spark your creative podcast- episode 18: artist as neighborhood catalyst

Welcome to the first Podcast for Spark Your Creative...formerlly Mindfully Creative Podcast!

​The name may have changed, but the mission is the same....the podcast, hosted by Sharon Burton of Spark Your Creative Coaching explores how art is being used for personal and community healing as well as tips on how creatives can break through barriers to make their own "art" whatever that might look like.


For this episode, I talk with Jeffreen M. Hayes, Ph.D., Executive Director of Three Walls, a nonprofit arts organization in Chicago and independent curator about the role of artists as a neighborhood catalyst for positive community interaction and growth. As the Executive Director of Threewalls, a position she has held since 2015, Jeffreen provides strategic vision for the artistic direction and impact of the organization in Chicago. ​Jeffreen, a trained art historian and curator, merges administrative, curatorial and academic practices into her cultural practice of supporting artists and community development. As an advocate for racial inclusion, equity and access, Jeffreen has developed a curatorial and leadership approach that invites community participation, particularly those in marginalized communities.


Her curatorial projects include SILOS (2016), Augusta Savage: Renaissance Woman (2018), and Process (2019. Additionally, she was the guest curator for Artpace San Antonio’s International Artist-in-Residence program from May 2018-August 2018.

Jeffreen earned a Ph.D. in American Studies from the College of William and Mary, a MA in Art History from Howard University, and a BA from Florida International University in Humanities. She has worked several museums and cultural institutions including Birmingham Museum of Art, Hampton University Museum, Library of Congress and the National Gallery of Art.  Jeffreen is a Chief Executive Community and Culture Fellow alum, a program facilitated by National Arts Strategies.

This discussion focused on the interaction of the artist as a resident of diverse communities through the work of Three Walls, a 501(c)3 non-profit that fosters contemporary art practices that respond to lived experiences, encouraging connections beyond art.  Specifically, we explore how Three Walls programs help serve as a model for how artists work and contribute to their nerighborhoods as a catalyst between the intersections of art, social justice, and community.

We also talk a little about self-care and the creative through Jeffreen's own practice as curator. 

Visit and learn more about the work of Three Walls at:
Website: three-walls.org/
Twitter: twitter.com/threewalls
Instagram: www.instagram.com/three_walls/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/threewalls
Learn more about Spark Your Creative Coaching at
Website: sparkyourcreative.com
Twitter: twitter.com/spark_create
Instagram: www.instagram.com/SparkYourCreative
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SparkYourCreative
Podcast intro music by Melvin Rogers (store.cdbaby.com/Artist/MelvinRogers)

Listen to the podcast discussion below.