Resident Companies
These are the companies that will call GRACC home.
Castle of Our Skins
Castle of our Skins is a Black arts institution dedicated to fostering cultural curiosity and celebrating Black artistry through music. In classrooms, concert halls, and beyond, Castle of our Skins invites Black heritage and culture exploration, spotlighting both unsung and celebrated figures of past and present.
OrigiNation
OrigiNation's professional dance division will be GRACC's resident dance company, making OrigiNation the first professional Black and Latino youth dance company in the nation in residence at a performing arts center especially designed for the African Diaspora.
ROXFILM
The Roxbury International Film Festival bills itself as the largest festival in New England that celebrates people of color. Over the course of ten days the festival screens all genres of films, holds workshops and panel discussions and offers filmmakers the opportunity to network with each other as well as audience members.
Artist Housing - Nubian Square Ascends
Our connection to the Nubian Square Ascend (NSA) project marks a significant milestone in our commitment to fostering a thriving cultural community. As co-developers of the artist housing component of the NSA project with Nubian Ascend Partners, LLC, GRACC is at the forefront of creating a unique ecosystem where art, culture, and community interconnect. This collaboration is not just about building structures; it’s about creating opportunities for artists to thrive, for communities to connect, and for celebrating Black and Latinx cultural heritage. The artist housing initiative, integrated within the larger Nubian Ascends project, is a testament to our dedication to empowering artists and building community through the arts.
Leadership
Taneshia Nash Laird
Inaugural President & CEO
Taneshia Nash Laird is a transformational leader with a history of stewarding large redevelopment projects and fostering arts and culture. Taneshia’s leadership experience includes the turnaround of the near century-old Newark Symphony Hall in New Jersey, for which she raised $15 million for its historic preservation. Before Newark Symphony Hall, Taneshia led the Arts Council of Princeton, notably as its first leader of color, where she reactivated its Solley Theater and transformed its Paul Robeson Center for the Arts to feature more inclusive visual and performing arts programming. As an entrepreneur, Taneshia co-founded MIST Harlem in New York City and Legendary Eats in Lost Angeles. She also served as director of economic development and affordable housing production for Trenton, NJ. Her impressive track record, tri-sector expertise as a nonprofit leader, entrepreneur, city and state official for economic development, and commitment to stimulating positive change for underrepresented communities make her an ideal leader for GRACC.
Dean J. Marsh
Chairman, GRACC Advisory Council
A cornerstone of GRACC's transformative journey, the Advisory Council is tasked with charting the strategic direction, spearheading fundraising initiatives, and cultivating a network of supporters. Dean J. Marsh, CEO of Virtual Technologies Group, heads the GRACC Advisory Council. With a proven track record of guiding business transformations for North America's leading corporations, Mr. Marsh brings a wealth of experience in business development and leadership. His extensive knowledge and strategic insight greatly benefit the GRACC Advisory Council, supporting GRACC's mission to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion in arts and culture.
Advisors
Meet the Members of our Artistic & Scholarly Advisory Committees
Dart Adams
Mariana Green Hill
Concert Violinist, Arts Educator
GRACC Artistic Advisory Committee
Thato Mwosa
Danny Rivera Jr.
Red Shaydez
Recording Artist, Artist Mentor (Youth and Adults), Educator and Cultural Curator
GRACC Artistic Advisory Committee
Zakiyyah
Régine Michelle Jean-Charles, PhD
Zebulon Vance Miletsky, PhD
Academic, Activist, Speaker
GRACC Scholarly Advisory Committee
http://www.zebulonmiletsky.com
Currently appointed at Stony Brook University as Associate Professor of Africana Studies
Imani Perry, JD, PhD
Interdisciplinary scholar of race, law, literature, and African-American culture
MacArthur Fellow
GRACC Scholarly Advisory Committee
Currently jointly appointed at Harvard University as Professor in Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality, and in African and African American Studies
Emmett G. Price III, PhD
InauguralScholar, Musician, Speaker
GRACC Scholarly Advisory Committee
Currently appointed at Berklee College of Music as Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies and Visiting Faculty at Harvard University
