LEADERSHIP

NAFEESAH SYMONETTE

Co-Founder & Executive Director, DEYA: Detroit Excellence in Youth Arts

Michigan Arts & Cultural Council Appointed Council Member

Arts Education & Culturally Responsive Teaching Consultant

Co-Founder & CEO: Symonette Consulting Group, LLC

Nafeesah Symonette is a visual artist, educator, and passionate advocate for youth engagement in the arts—ensuring exposure while honoring cultural heritage. Her artistic journey began over 30 years ago in Detroit under the mentorship of Mrs. Joyce Ivory, founder of Young Artists & Co., Inc.

A former K-12 certified arts educator, Symonette dedicated 13 years to teaching high school visual arts in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Her excellence in arts education was recognized in 2011 when D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray awarded her the Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence in Visual Art Secondary Teaching. She holds a Master of Arts in Arts Administration & Management from Eastern Michigan University and serves as an ambassador for the programs. Symonette is the former Art School Manager at Paint Creek Center for the Arts (PCCA), where she contributed to the renowned Art & Apples Festival, one of Michigan’s top fine arts festivals while co-chairing the Anton Art Center’s I.D.E.A. Advisory Council. As an Adjunct Professor and University Supervisor at Oakland University, she prepared the next generation of arts educators through the lens of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy.

She continues to play a pivotal role in arts education advocacy and policy, including her appointment by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to the Michigan Arts and Cultural Council, where she serves as Chair of the Arts Education Committee. Additionally, she serves on the Arts Education Partnership National Advisory Board, working alongside Mr. Sperling to advocate for transformative arts education policies nationwide.

In partnership with her husband, Nicholas Symonette, Jr., she is Co-Founder & CEO at Symonette Consulting Group, LLC, where she works on projects with the Michigan Arts Education Instruction and Assessment Project (MAEIA) and the National Art Education Association (NAEA).

In 2021, Symonette co-founded Detroit Excellence in Youth Arts (DEYA) with Rick Sperling, in collaboration with The Children’s Foundation and Connect Detroit. As DEYA’s Executive Director, she leads systemic change efforts to create equitable, high-impact arts experiences for Detroit youth.

RICK SPERLING

Co-Founder & Director of Strategic Initiatives, DEYA: Detroit Excellence in Youth Arts

Founder and Artistic Director Emeritus, Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit

Former Lead Arts Consultant, Detroit Public School Community District

Rick Sperling has been a dynamic force for Detroit youth arts for more than 30 years.

In 1992, Sperling founded Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, an internationally acclaimed Creative Youth Development organization. Mosaic’s all teen theatre and music performances toured to Africa, Asia, Europe, and 25 states throughout the U.S. and Canada, including performances at the Kennedy Center, The Public Theater, Carnegie Hall, and the Apollo. During his 27 years leading Mosaic, 95% of Mosaic’s members not only graduated from high school but went on to college, dramatically above the national average for youth from similar backgrounds. For his work at Mosaic, Sperling was named a Michiganian of the Year by the Detroit News and received the Detroit Free Press Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre, and Mosaic was featured on NBC’s Today Show, NPR’s All Things Considered, The Wall Street Journal and American Theatre Magazine.

In 2019, Sperling was recruited by Superintendent Nikolai Vitti to become the first-ever Lead Arts Consultant for Detroit Public Schools Community District. In that role, Sperling developed 26 Arts Partnerships, launched four Middle School Arts Conservatories, and created RAMP-UP (Rigorous Arts Mentorship Program – Under Pandemic).

Recently, Sperling partnered with acclaimed Arts Educator and Michigan Arts & Culture Council member Nafeesah Symonette to co-found Detroit Excellence in Youth Arts (DEYA). DEYA is a collective impact initiative dedicated to systems change leading to more equitable and inclusive access to high-impact youth arts experiences for Detroit youth.