Director, Creative Economy. 2007-Present
UMass Amherst

Slobody Building
101 University Drive, Suite C1
Amherst, MA 01002-2376
Phone: 413-687-1285
Fax: 413-545-6555
MLombardi@outreach.umass.edu
MLombardi1.com

The Creative Economy

The Western Massachusetts creative economy makes a significant contribution to local and regional economic prosperity, and UMass Amherst has created the Director of Creative Economy position to develop new activities and initiate programs that contribute to this powerful economic engine. These programs develop highly collaborative partnerships in the region to promote economic development, the arts, encourage youth participation in the arts, engage our communities, and position UMass Amherst as a premier environment and facilitator for innovative creative activity.

Projects and Activities

Sankofa Dance Project 2007-2010

Responsibilities: Developing and implementing strategic plan for the project. Creating and managing the recruiting plan. Managing all talent. Developing and managing the budget. Managing day to operations of the summer camps and all events. The Sankofa Dance Project (SDP) was a three year project celebrating African Roots in American Dance through intensive summer study and choreographic residencies at UMass Amherst accompanied by performances and events celebrating through dance the diversity of the world in which we live.

• December 2007. Event, Dance Performance. SDP presents a re-staging of acclaimed modern choreographer Ron K. Brown's Exodus, performed by the UMass Amherst University Dancers. Total attendance: over 1000 Five College students, faculty, staff and community.
• May 2008. Dance Workshop. Tony Award winner George Faison comes to UMass Amherst for a Master Class. Total attendance: 14 undergraduate students from UMass Amherst
• June 2008. Summer Training/Multiple Events. George Faison headlines the Inaugural Summer Dance Intensive. Total attendance: 55 participants, from 10 different states and ranged in age from 15 to 56. The week also included The Sankofa Festival 2008 featuring three events: A Harlem Renaissance Jam, A Bebop, Hip Hop, Spoken Word Jam, and the Sankofa Intensive Dance Concert. Total attendance: Over 800 community attending the 3 events.
• September-December 2008. Dance Residency. George Faison returns to UMass Amherst for an extended residency rehearsing with students for his new work, Movin' On. Total attendance: 22 undergraduate students from UMass Amherst.
• October 2008. Event, Dance Performance. UMass Amherst Dancers perform Faison's Movin' On at the UMass Amherst Fine Arts Center concert Hall with the critically acclaimed Alvin Ailey II. Total attendance: roughly 1500 middle and high school students, teachers and community.
• December 2008. Event, Dance Performance. UMass Amherst Dancers reprise their performance of Faison's Movin' On. Total attendance: roughly 850 faculty, staff, students and community.
• June 2009. Summer Training/Event. Chuck Davis headlines the second annual Summer Dance Intensive. Total attendance: 52 participants came from 7 different states and ranged in age from 15 to 71. Over 350 attended the final dance concert.

Sankofa Youth Reach 2008-2010

Responsibilities: Developing the mission for the program. Creating and managing the budget. Responsible for all coordination and the developing and managing of all partnerships.

Sankofa Youth Reach (SYR) received funding for two years to teach dance in the Springfield Public School System, creating performance opportunities and bringing students to UMass Amherst for events and activities, engaging with artists, faculty and students. Sankofa Youth Reach also provided tuition and housing scholarships for the 2008 and 2009 Sankofa Dance Project Summer Dance Intensives on the UMass Amherst Campus.

• March-April 2008. Dance Classes. SYR brings dance classes to two High Schools in Springfield, MA. Total attendance: 75 Springfield high school students.
• May 2008. Event. SYR brings The Respect Project, a youth empowerment theater group directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner George Faison to Springfield for a free performance. Partners: Springfield Technical Community College. Total attendance: Over 500 students and community.
• March-April 2009. Dance Classes. SYR brings dance classes to Central High School. Partners: Springfield Public School System, Bamidele Dancers and Drummers. Total attendance: 50 Springfield high school students.
• May, 2009. Event. SYR presents a lecture/demonstration event about the culture and form of African dance. Partners: Springfield Public School System, Bamidele Dancers and Drummers, Master African Dance choreographer and educator, Chuck Davis. Total attendance: Over 350 Springfield elementary school students, teachers and community.
• October 2009-February 2010. Dance Classes. SYR brings a stepping program for 5th through 8th graders to three elementary schools in Springfield, MA. Partners: Springfield Public School System. Total attendance: Roughly 60 Springfield students participated in the program.
• December 2009. Dance Classes. SYR brings African Dance Master, Dr. Chuck Davis to UMass Amherst to teach a master class to Springfield students involved in the stepping program, grades 5th through 8th. Following the class, students attended the University Dance concert. Total attendance: Roughly 60 Springfield students.
• February 2010. Event. SYR presents a free stepping event with critically acclaimed Stepping group, Step Afrika from Washington D.C. Partners: Springfield Public School System. Total attendance: over 500 Springfield elementary students.
• April-June 2010. Dance Classes. SYR brings African Dance classes to DeBerry Elementary School. Partners: Bamidele Dancers and Drummers. Total attendance: roughly 20 Springfield elementary students.

