Thinking Like A Region

Ep. 24: Julia Gittleman - Mendelsohn, Gittleman & Associates

Julia Gittleman, PhD, is a professional evaluator and proclaims to not be a creative. Her background in health and human services work, raising a jazz musician, and providing consulting services to creative youth development organizations however, has Lisa and Leslie arguing that she certainly has a creative background!

In this episode of Thinking Like A Region, Julia shares about seeing ideas expansively, the role of arts in a young person's development, and how arts provide people with overlapping circles of inquiry when it comes to solving complex problems.

Learn more about YAIN (Youth Arts Impact Network) and the 3C Data Alliance that Julia mentions.

A complete transcript of the episode can be found here.

Ep. 23: Jamal Ahmad (Revisited!) Pittsfield Public Schools

In this much-anticipated follow-up episode, hosts Dr. Lisa Donovan and Leslie Appleget have the opportunity to speak with educator, artist, and school administrator, Jamal Ahamad. Returning to the podcast, Jamal kindly shares even more wisdom and insight about the connections between the arts and contemporary public education.

This episode draws connections between storytelling and school discipline, distinctions and similarities between the studio and the classroom spaces, and planting the seeds for students to feel confident with creative expression as they grow.

A full transcript of the episode can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/TLAR-JA26

About Jamal: Jamal Ahamad has nearly a decade of teaching experience in Berkshire County—he is currently the Assistant Principal at Pittsfield High School. He has also taught English, algebra, African-American studies, and dance. Jamal earned a B.A. and an M.S.Ed. from MCLA, where he has served as an adjunct professor in the education department. In his spare time, Jamal frequently facilitates workshops for his fellow educators, choreographs and teaches dance, designs multimedia projects, and leads playwriting workshops.

Follow Jamal's work online:

YouTube: @ahamadmultimedia

Instagram: @ahamadmultimedia, @mallywallaby, and @dysfunkcrew

Ep. 22: Jamal Ahmad, Pittsfield Public Schools

In this episode, host Erick Ramos-Jacobo sits down with educator, artist, and former Pine Cobble School administrator, Jamal Ahamad (now at Pittsfield High School). From sketching Spider-Man as a kid to teaching dance, facilitating workshops, and leading as an administrator, Jamal shares how the arts have always been a source of comfort, connection, and discovery.

This episode explores how creativity informs Jamal's leadership, the role of empathy and process in both teaching and the arts, and why risk-taking in creative practice matters for educators and students alike. Jamal’s journey highlights the power of art to cultivate identity, community, and resilience.

This episode was recorded in December 2023. Some references and information may be dated.

Stay tuned for a follow-up episode with Jamal coming this winter!

A full transcript of the episode can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/TLAR-JA

About Jamal: Jamal Ahamad has nearly a decade of teaching experience in Berkshire County—he is currently the Assistant Principal at Pittsfield High School. He has also taught algebra, African-American studies, and dance. Jamal earned a B.A. and an M.S.Ed. from MCLA, where he has served as an adjunct professor in the education department. In his spare time, Jamal frequently facilitates workshops for his fellow educators, choreographs and teaches dance, designs multimedia projects, and leads playwriting workshops.

Ep. 21: Dr. Barbara Malkas, North Adams Public Schools

In this episode of Thinking Like a Region, Drury High School student Miguel Pabon sits down with Superintendent Dr. Malkas to discuss her background as a dancer, the arts scenes in both New York City and the Berkshires, and the powerful creative capacities of observation, questioning, and telling the larger story of our society.

Throughout the interview, the pair discuss the impact AI will have on the arts, as well as the 2023 blockbuster movies Barbie and Oppenheimer, and their mark on our cultural landscape.

This episode was recorded in July 2023. Some references and information may be dated.

A full transcript of the episode can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/TLAR-BM

This Episode's Voices:

Barbara Malkas, Ed.D, is the Superintendent of North Adams Public Schools. 

Miguel Pabon is a student at Drury High School in North Adams, MA, and is a member of the Drury Stage Company.

Ep. 20 - Dr. Tim Callahan, North Adams Public Schools

In this episode ofThinking Like a Region, Drury High School student Miguel Pabon sits down with North Adams Public Schools' Assistant Superintendent Dr. Tim Callahan to discuss his path from drawing trucks and comics in elementary school to becoming a teacher and educational leader. 

