Advisory Council

In 1984, Anne Bluethenthal created ABD Productions, a multicultural, multi-ethnic, performing arts company committed to inspiring social change through the arts. Her choreographic language troubles the paradigm of western dance while crafting content driven choreographies that face difficult issues of the day with eloquence and passion. Bluethenthal’s work grows from the belief that relationship is the first site of social change. After 3 decades of building a repertoire of original works, in 2011 Bluethenthal initiated the Skywatchers program. Rooted in

Julie Chang is a San Francisco based contemporary artist whose work investigates how identities are constructed and how (mis)understandings of both self and other might be resisted, subverted, and reimagined. Chang received her MFA from Stanford University in 2007, her BA in Sociology from Tufts University and her BFA in Studio Art from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in 1999. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including the San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco Arts

Laura Elaine Ellis is co-founder and Director of the African & African American Performing Arts Coalition, co-presenters of the Black Choreographers Festival: Here & Now (BCF). Her work has been recognized by the State of California and the Alameda Arts Commission for preserving African American art and culture. Laura performs and choreographers with Dimensions Dance Theater and Flyaway Productions; she is the community outreach coordinator and co-curator for the SF Dance Film Festival, Raising Voices program, and has served over

Keith Hennessy, MFA, PhD, is a dancer, writer, choreographer, activist, healer, and teacher. Raised in Atikameksheng Anishnawbek territory in Canada, he has lived in Yelamu/San Francisco since 1982 and tours internationally. Hennessy’s work is interdisciplinary and experimental, motivated by anti-racist, queer-feminist, and decolonial movements. With a focus on the poetics and politics of relationship, Keith’s recent collaborators include Ishmael Houston-Jones, Peiling Kao, Snowflake Towers, Brontez Purnell, Nathaniel Moore, Ryanaustin Dennis, Sarah Crowell, and Gerald Casel. Awards include Guggenheim, USArtist, NY

Jessica Robinson Love was the founding executive and artistic director of CounterPulse. Over 14 years, she led the organization through a merger, relocation, and 10-fold expansion, establishing it as a national model in the field of arts for social justice. She designed and led a statewide initiative to build equity in the performing arts, and helped launch a major public-private partnership to preserve cultural spaces. She is now a managing director at Arabella Advisors, where she partners with foundations, corporations,

Kate Patterson is the Director of Communications for San Francisco Public Library. Prior to joining the Library, she led communications for the San Francisco Arts Commission for more than a decade. While at the Arts Commission, she oversaw all external communications and marketing. During her tenure, she was involved in publicizing high-profile civic projects including the world premiere of a 15-ton sculpture by renowned contemporary artist Zhang Huan, the bi-annual Mayor’s Art Award, the opening of three new terminals at

Beth is a nonprofit consultant specializing in Executive Transitions. She has over 25 years of executive management experience as an executive director of four health and social service organizations in the Bay Area. She also served as Director of Business Development for WestEd and for United Behavioral Health. She has served as a consultant since 2010 providing interim leadership, planning, board governance, and program viability studies. While serving as an interim director she has tackled many staffing, fundraising, board and