From aspiring arts journalists to seasoned media professionals, arts coverage can often be a daunting prospect. Check out this conversation with talented arts journalists Kristen Schweizer (performing arts – Vanguard Culture), Elizabeth Rooklidge (Contemporary Art – HereIn) and Seth Combs (Visual & Literary Arts – San Diego Union-Tribune). Join a conversation about how to cover the arts with thoughtfulness, authenticity and accessibility in mind. Moderated by Vanguard Culture Executive Director Susanna Peredo Swap.
KRISTEN NEVAREZ SCHWEIZER earned her bachelor of Theatre Arts at San Diego State University, where she was named The Daily Aztec’s Most Valuable Writer of 2010. She has worked for San Diego Business Journal, Scatena Daniels PR firm, San Diego REPertory Theatre, and served as Cultural Chair of the Downtown Community Planning Council. In addition to covering theatrical events for Vanguard Culture, she profiles artists in her ART SEEN series, which was awarded First Place in the San Diego Press Club’s Excellence in Journalism Awards for a feature series – light subject in 2022.
ELIZABETH ROOKLIDGE is an independent curator, writer, and educator based in San Diego, CA. She previously served as Assistant Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and Associate Curator at the Katonah Museum of Art. In March of 2020, she founded HereIn Journal, an online publication for exchange around contemporary art in San Diego. Elizabeth currently acts as Editor of the journal and frequently contributes writing and interviews. She also teaches modern and contemporary art history at the University of San Diego.
SETH COMBS is the former Arts & Music Editor and Editor-in-Chief at the alt-weekly San Diego CityBeat. He also served as an Associate Editor at Riviera Magazine covering nightlife, arts and society. For the last two years, he’s been a regular contributing writer and columnist for the The San Diego Union-Tribune covering the city’s visual art and literary scene. As a freelancer, he’s also contributed to Spin, The Hollywood Reporter and Zagat.
ABOUT SAN DIEGO PRESS CLUB: The San Diego Press Club is proud to be one of the largest clubs of its kind in the nation with nearly 400 members in the news communications field. Offering a blend of social and professional growth activities, we seek to foster a community where the relevant professional/social needs of news communications professionals can be met in an environment of integrity and high ethical standards.
ABOUT VANGUARD CULTURE: Vanguard Culture is an inclusive 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to advancing San Diego’s Creative Industries. We provide award-winning arts journalism, cutting edge events, and professional development that create arts jobs, bring diverse communities together and inspire collaboration among the visual, performing, and culinary arts.
