Essence McDowell
Chicago,Illinois
Summary
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Successful Leadership: Founded Kemtiyu Arts & Media, organized city-wide events and educational talks to engage diverse audiences, and produced multimedia projects that amplified untold stories from underrepresented communities.
Established the Chicago Justice Gallery: Curated over 15 national and local exhibitions and organized 80+ public programs, increasing audience engagement by over 20,000+ through strategic marketing.
Managed $1.5M Budgets: Delivered high-impact exhibitions, programs, and organizational growth while overseeing gallery renovations and branding initiatives.
Author & Creator, Lifting As They Climbed : Published, designed and marketed a guidebook mapping the history of trailblazing Black women on Chicago’s South Side, furthering cultural preservation and community education.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Founder and Executive Director
Kemtiyu Arts & Media
01.2024 - Current
- Founded an organization to empower underrepresented communities through arts, media and education
- Secured over $50,000 in grants to support organizational growth and creative projects
- Created impactful narratives for documentaries that highlight untold stories and cultural histories
- Created city-wide events and educational talks to provide public audiences, students and educators with information
Director of Arts & Communications
Social Justice Initiative, University of Illinois at Chicago
09.2019 - 01.2024
- Established the Chicago Justice Gallery as a premier space for social justice exhibitions, curating over 10 impactful exhibitions that brought together national artists and diverse communities
- Spearheaded more than 80 public programs focused on social justice themes, increasing audience engagement by over 20,000 through strategic marketing campaigns
- Managed a $1.5M program budget, overseeing gallery renovations and branding efforts to elevate visibility and impact
- Created comprehensive communications campaigns and materials-websites, educational resources, -that expanded the initiative's reach and digital presence
Public Information, Arts & Archival Consultant
Cook County Historical Archives Department
12.2022 - 06.2023
- Proposed and implemented digitization strategies for archival content, modernizing access to historical records and contributing to the Cook County Bicentennial communications plan, which increased public access to archives by an estimated 60%.
- Curated and shared over 100 archival images and historical photographs across multimedia platforms during commemorative months, boosting public engagement by approximately 80%
- Designed over 20 visually compelling branded templates, newsletters, and promotional materials for the Cook County Archives, elevating visibility and artistic appeal while increasing digital engagement.
Senior Social Media Strategist
A Long Walk Home
09.2019 - 08.2020
- Designed cross-platform social media campaigns that significantly expanded city-wide audience reach and engagement
- Optimized SEO strategies for the organization's website while conducting market research to enhance campaign performance
- Developed survivor-centered campaigns that fostered community support and generated new grant opportunities
Associate Director
Social Justice Initiative, University of Illinois at Chicago
02.2017 - 09.2019
Digital Media & Communications Coordinator
Chicago Torture Justice Memorials
12.2016 - 05.2018
- Led the redevelopment of the organization's website to support survivors of torture and their families
- Created marketing materials that increased sales by 80% while boosting awareness of organizational initiatives
- Designed an online platform to garner fiscal support for survivors, enhancing financial contributions from supporters
Communication Associate
Latino Policy Forum
03.2014 - 01.2016
- Wrote press releases, newsletters, blog posts, and other cross-platform communications to amplify organizational initiatives
- Led website development projects that enhanced digital presence while streamlining relationships with funders and community partners
Community & Arts Engagement Manager
Gallery 400, University of Illinois at Chicago
09.2014 - 11.2015
- Designed innovative creative strategies to raise arts awareness and engagement for the gallery.
- Built partnerships with community institutions, arts organizations and cultural workers to foster collaborative engagement initiatives
- Developed creative and diverse programming and established and promoted opportunities for inspiring arts education.
- Established and maintained innovative partnerships among community and regional organizations.
Digital Media Specialist & Program Manager
Illinois Humanities Council
02.2013 - 11.2015
- Planned and promoted over 40 arts and humanities programs across Chicago neighborhoods to foster community engagement
- Designed websites and digital toolkits that increased online visibility for programming initiatives
- Transformed organizational work into interactive multimedia formats for broader audience appeal
Education
Master's - Digital Communications And Multimedia
DePaul University
Chicago06.2010
Political Leadership Scholar -
Georgetown University
Washington, DC2009
Bachelor's - Mass Communications
Bethune Cookman University
Florida04.2008
Skills
- Innovative Leadership
- Strategic Communications
- Exhibition Curation Expertise
- Arts Programming & Events
- Multimedia Creation
- Digital Storytelling
- Resource Development
- Grant Writing
Publications
- Mapping Histories of Trailblazing Black Women in Chicago, 2024, Haymarket Publishing, Comprehensive history highlighting the contributions of Black women across Chicago neighborhoods.
- Lifting As They Climbed: Mapping a History of Black Women on Chicago's South Side, 2018, Project Nia, Co-authored book showcasing trailblazing Black women who shaped local and national development centered on south side communities.
- Survivor Defense as Abolitionist Praxis Toolkit, 2017, Survived & Punished NY, Designed multimedia toolkit for advocacy organizations focused on survivor-centered abolitionist practices.
Independent Projects
- Black Feminist Futures, Graphic Design Specialist, 2019-2020, Developed visual materials for national audiences focus on Black feminist ideologies.
- Documentary Filmmaking: Directed Invisible Giants, Highlighting the legacy of Black women in Chicago.
- Chicago Teachers Union Workshops, Leader, 2020, Facilitated workshops on responsive communication strategies for educators across Chicago Public Schools.
Timeline
Founder and Executive Director
Kemtiyu Arts & Media
01.2024 - Current
Public Information, Arts & Archival Consultant
Cook County Historical Archives Department
12.2022 - 06.2023
Director of Arts & Communications
Social Justice Initiative, University of Illinois at Chicago
09.2019 - 01.2024
Senior Social Media Strategist
A Long Walk Home
09.2019 - 08.2020
Associate Director
Social Justice Initiative, University of Illinois at Chicago
02.2017 - 09.2019
Digital Media & Communications Coordinator
Chicago Torture Justice Memorials
12.2016 - 05.2018
Community & Arts Engagement Manager
Gallery 400, University of Illinois at Chicago
09.2014 - 11.2015
Communication Associate
Latino Policy Forum
03.2014 - 01.2016
Digital Media Specialist & Program Manager
Illinois Humanities Council
02.2013 - 11.2015
Master's - Digital Communications And Multimedia
DePaul University
Political Leadership Scholar -
Georgetown University
Bachelor's - Mass Communications
Bethune Cookman University
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