Internationally renowned audience development expert returns to Chicago

Internationally renowned audience development expert and visionary arts advocate returns to Chicago for an evening of community, culture and conversation Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project, iegaMoves and Move Me Soul present nationally recognized audience development expert Donna Walker-Kuhne. Chicago arts leaders, arts patrons, social, civic, professional, and faith organizations are invited to join a discussion of Walker-Kuhne’s new book, “Champions for the Arts: Successful Strategies for Engaging Dynamic Communities.” This free event will be held on Thursday, July 24, at 7 p.m. in the penthouse of the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St. Copies of “Champions for the Arts” will be available for sale at the event. Led by Laura G. Rice, Chicago Jazz Philharmonic’s executive director, this discussion highlights the visionary community engagement principles shaped by Walker-Kuhne — one of the nation’s foremost experts in audience development. “It’s an honor and a pleasure to engage in this discussion with Donna. I first worked with her on The Public Theater’s award-winning Broadway production, “Bring in Da Noise, Bring in da Funk” in New York City. Years later, she hired me as her marketing director. I bear witness to the power of Donna’s audience development philosophies and practices, which continue to center community and create equitable space for artists and audiences alike,” Rice enthuses. “This conversation is for arts leaders, students, and arts patrons interested in growing and sustaining powerful arts advocacy practices and engaged audiences through art, culture, and current social justice movements.” A native of Chicago, Walker-Kuhne studied at Mayfair Dance Academy as a child and later studied under Julian Swain, making her professional dance debut with his company. She is a founding member of Nawja Dance Corps, a graduate of Loyola University Chicago and Howard University School of Law and has spent her career developing successful strategies to increase access to the arts. A sought-after speaker by top performing arts organizations, Walker-Kuhne has traveled to five continents, 11 countries, and 49 states, sharing her expertise, skills, and experience. Her book synthesizes her findings from the last decade into an accessible text that provides sustainable, measurable community engagement strategies for leaders in the arts community—with a specific focus on ways to drill deeper into issues of diversity, inclusion and equity. “The arts create space for people to come together, see one another and build lasting connections,” said Walker-Kuhne. “At a time when so much of life feels fragmented, arts organizations have an opportunity — and a responsibility — to cultivate belonging. I’m honored to share strategies that help organizations deepen community engagement and inspire audiences to return with others.” Walker-Kuhne is president of Walker International Communications Group, Inc., a boutique marketing and audience development consulting agency that has operated for more than four decades. She is currently the senior advisor, social impact, at New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Her clients, past and present, include New York City Opera, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Whitney Museum of Art, HARLEM WEEK, Harlem Stage, The Black Orchestral Network, and 22 Broadway shows. She has helped leverage more than $23 million in earned income by promoting the arts to diverse communities. Walker-Kuhne is an adjunct professor at Columbia University and New York University and is the author of ‘Invitation to the Party,” “Champions for the Arts: Successful Strategies for Engaging Dynamic Communities.” For more information, visit events@logancenter, Click on Programs and Events and Click on 24.