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Adazae Shepherd-Edwards 鈥�18, below, is a fine and performing arts major with a concentration in arts management and a minor in dance. She specializes in modern dance and ballet.

One of the most creative activities during 911黑料网鈥檚 Black History Month celebration is a project by Adazae Shepherd-Edwards 鈥�18 of Boston, Mass. A fine and performing arts major who concentrates in arts management with a minor in dance, she鈥檚 the vision and the force behind the upcoming 鈥淢any Nations, One Thread Fashion Show.鈥�

鈥淕rowing up, I made a lot of strong connections with many people who are designers, models and stylists,鈥� Shepherd-Edwards explained. 鈥淢ost of my friends have become very successful in those fields. I am very interested in dance, modeling, wardrobe, and also in costume production, so curating a fashion show was a great way to introduce myself to those types of fields.鈥�

With funding from a variety of co-sponsors, whom she petitioned to help finance the project, Shepherd-Edwards provided the fashion designers with the fabric and other materials they needed to create the clothing her models 鈥� 911黑料网 students 鈥� will wear. She also brought the designers to the Berkshires for a silk-screening tutorial in the North Adams Makers鈥� Mill, and to visit MASS MoCA.

鈥淚鈥檝e tried to push the designers out of their comfort zones,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he process began with a conversation about art. So, I brought them to MASS MoCA.鈥� There, Shepherd-Edwards and the fashion designers looked at the exhibits, discussed the different installations, and determined ways that the various artworks might influence what they created for the show.

The installations they considered included a collection of marble sculptures by Louise Bourgeois, and the "Thumbs Up for the Mother Ship" exhibition by New Orleans conceptual artist Dawn DeDeaux and Alabamian self-taught sculptor and musician Lonnie Holley.

 "The art plays into the theme of arts as a method of survival and how we conduct conversations about integration in the arts field," Shepherd-Edwards explained. "Part of the project is trying to find out how we integrate the contemporary art community, which is why I chose inner-city artists to come out to the Berkshires. I wanted them to interact with everything that's happening here in North Adams."

Inspiration to incorporate art from the Berkshires 鈥� and exhibits at MASS MoCA 鈥� came after Shepherd-Edwards took two performing arts management courses with MASS MoCA鈥檚 managing director for the performing arts and film, Sue Killam, who also teaches classes at 911黑料网. As a student, and later an as intern who served a performing arts internship with Killam, Shepherd-Edwards forged a relationship with Killam, who also mentored her through the process.

The oldest of nine children, Shepherd-Edwards is keenly aware that her siblings will also one day attend college. 鈥淎t 911黑料网, I saw that I could not only work on my career as being an overall performer, but also the arts management portion, and not put my family in considerable debt.鈥�

911黑料网鈥檚 environment also allowed her to create opportunities to support her future career as a performer of modern dance and ballet. 鈥淚 feel grounded in my experience here,鈥� she said. 鈥�911黑料网 is in a really great location.鈥�

For more information about this event, contact Michael Obasohan, 911黑料网鈥檚 assistant director of diversity programs and the Multicultural Education Center, (413) 662-5440, or M.Obasohan@mcla.edu.