About Parallel & Tangential
@ArtsTangential
Julia and Elena met in 2013 while they were both in their first year of George Mason University's Arts Management graduate program. It wasn’t until 2014 that the two bonded (during many a happy hour) over their love of the arts and their belief in dynamic and adaptive arts management practices. From attending theatre in the DC metro region to wine and jazz festivals, they enjoy spending their time exploring #artinthecity.
Now, Julia resides in the Shenandoah Valley and Elena works in DC. Even though the two are hours apart, they talk - almost daily - about current trends in non-profit arts and what is going on in the cities where they live. While Julia and Elena both approach arts management from different perspectives - marketing and development, respectively - they enjoy presenting new ideas and challenging the old.
Julia: We’re smart. But we’re smarter together.
Elena: We have Arts Smarts. We art smart. We do smart art.
. . .actual conversation. Which brings us to why they started Parallel & Tangential. After a year of talking for hours on end about the current trends in arts management, they realized that those conversations might be a jumping off point for deeper discussion. They approach ideas with depth and humor: the more they explore and unpack a topic, the more they laugh. Julia and Elena's career paths are running parallel on different tracks and sometimes the pair can be a little, well, tangential.
Now, Julia resides in the Shenandoah Valley and Elena works in DC. Even though the two are hours apart, they talk - almost daily - about current trends in non-profit arts and what is going on in the cities where they live. While Julia and Elena both approach arts management from different perspectives - marketing and development, respectively - they enjoy presenting new ideas and challenging the old.
Julia: We’re smart. But we’re smarter together.
Elena: We have Arts Smarts. We art smart. We do smart art.
. . .actual conversation. Which brings us to why they started Parallel & Tangential. After a year of talking for hours on end about the current trends in arts management, they realized that those conversations might be a jumping off point for deeper discussion. They approach ideas with depth and humor: the more they explore and unpack a topic, the more they laugh. Julia and Elena's career paths are running parallel on different tracks and sometimes the pair can be a little, well, tangential.
Meet Julia & Elena
Julia is so proud to be the Group and Education Sales Manager at the American Shakespeare Center (ASC) in Staunton, Va. Nestled in the historic and idyllic Shenandoah Valley, ASC is the world’s only re-creation of Shakespeare’s indoor playhouse, the Blackfriars Theatre. We “do it with the lights on” at the ASC because that’s the way Shakespeare did it. By re-creating his original staging conditions, we bring back the fun and connection audiences had with the actors in his day. Julia’s favorite part about her job is that she gets to talk to educators in the community (and nationally) and help them design amazing trips to ASC that are filled with plays, tours, and workshops that are tailored just for their students.
Julia is a theatre kid who has a passion for community arts and communication. She believes that everyone in the community is a part of the arts scene, so as arts managers, we must be super aware of the practical and ethical implications of our communication - and be willing to have tough conversations. Two favorite pieces of advice she’s ever received in the field are “always ask why” and “theatre is a love story. Our job is to make people fall in love.” Outside of work (ok, sometimes at work), Julia loves a good, random dance party. She enjoys watching baseball and cooking, and recently re-discovered her love of Virginia Wine. She firmly believes that unicorns exist. |
Elena is currently the Development Associate for Corporate Relations at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC. Committed to the spoken and written word, the Folger is the foremost authority on Shakespeare research, the world's largest Shakespeare library, and a national leader in education and performance related to Shakespeare's works. The award winning programs at the Folger connect broader audiences to the collection and support the living legacy of Shakespeare in contemporary life.
Elena's interests are deeply rooted in fundraising and the performing arts, as well as in professional training and skill-building for emerging arts managers. Through her participation as a Steering Committee Member for the Emerging Arts Leaders of DC (EALDC) and her professional experience in arts institutions across the District, Elena has learned the value of professional development, mission clarity, and financial competency. Elena is always striving to learn more about effective fundraising strategies and trends, and what those mean to the overall health of both local and national arts funding communities. In her treasured free time, Elena is a huge foodie (DC Restaurant Week = Life), and is always up for a rousing game of Cards Against Humanity. Pizza is her spirit animal. |