Chantrell M. Lewis

Chantrell M. Lewis, M.F.A., is a multi-disciplinary arts educator, published author, award-winning researcher, and accomplished artist. Her passion for performance began at the age of eight, and her Mezzo-Soprano voice has graced stages from New York to California and many places in between. Lewis holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Kent State University and a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of California, Irvine. She is also a certified specialist in the social-emotional development of youth, recognized by the University of California, Riverside, and has recently earned her credential as a performing arts educator in California. With experience as a Teaching Artist and Adjunct Professor, Lewis has designed and taught curricula that focus on literacy and other skills, aligning with state standards for visual and performing arts education. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Jar of Sunshine Incorporated, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing access to literacy, wellness, and the arts in under-resourced communities. Her published research titles demonstrate her strong dedication to arts and education integration. Addressing Bisexuality, Gender Non-Conformance and Performativity through The Color Purple by Alice Walker (adapted for the stage by Marsha Norman) published in 2019 by the Excellence in Performing Arts Research Journal and Unbound: The Performing Arts and the Social-Emotional Development of Black Youth published in 2022 by ProQuest. Unbound, was presented at The University of California Merced’s Research symposium: Being and Becoming: Blackness in Multiple Contexts, February of 2023. Additionally Lewis was the Kennedy Center's American Theater Festival Region 7 - Representation, Equity and Diversity Keynote Presenter 2024. In 2023, Lewis was honored as a CA Creative Corps Fellow, an Arts OC California Arts Council Emerging Artist Fellow, a Community Engagement Grantee, and an Honoree at the 23rd Annual Arts Orange County Awards. This year, she was recognized as a 2024 "Kickass Woman of Orange County" by Orange Coast Magazine for her contributions to the arts.