The State of our
Creative Economy
Monday | Oct 17, 2022
10 am - 12 pm
Join us for a panel discussion on the state of our creative economy. We will hear from representative from the City of Sacramento as well as representatives from each of our creative fields, including Entertainment & Digital Media, Architecture, Fine and & Performing Arts, Creative Goods & Services, and Fashion.
Meet our Speakers
Megan Van Voorhis
Megan Van Voorhis is the Cultural and Creative Economy Manager for the City of Sacramento, where she leads the Office of Arts + Culture and is responsible for advancing the goals of the Creative Edge cultural plan. A former dancer, Megan grew up in Flint, Michigan and received a BFA in dance from The Ohio State University in 1998. Megan began her professional career at the Royal George Theatre Center in Chicago, Illinois. She returned to Ohio in 2001 to pursue an MBA at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.
In 2003, Megan joined the staff of Arts Cleveland (then Community Partnership for Arts and Culture). She ended her 17-year tenure with the organization in September 2020 as President and CEO. Over her career, Van Voorhis has established a strong record in public policy and advocacy – securing wins such as a dedicated revenue stream for arts and culture and revisions to an oppressive admissions tax that was negatively impacting independent live music venues.
Other achievements include a decade of work to elevate the role of arts and culture in neighborhood development and health and human services, producing a nationally recognized white paper – Creative Minds in Medicine – and a national conference of the same name. She was a founding member of the Arts-in-Health Advisory Committee for Cuyahoga County’s public hospital system, MetroHealth, helping to guide the system’s strategy for arts and health integration – with a specific focus on public health. She is a member of the 2014 class of Crain’s Cleveland Business 40 Under 40 honorees and was recognized in Sacramento Magazine’s 100 Notable Business Leaders in 2021.
Faith McKinnie
Faith J. McKinnie is a curator based in Sacramento. In the last decade, she has worked in museum education, arts administration, non-profit management, gallerist, studio assistant, historian, writer, and critic, which have given her a multi-dimensional and intersectional perspective of the local, national, and international art community. Informed by her own experiences with race, gender, politics, and sexuality, Faith wields the transformative power of diverse, equitable, accessible, and inclusive art in her critically acclaimed projects, programs, and exhibitions.
Tamaira “Tee” Sandifer
Tee Sandifer is a 30-year dance education expert specializing in pulling the best out of youth. She has developed some of Hollywood’s most sought after young dancers including THE 2016 winner of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’, 2018 World of Dance stars, members of the Jabbawockeez, and more. Her graduates currently travel the world with artists and celebrities that include: Justin Beiber, Jennifer Lopez, Selena Gomez, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Usher, Beyonce, Ellen & More. You’ll see her graduates on the stages of MTV Music Awards, Nick Choice Awards, BET Awards & more. But to her, some of the biggest successes of her program have come from students who finished high school and went on to become college graduates.
Allison Cagley
Allison Cagley is the executive director of Friends of Sacramento Arts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring arts education in the Sacramento County public K-12 schools by providing funding, advocacy and strategic partnerships.
For the past 30+ years, Allison has dedicated herself to furthering the mission of arts and culture and education nonprofit organizations as a fund development and marketing professional. Her past experiences include working for Broadway Sacramento, Sacramento Science Center (now MOSAC), Christian Brothers High School and California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. Allison also worked for several years as an independent consultant focusing on fund development, strategic planning, board development and grant research.
Allison received her Certification as a Fundraising Executive in 1993 (CFRE), is past president of Sacramento chapter of Association of Fundraising Professionals. Allison is a Leadership Sacramento alumnae, a board member of Sacramento Alliance for Regional Arts and is a member of the Rotary Club of Sacramento.
Allison has been a workshop presenter for Sacramento Region Community Foundation and California Lawyers for the Arts for many years.
Shira Lane
Shira was raised in Australia and later served in the Israeli army before she landed in Los Angeles in 2004, where she worked on TV and feature films. Shira founded Unleashed Productions a progressive media production company in 2006, and Upcycle Pop America’s first upcycle market in 2017, which expanded into Atrium 916 a Creative Innovation Center for Sustainability in 2019, an inclusive economic and community center for artists and creatives focused on environmental sustainability.
