workshop Fall 2019

GAAN Explorers painting workshop Fall 2019

GAAN Holiday & End of Semester Celebration at Tara Rose

GAAN Holiday & End of Semester Celebration at Tara Rose

GAAN Holiday & End of Semester Celebration at Tara Rose

E-Board-Elect announcement for Spring 2020