Alexandria’s HEARD: Jane Collins Brings Art to the Marginalized

You saw the video of our executive director, Jane Collins, in the hot seat with Susan Fleischman of The Zebra admitting to her love of Ben & Jerry’s, Law & Order: SVU and how badly she needs a nap on The Zebra’s Facebook Live! show. All of the guests who Jane grilled with her “10 Questions” show got their revenge!

Oh, and Jane also talked about Heard of course, and how she will help you start a similar program in your community. Just five steps, and Jane will guide you along the way.

Didn’t see it? Our friends at The Zebra followed up with this cute print story, written by Orrin Konheim.

 

Jane Collins of Heard (and Z-TV LIVE) to Speak at Tom Tom Foundation Summit

We love The Zebra! They are so good to us!

Alexandria, VA – Jane Collins, founder and executive director of the local nonprofit Heard, and frequent host of The Zebra’s Z-TV LIVE, will speak at the Tom Tom Foundation’s virtual summit, Cities Rising, on October 8. The event had been slated for spring 2020 before the pandemic shut it down, and it’s been reinvented as a seven-week virtual summit. Read the rest of the story here.

Update: Listen to Jane share the value of the arts in healing a community, and how she can help you start a similar organization:

“10 Questions” with Stella Hanly, Animal Welfare League of Alexandria

“10 Questions” went out on a high with Stella Hanley, Executive Director of the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.” Animal care has been affected by COVID in unimaginable ways, and Stella and her team at the AWLA have really stepped up to it. Seriously, they have 500 volunteers? How awesome is that? And how did Stella’s childhood in northern Ireland make her the driven, empathetic executive director she is today? As always, watch our entertaining Facebook live show here and read our “5 More Questions” for a bonus.

And special, special thanks and tons of love to The Zebra for this opportunity. It was so much fun and I’m sad that it has to end. Here’s hoping that “10 Questions” truly made Alexandria a better and stronger community.

“10 Questions” with Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Superintendent, Alexandria City Public Schools

Wasn’t that a great Z-TV LIVE! show on August 12? What, you missed it? Fear not, you can view it here. Our executive director, Jane Collins, asked way more than “10 Questions” with Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, the Superintendent, Alexandria City Public Schools. First, we’re impressed that he made time to be on this The Zebra show, given how crazy busy he is preparing for the “Virtual Plus” school year. Yikes, what a challenge for the 16,000 kids who attend school in Alexandria. We’re so glad we could learn more about him – did you know he was his high school’s prom king? Missed the show? Just click below, and then read even more surprising things about him in our “5 More Questions” follow-up.

Heard’s Executive Director Invited to the Tom Tom Foundation Cities Rising Summit

We always knew Heard was a change maker, and now the rest of the country will realized that too! Our executive director, Jane Collins, will talk during the Tom Tom Foundation’s virtual Cities Rising Summit on October 8 as part of a session entitled Yes, Community Arts Are Essential: Let’s lift up our creative neighbors. Jane will share how Heard has been a vehicle for community integration, especially for those marginalized by incarceration.

And there’s more! The Tom Tom Foundation has asked Jane to roll out her model of local artists/local funds/local needs, which of course, she is thrilled to do and has wanted to do for a long, long while. So yes, we are ready to launch! And thank you to CBS 19 News for the mention.