Beau Kenyon

The Arts + Culture Alliance is thrilled to welcome Beau Kenyon with Oakley Collective as their new Senior Advisor of Partnerships and Planning. Kenyon will work in tandem with Executive Director, Amber Danielson, to support setting the vision and details for programming and long-term strategies, with the primary goal of implementing the Arts & Culture Master Plan.

This dynamic team will continue to build cultural vibrancy, celebrate diverse communities and sow seeds for multigenerational civic pride and an overall sense of belonging.

“We are thrilled to expand our creative leadership team to advance the implantation of the Arts & Culture Master Plan,” Danielson said. “Beau has extensive expertise in community engagement, operational planning and community development that will boost and amplify the creative ecosystem in Marshalltown. The Alliance is grateful to have the support of the Martha-Ellen Tye Foundation to allow us the opportunity to grow and continue to increase our impact within the community.”

Kenyon has built his career on a foundation of collaboration and interdisciplinarity. After earning music composition degrees from Berklee College of Music and Tufts University, he dedicated a decade to research in the fields of cognitive neuroscience, curiosity-based teaching practices and community engagement.

In 2017, Kenyon founded Oakley Collective to align all parts of his practice — interdisciplinary collaboration, culturally responsive programming, cognitive neuroscience, music composition and arts leadership. Oakley Collective’s singular aim is sustainably building capacity from within organizations as a thought partner to Executive Leadership.

Working in collaboration with the organizations, Oakley Collective contributes to the vision and details of long-term strategies, which includes timelines, performance metrics, staffing needs, training, and cross institutional partnerships. Simultaneously, building culturally responsive programs, engagement opportunities, cross institutional partners and advancement strategies. “There are so many people throughout the state who have connections to Marshalltown. It is a very special place, and I am honored to have been invited to support this work,” Kenyon said.

In addition to his work with the Alliance, Beau teaches graduate coursework in Arts Administration and Cultural Entrepreneurship at Northeastern University, College of Arts, Media + Design. His interdisciplinary creative works have appeared at SITE Santa Fe, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, MFA Boston, Des Moines Civic Center and ICA Boston, with public artworks installed at Governors Island, Emerald Necklace, Des Moines Water Works Park, Boston Public Library and Fenway Park.