Juana Williams is a curator and writer whose work explores the intersections of cross-border intellectual history, cultural memory, and identity formation as expressed through modern and contemporary art from Africa and its diasporas. 

Williams recently served as Artistic Director and Chief Curator of Detroit Salon, a new contemporary arts initiative dedicated to establishing Detroit as an emerging global arts hub. She has also held curatorial and academic appointments at organizations including the Detroit Institute of Arts, Library Street Collective, Wayne State University, and the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art. Her curatorial projects have been presented at institutions across the United States and France, including the Grand Rapids Art Museum, the Muskegon Museum of Art, Palais de Tokyo (Paris), and the Westmoreland Museum of American Art. In addition, she has presented lectures at various museums and universities and contributed to numerous exhibition catalogs. Her work has been featured in publications such as Artsy, Beaux Arts Magazine, Condé Nast Traveller, Michigan Chronicle, and Observer.

Williams holds a BA in Fine Art and an MA in Art History from Wayne State University.

Omari Rush is a statewide and national arts leader whose work is rooted in helping creative expression thrive in communities. As Executive Director of CultureSource in Detroit, he guides regional strategies that strengthen arts ecosystems, support cultural organizations, and advance equitable investment in creativity.

His civic leadership includes long-standing service on the Michigan Arts and Culture Council—appointed by three governors and twice elected chair—as well as a recent term as Board Chair of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, where he helped shape national policy and advocacy for the cultural sector. A lapsed clarinetist with enduring curiosity, Omari now channels much of his creative energy into riding his Rivendell Clem-L bicycle across Michigan’s streets and trails.

Laura Zabel is a nationally recognized advocate for artists and a leading voice in reimagining how creativity strengthens communities and economies. She is the Executive Director of Springboard for the Arts, a St. Paul–based organization run by and for artists. Under her leadership, Springboard has become a field-defining force in artist-led community development, creative placemaking, and cross-sector collaboration, with programs reaching more than 20,000 artists each year and replicated in communities across the U.S. and internationally.

A frequent writer and speaker, Laura’s work has been featured by outlets including The New York Times, PBS NewsHour, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and The Guardian. Her leadership during moments of disruption has helped shape new models of support for artists, including emergency relief funds, artist-driven community response initiatives, and one of the nation’s early guaranteed income programs focused on artists.