About PennyMaria Jackson
Chief Creative Officer
PennyMaria Jackson is a dedicated arts professional, enthusiast and advocate. With more than 15 years of experience on the New York arts scene, she is recognized as a leader by Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP), New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), and Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI), and has been a guest speaker at Juilliard and New York University (NYU). Invested in change, PennyMaria serves as a board member and Community Engagement Chair for Kyoung's Pacific Beat (a peacemaking theater company), and as a thought partner to The Movement Theatre Company, and New Georges. PennyMaria is currently a proud member of Women of Color in the Arts (WOCA).
Utilizing the power of the arts as a driving force, PennyMaria is dedicated to bridging the gap between cultures for decades to come.
Chief Creative Officer
PennyMaria Jackson is a dedicated arts professional, enthusiast and advocate. With more than 15 years of experience on the New York arts scene, she is recognized as a leader by Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP), New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), and Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI), and has been a guest speaker at Juilliard and New York University (NYU). Invested in change, PennyMaria serves as a board member and Community Engagement Chair for Kyoung's Pacific Beat (a peacemaking theater company), and as a thought partner to The Movement Theatre Company, and New Georges. PennyMaria is currently a proud member of Women of Color in the Arts (WOCA).
Utilizing the power of the arts as a driving force, PennyMaria is dedicated to bridging the gap between cultures for decades to come.
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Currently, PennyMaria serves as the Director of Marketing and Communications at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, IL. The institution is firmly rooted in ensemble, and intentionally working to expand its community through programming that centers the global majority. As Steppenwolf redefines what it means to be a cultural institution, PennyMaria is leading audience development programs, community engagement initiatives, and membership research.
PennyMaria was also the Director of Marketing at the world-famous Apollo Theater where she led successful campaigns for performances for multiple years. During her tenure there, she worked diligently to move the iconic Apollo institution forward, PennyMaria was instrumental in launching the theater’s Amateur Night at the Apollo live stream series. She also elevated audience engagement as she curated the theater’s first augmented/virtual reality experience and commissioned a permanent digital activation for patrons. PennyMaria has worked closely with sponsors including Coca-Cola, Spotify, Citi, and Essence, and fostered performance partnerships with the National Black Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, AfroPunk, and the international Women of the World (WOW) Festival, among others. Previously, PennyMaria developed millennial audiences at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as part of a Wallace Foundation $1.4 million dollar grant and led a significant community engagement initiative at Harlem Stage. She offers a robust range of experience in marketing and communications, web and graphic design, community engagement, foundation relations, corporate partnership management, and more. PennyMaria has been an invaluable member of the Harlem arts community since 2009. She served as a public member of Community Board 9's Arts & Culture Committee for several years and is a founding member of the recently established Harlem Arts & Culture Initiative (HACI). Born and raised in Miami, Florida with Bahamian roots, PennyMaria was exposed to arts and culture in the colorful neighborhood of Liberty City. She holds an M.A. degree in Arts Journalism from Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Communications. |