Today we’d like to introduce you to Janice Bond.
Janice, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My life has been so full of off kilter anecdotes and tangents, it’s nearly impossible to draw a line to provide a remotely linear pathway. Nonetheless, the journey goes a little something like this
I had an insatiable love of music and art from all over the world as a teen, although I didn’t have the technical vocabulary at the time. It was common for me to sneak into local bars to hear live music and perform poetry. A woman named Jennifer Hurst gave me her business card when I was 18 and asked her, “How do I get your job?”. Met another woman through Jennifer named Allie Hanley and interviewed for a regional tour sales/operator position. Started a career in collegiate marketing and student travel sales/operations directly after high school while in college. Was a gallery guard and assistant my first year in college. Worked events and tour programs in Mexico every summer (late teens/early 20s) for months out of the year. Cocktail waitress and event promoter during the collegiate school year.
Now all of this was years ago, however I believe unknowingly this was the foundation for the rest of my career as it is today.
Became a mom. Relocated to Chicago. Transferred colleges. Went to work for Jerry Springer show in production department (yes, you read that correctly). Began an internship with Jesse Jackson Sr. in the Operation Push Coalition studio department for his weekly television show and other broadcasts. Started all operation push social media. Began digitizing assets. Traveled around the world as an archivist for Jesse Jackson Sr. and Operation Push for a year. Shifted focus from non-profit to tech and marketing products for agencies and consumer brands with first agency clients. Started subcontracting for tech and multicultural marketing for agencies as they began exploring the “new frontier” of multicultural marketing departments. Began managing large scale events partnered with someone to scale.
Failed (miserably)
Began event production/marketing for retail and small business as an independent consultant. Began business development/strategy work for independent artists (art/music). Began curating exhibitions in private spaces. Continued online strategy work for independent brands while beginning work in arts programming. Began attending arts conferences and showcases. Met one of my now mentors in the arts and programming. Became director of arts and culture for a nonprofit. Quit building websites and managing social media accounts. Became more versed in community engagement and concert programming. Met an art dealer/collector/entrepreneur who would become of my most trusted mentors. Traveled to Dakar, Senegal for the first time. Worked on my first major cultural plan as an advisor with someone who would also become a trusted mentor. Directed my first music & arts festival as the Director of Arts and Culture for IMAN in Chicago.
Became a mom (again)
Managed my first major public art project. Continued curating smaller exhibitions. Planned to move to Berlin. Began planning and shooting for both my first group exhibition curated for a gallery and my own solo exhibition.
Got in a major car accident on the way to the airport. Lost all of my notes and photos. Couldn’t work/couldn’t fly.
Reshot my exhibition and finished curating the other. Both opened to hundreds of viewers. Had my first artist residency at the Mark Rothko Art Center in Daugavpils, Latvia. Lived in a museum, first museum to collect my work. Exhibition opened to over 5k people. Began researching arts-based socio-emotional learning strategies for at-risk and incarcerated youth for a major school district. Opened an art studio COLURE MERIDIAN with Artist David Anthony Geary at MANA Contemporary Chicago. Began programming music and arts for hotels and restaurants nationally. Began work on larger experiential programming strategies as a contractor/subcontractor. Continued research and curating.
Moved back to Texas. Continued curatorial research and work. Started programming community engagement-based events for major retailers.
Now, I am focused on current creative collaborations in progress, curatorial research, upcoming exhibitions, as well as finally completing my first book. In some ways, I feel like I’m just getting started.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Not. At. All.
I have had everything happen in my career from burnout, partners stealing my identity, to experiencing racism and sexism in work environments, to literally getting in a car accident on the way to the airport in transition to a new phase in life/work. All of that is besides break-ups, parental struggles as a single parent justifying spends and debts associated with having an independent art career and more. If I thought of all the obstacles along the way all the time, I’d probably be too afraid to do anything. So, I don’t. I focus more on how I overcame those struggles and how I grew from them. The failures have become fuel.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
In addition to life as a full-time independent curator, art advisor, and interdisciplinary artist, much of my “office” time is spent consulting. My focus there is on the arts and developing sustainable creative economies, hospitality industry programming, nonprofit operations, and entertainment ventures in both the public and private sector.
In short? Arts, culture, community, there’s nothing better.
Specialties:
Arts & Culture Strategic Planning
Branding and Communications Strategy | Development (Includes Interactive)
Business Development and Strategy
Creative Mediation
Cultural Production
Curating (Includes Music)
Experiential Marketing/Event Production | Management
Market Assessment and Adaptation
Project Management | Logistics (Includes Public Art and Space Reconstruction/Rehab)
Companies
Bond Creative Advisors
We are an arts & culture production and curatorial consultancy. We provide a myriad of resources and services that deliver rich visual art and sensory experiences to suit the distinctive interests and needs of our clients.
We work closely with organizations, real estate developers, municipalities, and more to place art in both private and public spaces. For best results, you need more than just good advice. You need a trusted partner with both experience and unparalleled enthusiasm – one who shares your vision and embraces your artistic mission as their own.
By leveraging our global network of artists alongside our curatorial and project management expertise, Bond Creative Advisors brings emerging, mid-career, and established artists to the table that may otherwise be overlooked.
jb + co experiential programming and events
Provides development and management of the following:
Arts & Culture Based Programming and Integration
Live Events
Experiential Events
Digital/Virtual Events
Webinars
Roadshows
Seminars and Conferences
Speaking Engagements
Board and Shareholder Meetings
Company Milestones
Budget Development and Management
Executing On-site & Off-site Events and Activities
Product Launch Events
Executive Retreats and Incentive Programs
Appreciation and Team Building
The Art Allies
Art advisory and education/programming for both artists and collectors
What are you most proud of as a company? Our ability to evolve, be nimble, to pivot as necessary and help clients to do so resulting in success.
What sets you apart from others? My world-class but homegrown mentality regarding my work. I don’t care if the exhibition is in a conference room or a museum, I give them both the same amount of attention and care. That type of listening translates into the way I work with my independent clients.
What were you like growing up?
Always curious, always creating but never thought of being an artist as a career goal. Life as a youth was just one running social experiment. We moved often, so I was always new, I was very interested in people, their stories, and trajectories. Older people were the most interesting to me as a teen. Additionally, at that time my “teen rebellion” wasn’t for rebellion sake. I just didn’t fit in, as my global interests made me feel more connected to collegiate, “gap year” acquaintances, and modern bohemians. I loved all types of music, wanted to travel, and have the types of conversations I couldn’t have with other high schoolers. I also started reading at two, and to this day my home library is one of my most prized assets.
The journey continues…
Contact Info:
- Website: www.janicebond.com
- Phone: 773-530-5865
- Email: info@janicebond.com
- Instagram: @janicebond
- Other: www.linkedin.com/in/janicebond
Image Credit:
My Headshot – Colette Presley
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
