The Impacts of the Artist Employment Program

February 6 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
IMPORTANT UPDATE

Due to inclement weather expected in the Albany area on Thursday (2/6), this event will now be fully remote. The program remains largely unchanged and we look forward to seeing you virtually!

JOIN US FOR THIS HALF-DAY CONFERENCE!

The Artist Employment Program (AEP) was a two-year program that funded employment for 300 artists working in collaboration with community-based organizations across New York State. In concert with Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY), which ran the program, researchers from the Rockefeller Institute evaluated the impacts of AEP. Join us for this event featuring panel and group discussions between artists, organization representatives, researchers, and policymakers about the program’s impacts and implications for future policy.

View the event program below, including presentation details and speaker bios and headshots.

In-person registration for the event is now closed but you can still register for the livestream.

Schedule

  • 1:00 PM – 1:10 PM

    Program Start

    Rockefeller Institute Director of Labor Policy Maria Figueroa calls attendees into the space and goes over housekeeping items, including step-by-step instructions on how to access the Spanish interpretation via Zoom remote simultaneous interpretation.

  • 1:10 PM – 1:15 PM

    Welcoming Remarks

    Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna offers welcoming remarks.

  • 1:15 PM – 1:30 PM

    Opening Remarks: NYS Assemblymember Harry Bronson

    Opening remarks from New York State Assemblymember Harry Bronson.

  • 1:30 PM – 1:45 PM

    Overview of the Evaluation Report

    Rockefeller Institute Director of Labor Policy Maria Figueroa provides an overview of the evaluation report findings.

  • 1:45 PM – 2:00 PM

    A Reading

    Baltasar Jiménez López, a storyteller from the Workers’ Center of Central New York, performs a reading. AEP Artist Víctor María Chamán offers remarks. (This reading will be in Spanish with simultaneous interpretation into English.)

  • 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

    Panel 1: Impacts of the Artist Employment Program

    Researcher Sol Aramendi moderates a panel discussion with AEP artists and organizations.

    Panelists:
    • Víctor María Chamán, Writer
    • Yohance Bailey, Photographer
    • Ellen Blalock, Artist
    • Juanita Lara, BronxNet

  • 3:00 PM – 3:15 PM

    Break + Performance

    A break in the programming with a performance by artist Dan Hill in the Music Room.

  • 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM

    Panel 2: Implications for Future Policy

    Rockefeller Institute Director of Labor Policy Maria Figueroa moderates a discussion focused on implications of the findings for future policy, funding, and private sector initiatives.

    Panelists:
    • Bella Desai, CRNY
    • Greer Smith, CEO, TRANSART
    • Angel Vasquez, Senior Labor Advisor to the Governor
    • Odo Butler, Associate Labor Commissioner for Research and Policy

  • 4:00 PM – 4:10 PM

    Closing Keynote from CRNY

    Sarah Calderón, executive director of Creatives Rebuild New York, offers closing remarks.

Panelists and Speakers

Sol Aramendi

Sol Aramendi

Professor, Harry Van Arsdale Jr. School of Labor Studies, Empire State University

Sol Aramendi is a socially engaged artist working at the intersection of immigration, labor, and art, advocating for fair labor practices and immigrant rights. She is a professor at SUNY’s Harry Van Arsdale Jr. School of Labor Studies and an independent researcher. As the founder of Project Luz, a nomadic community program, she uses art to amplify immigrant stories and engage Spanish-speaking audiences in labor issues within cultural institutions. Aramendi was part of the Artist Think Tank for the Artist Employment Program at Creatives Rebuild New York and serves as a teaching artist at The Noguchi Museum and Queens Library.

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Yohance Bailey

Yohance Bailey

Artist

Yohance Bailey is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker based in Binghamton, NY. Originally from Guyana, Yohance’s career began with a passion for storytelling and capturing authentic moments, which led him to establish Yohance Bailey Photography. Known for his exceptional food and portrait photography, Yohance has been recognized as one of the top 10 food photographers in upstate New York. He is also the co-founder of Blackfern Media, a dynamic production company blending creativity and innovation to deliver cutting-edge visual and marketing solutions for businesses. Yohance’s work is rooted in using media to comfort, confront, and inspire, making meaningful connections through every project.

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Ellen Blalock

Ellen Blalock

Artist

Ellen M. Blalock, narrative artist and documentarian, believes her job is to listen and tell stories of the ignored and underrepresented, to raise awareness of human conditions, social injustices, and cultural diversities. Some of the topics she has addressed include the Deaf community, LGBTQ families, African American teen fathers, trauma and mental health in Black communities, mothers of murdered children, and Somali refugees. She works in several mediums: quilting/fiber, photography, video, drawing, and art installation. She loves to build fiber and craft workshops to connect people to share oral histories and genealogy. Originally from Philadelphia, PA, she has lived in Central New York for most of her life. Blalock has a BFA from Temple University and MFA from Syracuse University.

