Lehigh Valley
Arts + Culture 2025
The Power of the Arts
Thursday May 29, 2025
Williams Center for the Arts
Lafayette College, Easton
Join us for the second annual convening Lehigh Valley Arts + Culture convening, where arts, business, government, education, and funding leaders unite for an engaging day of research insights, networking, and generative conversation. Together, we’ll lay the groundwork for a vibrant and sustainable arts and culture scene in the Lehigh Valley.
For last year’s information, please download the 2024 Convening Program.
Keynote Speaker
Michael J. Bobbitt
Executive Director, Mass Cultural Council
An inspiring keynote on the arts as a catalyst for healing, unity, and civic transformation that frames the arts not as a luxury, but as essential infrastructure for quality of life, redevelopment, and community connection.
Breakout Sessions
⬢ for Arts Organizations
Julie Zumas
Owner / Principal Consultant, Lehigh Valley Grant Services LLC
Tips and advice on writing grants in today’s competitive funding climate.
⬢ for Working Artists
Christopher Ezold
Partner, Wisler Pearlstine, LLP
Navigating legal issues relevant to creating and sustaining a successful arts business.
⬢ for Business, Community, and Arts Leaders
Martin Cohen
Partner, The Cultural Planning Group
Anne Gadwa Nicodemus
Metris muckety-muck, Metris Arts Consulting
Exploring a regional cultural plan to unlock transformative potential and lasting benefits for future prosperity in the Lehigh Valley.
Regional Roundtable
Alex Michaels
President & CEO, Discover Lehigh Valley
Subham Kharel, PhD
Senior Data and Analytics Planner, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
Kyle Edwards
Artist, Founder & CEO, a true l.o.v.e story., llc | inkwell., llc
Lehigh Valley 250 Update
Jessica Edris
Project Administrator, Lehigh Valley 250
An update on the wide range of immersive exhibitions, performances, and special events planned in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary — a turning point for regional organizations to build commemorative programs that cultivate collaborations and drive tourism.
Featured Speakers
Michael J. Bobbitt
Executive Director, Mass Cultural Council
Michael J. Bobbitt is a distinguished theater artist. As the Executive Director of Mass Cultural Council, he is the highest-ranking public official in Massachusetts state government focused on arts and culture. Since 2021, he has led the Agency through several initiatives, including the development of its first Racial Equity Plan, d/Deaf & Disability Equity and Access Plan, and Native American & Indigenous Equity Plan; the launch of the nation’s first statewide Social Prescribing Initiative; the securing and distribution of $60.1 million in pandemic relief funding; and the design and implementation of a strategic plan for fiscal years 2024-2026. Recently, Bobbitt was listed as one of the Boston Business Journal’s Power 50 Movement Makers. He has been appointed by Governor Maura Healey to serve on both the Governor’s Advisory Council on Black Empowerment and the newly established Massachusetts Cultural Policy Development Advisory Council and recently received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa from Dean College. He is a proud alumnus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Martin Cohen
Partner, The Cultural Planning Group
Martin Cohen joined The Cultural Planning Group in 2010 following a 30-year career in arts administration and arts philanthropy. His work with CPG includes several iterations of cultural planning including creative economy, arts district and community cultural planning. He has led and partnered on a variety of projects that recently include co-leading the cultural master plans for San Deigo, CA; Plano, TX; and Wake County, NC. He is currently working on a regional cultural plan for the Windham Region in southeast VT and the plan for a new arts and culture district in Norwalk, CT. Recently completed projects include design of the state-wide cultural districts program for the Oregon Arts Commission; the cultural planning process for Pinellas County, FL; and the state-wide creative economy plan for the State of Washington Department of Commerce.
Prior to joining as a Partner with CPG, Martin served as director of the Philadelphia Cultural Management Initiative (PCMI), a program of the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. In his role with PCMI, Martin conceived and implemented a comprehensive capacity building program focused on facilitating organizational change and implementing best practices throughout the arts, culture and heritage sector of the five-county Philadelphia region. Prior to his position with PCMI, he served as executive director of Dance/USA (the national service organization for dance), the Kansas City Ballet, the Washington Ballet, and the AMAN Folk Ensemble of Los Angeles.
Jessica Edris
Project Administrator, Lehigh Valley 250
Mission-centered from a young age, Jessica Edris has a wealth of experience in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors as a strategic thinker who sees the forest and the trees and is driven to make good things better while helping others. As a graduate of Moravian University and a long-time resident of the Lehigh Valley, Jessica has focused on mission-based organizations over her career as senior leadership in development, marketing, communications, strategic planning, and operational vitality. She is the Founder of Good Collective, a partnership of experienced professionals that build capacity of mission-driven organizations so that they can do more. She is highly sought after for leading complex collaborations and among other projects, leads the collaboration Lehigh Valley 250, a celebration of culture, arts, and history, that brings together community partners to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. As a past recipient of the Emerging Leader Award from Moravian University, she has served her alma mater as Past President of the Moravian College Alumni Association and former member of the Alumni Board of Directors. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Notre Dame High School, the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Nonprofit Business Council and Humanitarian Social Innovations.
Kyle Edwards
Artist, Founder & CEO, a true l.o.v.e story., llc | inkwell., llc
Kyle L. Edwards is a dedicated art educator and versatile artist based in Allentown, PA. He specializes in art and graphic design, with a strong focus on creating large and small-scale murals. As the creator of an innovative mural program, Kyle has worked with thousands of students throughout the Lehigh Valley, guiding them in the design and installation of large-scale murals. To date, he has successfully installed over thirty murals, showcasing his commitment to community engagement and artistic expression.