UMass Amherst Community Outreach, 2008-2009

• April 2008. Event, Music Performance. April 2008 marked the 145th anniversary of the founding of the University of Massachusetts. This milestone was commemorated with a half-day celebration. The event began with a series of performances in the Fine Arts Center by musicians and dancers from the university as well as from high schools in the state. Total attendance: roughly 1700.
• June 2009. Workshop. Classes. African Dance legend Chuck Davis helmed a Master Class on The UMass Amherst campus. The class was team taught by Chuck Davis, Stafford Berry, Abdel Salaam and Amaniyea Payne. Total attendance: Over 100 community members and Sankofa participants

Greater Springfield-UMass Amherst Partnership, 2009-2010

Responsibilities: To focus on downtown Springfield; economic development and arts & culture, with the specific charge to create a UMass Amherst footprint in downtown.

The Greater Springfield-UMass Amherst Partnership (SUMAP) promotes collaboration between the campus and the city in an effort to revitalize Springfield's economy. The Partnership aims to position the city as a center for environmentally beneficial green industries, boost Springfield's arts and creative economy, and to expand relevant university teaching and outreach and engagement activities.

• February 2010. UMass Amherst Design Center. Renovations begin on the new UMass Amherst Design Center in historic Court Square in downtown Springfield. The new Design Center will be housed in the oldest commercial building in Springfield. In addition to a design studio, the building features storefront offices as well as market rate apartments on the upper floors. Partners: City of Springfield Office of Economic Development and Office of Capital Management.
• March – October 2010. Art & Soles. Art & Soles is a public art project bringing 20 five-foot high top sneakers to downtown Springfield. The project is rooted in collaboration and inspired by the belief that art can begin to change people's perceptions about public space. Partners: City of Springfield Office of Economic Development, The Springfield Business Improvement District and TSM Design.
• May 2010. One Financial Plaza Gallery. One Financial Plaza Gallery, is programmed to host to UMass Amherst art in downtown Springfield. Partners: NAI Plotkin, UMass Amherst Fine Arts Center
• July-August 2010. Art & Soles Studio. Art & Soles has secured 1200 Main Street in Springfield as a downtown studio in which artists will create their sneakers. In collaboration with the buildings owner, the store front space has been cleaned and opened up to the artists and the public to view their progress. Partners: City of Springfield Office of Economic Development, The Springfield Business Improvement District and TSM Design.
• August 2010. Athletics Outreach. As a part of the Basketball Hall of Fame 2010 Enshrinement festivities, SUMAP coordinated with UMass Amherst Women's and Men's Basketball head coaches, staff and players to hold two youth basketball clinics at center court at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. Partners: Basketball Hall of Fame, UMass Amherst Athletics.
• August 2010. Art & Soles, Hall of Fame Sneaker. Basketball Hall of Fame 2010 Enshrinees Gus Johnson, Karl Malone, David Robinson, Scottie Pippin, Oscar Robertson, Walt Bellamy, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, John Stockton all signed an Art & Soles sneaker to be auctioned off to support local youth arts activities in Springfield. Partners: Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield Business Improvement District, TSM Design.
• August 2010. Engineering Outreach, Circuits & Beats. Coordinated by SUMP, twleve middle-school-aged children from Springfield participated in, a summer workshop to design, build and program funky electronic music machines under the direction of UMass Amherst engineers. Partners: UMass Amherst College of Engineering, and UMass Amherst's M5.
• Springfield, 2010. UMass Amherst Design Center. The UMass Amherst Design Center opens in Court Square. The Design Center will be filled with students, a place for community gatherings and events, and a place that will help connect city residents with planning activities in their neighborhoods. Partners: City of Springfield Office of Economic Development, UMass Extension, the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, and the Art and Architecture program.