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Harry B. Bronson

Harry B. Bronson

Assemblymember District 138, New York State Assembly

Harry Bronson has been serving in the New York State Assembly since 2010, where he represents the diverse 138th district, which includes several neighborhoods in the City of Rochester, the suburban town of Henrietta, and the rural villages of Churchville and Riga.

Fighting for social justice, labor reforms, fair wages, health care access, LGBTQ+ protections, equality, and fairness have been a lifelong endeavor. He currently serves as chair of the Assembly Labor Committee where he is dedicated to increasing worker protection and rights, workplace safety, and making sure we have an economy that works for everyone.

Bronson previously served as chair of the Assembly Committee for Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce, and Industry, where he prioritized increasing equity in our workforce and ensuring our investments in economic development are complemented by investments in workforce development so our emerging and expanding industries can access skilled workers and our families have greater opportunity for middle-class jobs with family-sustaining wages.

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, he is committed to equality for all people, which informs his professional and legislative priorities. Harry’s work embraces and promotes the simple principle that all human beings have dignity and, “No matter who you are, where you come from, what you look like, what your abilities, whom you love, or how you identify—we all have dignity and deserve equity, justice, and opportunity.”

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Odo Butler

Odo Butler

Associate Commissioner for Policy, Strategy and Research, NYS Department of Labor

Odo Butler oversees the NYS Department of Labor’s Division of Research and Statistics, the primary source of labor market information in New York State. He has also overseen the development of various tools for programs to understand their data better and for the public to have easier access to labor market information. Butler has over 15 years of experience in the public sector, higher education, and the US Navy. Before joining NYS DOL, he was the director of Institutional Research at American International College and SUNY Schenectady. Butler has a doctorate degree in law and policy from Northeastern University, a master’s degree in history and political science from the College of St. Rose, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University at Albany.

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Sarah Calderón

Sarah Calderón

Executive Director, Creatives Rebuild New York

Sarah Calderón is the Executive Director of Creatives Rebuild New York. Previously, Sarah was the Managing Director of ArtPlace America from 2015 to 2020. In this role, Sarah led strategy, finance and operations, management, and grantmaking strategies for higher education. Previously, she was the Executive Director of Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education (Bronx, NY) from 2008 to 2015. During her tenure at Casita, she oversaw the opening of a new, 90,000-square-foot facility for the Center’s arts and education programming and developed partnerships with organizations ranging from Lincoln Center to the NYC Housing Authority. Before joining Casita, she founded and ran Stickball Printmedia Arts in East Harlem, a printmaking and digital arts organization for youth. Prior to that, Sarah was with the NYC Department of Education creating the Annual Arts in Schools Report—a data collection, analysis, and reporting effort for arts education in NYC’s public schools. She also consulted at MPR Associates, managing education research and evaluation projects from design through publication. She has worked as a teaching artist in Chicago, Oakland, and New York City. Sarah holds a BFA in printmaking and a BA in psychology from the University of Michigan; and an M.Ed. in arts education from Harvard University.

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Víctor María Chamán

Víctor María Chamán

Artist

Writer Víctor María Chamán was born in Mexico in the early nineties. He moved to Texas to attend college at the height of the war for Torreón, his hometown. He holds degrees from UT Austin and Syracuse University’s MFA program. He has been the recipient of national writing prizes including the Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics and the Southwest Review Nathan Meyerson Prize in Fiction, among others.

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Bella Desai

Bella Desai

Director of Strategic Initiatives, Artist Employment Program, for Creatives Rebuild New York

Bella Desai is Director of Strategic Initiatives, Artist Employment Program, for Creatives Rebuild New York. Previously, Bella led Exhibition Education and Public Programs for 14 years at the American Museum of Natural History. Bella brings deep expertise in informal education, public programs, and a diverse range of media arts. She is passionate about the intersection of art, science, and social impact. She is an experienced producer and creative problem-solver who creates bridges between disparate interests towards a common goal. Bella is a skilled partnership developer and program strategist, conceiving vision and defining plans for new project ventures. Prior to the Museum, she was Manager of Content Strategy and Partnership Development at Sesame Workshop India and Educational Outreach Coordinator at WGBH in Boston. As Web Producer of Education at National Geographic from 2000-2004, she managed online education strategy and producing award-winning interactive features. Bella holds a B.S. in Geology & Geophysics and History from Yale University and an Ed.M. in Technology, Innovation, and Education from Harvard University.

