Charanya RAMAKRISHNAN

Charanya Ramakrishnan is a leading art educator with over a decade of experience in the field of arts and education.  She is a multimedia artist, popular educator and a Fulbright scholar with an international portfolio of work experience.  She holds a dual degree with a  Masters in Art Education and Community Practice from New York University and also a Masters in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India. She has played key leadership roles in civil society and non-profit organizations. She co-founded the learning center Kudali through her work with the organization Yakshi Resource and Creativity Center for Rural Children and Youth, and was involved in actions for social justice and rights of marginalized communities in India. She has collaborated with traditional artisans, visual artists and musicians to develop unique educational modules centered on socially engaged practice. Charanya is currently the Art educator and Museum Associate at the Louis Armstrong House Museum and she is committed to enhancing community engagement, developing creative pedagogy and leading educational initiatives at the museum; that draw from the transformative elements of jazz, art and storytelling rooted in radical hope and imagination. She is the project coordinator for the WHO Commission on Arts Practice and the Ethics of Care.