Business Resume | Let's Celebrate!

Rev. Artist Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester of the Peace

+1 646-648-0128 | Barbara@JesterOfThePeace.com

Mission: Artful Connection that Creates a Win-Win World

I apply principles of the audience-interactive arts to business, community, educational and wellness settings. With a strong background in arts administration, and the performing and literary arts, I excel at engaging an audience around a common purpose, making it personal, powerful and transformational.

EDUCATION

MFA, Massachusetts College of Art, Studio for Interrelated Media, 1999
Honors BA, Brown University, Modern Culture and Media, 1993
Interfaith Minister, One Spirit Interfaith Seminary, 2013
Cornell University Certificate In Women's Entrepreneurship 2023
Salt Center for Documentary Field Studies, 1994
Physical Theater training with Master Teachers worldwide, 1996-present
Certified Laughter Leader with the World Laughter Tour

EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION, EVENT DESIGN & MARKETING – CORPORATE & COMMUNITY

JESTER OF THE PEACE • Global Performance Artist • 1994-present

Select venues include Galas, Galleries, Festivals, Theaters, Schools and the Streets

See: Artist CV

Projects include:

LOVE LETTER LOUNGE: Letter writing environment for the public, around Valentine’s Day each year.

BIRTHDAY WALKS: life-coaching style strolls down the New York City Street that corresponds with your birthday year, e.g. Walk 42nd Street when you turn 42.

AND NOW: WOMAN SALON: Monthly women's self-expression ritual/party, touring to cities including Chicago, Miami, Austin, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and Washington, D.C.

#IVOTE4U: Street-based project touring to 7 US cities, voting for diverse people to be President of whatever they want.

#IDANCELIKEU: Festival-based project in which a group of dancers mirrors members of the audience.

CLOWN CURIOUS - Humor Arts Educator - 1999-present

Humor arts education in body language and humor for corporate, community, academic and arts groups.

Clients & Conferences include: Epic International Summit, Creative Problem Solving Institute, The Hive Creativity Center at Pomona College, Brown University Women's Conference, Applied Improvisation Network, Sea Change Networking, Fresh Connections Networking, and many more.

AIR BNB EXPERIENCES - New York City Live, and International Virtual - 2018-present

Outdoor discovery journeys Clown Curious and the Seven Senses Stroll in New York City.

Virtual versions of Clown Curious and Discover My House run internationally.

JESTER OF THE PEACE WEDDINGS • USA National • 2009-present
All aspects of promotion, ceremony creation, and delivery, as a Registered New York Wedding officiant for non-denominational ceremonies, specializing in theme, costume, adventure, and creative weddings

Winner: Knot Hall of Fame, Best of the Knot, WeddingWire Couples’ Choice
Simultaneous performance art project, “Jester Of The Peace,” marrying people to themselves at private events, galas, art openings, the streets, and the theater.

IMPROV DATES · New York, NY · 2009-2011
Co-Founder and Chief People Officer
Co-creating content and co-marketing for an Improv Speed Dating venture focused on play as a way to learn about your date, their character, and your chemistry.

CITY HUNT · New York, NY – 2009-2011
Interactive Tour Guide
Leading scavenger hunts around Manhattan for corporate and community clients

THE URBAN SAFARI · New York, NY – 2009-2016
Interactive Tour Designer & Guide for VIP clients
Liaison for new business partners locally, nationally and internationally

APPLIED THEATRICS · USA National · 2005-2009
Founder and Artistic Director
Creating, producing, & performing custom-designed characters-in-costume for corporate & community events nationwide. Interactive characters/ensembles bring your event mission to guests in a memorable & meaningful way for the client/brand/ festivity, resulting in a more effective event & fabulous pictures. Selected clients:

Trade Shows & Corporate Parties: Ball Horticultural, SunBio Systems, North Shore Spirit Baseball, Percussion Software
Festivals: New York City River to River, Marblehead Street Arts Fest, Cambridge Art in the Parks, Cohasset, MA Village Holiday, Hampton, NH Holiday Parade, Town of Allston/Brighton, Boston International Fest, San Francisco Theater Fest
Fund-Raisers: Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Method 42 Productions, E. Boston Main St. Fundraiser
Education: Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, Discovery Channel Australia, Cambridge Community Schools

FUNPLAY INSTITUTE · Cambridge, MA · 2005-2007
Laughter Leader and Project Support
Writing, outreach, planning and facilitating workshops for laughter-based healing arts initiative deigned to move people more quickly to healing through joy and movement

Co-leader of weekly Funplay Symphony of Laughter Club

FOREST HILLS EDUCATIONAL TRUST · Boston, MA · 2003-2006
Tour Creator, Guide, and Writer
Program support and co-creation for a historical cemetery’s contemporary art initiative.

