World Arts Today is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) arts journalism magazine. We provide independent and original arts news reporting in the public interest. That’s what makes us unique. You’ll find inspiring and insightful coverage of the arts. We go behind the scenes to shine the light on the creative process. We passionately cover the pursuit of creativity.

Our mission is to report on the vital and necessary role the arts plays in an informed society, to improve the quality of arts and cultural journalism and elevate the level of public appreciation of and participation in the arts. We help to advance the arts in the public domain by providing independent journalism for the public good to benefit communities around the globe and the people they serve.

World Arts Today was founded in 2009 by Karen McDonough, an award-winning journalist for more than 20 years. Her breadth of experience encompasses the performing and visual arts, culture, current events, politics, science, business and education. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in journalism from San Diego State University, and has traveled extensively over the years interviewing and profiling a diverse collection of newsmakers and prominent world figures. Her work has appeared in Vanity Fair, The Los Angeles Times, Dance Magazine, The Art of California and many other publications. She was a selected participant for the NEA Arts Journalism Institute for Dance Criticism at the American Dance Festival, and she has won many journalism industry awards including recognition by the Society of Professional Journalists.Our contributing writers have uniquely diverse backgrounds in the arts and writing and bring lively and thought-provoking perspectives to the stories we present.The magazine’s board of directors provides exceptional governance with exemplary backgrounds in business, management, finance, fundraising, legal, marketing, and the arts.

Board member Nina Osipyan is a sought after ballet coach, who’s danced around the world and studied with the legendary Soviet-era prima ballerina Marina Semenova, Agrippina Vaganova’s foremost student. Her 20-year career as a principal dancer with the Moscow State Ballet Company followed graduation from the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg in 1969. She performed lead and solo parts in all the major classical and contemporary ballets, and has danced with Irek Mukhamedov, Stanislav Isayev and Vladimir Malakhov among others. She also holds a bachelor degree in choreography and ballet mistress from the Lunacharski State Institute of Theatrical Art (GITIS), where she studied under Semenova. After retiring from a 24-year dancing career, Ms. Osipyan devoted herself to teaching and has worked with Rimma Karelskaya, Marina Kondratieva, Natalia Taborko, Naum Azarin, Azari Plisetsky, Sulamif and Asaf Messerer, Pierre Lacotte and Alberto Alonso. She has taught master classes around the globe, and has trained students for international competitions, among them, gold medal winners, Tatiana Berinova and Olga Pavlova. As a guest teacher, she’s worked at The Royal New Zealand Ballet Company, The New Zealand School of Dance and American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. She’s taught at The Australian Ballet School and was an adjudicator at the International Ballet Competition in Osaka (Japan) in 1995, and New Zealand Ballet Awards 2000. Currently, Ms. Osipyan coaches and teaches in Melbourne, Australia.

Board member Olga Pavlova is a Russian prima ballerina who has performed around the world. Trained at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Ms. Pavlova also holds a Master’s degree in Teaching and Choreography from the Moscow Academy of Professional Arts. She has performed in nearly all of the classical ballets with famous partners including Vladimir Malahov, Alexei Ratmansky and Nikolai Tsiskaridze. She has also worked with Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company and Édouard Lock’s La La La Human Steps. Ms. Pavlova is a gold medal winner in the Maya Plisetskaya International Ballet competition and has been featured in Dance Magazine. She teaches ballet and is a guest performer internationally.

Katie Dickson, board member, inspires those around her to great things and believes that reaching out to the youth and women at all stages of their education and career is important to fostering future women leaders. She has a Juris Doctor degree from Vermont Law School and international law certificates from Cornell University and Paris – Sorbonne University. She specialized in commercial litigation at the U.S. Department of Justice. She is a seasoned business owner and entrepreneur with extensive experience in management, customer relations and finance. Her expertise includes the areas of business development, legal issues, organizational and leadership development, and relationship building.

Sarita Gilchrist, board member, comes from a background in banking and finance, where she successfully developed effective leadership and management skills and the know-how to strengthen financial stability. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in marriage and family counseling from Brigham Young University and has keen insight in building collaborations and partnerships within various social environments including among women and their families. She is committed to community philanthropy, and is dedicated to bringing people together to mentor the next generation of women. She supports efforts to bring women’s leadership to the forefront.

As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, we rely on donations, corporate sponsorships and public and private funding. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution that enables us to produce and present meaningful arts journalism. DONATE HERE.