Des Moines Social Club Announces Community Artist in Residence
Des Moines, IA (JUNE 18, 2018) — The Des Moines Social Club is pleased to announce that Ken-Matt Martin is joining their organization this summer as their Community Artist in Residence. In this role, Ken-Matt will teach a seminar style course exploring how to achieve equity, diversity, and inclusion through the arts. He will also curate a series of performances aimed at challenging the narrow lens through which diversity is viewed with the intention of furthering conversations about inclusion and equity.
Chuck Current, Executive Director of the Des Moines Social Club, commented that “our entire community benefits from this young man living here this summer. We are anxious for Ken-Matt to help move important discussions that our community needs to have forward through the arts.”
A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Martin is currently a candidate for the M.F.A. in Directing at the Brown University/Trinity Repertory Company program in Providence, Rhode Island and was formerly the Apprentice General Manager at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. He is a Drake University graduate with degrees in Theatre and Public Relations and presently serves on Drake’s National Alumni Board.
During his tenure, Ken-Matt will continue to direct and lead efforts for Pyramid Theatre Company, which he co-founded and serves as the Executive Director. Martin recently directed Pyramid’s production of Ike Holter’s Prowess in the Stoner Theatre at Des Moines Performing Arts. He is a two-time Cloris Leachman Excellence in Theatre Award recipient. His prior work with the Des Moines Social Club includes serving as Director, Associate Producer and Lead Producer on 2014’s Fences and 2015’s A Soldier’s Play in the Kum & Go Theatre. Martin also served as a former Hoover High School Drama Coach, a board member of Employee Family Resources of Iowa and an Admission Counselor at Drake University. Martin has received the Bill Foeler Directing Fellowship from Williamstown Theatre Festival and was a finalist for the Eugene O’Neil Center’s National Directing Fellowship.
Ken-Matt said, “I am humbled and honored by this opportunity provided by the Social Club. Des Moines has truly become an artistic home for me and I welcome any chance to return. I look forward to engaging individuals and institutions in meaningful conversations about how the arts can be used as a catalyst for social change.”
This collaboration and partnership was paid for by generous funding of Des Moines Social Club patrons. You can contact Martin beginning in June at the Social Club at 369-3672 or at Ken-Matt@desmoinessocialclub.org.
About Des Moines Social Club (DMSC)
The DES MOINES SOCIAL CLUB (DMSC) is an innovative arts and entertainment hub located in a renovated, historic art deco Firehouse in downtown Des Moines. The non-profit provides a home for local artists, offers unique programming spanning all arts disciplines, and brings people of every age and background together under one roof — all for the purpose to use the arts as a catalyst to create unprecedented community engagement.