Meet Vanita Keswani | Art Educator and Administrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vanita Keswani and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vanita, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
My parents are from India and although I didn’t live there, we traveled several summers to see our family. I grew up between Okinawa, Japan, and different states along the Southeast. With the great amount we traveled, I grew up with a sense of curiosity and need to experience new cultures. My upbringing was a tug of war between Eastern and Western cultures. My parents wanted to remain true to our Indian traditions but I wanted to “fit in” with my Western friends. This careful and tedious balancing act led me to be more aware of the people around me and precipitated constant adaptation. The common thread that helped me adapt was embracing the arts to connect to people. I noticed the circle of people I met through the arts (classes in schools and cultural events), were creative, empathetic and accepted me for who I was.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I truly believe the arts are a universal language that breaks all communication barriers. The arts are what made me feel connected to the numerous places I have been from India to Japan, to the United States. No other academic discipline has an impact on our senses like the arts. This belief has led me through my career as a lifelong arts advocate. It pains me when I sit at a table of community leaders who want to build culture and never include the arts as a means for connectivity. This is why art education must be a fundamental component of our school system.
My career has been a surprise to me in the most wonderful way. I started out in the classroom as an art educator, trying to make a difference through arts experiences. The first few years, I loved the impact of teaching, but I wanted to do more. There was an element that was missing and although I connected with my students, I felt disconnected from the greater community. I was not sure what my next steps would be, but I wanted to change my environment. I went back to school to get my master’s in art education with a concentration in Museum Studies. A study abroad program in Cortona, Italy changed my trajectory. I designed and facilitated art lessons at a local Italian Elementary School. I only knew a handful of Italian words but the collaborative process in creating works of art solely through a visual language was so empowering. The more I collaborated in the community the more I was pulled away from the classroom. Since I left the classroom, the art educator in me has remained as a pillar of my decision making and arts advocacy. I applied and joined Metro Atlanta organizations such as the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Art Leaders of Metro Atlanta to learn how to better serve not only our existing arts organizations and venues, but also to share best practices with our local community leaders about connecting communities through the arts. I have participated as an advisory board member on local art nonprofits, school district visual arts board and a committee member for the Shuler Awards. I helped facilitate the first ever Cobb International Festival with the Cobb County Board of Commissioners to bring the community together through the arts.
Helping form Cobb Arts VIBE was a significant step to creating an awareness of arts organizations in our community. The introductions and program sharing alone between the over 50 organizations fueled leaders in all six (now seven) cities in the County to recognize the ability to collaborate and share resources. One example of this collaboration was linking all six cities in the county for a fence gallery exhibit created by the Marietta Art Council. With my role at the time with Cobb Travel and Tourism, I met with each city and presented the benefits of hosting the exhibit in their communities. The approval was unanimous. This program continues to tour in its fifth year with representation from over 150 local artists as well as budding student artists. Conversations continue to explore more ways we can build the program together with other art disciplines.
In my role as Education and Exhibits Manager at Smith-Gilbert Gardens, I did not want to limit myself to the surrounding walls of the Gardens to connect our community with the arts. I began seeking my community partners who could help share resources and expand arts education to visitors, students and Metro Atlanta residents. With Kennesaw State University in our backyard, the City of Kennesaw is very fortunate to have professors and students to enrich community programs. I leaned into the School of Visual Arts and Design and the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies. With my relationship with Cobb County Schools Fine Arts Department, I connected KSU professors with classrooms for mentorship opportunities and collaborative art making. The artwork produced by the students stemmed from GA state standards in visual arts and environmental education.
With vision and strategic planning, we have been able to stage the Gardens as an arts incubator and produce visual arts such as sculptures, fashions shows and workshops alongside performing arts such as immersive theater shows and plan to expand them into City spaces.
There is so much work to do as Georgia is dead last at number 50 in arts funding. Knowing that statistic, it gives me a great purpose to help move the needle in support of arts education and advocacy. I find any opportunity I can to learn more about community engagement through summits, conferences and advocacy agencies.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am an outdoorsy person. I love a great hike and then some good food. I also love to catch a theater show, live music and local galleries. I would definitely take a walk on the Beltline and see the sculptures and murals along the way. I have walked most of it, even the parts that haven’t been developed yet and it’s an adventure! The Hike Inn trail at Amicalola Falls is a fun and scenic hike. You can stop at the Hike Inn, picnic and catch views of the surrounding mountains.
I enjoy watching shows in small black box theaters in different cities. You can experience art in a more intimate setting. Raul Thomas, owner of Marietta’s New Theater in the Square always produces wonderful plays with diversity and talent of Metro Atlanta. I have also enjoyed the shows I have seen at the Alliance Theater. The last one I saw there was the Tale of Two Cities. It was beautifully interpreted!
As far as food, Buford Highway offers so many cultural choices. You can have Pho one day and an Indian thali the next day. You can’t go wrong!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My father was a very big influence in my life. As an artist himself, he recognized my need to create and connect with my community through the arts. Although he didn’t get to see how my journey continued, he paved the road with his lessons in perseverance, a strong worth ethic and patience. He was one of those people who impacted others with his kindness and guidance but always quiet about it. I hope to have inherited or learned even an ounce of his stoicism.

Image Credits
Karl Moore for photo credit of the theater production for the feature picture. All of the other pictures were taken by me.