In this episode of Arts & Democracy: A Global Conversation, host Olga Levina speaks with Shawn Emamjomeh — a self-described “child of revolution” whose life spans Iran, Silicon Valley, Broadway, and the ancient Citadel of Erbil. Shawn reflects on how collaborative art on stage, city-building in Iraqi Kurdistan, and his Color & Light Festival have all been ways to build community in fragile times. From blockchain and PolyOne to projection mapping on a 6,000-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site, he explores why art is the conscience of society, how stories travel across borders, and why creativity remains essential to sustaining democracy.

In this moving episode of Arts & Democracy: A Global Conversation, host Olga Levina speaks with activist and former Executive Director of the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus, Mark McDonald, about the power of music, activism, and community in times of crisis and change.

From his early days in small-town Missouri to leading one of the nation’s most visible LGBTQ+ ensembles, Mark shares how the choral movement became both an artistic and political force — from the activism of ACT UP during the AIDS crisis to the collective healing after 9/11.

Together, Olga and Mark revisit the historic controversy in the late 1990s, when the Chorus was told it could only perform at the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) conference if it dropped the word “Gay” from its name — and how, decades later, ACDA has invited the Chorus back in a gesture of reconciliation.

Their conversation expands to the present day, exploring censorship, democracy, and the courage it takes to use art as a tool for truth. “Silence,” Mark says, “is the greatest crime against democracy.”

A reflection on resilience, visibility, and the enduring belief that art can transform lives and strengthen our shared humanity.

In our debut episode of Arts & Democracy: A Global Conversation, Olga Levina sits down with museum education professional Thomas Goehner — formerly of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and The Textile Museum — to explore the future of museums in a time of unprecedented political pressure. From his decades shaping educational programs across major cultural institutions to his perspective on the current debates over “whitewashing” history at the Smithsonian, Thomas offers candid insights on why museums matter, what stories must be preserved, and how cultural spaces can remain vital, inclusive, and resilient for generations to come.