Jackie Calderone's Page

Jackie Calderone launched Calderone Arts in March 2006 after completing an amazing eight year journey as the creator and director of CAPACITY, CAPA's Youth Arts Program. Calderone brings a diverse range of experiences to the table as she helps organizations and individuals uncover a greater capacity to create, connect, and deepen relationships with their ever changing communities. She is also the Artistic Director of TRANSIT ARTS (artists on the move), a multidisciplinary/intergenerational arts project centered in central-city Columbus and based at Central Community House. TRANSIT ARTS works in partnership with the Columbus Federation of Settlements and the Greater Columbus Arts Council. TRANSIT ARTS is an expansion of the former CAPACITY program (see below). Check out www.myspace.com/transitarts for more details and information about upcoming performances, workshops, and the amazing community of artists who form the core of TRANSIT ARTS.

In 1998 Calderone was invited to become CAPA's first Director of Education and in 1999 created the CAPACITY program, expanding on the model of Calderone's innovative work with the nationally acclaimed Short Stop Teen Center. In October 2001 the CAPACITY Studios were opened in an economically challenged area of the near east side of Columbus. For six years this tiny complex was an explosion of creativity and home to CAPACITY's gallery, workshops, offices and a beautiful youth-created garden/art space. CAPACITY touched thousands of teens in Central Ohio and received coast-to-coast acclaim through projects including: The Songwriters' Summit for Oneness with the Grammy-winning artists of Los Angeles-based Oneness (www.oneness.org); numerous visits from the John Lennon Songwriting Bus where CAPACITY's teen music group, Fatty Koo, was discovered -- resulting in a recording contract with SONY and a television show on BET titled Blowin' Up: Fatty Koo; a myriad of residencies and performances with internationally acclaimed touring artists; and numerous local awards including the Franklin Park Conservatory's 2005 Best Community Garden Award and the Award of Excellence from the Columbus Compact Corporation in 2004 and 2006.

Calderone was the creative force behind the Short Stop Teen Center and Third Avenue Performance Space. Her passion for community-based arts was sparked during her seven years at the Ohio Arts Council where she coordinated the Dance and Jazz Music programs. She has served on numerous National Endowment for the Arts panels and has designed and lead workshops for organizations which include Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival Managers/Presenters Conference, The National Performance Network, The Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Midwest Arts Conference, The Ohio Arts Presenters Network, and OhioDance. Until 1989 she performed with an ensemble directed by noted choreographer John Giffin and she continues to collaborate with her husband, Robert Post (Post Comedy Theatre www.robertpost.org). She has received numerous awards including the 2006 Honored Artist Award from the Columbus Community Festival (ComFest) and was recently honored for her civil rights contributions during the 2008 Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration at Veterans Memorial.

Calderone is a member of Ohio Dance, the Columbus Arts Marketing Association, and the Arts and Cultural Educators Consortium. She recently served on the Programming Advisory Board for the King Arts Complex and was a founding Advisory Board Member for the Columbus Youth Commission. Calderone currently serves on the Advisory Council for the Ohio Arts Presenters Network, the Advisory Committee for Columbus Arts Card, and the Education Outreach Advisory Group for BalletMet.