The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Cultural Affairs Director Adriane Jefferson receives national award
NEW HAVEN — New Haveners are not the only ones who have noticed how city Cultural Affairs Director Adriane Jefferson has expanded the definition of her position well beyond simple support for arts and culture to embrace citywide cultural equity and anti-racism initiatives.
A national organization, Americans for the Arts, has awarded Jefferson its 2022 American Express Emerging Leader Award at the Americans for the Arts Annual Convention in Washington, D.C.
The award “recognizes an exceptional new and/or young arts professional for their exemplary leadership, deep engagement with community and strong commitment to advancing the arts,” the organization said in a release.
“Americans for the Arts has been a strong proponent for the advancement of new arts leadership, and Adriane Jefferson exemplifies that next generation,” said Nolen V. Bivens, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “She is a thought leader and her expertise and passion for the arts, diversity, access, inclusion, and social change makes her a true asset in community arts leadership.
“Adriane has dedicated her career to fostering a more equitable, vibrant, and sustainable arts landscape,” Bivens said. “I congratulate her for this recognition — she is a leader who highlights the transformative impact that the arts can have.”
Jefferson, who also serves as executive director of New Haven Festivals Inc., has worked in the arts and culture sector for more than 17 years and has served as the city’s director of cultural affairs since soon after Mayor Justin Elicker took office in 2020.
“I am extremely thankful to lead the city in cultural equity initiatives and that our city’s work is being recognized on a national platform,” Jefferson said. “The most important thing that I want people to know is that I couldn’t have accomplished this alone.
“The last two and half years has truly been about partnership, collaboration, listening and learning, so that we could move toward more equitable outcomes for the residents of our communities,” Jefferson said.
Mayor Justin Elicker and city Economic Development Administator Michael Piscitelli both also were pleased to see Jefferson get the recognition.
“Adriane Jefferson has demonstrated exemplary leadership in her role as the City of New Haven’s director of cultural affairs and in the creation of our Cultural Equity Plan — the first of its kind in the city and state,” said Elicker. “Adriane has brought people together from across the city and from all walks of life to celebrate the arts — and, importantly, done so in a way that elevates and centers artists and individuals who have all too often been ignored.
“New Haven is the cultural capital of Connecticut, and with Adriane’s continued leadership and the continued contributions of so many incredible artists, New Haven will continue to be the cultural capital of the state moving forward as well,” he said.
“Adriane’s work on cultural and racial equity is both inspiring and transcendent, moving us all toward a more just and inclusive society,” said Piscitelli. “Congratulations Adriane and thank you to the Americans for the Arts for recognizing true leadership at this important moment in time. “
As director of cultural affairs, Jefferson and her department have created the Arts for Anti-racism Pledge, The Unapologetically Radical Conference, and the city and state’s first-ever Cultural Equity Plan.
Prior to beginning work in New Haven, Jefferson was an arts program manager for the state Department of Economic and Community Development/Office of the Arts, where she developed programs such as The Arts Workforce Initiative paid employment program and the READI (Relevance, Equity, Access, Diversity, and Inclusion) music conference.
The latter placed hundreds of young creative workers of color in arts jobs and professional development opportunities across the state.
In her current position, Jefferson oversees the city’s membership in the Government Alliance of Race & Equity and has formed the Core Race Equity Task Force. Jefferson also is a member of the Closing Gaps Network, Living Cities Initiative, which provides ongoing leadership training on community organizing, anti-racism principles, equity assessments, and capacity building.
She also is a member of the Connecticut Arts Council, an advisory board member for New England Foundation for the Arts and an exofficio board member for the Shubert Performing Arts Center. Jefferson previously received the 40-Under-40 award from the Urban Professional Network and the 40-Under-40 award from CT Magazine.