Community Collaborators

Arlington Independent Media (AIM) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit membership organization and community media center in Arlington, Virginia. They provide training and access to media technologies and facilitate the creation of video, audio, web and digital content. AIM is committed to cultivating the voices in the community that might otherwise not be heard. Since 1982, AIM has continuously provided a video production equipment, facilities, training, and access to a basic cable television channel to all on a first-come, first-served basis. AIM’s members use their skills to produce powerful local media content that highlights the people, places, organizations, businesses, and events in our community. AIM’s video programming can be found in Arlington County on the two public access cable television channels they operate: Comcast channel 69 and Verizon channel 38.

ArtsFairfax is a 501(c)(3) funded in part by Fairfax County, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as corporations, foundations, and individuals. ArtsFairfax is dedicated to expanding support for and access to arts and culture opportunities for all of Fairfax County.

Dance Exchange collaborates across generations, disciplines, and communities to channel the power of dancemaking as a means for dialogue, a source of critical reflection, and a creative engine for thought and action. Founded in 1976 by Liz Lerman and under the artistic direction of Cassie Meador since 2011, Dance Exchange is a non-profit dance organization based in Takoma Park, Maryland. Dance Exchange has created and supported more than 250 groundbreaking performance projects that explore content as far ranging as nuclear physics, immigration, ecology, prayer and action, aging, and the advancement of racial equity. They are committed to dancemaking and creative practices that engage individuals and communities of all ages and backgrounds to cultivate a deeper understanding of themselves and advance how we come together through process and performance to envision and deepen understanding of our shared world.

First established in 1968, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) is an independent agency in the District of Columbia government that evaluates and initiates action on matters relating to the arts and humanities and encourages programs and the development of programs that promote progress in the arts and humanities. CAH is the designated state arts agency for the District of Columbia and is supported primarily through District government funds and in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Just Us at the National Gallery of Art is an education program designed for people with memory loss and their care partners. The program seeks to create positive experiences for all participants and to create space where people with dementia and other forms of memory loss can connect with the Gallery’s collection and with their loved ones.

Nancy Havlik has directed and choreographed for the past 25 years. She formed Dance Performance Group as a non-profit in 1989 to explore her own choreographic ideas with a small group of dancers and musicians. For over 20 years Nancy has taught interactive creative movement workshops for older adults through Arts for the Aging (AFTA) and has directed Quicksilver Senior Dance Company, a dance improvisation performance company of people 65 and over for AFTA. Havlik received a MetLife Grant with visual artist Donna McKay through AFTA to present a series of workshops to seniors combining dance and visual art, gesture through space and gesture on paper.

The Phillips Collection is America’s first home for modern and contemporary art, where the intimate and experimental meet. Through art, every visitor can explore the most pressing ideas of our time via dynamic collaborations, innovative inquiry, empathetic forms of public participation, and diverse voices.

The Phillips’s impact spreads nationally and internationally through its highly distinguished special exhibitions, programs, and events that catalyze dialogue surrounding the continuity between art of the past and the present. Among the Phillips’s esteemed programs are its award-winning education programs for educators, students, and adults; well-established Phillips Music series; and sell-out Phillips after 5 events. The museum contributes to the art conversation on a global scale with events like Conversations with Artists and the International Forum. The Phillips Collection values its community partnerships with the University of Maryland—the museum’s nexus for academic work, scholarly exchange, and interdisciplinary collaborations—and THEARC—the museum’s new campus serving the Southeast DC community.

Founded in honor of the late Mrs. Dorothy Rodham, who passionately believed in the capacity of education and opportunity to achieve social change, The Rodham Institute applies the transformative power of education to address health disparities. The Rodham Institute believes that those people who are closest to the problem know the best solutions where community leadership should be the locus of power to inform and drive change. We have over 150 partners who instruct us on the health priorities of the community where mental health and gun violence are of primary importance. Our multidisciplinary approach focuses on these impacted communities, who experience health inequity daily, to lead and design solutions to maximize impact.

