2013 Grant Recipients
Timeka Junius
2013 Grant Recipient: Professional Development
Lower East Side Girls Club, New York, NY
Timeka is YAYA’s Executive Director and alumna of the organization. She first walked through the doors of YAYA as a high school student in 1993 where she apprenticed in the studio. She went on to graduate from Delgado Community College with an Associates Degree in Applied Science and a concentration in graphic design. In 2003, Timeka returned to the organization to mentor in YAYA’s Urban Heroes, an outreach arts mentorship program in New Orleans elementary schools. Through the years, Timeka’s responsibilities grew from teaching to management and in 2013 she was promoted from Program Director to Executive Director. She currently oversees all operations, management, and development at YAYA and supervises eight staff members.
When Timeka was promoted as Exective Director, the foundation awarded her a professional development grant to support her in growing capacity as a leader. Timeka served a weeklong residency with the Lower Eastsde Girls Club in New York City. The Lower Eastside Girls Club is a thriving organization that shares many of the same core values with provides similar programming as YAYA. It is a place where girls and young women 8-23 can grow, learn, have fun, and develop confidence in themselves and their ability to make a difference in the world. Executive Director Lyn Pentecost and her staff were happy to mentor and welcome Timeka into their organization’s programmatic and administrative spheres.
Monica Tyran
2013 Grant Recipient: Internship
International Studio and Curatorial Program, Brookyln, NY
Monica is pursuing a Master of Arts in Arts Administration at the University of New Orleans. She has a degree in Visual Arts from Dillard University. She is the Studio Coordinator at YAYA, where she has held multiple different positions since 2006.
“This summer, I stayed in Brooklyn, New York for three months to intern at the International Studio and Curatorial Program, which is a nonprofit, residency based contemporary art institution for emerging to midcareer artists and curators from around the world. During that time, I helped with the organization and planning of ISCP's four integrated activity areas: the Residency Program, Exhibition Program, ISCP Talks and Participatory Projects."
Monica was selected by ArtTable as one of five women from across the nation to participate in their Diversity Internship Program: A Summer Mentored Internship in the Visual Arts Professions. The foundation supplemented the ArtTable’s internship stipend to help cover Monica’s living expenses while in New York City.