A Big Time Announcement:
Jackie Calderone is preparing to conclude her impactful 30+ year career as an educator, fundraiser, and artist.
This fall, Jackie will transition from her work life to embrace art and art education in a more immersive and advocacy-focused manner. We plan to celebrate her until we cannot celebrate any longer.
(This is the moment we all take a deep sigh that feels both happy and sad at the same time.)
Let’s reflect on the legacy she’s leaving:
Under Jackie Calderone’s leadership, TRANSIT ARTS has flourished with three decades of roots in our community. She began as the creative force behind the Short Stop Teen Center and Third Avenue Performance Space in the 1990s. In 1998, she became the first Director of Education at CAPA and the founding director of CAPACity, CAPA’s youth arts program. Her passion for community-based arts was sparked during her 7-year tenure at the Ohio Arts Council, where she coordinated the Dance and Jazz Music programs. In 2006, TRANSIT ARTS began a collaborative partnership with Central Community House, offering city-wide art education under the community center umbrella.
Jackie has served on numerous National Endowment for the Arts panels and has conducted workshops for organizations including Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, The National Performance Network, The Association of Performing Arts Presenters, and Dance USA.
She was honored for her civil rights contributions during the 2008 Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration and has received numerous awards, including the Honored Artist Award from ComFest, the Southside Settlement Arts Freedom Award, Arts Educator Award from the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Ohio Alliance for Arts Education Virtuoso Award, The Columbus Foundation’s True Originals Award, and most recently, The Ohio Arts Education Association’s Distinguished Citizen for Art Education Central Region Award.
Jackie will be sorely missed, but the impact of her work will endure. TRANSIT ARTS is Central and Central is TRANSIT ARTS, thanks largely to Jackie’s vigor for this work.
If you’ve been impacted by Jackie Calderone and/or TRANSIT ARTS, please email us your stories. While Jackie never seeks credit, we know that reading your stories will bring her immense joy. Let’s make that happen, ok?
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For those of you who might be new here, TRANSIT ARTS is a network for youth ages 12-21, offering leadership, multi-disciplinary arts workshops, performance and exhibit opportunities, and entrepreneurial ventures. It provides a supportive environment and the tools needed to realize their dreams. This program is a collaboration between Central Community House and various artists and organizations.
