The International Festival of Arts & Ideas welcomes Malakhi Eason as its new Director of Programming and Community Impact, following an international search guided by Arts Consulting Group. He will begin working at the Festival November 16th.
“I am thrilled to welcome Malakhi to the Festival! His professional experience as an artist, curator, and promoter and his familiarity with greater New England bring a unique and needed perspective to the work,” says Shelley Quiala, Executive Director of the Festival. “Malakhi’s creative and collaborative spirit will expand the Festival’s breadth and depth of programming while engaging our vital New Haven community.”
Eason is looking forward to returning to New England and making his home in New Haven. “I’m excited to enter this creative environment. Being able to walk outside and have the whole city and its community of artists within reach will inspire me to be creative for the Festival,” he says. “I’m eager to meet and collaborate with local leaders to develop original, thought-provoking, and fun events that will resonate with the community in New Haven and beyond,” he says.
Malakhi RL Eason II brings more than 15 years of arts administration experience to the Festival. Originally from Boston, Eason was most recently Programming Manager at Omaha Performing Arts, where he curated the expansive Jazz on the Green Series, ranging from intimate cabaret performances to outdoor concerts featuring artists like Ladama, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Kim Waters, Sammy Miller and the Congregation, and Marcos y Sabor. Eason was formerly a background singer for touring artists while living in Los Angeles, CA.
A graduate of University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, CT, Eason earned a Masters of Arts in Leadership from Grace University and is working on a Doctorate in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University, Eason has also served in many positions that convey his passion for service and youth mentorship; he encourages young people to find their passions.
Eason is an active member of numerous organizations, including the Lincoln, NE, Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc; Lambda Pi Eta (National Honors Society); and the NAACP.
In his free time, Eason loves to travel, write songs, eat at great restaurants, and spend time with family and friends.