Brief
Over two consecutive summers, I co-founded and produced Field Day, a multidisciplinary arts festival presented at the Kennedy Center’s new REACH campus as part of our Culture Caucus residency. The REACH was designed to connect the institution with DC’s creative communities, but early programming struggled to resonate. Field Day was conceived to shift perceptions of the Kennedy Center, welcome diverse new audiences, and invest directly in underrepresented artists and entrepreneurs.

Idea
Take the concept of a “field day” literally and reimagine it as a festival: playful, communal, and rooted in local artistry. Blend live performances, short films, art exhibitions, and a streetwear marketplace with nostalgic outdoor games like sack races and chalk art. Make the Kennedy Center lawn feel accessible and joyful while embedding contemporary Black and Brown creativity into the institution’s DNA.

Role

• Co-founder and lead curator/producer across both years

• Directed festival’s full visual identity (color system, graphics, animation) and guided content strategy across social platforms

• Negotiated Kennedy Center approvals for unprecedented integrations, including brand partnerships (Topo Chico), social takeovers, and a streetwear marketplace

• Led and managed a cross-functional creative/production team (producers, editors, designers, videographers, social managers)

• Oversaw budgets, artist/vendor contracts, and all production logistics

• Acted as creative director on all festival content, including recap films, livestream extensions, and social activations

Execution
Across two years, Field Day grew into a three-day summer festival drawing 3,000+ attendees annually. Programming featured 15 vendors, 8 artists, and site-specific installations. Highlights included:

• A Questlove documentary screening, reposted to his audience and tied to a national conversation on music and culture

• A $2,000 filmmaking grant for an emerging under-30 creator, providing a first opportunity to screen work at a major cultural institution

• A photography exhibition and artist panel, live concerts, and an outdoor fashion-forward marketplace spotlighting regional streetwear brands

• Interactive activities (hopscotch, sack races, chalk art) that engaged families and made the REACH lawn feel open and participatory

• Digital extensions: a Kennedy Center Instagram takeover with high engagement, social activations, and recap films produced alongside the Social Impact team

Impact

• Attracted thousands of new, diverse audiences to the Kennedy Center and established Field Day as a model for authentic cultural engagement

• Expanded institutional boundaries for corporate collaboration, piloting the Kennedy Center’s first brand partnership with Topo Chico and integrating it seamlessly into the festival experience

• Secured media coverage in District Fray and national visibility through Questlove’s amplification

• Strengthened community trust by soft-launching partnerships with artists and vendors, ensuring integration felt collaborative rather than extractive

• Earned high-level endorsement from the Kennedy Center’s Social Impact leadership: “When I want to show people the impact of this program and the work we’re doing, I show them your company and Field Day. You guys are the future of what the Kennedy Center and cultural programming needs to look like.”

• Demonstrated deep institutional trust: Kennedy Center allocated funding directly to our team, entrusting us to pay artists and vendors, a rare level of autonomy that reflected confidence in our leadership and systems