Shirley Taylor, Executive Director of Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center, joins the show to share the story of her journey from visual artist to transformative arts administrator, and the creative vision that powers her legacy in New York City. In this conversation, Shirley reflects on her early days at NYFA, her award-winning student arts exhibitions, and launching youth career pipelines at the Apollo Theater. She discusses what it means to design programs that empower young people, support whole-person growth, and offer real-world opportunities—from internships to paid creative jobs. Together with host Alison McNeil, Shirley opens up about the personal values that guide her leadership, the challenges of fundraising and strategy, and her deep belief in centering community, preserving cultural heritage, and making arts access a reality—especially for historically underrepresented youth. If you care about mentorship, creative careers, or building authentic opportunity through the arts, this episode offers wisdom, energy, and hope for what’s possible when the community leads.

Find out more: 

• Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center
• The Apollo Theater
• Shirley Taylor on LinkedIn 
• Laura Greer

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🔗 Connect with Alison:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

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