Coralville Arts Commission Hosts Diversity Workshop

Local arts organizations and individuals are invited to Developing Diversity, Elevating Equity in an effort to expand our understanding and affect inclusive change. Led by Jonny Stax, MSW, this two-part workshop will allow local arts organizations to come together and learn new approaches to communicating, planning, facilitating, and evaluating shared work that strengthens the diversity, equity, and inclusion of organizations and communities.

Developing Diversity illuminates the value of diversity in art, nature, industry, and personal interactions. Participants walk away with a personal articulation of why diversity matters to them and a greater knowledge of what it will take to realize diversity in their lives. Elevating Equity explores the costs of some people holding most of the power and taking up most of the space.

Participants walk out with an articulation of how that dynamic keeps us from accessing the benefits of diversity and a frame for approaching interactions and building institutions differently. The concepts and skills gained in these workshops are applicable in professional, community, and personal settings.

Our goal is to join forces, discover ways to collaborate, and combine energies in expanding arts opportunities to all corners of our community.

Target audience: Local performing arts organization boards and representatives, interested community members, other arts organizations, community leaders/

Cost: Pay what you are able at the event

To register: https://goo.gl/forms/EtpN2wRTvC6qjzcg1

Questions? - Please contact Chris Okiishi at cokiishi@gmail.com or 319-621-5179

About the presenter: For more than twenty years, Jonny Stax has worked with boards of directors, executive leadership, faculty, and staff from local, regional, and national public health and performing arts organizations, as well as academic institutions and social, economic, and environmental justice concerns. He has partnered with adaptive organizations, individuals, and communities that enlist his expertise for meeting and retreat facilitation, board development, executive coaching, strategic planning, curating conference and event activities, and leading diversity/equity/inclusion processes. He earned his Master of Social Work degree in 1998 from University of Washington where he subsequently served on faculty. His work has taken him to Chicago, New York City, Washington, DC, Seattle, across California, and he is currently building an art farm in the Iowa river valley.

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