We're incrediby excited to introduce Lauren-Ashley Howard, our new Deputy Director! Coming from Buffalo, New York, where she served as General Council for the Buffalo Sewer Authority and spearheaded an arts outreach program, she is an accomplished practicing artist and attorney. She received her M.F.A in studio arts and M.A. in African studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, her J.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law, and has extensive experience in fine arts, law, and community outreach.  As an artist, she is active in the Black Speculative Arts Movement, focusing on Afrofuturist worldbuilding and storytelling. 

She strongly resonated with the Fresh Artists mission, and is looking forward to bringing her care and expertise towards supporting art education! 

She had this to say about joining Fresh Artists: 

"Art is our greatest tool for communication: it is the foundation of all cultures and, when effectively deployed, has the potential to change the world. Joining the Fresh Artists team means I will have the opportunity to demonstrate art's power by teaching children how to wield it. It's the chance of a lifetime--I'm thrilled to be here!"