Shira’s film and media projects spanning over two decades have won awards and changed policies, and she has become an advocate for independent creatives across the spectrum of the creative economy.
In Sacramento, Shira led various advocacy efforts to support independent creatives. During the establishment of the Measure U advisory committee, Shira initiated Sacramento Creative Economy meetings to bring together the creative community and invited city staff and elected officials to sit in on these meetings, enabling creatives to advocate for more support from the city directly. This advocacy helped increase city funding for creatives in 2019. In early 2020, the meetings went virtual, guiding many creatives through funding opportunities and spearheaded the advocacy efforts to drive over $25 million towards the sector. In 2021 Shira became a founding board member of SARA – a regional arts advocacy organization for Yolo, Sacramento, Placer and El Dorado counties.
During the pandemic, Shira launched for the Atrium an online local mask marketplace that raised $30K for local creatives within a few months, and later expanded it (with a grant from the city) to a retail and online mini amazon enterprise for eco-friendly, Sacramento made products called Sacramento.Shop as a solution to creatives not being able to sell in winter markets of 2020. Sacramento.Shop is growing with over 90 selling artists. It is a working circular economy marketplace that promotes creative economic vitality for the Sacramento region while accelerating waste diversion innovation.
In August of 2020 with building lockdowns, the Atrium moved to a retail setup in Old Sacramento, livening up the once neglected Public Market on the corner of J and Front Street with artist studios, art gallery, art café (that serves art not food) and a welcoming environment. Atrium 916 – 1020 Front Street, Sacramento CA 95814.
Atrium 916 pushes boundaries to build art installations, exhibits and media that highlight environmental emergency and promote sustainable economic development. Currently in post-production with a TV series airing on PBS called Citizens of planet Earth.
Kimberly Anderson
Kimberly Anderson's career with AIA spans 26 years. She has been an executive director for both AIA Redwood Empire and AIA Central Valley and served as vice president of the Council of Association Component Executives (CACE) for both AIA CA and National AIA, receiving honorary membership in 2013.
At the national AIA level, she has served on many committees and task forces including the Continuing Education Task Force, the Equity Diversity & Inclusion Task Force and the AIA National Membership Marketing Task Force. She is co-founder of the AIA Mid-sibs Collaborative representing chapters with 500-999 members.
Kimberly has a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications/journalism from Sonoma State University.
Samuel Rose
Quality. Detail. Aesthetic.
Samuel R. Parkinson, also known as Samuel Rose, creates unique, one-of-a-kind clothing. He specializes in concept design, pattern drafting, garment construction, and production management. Samuel has ten years of experience as a fashion designer and executes thorough knowledge of materials and technique. The Sacramento native is the owner of Masintel, Bespoke By Samuel Rose and b:SR brand. The menswear clothing lines are popular for the unique details and craftsmanship.
Samuel holds a BFA in Fashion Design from the International Academy of Design and Technology (IADT). The master sewer has worked with several companies from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento to provide exclusive brand designs. Prominent clients include DSF Clothing Company, David Garibaldi, Kevin Durant, and even worked with custom footwear company Benjamins Shoe Corporation.
Samuels enthusiasm for the fashion industry is the motivation behind developing top-quality, detailed refined garments. As a result, it is his commitment and zeal for the fashion industry which creates amazing collections. His personal philosophy is a testament to his design process. Samuel states, "I never feel as if I'm working because I truly enjoy my craft. I'm constantly practicing it--hours will go by and I only experience a deeper appreciation for producing my garments."
The designer is influenced by multiple cultures, visual art, classic ideas and perspectives on lifestyle. He has a genuine appreciation for tailor-made garments --a process which eschews mass production. The secret to his craft comes from sewing on old machines such as the Pfaff. Ultimately, Samuels clothing upholds a standard of excellence that supports a premium and intricate aesthetic.
For the last 2 years Samuel has run and operated a custom clothing shop were he designs, makes and sells all of his work along with www.bysamuelrose.com and www.bsrbrand.com. He continues to release a seasonal/yearly collection via a fashion show that rivals larger cities like New York.