2023-24 National Cohort: Mid-America Arts Alliance
Amy June Breesman, Lawrence, Kansas
Artist and Activist, Bluejacket Handcraft and Good Way Farm
Amy June is the artist, activist and seed keeper behind Bluejacket Handcraft and Good Way Farm in Lawrence, Kansas. She also serves as the land relations specialist at the Land Institute, engaging in the cultural piece of agriculture. She was born and raised in the Washington, D.C. area and relocated to Kansas in 2023, making her new home on Kaw, Osage and Kickapoo territories. While rooted heavily in photography, she enjoys a multidisciplinary approach to applied research and craft. Her work is largely informed by her mixed heritage as an enrolled member of the Eastern Shawnee Nation of Oklahoma and queer identity. Her work addresses themes of racial and social justice, Indigenous self-determination and food sovereignty.
Michelle Antonina Burdex, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Program Coordinator, Greenwood Cultural Center
Michelle Antonina Burdex, a Tulsa, Oklahoma native, boasts a dynamic 25-year tenure as the program coordinator at the Greenwood Cultural Center (GCC). Renowned for her stewardship, she pioneered acclaimed initiatives such as the Young Entrepreneurs’ Summer Program, GCC’s Performing Arts Program, and the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools Summer and After School Program.
A storyteller and tour guide, Burdex has guided thousands of students, educators, and tourists through the vivid tapestry of Greenwood’s history. Notably, she led a tour for U.S. President Joe Biden during GCC’s 100-year remembrance of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in 2021.
Her gift lies in educating about both the tragic legacy of the massacre and the resilience of Black Wall Street, weaving together narratives that resonate deeply. Recognized for her leadership, she joined the Oklahoma Arts Council’s Leadership Arts Program and Leadership Tulsa’s Thrive Tulsa Leadership Program in 2020. Presently, as a Bloomberg Tech Fellow, she’s engaged in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Digital Accelerator Program, showcasing her commitment to innovative progress in cultural education and advocacy.
Israel Carranza, Lincoln, Nebraska
Artist
Israel Carranza is a Mexican-American artist who has been creating abstract expressionistic paintings inspired by his Indigenous Mexican heritage for many years. He was born and raised in Illinois and recently moved to Lincoln, Nebraska.
Carranza’s art is a reflection of his deep connection to his cultural roots and his passion for exploring the intersection of Indigenous Mexican traditions and contemporary art. His paintings are characterized by bold, vibrant colors and abstract forms that evoke the natural landscapes, myths, and symbols of Mexico’s Indigenous communities.
In addition to his art, Carranza is also active in organizing cultural events in Lincoln that celebrate and showcase the rich heritage of Mexico and its people. He has been instrumental in bringing traditional music, dance, and food to the local community and promoting cross-cultural understanding and appreciation.
Carranza’s work has been exhibited in galleries throughout the United States, and he has received recognition for his contributions to the arts, community and culture. He continues to create and share his art with the world, inspiring others to connect with their own cultural heritage and explore the power of art as a means of expression and connection.
Pamela Hart, Cedar Park, Texas
Co-Founder, Women in Jazz Association, Inc.
Pamela Hart is considered Austin’s First Lady of Jazz, designated by AustinWoman Magazine. She has devoted over 25 years of her life toward singing jazz and keeping the jazz genre alive. She and her husband Kevin Hart co-founded the Women in Jazz Association, Inc. in 1994, and she has been an advocate for women keeping jazz alive. She performed Sunday livestream house concerts most Sundays in 2020 to soothe the soul during Covid-19 sheltering. She released a CD, “Happy Talk” in May 2021. She was inducted into the Austin Jazz Society Hall of Fame in 2018. Hart has received many awards for her community work as a jazz supporter. These include the Connie Yerwood Conner National Woman of Achievement Award, and Jazz at St. James A.D. Mannion Award, Texas State University Outstanding Alumni Award, Links Austin Chapter Arts Award, and the BOSS Award of Distinction. With her performances, the Women in Jazz Association, Inc., vocal performance workshops, and vocal coaching, Hart is making a difference in the Austin music scene. Thanks to City of Austin Economic Development Department Thrive funding, she produced the first annual Austin Women in Jazz Festival in November 2023.
Devin Hursey, Lee's Summit, Missouri
Writer and Graphic Designer
Devin Hursey is a writer and graphic designer, with a passion for telling stories about people living with HIV and public health. Hursey, from Kansas City, Missouri holds dual master’s degrees in public health and strategic communications from the University of Missouri Columbia. In 2019, Hursey was honored as one of the 40 under 40 in public health by de Beaumont, as well as a 2023 Public Health Thought Leader by the Boston Congress of Public Health. His local and state work includes a featured columnist of the Next Page KC, leadership of the Real Justice Network contributing to campaigns related to local politics, and board membership of Blaqout KC. Formerly: an appointed member of the CDC/HRSA Advisory Committee on HIV and Viral Hepatitis, and many other roles related to the health and rights of people living with HIV.
Asya Webster, Little Rock, Arkansas
Program Officer, Grants and Public Programs, Arkansas Humanities Council
Asya P. Webster is one of two of the program officer for grants and public programs for the Arkansas Humanities Council. Webster is an Arkansan who was raised in rural Wrightsville but considers it close enough to call herself a Little Rock city native. She has always been involved in humanities even from a young age, performing in dance at the Tidwell Centre for the Dancarts for seven years and student theater for 4 years. Webster completed her undergraduate experience with a bachelors in English Literature at Philander Smith College. She also served as the president of the Creatives, an organization for students interested in the visual and performing arts. Webster’s play, Waiting on Sunrise, is a three-act play consisting of seven individual 10-minute plays. The last segment of Waiting on Sunrise was selected to be a part of ACANSA’s Third Annual 10-Minute Play Showcase. She also taught high school English at a rural underserved school. Webster’s passion is making more space for and having the arts be more accessible for disadvantaged/overlooked populations in Arkansas. She is currently co-founding the Next Gen(eration) Humanities Conference through the Arkansas Humanities Council.