Along the way the two discuss the impact that infusing arts into education has, the power of writing and creativity, the skills needed to write a great email, and growing up in Berkshire County.

Find a full transcript of this episode here: https://tinyurl.com/TLAR-TC

This episode was recorded in the spring of 2023. Some information and references may be dated.

This Episode's Voices

Tim Callahan, Ed.D, is the Assistant Superintendent of North Adams Public Schools. 

Miguel Pabon is a student at Drury High School in North Adams, MA, and is a member of the Drury Stage Company at the Drury Performing Arts Center.

For more information about the C4 Initiative, visit brainworks.mcla.edu/c4

Episode 19: Erick Ramos-Jacobo

Episode host Zurie Adams a recent graduate from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA), engages in a dynamic conversation with Erick: an MCLA alumni, curator, educator, and writer. In this episode, the pair discuss Erick's history with writing, image making, and photography, and how his artistic process has evolved. Eric also discusses how his work as a waiter has bolstered his work as a curator and artist, as well as his career goals going forward.

A full transcript of the episode can be found here.

THIS EPISODE'S VOICES:

Eric Ramos-Jacobo is a writer, social practitioner and curator, who uses his work to educate and lift the voices of newcomer, or immigrant, communities in the Berkshires. As a student at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Eric created The Mariposa Project, a collective of Newcomer artists collaborating to explore themes of cultural disorientation, place and identity experience by the community through creative channels of dialogue and community care.

Episode 18: Zurie Adams

Episode host Erick Ramos-Jacobo, a recent graduate from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA), engages in a dynamic conversation with Zurie Adams: an MCLA alumna, theatre- and filmmaker. In this episode of Thinking Like a Region, they delve into Zurie’s journey in the performing arts, her creative inspirations, and her aspirations for a future that intertwines various art forms.

“Perfection is not real. The arts have taught me that because even with all of the rehearsals and every precaution, something is going to go wrong, and that is okay.”

This episode emphasizes the importance of practical problem-solving, collaboration, and the influence of arts education on personal and professional development.

You can find the transcript for this episode here: https://tinyurl.com/TLAW-ZA

Thinking Like A Region is a production of the C4 Initiative, Berkshire County’s Creative Compact for Collaborative and Collective Impact, based at Berkshire Regional Planning Commission in Pittsfield, MA, and grant-funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. This podcast is produced by Leslie Appleget and Lisa Donovan.

For more information about the show or the C4 Initiative, visit brainworks.mcla.edu/c4.

THIS EPISODE’S VOICES:

Erick Ramos-Jacobo is an immigrant educator, curator, and social practitioner born in Zacatecas, Mexico. Renowned Brazilian Pop artist and Parque Lage professor, Bruno Miguel, noted him as “One of the most promising young curators” (Defining Moments, MASS MoCA, 2022). He's recognized for his work in the arts, particularly in collaboration with organizations like MASS MoCA, Barrington Stage Company, Assets 4 Artists at MASS MoCA, and Madison MoCA. Erick has had the privilege of working alongside curator and educator Dr. Laura Thompson on exhibitions and educational programs featuring notable artists such as Bruno Miguel, Shaun Leonardo, Anne Samat, and Federico Uribe. His passion lies in leveraging the power of the arts to build healthier, more vibrant, and equitable communities for immigrant individuals, with a special focus on museums as a starting point. Erick’s curatorial work and educational development are currently on view at MASS MoCA and his newest collaboration, Metamorphosis|Metamorfosis, opened September 2023 at Madison MoCA.

Episode 17: Lisa Chamberlain - The Chamberlain Group

By Zurie Adams

In 1999, Lisa Chamberlain co-founded the Chamberlain Group, which serves an international clientele of medical device manufacturers, teaching institutions, and hospitals, providing anatomy for the development and training of surgical and interventional procedures.

Prior to that, Lisa graduated from Princeton and attended the Yale School of Drama in the MFA program in Theatre Management. She also worked for 13 years in New York in film and television production before moving to the Berkshires in 1995 to produce visual effects for feature films such as THE MATRIX.

On this episode of Thinking Like A Region, Lisa sits down with MCLA alumna Zurie Adams to discuss how her background in the arts enabled her to start her own business creating anatomical models for medical training, through skillsets such as creativity, ingenuity and building projects from the ground up.

You can find the transcript for this episode here: https://tinyurl.com/LC-TLAR

Thinking Like A Region is a production of the C4 Initiative: Berkshire County’s Creative Compact for Collaborative and Collective Impact, based in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and grant-funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. This podcast is produced by Leslie Appleget and Lisa Donovan.

