Announcing Our 2023 Keynote Speaker

James Miles: A Fresh Perspective

We're excited to announce our 2023 WAA Annual Conference keynote speaker, James Miles.

James is an Assistant Professor at Seattle University, and Executive Director of Third Stone, the nonprofit that operates the beloved Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival in Seattle. He is also a mayoral appointee to the Seattle Arts Commission, and serves on the boards of SXSW EDU; MoPOP; and the Frye Art Museum. Originally from Brooklyn, by way of Chicago, James’s acclaimed TedXTalk focuses on his mission to narrow achievement gaps using the arts as a tool to navigate the systems of educational inequity.  

The Opening Plenary & Keynote is the official kick-off to WAA 2023. You can see the full conference schedule here. We hope to see you there! 

James Miles; image credit: Stefanie Felix

2023 Conference Keynote: A Fresh Perspective — James Miles
Tuesday, September 5 | 4pm – 5:30pm | Seattle, WA

The last several years have not been easy, from global viruses, to extreme political divides, to mental health struggles, to gross inequities, and more. We have all had to adjust to a new perspective of life, and we are all struggling to find balance. Throughout history, though, the arts have been central in helping to find that balance. From the Dark Ages came the Renaissance. Out of the Great Depression, the Harlem Renaissance was birthed. Hip Hop was created to deal with poverty, drug addiction, racism, and gentrification of 1970s New York. After the Great Recession came Instagram and whether we like it or not, it brought street artists like Banksy, to the mainstream. When the coronavirus restrictions kept us inside, it was DJs like D-Nice that turned our solitude into a collective party. We need something now in 2023. Something new. Something creative. Something… Fresh

The Opening Plenary is generously sponsored by 4Culture and Humanities Washington.