Children’s writer for family guides to contemporary art exhibitions
Colorful contemporary-art tour guide for children, families, and school groups.
Program support, 4 Elements outdoor contemporary sculpture show of new works.

FLETCHER MAYNARD COMMUNITY SCHOOL · Cambridge, MA · 2003
Interim Director
Coordinating daily classes, seasonal field trips, being a mentor & friend to children City of Cambridge Human Services after school program.

JAMAICA PLAIN ARTS COUNCIL · Boston, MA · 1999-2000
Program Coordinator
Co-director, Jamaica Plain Open Studios

280 local artists open their studios to 3,000 visitors over a weekend; annual event.
Organizing and outreach to artists, media, sponsors, city/state funders, cultural non-profits, and the public.
Writing & editing grants, reports, press releases, program copy.

THE ART CARS PROJECT (Jamaica Plain Art Car Project) · Boston, MA · 1999-2003

Founder and Artistic Director
Evoking daily community participation in the arts via a fleet of individually-owned, permanently-decorated cars. Daily drivers are vibrant ‘moving murals’ of good will.

Media: Chronicle WCVB TV 2001; feature in Boston Globe City Weekly 2002
Shows & workshops: First Night Boston, AltWheels at Museum of Transportation, New Haven (CT) and Fort Point (Boston, MA) Open Studios, Jamaica Plain Worlds Fair, Union Sq. Spice of Life Festival

CITY OF PORTLAND PUBLIC HEALTH DIVISION · Portland, ME · 1995-1997

Community Health Promotion Specialist
City-wide program development & promotion to join diverse populations in health consciousness, personal & community action. Main strategy: participatory arts.

Original events: Maine's Largest Salad Bar statewide nutrition and food security fair; Hot Tomato Band vegetable-costumed high school jazz band at Bingo halls; Fruit and Vegetable Theater college theater performance in-school for 4th grade.
Speaker at state-wide public health conference on using the arts to market health.
Co-producer, Maine Women Get in the Game · Video on Title IX, women athletes
Health outreach writer: “Central Square Times” · 1997; “Munjoy Hill Observer” · 1996

BROWN UNIVERSITY, ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES • Providence, RI • 1993
Urban Community Garden Volunteer Coordinator · 20 gardeners

Coordinating garden maintenance, harvest celebration, ordering/distributing supplies for a demonstration garden of Brown University with national reach of best practices.

JOURNALISM, WRITING & EDITING

OLIE BIOLOGIQUE · New York, NY · 2016, 2020

Website blog posts, and copy telling history and declaring legacy at this boutique facial oil company.

DANCE PARADE· New York, NY · 2017

Website copy for the About Us page, sharing mission, vision, history, and inspiration.
EXAMINER.COM · New York, NY & San Francisco, CA · 2008-2010
Interactive Art Examiner; Blogger for national & local website. Chronicling interactive & participatory art across media, focus on live events.
THE GROWING FENCE · Boston, MA · 2002 -2006
Project writer: artistic copy, public relations, organizational documents, editing Community Facilitator: Managing communications among community partners for large- scale public art fence in Boston’s multicultural Berkeley St. Community Garden.

ART & RECESS ANTHOLOGY · Boston, MA · 2000
“Art and Recess" chapter, 2000 anthology, International Assoc. for Child's Right to Play, about restoration of children’s artistic self-expression, physical activity, and experiential learning in schools in which recess has been trimmed or cut.
JAMAICA PLAIN ARTS NEWS · Boston, MA · 1998-2000
Community arts writer · monthly column on local artists and social change, including artists of color, with disabilities, LGBTQ, and from diverse economic strata.

TEACHING

Jester of the Peace

Rev. Artist Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester of the Peace

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- REV