Niyati Dhokai, Research Assistant Professor, and Rick Davis, Dean, College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)/Executive Director, Hylton Performing Arts Center, received $30,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts for: "Creative Forces®: The NEA Military Healing Arts Network."
For this project, Dhokai and Davis are planning a series of four ukulele workshops over a Mason-supported platform with a robust electronic marketing campaign.
Dhokai is serving as Principal Investigator and Davis is serving as Co-Principal Investigator on this project.
The Veterans and the Arts Initiative is part of Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs and the state and local arts agencies. The initiative seeks to improve the health, wellness, and quality of life for military and veteran populations exposed to trauma, as well as their families and caregivers. Administrative support for the initiative is provided by Americans for the Arts.
"The Veterans and the Arts Initiative serves an intergenerational community of veterans, service members, military family members, and military caregivers - all who have accessed virtual programming in different ways during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our project examines how to best reach our military-connected community members, mitigate barriers for participation, and create an inclusive virtual learning space that promotes community arts engagement," Dhokai said.
Tionge Johnson, Marketing Assistant, Hylton Performing Arts Center, will coordinate marketing expertise and Azriel Towner, Graphic Designer, CVPA, will design marketing materials, including flyers and ads for this project.
Several other members of the Mason community will also contribute to the project. Glen McCarthy, a faculty member in the Sid and Reva Dewberry Family School of Music, will teach ukulele. Emily Fasick, Program Assistant, Veterans and the Arts Initiative, Hylton Performing Arts Center, will facilitate workshops and conduct subject matter expert interviews. Gwen Baraniecki-Zwil, Veterans and the Arts Initiative, will compile an implementation report.
###
Funding for this project began in December 2020 and will end in late March 2021.
About George Mason University
George Mason University is Virginia's largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls 38,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the last half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. Learn more at http://www.gmu.edu.