Nello McDaniel & Anne Dunning
Photo by Keira Chang
There are three kinds of people in the world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.
… Wendell Castle
Nello McDaniel, Founder and Director
Nello McDaniel founded ARTS Action Research in 1991 and supervises all project activity and publication development from AAR’s office in Brooklyn, NY. Prior to ARTS Action Research, Nello was Executive Director of the Foundation for the Extension and Development of the American Professional Theatre, an arts consulting company based in New York City. From 1978 to 1982, he managed the Presentation and Touring Programs for the National Endowment for the Arts Dance Program. Prior to that, he was Chief Operating Officer and Performing Arts Director for the Western States Arts Foundation, Denver, CO. In 1993, he was named Fulbright International Scholar.
Photo by Gerri Hernandez
Anne Dunning, Principal Associate
Anne Dunning joined the ARTS Action Research team in 2004 and works with clients in all services areas. Prior to joining the AAR team, Anne was administrative director at the Danny Grossman Dance Company in Toronto. In addition to her work at AAR, she has chaired the National Council of the Canadian Dance Assembly and the Board of Trustees of Dance/USA, participated on the George Cedric Metcalf Foundation’s Strategic Initiatives Committee and been a guest lecturer at the University of Toronto, New York University and Humber College. Anne has a BSc in biology from McGill University in Montreal.
Photo by Gerri Hernandez
Mary Giudici, Business Manager
Mary Giudici has been co-director on several AAR projects including the Program Assessment of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Artists’ Projects/The New York State Regional Initiative, and Atlanta Ballet’s The Parklane Dance Pilot. Prior to AAR, Mary designed for and operated her own knitwear company, Madici, and before that performed and taught dance professionally for 10 years.
Photo by Gerri Hernnadez
Becky Baumwoll, Associate
Becky Baumwoll is an NYC-based artist, administrator, and educator. She studied International Relations and Art at Tufts University, then founded Broken Box Mime Theater (BKBX) in 2011. She is BKBX’s Artistic Director, Executive Producer, and a performing company member. Becky has developed curriculum with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP), the New School, and others. She has served on several grant committees with A.R.T./New York, as well as various accessibility, diversity, and leadership cohorts. She is a 2020 BRIClab artist and 2021 ITAC Innovator.
Photo by Denise Grant
George Thorn, AAR Founding Associate
George Thorn and Nello McDaniel’s collaboration for many years served as the philosophical and working basis of ARTS Action Research. Since retiring from active AAR work in New York and on the road, George has piloted AAR’s work on the west coast.
Photo by Jennifer Wetzel
Suzanne Fetscher, Associate
Suzanne Fetscher is the founding President and CEO of the highly regarded McColl Center for Art + Innovation in Charlotte. She served as Resource Associate on AAR’s project with the Qatar Museums in 2015, and currently works in the same capacity on several AAR projects.
Nancy Trovillion, Associate
Nancy Trovillion was Deputy Director of the North Carolina Arts Council for more than thirty years, where she directed the agency’s grant programs, planning and policy development and special initiatives. At NCAC she developed the New Realities Program with Arts Action Research, which for three decades provided organizational development to more than 300 arts organizations. In the 1980’s she was Administrative Director of the American Dance Festival and before that she was Senior Dance Program Specialist at the National Endowment for the Arts.