Madame Walker Theatre Center Announces New Director of Marketing and Programs

The historic Madame Walker Theatre Center recently hired Malina Simone Jeffers as Director of Marketing and Programs. Jeffers, an Indianapolis native, studied both Advertising and Fine Art at Ball State University before a career at Emmis Communications and then the Arts Council of Indianapolis. Jeffers brings over five years of experience in arts and journalism to The Walker. "I am absolutely thrilled and honored to join the team at the Indianapolis gem that is The Walker. There is an incredible amount of history involved here and the potential of the building and Indiana Avenue blows me away. I couldn't let this opportunity slip out of my hands. I had to work here." explains Malina "Mali" Jeffers.

At the Arts Council of Indianapolis, Jeffers served as Arts Services Manager and worked closely with arts organizations and local artists. She managed such projects as Art & Soul in the Artsgarden, the Great Ideas Competition and Picture Windows: Urban Interpretations. Jeffers will help to develop new and relevant programming and implement innovative marketing ideas for The Walker Theatre Center. "I plan to really engage the community and encourage them to rethink The Walker. New partnerships will be made with area organizations. New programs to involve both performing and visual artists will occur. A new Walker, and Indiana Avenue, is on the horizon."

Jeffers joins Terry Whitt Bailey, recently hired as The Walker's President & CEO. "Mali brings a passion for the arts with a precision for determining what we need to share our organization's story." said Bailey. "I couldn't be happier to welcome her at this time in the life of The Walker."

The Madame Walker Theatre Center is a nonprofit arts and cultural organization that offers educational, performing arts and humanities programs that better lives through positive cultural experiences. Founded in 1979, the Center operates with a mission dedicated to nurturing and celebrating the arts from an African-American perspective. Designated a National Historic Landmark, The Walker Theatre makes Indianapolis one of the few American cities able to claim such tangible evidence of its rich African-American cultural history.