Minneapolis-St. Paul Jazz Hero
Widely recognized as a passionate jazz advocate with a history of working in media production, Janis Lane-Ewart began her career in Chicago in 1977, and relocated to Minneapolis in 1989 keeping her connections. Throughout her career she has been dedicated to community service, cultural activism and community radio as a stalwart champion for jazz.
Besides being executive director of KFAI in Minneapolis for 12 years and host of “The Collective Eye,” her own program, for 15, Janis has made an indelible imprint on myriad nonprofits. She’s been directly involved with the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) and Jazz Institute of Chicago in Chicago; the Rhythm & Blues Foundation in Washington, D.C.; St. Paul’s Ananya Dance Theatre, KRSM-FM in the Phillips neighborhood, the Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations (AMPERS) and Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association, among others in Minnesota. As development officer for radio station KBEM (the Twin Cities’ most significant jazz broadcaster, based in Minneapolis’ North High School), Janis advanced the artform from economic, musical, and political considerations. She’s also served on the boards of Artspace, American Composers Forum, Intermedia Arts and the Jazz Journalists Association.
Lane-Ewart’s mantra – Access to artistic expression is important! – carries the imperative that support for artists is essential to igniting and fostering their creativity. She’s focused on supporting artists’ work in schools. She’s understood that meeting an artist when a student is young, or being inspired by something that happens in the classroom or on a field trip, can spark a lifelong interest in and love of jazz – and maybe more. Committed to introducing all forms of artistic expression to students of all ages, she’s helped provide a rich compendium of offerings to audiences for their sampling and enjoyment. Jazz Hero Janis Lane-Ewart carries the torch for this great American art form known as jazz with conviction and vision.
By Suzan Jenkins
