Thursday Host | APAture: Art & Culture

Poet, actor, performance artist, community organizer, arts administrator - Jerome Vielman anchors his life in the cultural vibrancy of Houston, Texas. Raised in New Orleans and schooled in New York City, Jerome began his commitment to Houston's creative community by hosting an open mic poetry & music showcase called MOTM Lounge (meeting of the minds) in 2003, obtaining transferable skills in guerrilla marketing, promotions, and production. From 2004-2008, Jerome served as Executive Director of the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Association (APAHA), a local non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the culture and contribution of all Asian/Pacific American communities through education, awareness and celebration. Jerome was responsible for leading the organization, guiding the development and implementation of their strategic plan and artistic vision, as well as overseeing fundraising, fiscal management, public relations, and program operations. Jerome’s lead acting credits include two-man productions as Robert in stage the play Peaches by Soo-Jin Lee for the UH Edward Albee New Playwrights Festival (2005) and Kiyoshi “Sam” Yamamoto in The Gate of Heaven at DiverseWorks (2008). Jerome also produced in 2007 the theatre adaptation of Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club (in collaboration with Nova Arts Project, Maggini String Orchestra, Dance of Asian America, and Harris County Public Library with support from the National Endowment for the Arts through The Big Read Campaign. Jerome was a recipient of the competitive Individual Artist Grant from the Houston Arts Alliance and has self published his first collection of poetry - haiku2u: 101 select poems on love, trial, triumph, and trust - through Spacetaker, Houston's leading artist resource center.

Jerome currently serves as Programs & Services Manager at the Houston Arts Alliance (HAA). The mission of HAA is to support and promote artistic life in the Houston region through programs, initiatives, and alliances