Aaron P. Dworkin

Part of the About the 2023 Guest Editors Series

Grantmakers in the Arts

Named a 2005 MacArthur Fellow, President Obama’s first appointment to the National Council on the Arts and member of President Biden’s Arts Policy Committee, Aaron P. Dworkin is former dean and current Professor of Arts Leadership & Entrepreneurship at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance.  Aaron is a best-selling writer and poetjournalist having authored his poetry collection, They Said I Wasn’t Really Black, along with four other books including his memoir, Uncommon Rhythm: A Black, White, Jewish, Jehovah's Witness, Irish-Catholic Adoptee's Journey to Leadership, and The Entrepreneurial Artist: Lessons from Highly Successful Creatives.

Aaron originated the terminology “poetjournalism” which he defines as “journalism in which a news story or other event is presented in poetic form incorporating elements of emotion, opinion and creative illustration.” He serves as the Poet-in-Residence of The Rodham Institute at George Washington University, Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, Wright Museum of African-American History, Grantmakers in the Arts, Ovation TV Network and Shar Music. Hailed by critics as “powerful,” “stirring,”“passionate and heroic,” and “a tour de force,” Aaron has performed his poetry as a prominent spoken-word artist including Carnegie Hall, Galapagos Theater in New York, Harvard University, Chautauqua, University of Michigan, Minneapolis Orchestra Hall, NJPAC and the Wright Museum and Orchestra Hall in Detroit amongst others and is a member of the Academy of American Poets. He has been featured on The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, CNN, Jet Magazine, and named one of Newsweek’s “15 People Who Make America Great.” He has two recording albums and collaborated with a breadth of artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Damien Sneed, Anna Deveare Smith, Damian Woetzel, and others. His Emmy award-winning film, An American Prophecy, was honored by numerous festivals while his digital art project, Fractured History, has exhibited to rave reviews.

Aaron is also a leading social entrepreneur having founded the globally-recognized Sphinx Organization, the leading arts organization with the mission of transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. He also serves as host of the nationally-broadcast show, Arts Engines. Aaron is a member of the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences and is the recipient of honors including the National Governors Association Distinguished Service to State Government Award, BET’s History Makers in the Making Award, and Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He has been named Detroit News’ Michiganian of the Year and the National Black MBA’s Entrepreneur of the Year. 

A sought-after global thought leader and a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, excellence in arts education, entrepreneurship, and leadership, as well as inclusion in the performing arts, Aaron is a frequent keynote speaker and lecturer at numerous universities and global arts, creativity, and technology conferencesand is on the roster of the prestigious APB speakers bureau. He is a member of the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs) and has served on the Board of Directors or Advisory Boards for numerous influential arts organizations including the National Council on the Arts, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, Knight Foundation, National Association of Performing Arts Professionals, Avery Fisher Artist Program, Independent Sector, League of American Orchestras, Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, Michigan Theater and Chamber Music America. Having raised over $50 million for philanthropic causes, Aaron personifies creative leadership, entrepreneurship, and community service with an unwavering passion for the arts, diversity, and their role in society.

Aaron has a myriad of life interests including innovation, creativity, human pair bonding, and is passionate about social impact having founded a homeless organization and a literary magazine. He is an avid kayaker, poker aficionado, and boater, having captained multiple crossings of the Gulfstream. He is an explorer of the culinary arts and a consummate movie enthusiast watching over 150 films every year. He is married to Afa Sadykhly Dworkin, a prominent international arts leader who serves as President and Artistic Director of the Sphinx Organization and has two awesome sons, Noah Still and Amani Jaise. They reside in Michigan with their two savannah cats, Mocha and Pekoe, and english cream retriever, Rondo.

Learn more about Aaron’s work here.