The University of Arizona

About

About Arizona Arts Equity in the Arts

Arizona Arts serves as a gateway to the visual and performing arts assets, experiences, and educational programs on the University of Arizona campus. It brings together the highly regarded academic programs in the College of Fine Arts — the schools of dance; art; music; and theatre, film & television — and the University’s world-class arts presenting and engagement units, including Arizona Arts Live, the Center for Creative Photography, and the University of Arizona Museum of Art. We are dedicated to educating, connecting, and inspiring every member of the Wildcat community and all visitors to the University of Arizona campus.

Arizona Arts EDI Mission

Arizona Arts fosters inclusive communities, equitable experiences, and diverse perspectives as cornerstones of creativity, artistic expression, and cultural production.

Arizona Arts EDI Vision

We seek to advance equity, diversity and inclusion in the arts and arts education regionally and globally by

Transforming our curricula and cultivating inclusive learning experiences inside and outside the classroom;
Promoting diverse programming that represents the work of artists and content that are reflective of a wide variety of perspectives, identities, and aesthetic repertoires;
Connecting with local, national, and international communities; and
Promoting racial and social justice in the arts sector.

Diversity & Inclusion Committee

Arizona Arts Diversity & Inclusion Committee comprises students, faculty, and staff from the College of Fine Arts and visual and performing arts engagement units. The committee’s charge is as follows:

Framing – Define and disseminate definitions of equity, diversity, and inclusion for the Division.
Communicating – Develop an EDI statement that will frame the work for all units.
Assessing – Collect, analyze, and synthesize the current EDI efforts, challenges, and goals that each unit has for use in the creation of an Arizona Arts EDI Roadmap.
Understanding – Identify internal learning/training needs around EDI and organizational change.
Planning – Finalize the EDI Roadmap and support implementation.

For more information on the committee and how to get involved, email uart-equity@arizona.edu.

2023-2024 Committee Members

Willa Ahlschwede

Assistant Curator of Education & Public Programs
University of Arizona Museum of Art
(she/her/hers)
Contact me >

“I see my role as a bridge between campus and the wider community. We have a responsibility to recognize barriers to diversity and inclusion in our disciplines and institutions, and to continuously build a more equitable and accessible culture and organization.”

Lindsey Boren

Assistant Box Office Manager
Arizona Arts Live
Contact me >

“I am a supporter of initiatives and a helper where I can. My role is public facing and I strive to make the public facing parts of Arizona Arts more inclusive and accessible to the whole Tucson community.”

Chris Compton

Assistant Professor
School of Dance
(he/him/his)
Contact me >

“As an educator in Ballet, a Western European artform that has historically lacked in equity, diversity, and inclusion, I feel that I have the opportunity to help change that trajectory, and build an arts community for all.”

Carissa DiCindio, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Art and Applied Intercultural Arts Research
(she/her/hers)
Contact me >

“I see my role on this committee as part of a team that is working to make Arizona Arts a more inclusive and equitable place for students, staff, faculty, and the community.”

Sara A. Guzman, MLIS

Archivist
University of Arizona Museum of Art | Archive of Visual Arts
(she/her/hers)
Contact me >

“To foster academic scholarship through research and lifelong learning. Providing access and discovery of the AVA collections for students, faculty and staff of the University of Arizona and the public at large.“

Kimberly Mast, Ph.D.

Director, Visual Resource Center
School of Art
Contact me >

“My role is to help faculty and staff learn ways to encourage and implement diversity in their classrooms and across the fine arts campus.”

Kimberly Moore

Student Award Coordinator
Fine Arts Administration
(she/her/hers)
Contact me >

“To bring diverse experiences and thought to discuss and implement Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices to benefit our greater Fine Arts community that will positively impact our students, faculty, and staff.“

Alex Moral, MFA

Alex Moral

Educator, Academic & Community Initiatives
Center for Creative Photography
(she/her/hers)
Contact me >

“I view my role as driving positive change by supporting ongoing and new impactful initiatives that cultivate a welcoming, accessible, and respectful arts community for all.“

David Morden

Associate Professor
School of Theatre, Film and Television
(he/him/his)
Contact me >

“As a gay man, I have always been aware of the importance of visibility. I want to ensure that every student in our college sees themselves in the work and the art that we create.”

Beverly Seckinger

Distinguished Outreach Professor
School of Theatre, Film & Television
(she/her/hers)
Contact me >

“For decades, both on campus and beyond, I have strived to nurture inclusive, diverse, just, participatory communities. I look forward to continuing this work with my colleagues on the committee.”

Charlie Synder

Charlie Snyder

Director of Public Relations, Marketing & Communications
Arizona Arts | College of Fine Arts
(he/him/his)
Contact me >

“Support equity messaging, events and programs, while representing and celebrating of a diverse group of students, faculty and alumni on Arizona Arts platforms.“