As senior advisor for diversity, equity and inclusion at NJPAC, Donna Walker-Kuhne has become one of the nation’s foremost experts in multicultural audience development, breaking down barriers that have historically kept diverse communities from engaging with arts institutions.
A graduate of Howard University School of Law and Loyola University in Chicago, Walker-Kuhne bridges her legal background with artistic vision. Her work at NJPAC and as founder of Walker International Communications Group has helped establish Newark as a vibrant arts hub where cultural institutions serve as economic anchors for the community.
For Walker-Kuhne, the upcoming Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performances represent more than entertainment — they embody a mission of community engagement that has defined her career as an award-winning thought leader, writer and strategist for social justice in the arts. Her strategies focus on creating artistic experiences that both benefit the city economically and provide cultural enrichment for diverse audiences.
Tell us about Judith Jamison’s impact on dance and our community
With the passing of Ms. Jamison in November, there’s even an additional spotlight on the incredible contribution she has given the world, since she began performing in the sixties. Ms. Jamison was always a phenomenon from her artistry, her height, her grace, but also her ability to be herself. She was always herself, no matter where she has been, whether she’s speaking to ambassadors, heads of government, or to the dancers next to her. You got Judith all the time, and that is something that I think everyone has really appreciated.
It was with her stepping into her mission with Alvin Ailey that we really were able to enjoy her on a much broader level, and that is when Mr. Ailey choreographed cry for her, which is a tribute to his mother, and having this solo piece that was done with the music of phenomenal female artists, and no one performing it like Ms. Jamison, because it was set on her, and that catapulted her beyond anyone’s imagination.
I believe the first time she performed to an ovation. I believe her standing ovation was over ten minute, so she set a standard just in terms of being an artist, and being the finest and the most incredible artist one could imagine. So that’s one lane.
As Mr. Ailey’s muse, she was able to really discover herself because she had the playground to try different roles, and of course, choreographing and creating her own work when she created HYMN on the company as a tribute to Mr. Ailey with the writing of noted playwright, Anna Devere Smith. That was another incredible piece. She’s done many works as a choreographer that also established her artistry.
When she left the company and decided to create her own company, The Jamison Project, she was able to work with dancers and nurture dancers, and really set her own vision on those.
When it became apparent Mr. Ailey’s health was failing, and they wanted to make sure they had an artistic director successor, he asked her to please be his successor. The company just went on to a whole different level and expanded, and the dancers really responded well to Ms. Jamison, she was incredible. She’s just an amazing, wonderful woman who could do interviews flawlessly, choreograph in the studio. Same kind of effort, teach, and talk about the joy of dance, and why we dance, and what it means to be an artist.
Every time I speak to some of the dancers they talk about how much they just miss her presence. Even though she had retired and Robert Battle had been artistic director for ten years before Matthew Rushing, who is currently the interim artistic director. She still was very much around, and we wouldn’t let her go.
Even at NJPAC, New Jersey performing Arts Center. Our wonderful engagement with Ms. Jamison began when the building opened in 1997, Alvin Ailey’s company was in residence at NJPAC, meaning that they perform every year since 1997.
They are part of our mother’s day salute. They do three performances, and they always bring new works, and we have Ailey day, and we do workshops, and we do all kinds of things. We’ve been doing that all this time, and Ms. Jamison was very much a part of these activities from the very beginning. In NJPAC our love for her is endless, and the community of Newark, and beyond absolutely love Ms. Jamison and her contributions.
What can you tell us about how Judith Jamison claimed her space as a woman leader, and what advice would you give to young female artists?
Often women tend to hold back and not to feel as if I can claim my space, because sometimes in a male dominated environment you feel as if I do, then I’ll be shut down. I’ll be silenced. I don’t think that was ever an issue with Ms. Jamison that just was not even in her orbit, because it was so clear who she it was the power she had, but also the support that she had for Mr. Ailey.
He loved women. He loved saluting women in his choreography, and every platform possible. She always had that kind of support. I don’t think she ever even considered that I would be less than who I am.
I believe she empowered the dancers to feel the same way, and so her command of her art absolutely elevated her to the top of her profession, and I think that when we talk about space in order to claim the space you have to be at your best.