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Maria Figueroa

Maria Figueroa

Director of Labor Policy, Rockefeller Institute of Government

Maria Figueroa is director of labor policy at the Rockefeller Institute. Her areas of expertise include labor and employment policy, non-standard (gig economy) work, immigration, labor organizations, and workforce development. Her work appeared in academic journals and book chapters covering labor issues in the digital platform economy and in sectors such as construction, healthcare, and the arts and entertainment industry. Prior to joining the Rockefeller Institute, Figueroa was dean of the Harry Van Arsdale Jr. School of Labor Studies at SUNY Empire State. In that role, she oversaw the school’s academic programs and all other operational aspects, and she achieved new partnerships with labor organizations to provide opportunities for workforce development with pathways to college degrees for workers in industries across the economy, including low-wage sectors. Before joining SUNY Empire, Figueroa was director of labor policy research at The Worker Institute of Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR), where she worked on research and technical assistance projects commissioned by labor organizations, government agencies, joint labor-management entities, and private foundations. She also organized national and international multi-stakeholder convenings on labor and employment issues in the gig economy. Before joining Cornell, Figueroa worked as a researcher for the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and the UN Centre on Transnational Corporations. Figueroa has a doctor of law and policy degree from Northeastern University, an MPA from NYU Wagner, and a BA from the New School for Social Research.

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Dan Hill

Dan Hill

Artist

Dan Hill (Cayuga Nation, Heron Clan) is a Haudensaunee artist and musician who specializes in traditional silversmithing and wooden flute making. He has been an artist for most of his life, in all manner of fields and usually whatever is traditional and even back to pre-colonial, if possible. It has always been his dream to be where he is and work. He still has more dreams.

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Juanita Lara

Juanita Lara

Director of Development, BronxNet

Juanita Lara is the Director of Development at BronxNet, the public access television station for the Bronx. For more than three decades, BronxNet has provided educational programming and broadcast services to the Bronx Community. Additionally, Juanita is a performance artist, and has worked in Theater as a producer, director and performer. She is also an artist educator, and has taken her knowledge and experience in development and fundraising to train and support artists in grant writing and project development. Most recently providing a grant writing and artist statement workshop series in collaboration with Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance and West Harlem Arts Alliance. 

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Baltasar Jiménez López

Baltasar Jiménez López

Artist

Born in Cruz del Rosario, municipality of Las Margaritas, Chiapas, México. Son of farmworkers. He left his parents at the age of seven to continue his elementary school education and later, middle and high school. He studied industrial engineering in college, and later devoted himself to the planning of agricultural productive projects for community and indigenous groups. Because of a lack of work in his hometown, he has immigrated two times to the USA.

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Robert Megna

Robert Megna

President, Rockefeller Institute of Government

Robert Megna is president of the Rockefeller Institute of Government. He previously served as senior vice chancellor and chief operating officer of SUNY System Administration. In that role, he oversaw the operations of the chief information officer, the State University of New York (SUNY) Plaza business functions, capital facilities, campus energy management, and the Charter School Institute. He joined SUNY System Administration from Stony Brook University, where he served as senior vice president for finance and administration. Prior to joining Stony Brook, he served as executive director of the New York State Thruway Authority and New York State Canal Corporation.

Megna served as budget director for the New York State Division of the Budget (DOB), during which time the state achieved its highest financial rating in 40 years from three major credit rating agencies and passed four on-time budgets for the first time since the 1970s. He also chaired multiple governmental boards, including the Financial Restructuring Board, the New York Racing Association, and the Public Authorities Control Board. Megna has also served as commissioner for the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, director of the revenue and economics unit at DOB, assistant commissioner of the office of tax policy at the Virginia Department of Taxation, director of tax studies at the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, and deputy director of fiscal studies on the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.

Megna earned an MS in economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science at the University of London and received both his BA in Economics and MPA from Fordham University.

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Greer Smith

Greer Smith

Founder, TRANSART & Cultural Services, Inc.

Greer Smith is the founder of TRANSART & Cultural Services, Inc. TRANSART uses the transformative power of art to advance and preserve the art, history, and popular culture of peoples of African ancestry, cultivating communities where all voices are heard, understood, and valued. TRANSART provides year-round programming that builds communities, addresses critical social issues, and takes advantage of new resources to infuse art and culture into the life of the Hudson River Valley.

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Angel Vasquez

Angel Vasquez

Deputy Secretary for Union Relations, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul

Angel Vasquez serves as the deputy secretary for union relations in the New York State Executive Chamber. He previously served as the deputy secretary for downstate intergovernmental affairs in the executive chamber. Before joining the administration, Angel was the deputy political director and senior policy advisor at the United Federation of Teachers. Prior to that, he served as the chief of staff to New York State Senator Marisol Alcantara, and as a policy analyst for the New York State Senate Independent Democratic Conference. Angel earned his bachelor of science degree from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and a master of public administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

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Ryan Westphal

Ryan Westphal

Faculty, Parsons School of Design

Ryan Westphal is an independent design researcher, project manager, and part-time faculty at Parsons School of Design.

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