The Platinum Pias becomes USA Make a Difference
Monday, April 1st, 20019 is the big day that the Platinum PIAs officially became the USA Make a Difference Awards. A big thank you goes out to USA Create for their terrific help with the transition. Now it is time to announce our incredible winners for 2019. A big thank you goes out to our judging committee of volunteers from the ArtisticPreneur Newsletter email list who put up with a rather large selection of nominees this year. It wasn’t easy, but after careful coordination and lots of back and forth, we now have the winners of the 10th Annual Platinum PIAs Awards Show (2nd online-only edition) all of whom are role models for being “ArtisticPreneurs who are Making a Difference.” The winners are James E. Bartlett of MoCADA (Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts), Mamedjarra Diop of Sunu Thiossane, Bruce Payne (founder of the Baruch College Arts Administration Master’s Degree Program) and Savion Glover of “Bring in ‘da Noise/Bring in ‘da Funk.”
The PIAs Connection
Full disclosure: I have a connection to all of these winners. I did a graduate program final project about James’ MoCADA organization. I went to grad school with Mamedjarra. The graduate school program I went to was founded by Bruce (I also did a speaking engagement with him at one of the State Universities of New York). And finally, years ago I had the honor of documenting Savion in a performance he did at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Congratulations to all the winners. You all are definitely “Making a Difference!”