RÓMEZ3arts is dedicated to promoting intercultural awareness through live musical performance, mentorship, and community building activities. These artists strive to empower others through meaningful engagement in concert venues, classrooms, community outreach and inter-cultural exchange. Founding Artistic Director and Pianist Carlos César Rodríguez, Tenor Peter Joshua Burroughs, Soprano Fairouz Foty, and Mezzo-Soprano Anamer Castrello come together to engage, enrich, and empower all generations to build bridges and meaningful conversation, and community through art.

See Me at the Smithsonian is an interactive program for adults with dementia and their care partners. On scheduled weekdays, pre-registered participants (8-10 people) explore some of the Smithsonian’s most beloved objects in small group discussions and multi-sensory activities. See Me provides intellectual engagement, opportunities for socialization, and the ability for loved ones to spend time together in a relaxed setting. In-gallery programs take place at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Portrait Gallery, Freer Gallery of Art, National Museum of African Art, and National Museum of American History.

Our goal is to proliferate the unique form of tango art expression by creating a space where all people can interact, experiment, have fun and above all, expression through dance, not only as a physical activity but mostly as a source of body language communication, the language of music and the language of tango poetry. Tango changed our lives in a diametrical way and we look forward for you to have the same experience. Come and give us a try, we will always welcome newcomers, curious, and experienced tangueros, we want you to help us grow into a more solid and welcoming environment for all tango dancers, musicians, lovers, fanatics, geeks, etc.

Tango Mercurio is a 501(c)(3) arts-education organization. “Mercurio” takes its name from the Spanish word for “Mercury,” which is an ancient symbol of connection. The mythological figure of the messenger with wings on his feet, Mercury guides mortals to the afterlife and promotes trade between communities. This image resonates with our experience of Argentine tango—in its embrace, where two partners connect to become one; and in its communities, where dancers and visitors meet across boundaries of identity, class, and generation. Founded by Sharna Fabiano in 2008, Tango Mercurio works to develop these connections, presenting the creative tango tradition as a way for individuals to find balance in their lives and discover the unique contributions they have to make in the world through creative expression in social dance. We teach classes in Argentine tango, from complete beginner to teacher-in-training. We host events where social dancers of all levels can enjoy high-quality music and a welcoming atmosphere. We train musicians in tango’s unique harmonies and technique and promote community building through live music performances. We connect the tango community to the broader community in the Washington, DC area by bringing dance, music, and culture to older adults, the LGBTQ+ population, veterans, underserved youth, and the public at large.

The Vinyl Record Preservation Society collects records being removed from the Library of Congress’ collection and distributes them to schools and nursing homes. The Library of Congress is the repository for all copyrighted material and therefore holds a vast collection of recordings. As the collection has grown and the Library looks for more storage space, they have discovered that they often have more than the required two copies of items. The Library must remove tens of thousands of these records to make space for incoming material. While the purge is necessary, the idea of destroying even extra copies of these records was more than some of us could bear. Rather than just collect and protect these records, however, we decided to put them to use in schools and senior care facilities and thousands of residents of long-term care facilities could benefit from the records. More than just providing entertainment, studies have shown the incredible benefit music can have on cognitive performance in memory-care patients. A trip down memory lane, listening to a record and looking over its cover isn’t just a pleasant experience – it has real therapeutic value to senior citizens and can improve their quality of life.

The mission of The Washington Chorus is to preserve and advance the art of choral singing and share the experience of the transforming power of choral music. TWC does this by performing at the highest artistic level in the nation’s capital and before diverse national and international audiences, and by nurturing the next generation of choral singers. The Washington Chorus (TWC), is one of the foremost symphonic choruses in the nation. Noted for the superb artistry of its performances and recordings of the entire range of the choral repertoire, TWC is widely recognized as a cultural leader in the nation’s capital. A three-time nominated and two-time Grammy Award winner, the 160-voice Washington Chorus presents an annual subscription series at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, regularly performs at the invitation of the National Symphony Orchestra, and appears annually at the Music Center at Strathmore in Maryland and Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Virginia.

Lesley University engages students in transformative education through active learning, scholarly research, diverse forms of artistic expression, and the integration of rigorous academics with practical, professional experience, leading to meaningful careers and continuing lifelong learning. Lesley prepares socially responsible graduates with the knowledge, skills, understanding, and ethical judgment to be catalysts shaping a more just, humane, and sustainable world.