Writer * Graphic Designs * Storyteller * Event Organizer * Exhibit Curator * Oral History Interviews * Publications Assistance
When you need assistance with your cultural expression activity Davis Kuumba Arts has a successful track record of creative productions. Derek T. Davis has decades of experience at developing, facilitating, marketing and publishing cultural arts projects for audiences of all ages.
Overview by Derek T. Davis
I was born in Miami, Florida and consider myself a cultural publicist and advocate who has successfully managed historic properties, visual arts exhibits and performing arts project for more than eighteen years. Born in the section of Miami known as Overtown, I have worked at local newspapers such as the Miami Herald and the Miami Times, at private corporations such as the Florida Power and Light Company, at the non-profit corporation such as the Black Archives, History and Research Foundation of South Florida, and at government agencies such as the Broward County African-American Research Library and Cultural Center and currently for Broward County Public Schools.
Experience
|
Old Dillard Museum
1009 NW 4th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 5/2007 to 2017 Retirement Curator As Curator of the Old Dillard Museum my duties included developing cultural and educational programs at a historic schoolhouse listed on the National Register of Historic sites. I am honored to work at a facility that was built in 1924 as the first public school building for blacks in Broward. It was listed on the national register in 1991 and began developing as a museum with photographs, documents and artifacts donated by local residents. Since I have come to the museum, I have organized exhibitions, administered musical concerts, managed collaborations with cultural organizations, facilitated policies and procedures for a non-profit fundraising organization, conducted tours, overseen website development and managed a small staff. I also manage collection development for donated items such as paintings, musical albums, photographs, documents and artifacts. I write grants and coordinate implementation of projects for a variety of funding sources. I coordinate direct mail and media advertising activities. I conduct and oversee oral history projects. I am the museum’s liaison to community-based groups such as the Broward County Trailblazers, the Florida African- American Museums Network, Art Forever Studio, the Revolving Recreational Committee, the Old Dillard Museum Book Discussion Group, Fun Generation Carnival Troupe, the Caribbean American Cultural Council and various visual artists, performers and musicians. I have spearheaded several community events such as the Juneteenth Jazz Carnival, the 20-Some May Florida Emancipation Day and the Cannonball Jazz Series. |
|
African-American Research Library and Cultural Center
2650 Sistrunk Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 12/2001 to 5/2007 Library Specialist III As Department Head of Exhibits and Programs, my duties included managing cultural and historically significant programs at a 60,000-square-foot facility that has reached more than one million visitors in its first three years. I administered programs developed by an internal staff of six employees and outside events planners. The cultural spaces at the library include a 5,000 square-foot museum quality exhibition hall, a 300-seat theater, and two multipurpose seminar rooms. We scheduled more than 1,000 activities in the spaces per year. I managed the exhibit hall including acquiring, preserving, cataloging and displaying historically and culturally significant artifacts. Displays in the gallery included local, national and international exhibits of fine arts and historical artifacts. Among exhibits I have organized are the works of local artists such as Charles Mills, installation of national exhibits such as “Unchained Memories” from the Underground Railroad Center, “Images from Ancient Egypt” that ran in conjunction with the King Tut exhibition at the Fort Lauderdale Museum, and several displays of African artifacts. Initiatives I have developed at the facility include; performing arts events that featured theatrical troupes, dancers, musicians, actors, scholars and community activists. I also have developed cultural education activities such as crafts, reading, drama, fitness, music, discussion groups and folk arts activities. I developed and managed annual summer workshops for youth that involved them in educational and cultural activities including writing skills, literature, cooking, fitness, dancing, singing, drawing, computer literacy, photography, and life skills. Our programs focused on featuring culturally and historically significant documents and works of art held in the Special Collections archives. I created and produced catalogs, pamphlets, flyers, digital slide show presentations, videos, study guides, dramatic readings, plays, workshops and seminars that promote the interpretation and inspired research in the Special Collections holdings. I have prepared and administered several successful grants for activities at the library for both scholarly and cultural projects. |
|
The Black Archives History and Research Foundation of South Florida, Inc.
5400 NW 22 Avenue, Miami, FL 33147 8/1992 to 11/2001 Executive Director As Executive Director of an historical society, I operated a research archive and developed reuses for historic properties. I was spokesperson for the organization at events, public hearings, school board presentations, annual meetings, town hall meetings, seminars and tours. My duties included the day-to-day management of the non-profit organization. I prepared organization budgets, reported operations to the board of directors, monitored expenditures, managed researchers studying at the archives, administered restoration construction activities, managed fund raisings through grants, rentals, and cultural events, managed outreach programs to schools, parks, and community development projects, and I was actively involved in urban renewal initiatives for historic communities in the Miami-Dade area. Community outreach programs included managing a speaker’s bureau, developing tours to historic sites, administering cultural activities, managing oral history projects, and developing projects that involved residents, especially youth, in educational and recreational activities that utilized the historical resources of our organization. As an example, I prepared and managed grants that funded projects that involved youth in developing presentations from oral history interviews by creating plays, dances, publications and videos. Among the historic sites owned by the organization was a historic playhouse that was rented out for meetings and performances. |
|
Florida Power and Light Company
9200 Flagler Street, Miami, FL 8/1978 to 12/1991 Senior Communications Coordinator As a Senior Communications Coordinator, my duties included being the department’s budget coordinator, computer network liaison, quality improvement team facilitator as well as administering public relations and marketing projects. As the budget coordinator of a $10 million department, my duties included reviewing and coordinating the input of the budgets of five sections, preparing budget variance reports, preparing answers to Public Service Commission inquiries related to budgets and supervising clerical staff responsible for processing invoices. During my four years as budget coordinator, our budget was always within plus or minus 2 per cent. As the computer network liaison, my duties included purchasing, maintaining, training and troubleshooting computer hardware and software for about 60 users. As quality improvement team facilitator, my duties included assisting teams in the application of quality improvement tools and techniques which lead the company to win a Deming Award. My public relations duties included producing employee magazine, supervisors’ newsletters, developing trade show exhibits, and facilitating marketing campaigns on various topics such as hurricane preparedness, safety around electricity and energy conservation. |
|
The Miami Times
900 NW 54 Street, Miami 33127 7/1974 to 7/1978 Salary: $7,500 annually Reporter As a reporter, my main function was to prepare articles that informed and supported the quality of life of the African-American community in South Florida. Articles focused on community relations, cultural activities, issues awareness and significant historical places and events. I established contacts in the community that provided access to information that would educate the public and support community growth. I found that by having a reputation for trustworthiness, reliability and a genuine concern for community well being, my sources were more willing to provide significant information for publication. The small weekly newspaper also allowed me to develop skills in laying out and formatting publications on boards and in the computer. |
|
The Miami Herald
One Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 3/1973 to 6/1974 City Desk Intern As an Intern, I developed communication skills that sought to acquire significant information of public interest and presented information in understandable and interesting formats. |
Davis Kuumba Arts DKuumbaRTS@gmail.com 954-549-4713