Letitia Fernandez Ivins
As a member of the Emerging Leaders Council from 2009 to 2012, I had the opportunity to serve my colleagues while reaping the benefits of building and serving a national network, experimenting with new methods of service including audience and content development, event planning and presenting not to mention the requisite commiseration and merry-making. Those three years were transformative.
This period was punctuated when I was asked by Americans for the Arts to moderate a closing panel discussion at last year’s Convention. I was honored and anxious. I had never moderated a panel, let alone before 250+ peers and senior public art leaders. But I was struck by Americans for the Arts trust in my ability and inspired by this affirmation of their commitment to next generation leadership. We had an honest and energetic discussion about the range of career trajectories that make our workforce so textured and nimble. We were called to become “guerilla bureaucrats” and to sharpen our senses and leverage artists in order to draw out naturally occurring creative energy in communities. For me, the experience was incredibly gratifying- I was given the space to flow! However, more significantly the challenge gave me a confidence boost when I needed it the most, before I checked out for a few months to have my second baby. It renewed my commitment to culture work and paved the way for an enthusiastic return to the job!
Thank you Americans for the Arts for taking a chance on emerging leaders.
Letitia is the Assistant Director of Civic Art at the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.
