Ciarra Wooten / Community Engagement
Ciarra Wooten is a creative professional with a background leading youth arts and community engagement programs and initiatives in nonprofits and higher education institutions. Ciarra nurtures two main passions in her life: art and international exchange. She earned her BA in Russian with a focus on International Development. Her commitment to a life of public service working towards the elimination of poverty, discrimination and injustice brought her to the nonprofit world after forgoing the idea of working for the government (just not the right culture fit ;P). Prior to shifting her focus to the arts, she taught ESL at private schools and universities both in Cincinnati and abroad in Turkey for several years. Ciarra is committed to helping emerging artists to succeed in the creative economy through resource sharing, capacity building and intentional connection. One of her personal aims is to cultivate a stronger artist network in the midwest region, anchoring Cincinnati as the hub for arts funding and capacity building for young and emerging creatives. She is the co-founder of a new Cincy-based music exploration series, WARMTH, which aims to provide a safe space for BIPOC, women, and LGBTQI+ creatives to celebrate camaraderie, encourage exchange of industry knowledge and discover more opportunities for innovation and cultivation of the arts in the region. Ciarra is a visual artist and an avid lifelong learning enthusiast. Ciarra recently moved back to Cincinnati after living and working in Milwaukee, WI. One of her greatest joys will be playing the role of the hostess with the mostest for her friends and family in her new place in East Price Hill where she will live with her partner and two kitty cats.