As a PCA rostered artist and a partner with 21st Century, ASD, and United Way, Kyle is deeply involved in local initiatives. He is also an ArtsQuest artist resident and serves as the vice chair of the Allentown Arts Commission while being an active member of the Downtown Business Alliance and the William Allen Arts Alliance.
In addition to his artistic endeavors, Kyle owns inkwell., a dynamic creative space that hosts dozens of shows each month to celebrate the arts. His impressive client list includes The Philadelphia Eagles, FOX Sports, Amazon, Intuit QuickBooks, and numerous local businesses. Kyle has collaborated with various non-profits, schools, charities, and municipalities, gaining recognition for his work on televised shows and in print media. He has completed and installed over thirty murals both domestically and internationally.
Christopher E. Ezold
Partner, Wisler Pearlstine, LLP
Christopher E. Ezold focuses his practice on working with businesses and professionals from startup through growth and beyond in biotech/life sciences, health care, technology, commercial and consumer services, and more. He acts as outside general counsel for his business clients, and advises on corporate matters, finance (startup through private equity), equity and asset purchases, mergers and acquisitions, taxation of transactions, corporate and investor rights, technology issues, contracts, operational matters, employment issues, intellectual property rights, and licensing and regulatory compliance.
Christopher advises professional and executive clients throughout their careers on employment contracts, equity rights, taxation of deferred compensation and equity, career strategies, noncompetition and nonsolicitation agreements, business and career exits, and disputes.
Anne Gadwa Nicodemus
Metris muckety-muck, Metris Arts Consulting
Anne Gadwa Nicodemus leads Metris Arts Consulting, a research and planning consultancy that seeks to improve and measure cultural vitality. She has helped shape arts-based community development via reports, journal articles, book chapters, and public speaking. She co-authored Creative Placemaking (2010), the report for the National Endowment for the Arts that helped define the field, and has given over 20 talks on the topic, nationally and internationally. Nicodemus directed Metris’ work on WE-Making: How Arts & Culture Unite People to Work Toward Community Well-Being (2021) for a consortium of major funders. This suite of resources explores how place-based arts and cultural practices can help grow social cohesion to encourage community well-being. For the Chicago Monuments Project (2022), Nicodemus led Metris’ development of the culminating report and synthesis of data from a comprehensive, community-focused engagement process with thousands of Chicagoans from diverse communities— the first of its kind in a major U.S. city. The report helped the City of Chicago address the hard truths of its racial history and develop conscionable solutions for its forty-one problematic public monuments. Nicodemus holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Minnesota. She is an ex-choreographer/arts administrator, queer, and adoptive mom of two.
Alex Michaels
President & CEO, Discover Lehigh Valley
Alex is the current President & CEO of Discover Lehigh Valley, the destination
marketing organization serving Lehigh and Northampton Counties. Prior to Discover Lehigh Valley Michaels recently served as Vice President of Sales and Services for Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge and Virginia’s Blue Ridge Sports Council. He also has held leadership positions for Visit Jacksonville and Daytona Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau.
From 2001-2005, Michaels served in the United States Navy, as a medical hospital corpsman. In 2003 was named Pacific Northwest Sailor of the Year and received The Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal.
Julie Zumas
Owner / Principal Consultant, Lehigh Valley Grant Services LLC
Julie Zumas is the Owner and Principal Consultant of Lehigh Valley Grant Services, LLC, and committed to making the Lehigh Valley a better place to live through strategic fundraising. Over the past 12 years, she has raised millions of dollars for dozens of nonprofits in the Lehigh Valley and beyond. With a master’s degree in public health from George Washington University and degrees in psychology and business administration, she brings extensive expertise in grant writing and management. Outside of work, Julie enjoys gardening, reading, fitness activities, and spending time with her husband and daughters, Nora and Lilly.
Lehigh Valley Arts + Culture 2025 is presented by
Event Schedule
Arrival
8:30 - 9:00 AM
Welcome & Opening Remarks
9:00 - 9:15 AM
Speakers
Ingrid Furniss, Dean of Arts and Humanities, Lafayette College
David Mickenberg, Board President, Lehigh Valley Arts & Cultural Alliance
Salvatore J. Panto, Mayor, City of Easton PA
Session 1: Where We Are
9:15 - 9:55 AM
A presentation of the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 research study with a discussion of implications for the Lehigh Valley’s arts and culture sector.
Featured Speaker
Randy Cohen, Vice President of Research, Americans for the Arts
Session 2: What Is Possible
10:00 - 11:00 AM
A thought leader in the arts and culture sector provides examples of arts in action, and discusses the importance of the societal impacts of arts and culture in the community.
Keynote Speaker
Lesa Ukman, Founder, ProSocial Valuation Service
Session 3: Where We Want to Be
11:10 - 11:50 AM
A moderated discussion with panelists representing government, funders, and the arts community on topics, ideas, and next steps to where we see the arts heading over the next decade. This session features engagement from attendees and presentation of ideas and topics shared during the morning social.
Panelists
Berrisford Boothe, Artist-Curator-Author
Becky Bradley, Executive Director, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
J. William Reynolds, Mayor, City of Bethlehem PA
Stephen P. Link, Director of Philanthropic Services, Cornerstone Advisors Asset Management
Moderators
Leela Breithaupt, Executive Director, The Bach Choir of Bethlehem
Jason King Jones, Artistic Director, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival
Closing Remarks
11:50 AM - 12:00 PM
Speaker
Sean King, Managing Director, Lehigh Valley Arts & Cultural Alliance
