CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY: ETHNOGRAPHER
work
work
■Mellon Foundation: Jamaica Center for
Arts & Learning
What Brought Me In
A 50 year old institution for arts and culture in the heart of Southeast Queens needed to reimagine how they could better serve and reflect the community it called home.
The Approach
Through a mix of stakeholder interviews, community field work and focus groups, I surfaced questions about relevance and emotional drivers tied to legacy, belonging, and creative access.
What Emerged
The research revealed opportunities to reintroduce JCAL to Southeast Queens through language, programming, and digital presence that reflected the evolving identity of the neighborhood. We identified key audience segments and cultural cues that had been overlooked.
These insights led to a refreshed strategic framework, shaped a new messaging strategy, recalibrated programming priorities, and offered a roadmap for digital engagement.
The outcome: a 50% increase in event attendance, a 49% jump in Instagram engagement, and a renewed sense of connection between JCAL and the community it’s always aimed to serve.
reach me
My expertise has been applied to commercial advertising, corporate brand marketing, and various creative projects.