Join us in welcoming janera solomon to The LP fam! janera recently joined our board —read our short Q&A to get to know her!
LP: As a supporter of the arts, why does art matter?
janera solomon: oh man, such a question! there’s no life without art. like water, air, and soil, art is life.
LP: What attracted you to The LP and excited you most about joining the board?
janera: The LP community commitment attracts me most, and from all I know of LP, the Board reflects and lives up to that commitment. And, has done so from the beginning, that kind of board legacy is impressive and inspiring.
LP: What is your neighborhood? What’s your favorite thing about it?
janera: I love this question. I have two neighborhoods i love: one here in New York, Clinton Hill, and one in Pittsburgh, where my studio in pgh is located, Garfield, a neighborhood of artists, and people care about community. In Clinton Hill, i love the trees, the myrtle flowers, that the neighborhood is historic, and that there are elders present with lots of history and commitment, even as things change. And, also one of my best friends lives here too!
In Pgh, the Garfield neighborhood is filled with artists and community-centered arts orgs, like Silver Eye Center for Photography, Assemble and Boom Concepts, and many more. It’s also one with elders and families, multigenerational families, with a mainstreet lined with trees.
LP: Can you tell us about a project/event/moment that was a particular highlight of your personal/professional work?
janera: Oh wow, it’s been about 30 years, plus! I’ll start with most recently, the launch of tortoise, the first of its kind, all in one financial digital platform for artists, built by ARTPOWER, i’m the founder and CEO. it’s been such a blessing to make and release tortoise — using technology to design for abundance. Very exciting!
LP: What song gets you moving and going when work gets hard?
janera: ooh, all the songs! from Sade, to Luther, to Bob Marley, to Jay Z, to The Roots, to the Mighty Sorrow, to Beanie Man, to Buju, I could go on and on!
LP: What’s your favorite home-cooked dish?
janera: oh so many! anything guyanese — curry chicken, peas and rice, roti my father makes.
janera solomon is an curator, writer, and cultural strategist whose work bridges creative practice and systems design. As founder & CEO of ARTPOWER, she leads a team developing tortoise, a digital financial tool that helps artists map and strengthen their creative practice, producing the ARTPOWER podcast, and creating events that explore the emotional, economic, and creative conditions shaping artists’ lives.