About Me
Presented as frequently thought questions and conversation starters I’ve had with people
Where are you from?
This question is a form of “othering” but I choose to answer proudly. I am Kenyan and that identity is not a footnote to my life in Toronto - it is the source of the creative, ambitious, innovative, people-centered nature of the life I live.
What does my name mean?
My given name Sharon is from the Bible, Rose of Sharon, Adhiambo is from my grandma in the Luo community of Kenya and means born in the evening, Zarita was adopted in my identity as a teenager and it means princess from the root name Sarah.
Most valuable strengths?
In the workplace: planning, overthinking, structure development, strategizing, marketing, team building, don’t-stress megaphone
Friends and family: showing up, checking in, cheerleader, deep-conversation starter, events plug, documenting everything in photos, insisting on quality time
Kenya or Canada?
Both - definitely both, and the world too
What exactly do you do as an arts management professional?
Think of it like business or project management but specifically in an arts organization. The strategic plans, marketing outlines, customer strategies, human resource development, product or service designs that you would do in other fields are done under this field. Oh yes, being in the office or working behind scenes in arts is serious business until the show, exhibition, event is on for you to enjoy.
What have you built that makes you smile?
I naturally like to build and start things from scratch. I admire the 20-something year old me. At 22 she opened a craft business, at 24 she moved continents to pursue Arts Management and started life alone in Canada, at 26 she started Sekoya East Africa to transfer the arts managements skills to artists in Kenya.
Now the non-profit has a virtual peer community of 250+ artists, reaches over 800 people with programs and empowers deaf children with creative skills. All this done through remote leadership and in-kind resourcing or donations.
The 30-something year old me is just as inspiring. She is now building an association for Afrikan artists in Toronto, and working on an arts exchange program to connect Kenya and Canada.
Does an art career pay, is it worth it?
Working in the arts is like falling in love, and staying in love. It does pay, not in the same wage standards of other fields and not at the same growth pace, but it is worth every minute. I am in a season of exploring all ways of monetizing my arts career and more of us need to do this from the beginning.
What’s the ultimate goal for you?
I want to be the expert voice that helps governments, institutions, artists build sustainable and economically benefiting art ecosystems. I want this transformation to be extremely grassroots making art a way of life in societies we live in. Every day, I make a step towards this goal.