For more information about the show or the C4 Initiative, visit ⁠brainworks.mcla.edu/c4

Episode 16: Lisa Dent - MASS MoCA

by Erick Ramos-Jacobo 

Episode host Erick Ramos-Jacobo is a senior at MCLA. In this episode of Thinking Like a Region, Erick interviews Lisa Dent, Director of Public Programs at MASS MoCA. The two discuss Dent's multidisciplinary career and the influence her career as a curator, designer, art critic, and more has had in supporting her new leadership position. 

“I am a black woman who loves to sing in order to feel heard, and I'm so happy when I'm able to be in community with others.”

“I think the skills that I bring to MASS MoCA are the fact that I have had a multidisciplinary life.”

This episode focuses on the creative capacities of project management/development, self-advocacy, and public speaking learned from theatre-making and close-looking, interpretation and critical thinking taught by museums. 

You can find the transcript for this episode here: https://bit.ly/TLAR-LDMM

Thinking Like A Region is a production of the C4 Initiative, Berkshire County’s Creative Compact for Collaborative and Collective Impact, based at Berkshire Regional Planning Commission in Pittsfield, MA, and grant-funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. This podcast is produced by Leslie Appleget and Lisa Donovan.

For more information about the show or the C4 Initiative, visit brainworks.mcla.edu/c4.

THIS EPISODE’S VOICES:

Lisa has been in the field for close to 30 years, bringing enthusiasm, humor and heart to her work everyday. This has included her creative practice as well as collaborations and management of larger, artistic projects. She has owned and managed departments of small, mid-size, and large organizations through the lens of inclusion, equity, and anti-oppression. Her background includes work in the visual arts, publishing, theater, and film, making her one of the few professionals deeply engaged with artists and colleagues across multiple genres. Lisa received her BFA from Howard University, her MFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and completed the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program in curatorial studies. She has served on several juries and committees and is currently a board member of Triple Canopy.

Erick Ramos-Jacobo is an immigrant educator, curator, and social practitioner born in Zacatecas, Mexico. Renowned Brazilian Pop artist and Parque Lage professor, Bruno Miguel, noted him as “One of the most promising young curators” (Defining Moments, MASS MoCA, 2022). He's recognized for his work in the arts, particularly in collaboration with organizations like MASS MoCA, Barrington Stage Company, Assets 4 Artists at MASS MoCA, and Madison MoCA. Erick has had the privilege of working alongside curator and educator Dr. Laura Thompson on exhibitions and educational programs featuring notable artists such as Bruno Miguel, Shaun Leonardo, Anne Samat, and Federico Uribe. His passion lies in leveraging the power of the arts to build healthier, more vibrant, and equitable communities for immigrant individuals, with a special focus on museums as a starting point. Erick’s curatorial work and educational development are currently on view at MASS MoCA and his newest collaboration, Metamorphosis|Metamorfosis, will open September 2023 at Madison MoCA.

Episode 15: Andy Wrba - Mill Town Foundation

By Zurie Adams

Andy Wrba is a Berkshire musician and educator who, in 2012, founded the Berkshire Jazz Collective, which supports the county by creating music that features local artists. For nine years (2014-2023) he served as the Music Director at the Darrow School in Lebanon, NY. Currently, he is the program manager of Mill Town Foundation where he oversees community programs and partnerships while continuing to curate and produce events such as the Bosque Summer Concert series, Lennox Jazz Stroll, and Tanglewood in the City.

In addition to his educational and community programming work, from 2005-2012 he performed all over the U.S. in a band, Barefoot Truth, producing several full-length albums and EPs, becoming a symbol of independent music success, acquiring over 50 million streams on Spotify and Pandora.

In this episode of Thinking Like A Region, MCLA student Zurie Adams has a discussion with Andy Wrba about how his life as a musician equipped him with skills such as dedication, multi-tasking and patience, which he has transferred to other areas of his life.

You can find the transcript for this episode here: https://tinyurl.com/AW-TLAR

Thinking Like A Region is a production of the C4 Initiative: Berkshire County’s Creative Compact for Collaborative and Collective Impact, based in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and grant-funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. This podcast is produced by Leslie Appleget and Lisa Donovan.

For more information about the show or the C4 Initiative, visit brainworks.mcla.edu/c4