Meet Quanice
Quanice G. Floyd is one of the earliest members of the Epic family, she graduated from Talent Unlimited High School and went on to get her Bachelors and Masters degrees from Howard University. Quanice G. Floyd is the Founder and Director of the Arts Administrators of Color Network, and a Doctoral student at Drexel University with a concentration on Educational Leadership and Management.
On June 16 2018, Quanice will be awarded the 2018 American Express Emerging Leaders Award. The annual award recognizes an exceptional new and/or young arts professional for their exemplary leadership, deep engagement with the community, and a strong commitment to advancing the arts.
- How and when did you first meet Epic? I believe Epic first came to my English classroom at Talent Unlimited High School in 2004, my sophomore year. We were reading Antigone and Epic helped us create an adapted more updated version of the play.
- Tell us about an Epic memory that sticks with you. One of my fondest memories of Epic was when we were in dress rehearsals for Antigone. Watching my fellow classmates sing, act, dance, and play instruments brought to light how amazing my class (class of 2006) truly was. It made me value the talent and gifts that we all had as individuals and collectively.
- Catch us up a bit about where you are now – After graduating high school, I attended Howard University in Washington, DC and received my Bachelor’s degree in Music Education. I then received a Master’s degree in Music Education and a Master’s degree in Arts Management. I’m currently a Doctoral student at Drexel University with a concentration on Educational Leadership and Management. I have been teaching elementary music in DC area public schools for the past 8 years and have took on numerous creative projects. I am currently the Founder and Director of the Arts Administrators of Color Network, an arts service organization that empowers artists and arts leaders of color by providing opportunities and tools to advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in the arts for all.
- How has Epic influenced you in your life/career choices? My participation in Epic as well as being in a performing arts school helped me to better understand who I was not only as a musician but as a creative power. My HS classmates and I were (and still are) extremely creative and we use that creativity regardless if we work in the arts world or not. The arts provided us not only creativity but also empathy. Who we are as artists and creatives is shown through our work, and our daily decisions. It gives people an opportunity to better understand the rawness behind the individual and our work.
- What advice would you give to a current student involved with Epic‘s programs? Use the tools that Epic gives you to think big. In the real world, we often define people and put them into categorical (and figurative) boxes. Epic was one of the only times where there were no limits to what I did, cherish that experience.
- What’s the first word or words you would use to describe your Epic experience? Collaborative.
Quick round
Favorite play: Nat Turner in Jerusalem
Last book you read: Books from my doctoral classes (they’re too boring to name)
Favorite class during college: Fundraising in the Arts