I don’t think you can step into space, and you only have 50% of your self there. It’s got to be hundred, and the hundred represents the effort, the struggles, the suffering, the humility, the appreciation, all of those qualities enable you to be hundred percent in that space, but at the same time always making room for who’s next. Always raising our successors. Though to me, that’s what enables us to take up the space generously and continuously.
Describe Newark’s vibrant arts scene
I am happy to share that as a Brooklyn resident, I had not spent a lot of time in Newark until I started working there thirteen years ago. But actually it was the Ailey Company that first took me to working in Newark with New Jersey performing Arts Center.
I believe it was like around 2007, 2008, when the Alvin Ailey Company was there, and me in my capacity as a marketing consultant. The Alvin Ailey company had asked me to support the marketing efforts in Newark, New Jersey, and so I was able to talk with Miss Jamison, and arrange some radio interviews and have her do some appearances as well as other members of the company.
What I experienced in Newark at that time, what almost twenty years ago is different from what Newark looks like today. Today, Newark is thriving. It is such a vibrant environment. I encourage everyone to come and visit with us, not just in JPAC but to join the city. I serve as vice President on the board of Newark Arts, and we are so focused in elevating the artists in Newark. We have incredible visual artists.
We have art galleries that are sprinkled throughout the city. We have playwrights, of course, we have several dance companies, not just when we bring in Alvin Ailey, but we have many local dance companies as well, and in the surrounding towns.
It’s a place where I believe the arts and culture are really supported, more so than perhaps some other cities, and part of that is our mayor. Mayor Ras Baraka comes from an artistic family. His father was Amiri Baraka and he very much has made it clear that the arts are central to what we do and how we do business. We also have our arts that are established as cultural anchor institutions, which means we drive the economy of the city.
There’s several of them, between Newark Arts, Rutgers University, WBGO. Of course, NJPAC and others. One of our initial efforts is to make sure that we’re creating spaces and opportunities to drive income so that everyone benefits from arts and culture.
And that has been very significant, at NJPAC. We’re doing it with our real estate initiatives where we’ve already constructed an apartment building that has been completely occupied and generates revenue for the city for NJPAC and provides beautiful housing for people who there were about to construct another apartment building. We are opening a family center called the Cooperman Family Center, and that will be open seven days a week from 9am to 10 pm. With programming that reflects the city of Newark.
Most of that programming will be free so people will be coming in and experience all kinds of things with the arts. We’ll be opening the Lions Gate film studio. And that’s something that’s been in development now for a couple of years. But when it is completed and it’ll be the Northeast’s largest film studio, it will generate eight million dollars of revenue annually for the city of Newark.
Everything we do is with the idea of how does it generate income for the city. How does it profit? How do people benefit as well as, of course, excellent artistic experiences.
What can audiences expect from Alvin Ailey in 2025?
They’re gonna have a fantastic experience, because, we’ll be performing Revelations, and that is such a beloved piece. I think if the company did not perform it, there would be a riot. People will be very satisfied in seeing Revelations. There will be some new pieces that the company always brings. There will be Ailey day, which I believe is May 3rd, I have the correct date.
Ailey Day is a whole day long of free workshops that anyone can partake in. I believe we usually have participants from ages three to eighty that are part of that.
If they purchase a ticket they will be able to attend a wonderful panel discussion with former Ailey dancers who are going to talk about the experiences with Ms. Jamison, and that will be Friday, May 9th, and that’s only for people who have a ticket, and this will be a once in a lifetime kind of conversation about their intimate experiences with Ms. Jamison, the things that they experienced and heard, their personal relationships, as well as some film that may not have been shared publicly. That’s definitely a reason to get your ticket for Friday.
And then, of course, mother’s day to dress my first mother’s day at NJPAC, and I brought my mom, who was alive at the time. It’s all about the hats. It’s mother’s day. So we’re celebrating moms, number one and looking gorgeous number two, and when you look in the lobby you are all you’re going to see is this wonderful landscape of beautiful women that are dressed just wonderfully and with their families. There’s a lot of joy. There’s a lot of laughter. People are happy. It’s a great day.
You’ve got Friday, of course, Saturday. Also we have a prelude on Saturday. One of our local dance companies will be performing in the lobby between 7 and 7:30, so you’ll be able to see what dance looks like on a local level. And that’s for ticket buyers as well. So, once you get a ticket you’re in. You get to have access to all of these great experiences. I hope that everyone will come out and see Ailey this year.
