The Future Of… Series:
Beyond Rhetoric, Recognizing Action in The Art World
This series of eight programs highlights concrete actions (beyond ideas and intentions) of artists, initiatives, and organizations that we consider beacons on a path forward toward greater equity in the arts. As a result of years-long research, conversations, and organizing compounded by the pandemic, an ongoing fight for racial justice, and a demand for equity, they push back on the status quo.
By highlighting these initiatives, we will directly address some of this year's popular buzzwords: Funding, NFTs, Leadership, Contracts, Galleries, Institutions, Higher Education, and Care. These projects have the exciting potential to transform the way cultural producers are valued and supported.
The Future Of Funding
With Nia Evans, Nati Linares, Brendan Martin, Cierra Peters, and Caroline Woolard
May 18, 2021 | 4:00 - 5:30pm EDT
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The Future Of NFTs
With Nancy Baker Cahill, Amani Lewis, Kelani Nichole, and Sarah Conley Odenkirk
May 25, 2021 | 6:00 - 7:30pm EDT
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The Future Of Leadership
With Shaun Leonardo and Allison Freedman Weisberg of Recess
June 8, 2021 | 4:00 - 5:00pm EDT
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The Future Of Contracts
With Maia Chao, Mira Dayal, Anaïs Duplan, Yxta Maya Murray, and Simon Wu
June 22, 2021 | 6:00 - 7:30pm EDT
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The Future Of Galleries
With Kibum Kim of Commonwealth and Council & Destinee Ross-Sutton of Ross-Sutton Gallery
July 13, 6:00 - 7:00pm EDT
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The Future Of Institutions
With Sara Fenske Bahat, Deborah Cullinan, and Meklit Hadero of YBCA
July 27, 2021 | 6:00 - 7:30pm EDT
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The Future Of Higher Education
With Deborah Obalil, Kymberly N. Pinder, Luciana Scrutchen, Emily Hanako Momohara
August 10, 2021 | 6:00 - 7:30pm EDT
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The Future Of Care
With Chloë Bass and Hannah Zeavin
In collaboration with the Brooklyn Public Library
August 31, 2021 | 6:00 - 7:00pm EDT
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The Future Of… Series: Beyond Rhetoric, Recognizing Action in The Art World, and its pay-what-you-can option, was made possible by the generous support of The West Collection. Additional support provided by Francis J. Greenburger.
The program, The Future of Care, became a collaboration between the Brooklyn Public Library and Art World Conference. Funding was provided, in part, by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by Brooklyn Arts Council.
Courses
Amy Whitaker
Author, Faculty Member at New York University
Holding an MFA and an MBA, Amy studies the friction between art and business and proposes new structures to support economic sustainability for artists. Her third book, Economics of Visual Arts, was published in the fall of 2021 with Cambridge University Press. Amy is also author of two other books, Museum Legs and Art Thinking. Serving on the arts administration faculty at NYU, Amy researches what would happen if artists retained equity in their work. Her work on fractional equity has appeared in Management Science (with Kraussl) in the "Fast Track" intended for "high-impact research that is of broad interest.”
Amy's work has been featured in The Guardian, Harpers, The Atlantic, the Financial Times, Artforum, and The Art Newspaper. Her early work with the artists' cooperative project Trade School was covered in the New York Times and The New Yorker. She speaks widely including at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Meaning Conference (Brighton, UK), and The Conference (Malmö, Sweden). She has taught at Williams College, the Rhode Island School of Design, the School of Visual Arts, and California College of the Arts, and is a past recipient of the Sarah Verdone Writing Award from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.
Image © Shieva Rezvani

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Courses
Luke Blackadar
Attorney, Deputy Director of Legal Services at the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston (A&BC)
Luke Blackadar is an attorney and the Deputy Director of Legal Services at the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston (A&BC). An artist himself, he helps artists, creative start-ups, and arts nonprofits manage legal issues involving copyright, trademark, contracts, entity formation, and corporate governance. Luke also enjoys talking to groups of law students and artists and has recently spoken on art legal issues to the Americans for the Arts, the City of Boston, and students at Brown University, RISD, MassArt, and Lesley University. In addition to managing the A&BC’s legal interns, he teaches at the Boston University Metropolitan College and the Roger Williams University School of Law, and mentors students through the Northeastern University and Northeast Regional Black Law Student Associations. Luke is a graduate of Clark University and Northeastern University School of Law. In his spare time, he enjoys drawing, running, reading, and playing video games.
Courses
Marci Blackman + Diana Y Greiner
Founders of Treehouse Taxes
Treehouse Taxes, run by Diana Y Greiner and Marci Blackman in Brooklyn, New York, caters specifically to self-employed individuals and small businesses. They built the Treehouse so you will have a safe, fun, and friendly place to get your taxes done.
Marci has been providing a combination of tax preparation, bookkeeping, and accounting services to a wide range of clientele, including individuals, partnerships, and small corporations for the past 20 years. As a longtime freelancer and award-winning novelist, Marci understands what it means to “hustle” for your dreams, particularly as it pertains to taxes. As a partner in Treehouse Taxes LLC, Marci believes transferring knowledge and helping artists and freelancers become savvy taxpayers is a form of social justice.
Diana Y Greiner knows about cobbling together an income, tracking expenses, and pursuing a dream. She has spent over 20 years juggling the life of a performing artist while developing and maintaining her left brain as the managing director of an arts organization, a waitress, an acrobatics instructor, an office manager, a massage therapist, a bookkeeper, and finally a full-fledged tax nerd by earning her EA. Through it all she maintains that connection is the point of everything.
Courses
Pamela Capalad + Dyalekt
Hosts of Brunch & Budget
Pamela Capalad is a Certified Financial Planner™ and Accredited Financial Counselor™ who has worked in the field of financial services for over a decade. She founded Brunch & Budget to provide people who felt ashamed or embarrassed about money with a safe and friendly place to speak openly and make financial progress. Her mission is to make financial planning as affordable as possible for the communities who need it most. Her work has been featured in publications including the Washington Post, Teen Vogue, Huffington Post, and Vice Magazine. She was named in New York Magazine’s Best of New York 2019 and has brunched with over 400 people and counting.
Dyalekt is an MC, playwright, educator, and podcaster. His work focuses on defining personal identities and finding one’s voice, authentic communication, and supporting one’s community. His first album and one-man show, Square Peg Syndrome, is also a 6-week school curriculum that toured through St. Croix’s 17 schools. His new album and one-man show, The Museum of Dead Words, explores communication, race, and empathy in the internet age. Dyalekt was named to the Public Theater’s Emerging Writers Group and his performance venues include the Bowery Ballroom, SXSW, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Mozilla’s Internet Festival in London, the United Nations, Santa Barbara’s Lucidity Festival, and the Divadlo Archa in Prague, CZ.
Pam and Dyalekt host the Brunch & Budget podcast, where they discuss how personal finance and racial economic inclusion intersect. They also co-founded the Race & Wealth Podcast Network with Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, Chief of Race, Wealth and Community at NCRC. Through what they’ve learned in their work, Dyalekt and Pam have started a group financial planning program called See Change, specifically designed for People of Color and make financial planning more inclusive.
Courses
Laura Levin-Dando
Staff Attorney at Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of NY
Laura Levin-Dando, Staff Attorney at Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of NY, advises clients on a range of issues, including disputes, contracts, and intellectual property matters. Laura also teaches and facilitates VLA’s educational programs. Laura received her J.D. from George Washington University Law School and graduated summa cum laude from Yeshiva University, where she studied history and music. A lifelong musical theatre nerd, Laura feels very fortunate to be able to help artists from all disciplines through her work at VLA.