At May's NAJP reunion, the diversity discussion group had a vision for NAJP's future, and I am honored that its members have asked me to convey that message. Our goal is that NAJP and its board reflect what we term not diversity but "reality" - the reality that arts journalism comprises journalists and artists of all races, lifestyles, and genders. We've discussed ways the NAJP could support this reality - through workshops and fellowships for journalists, and smart and comprehensive coverage of diverse artists.

I was an NAJP fellow in 2003-2004 after serving as the segment producer for the KRON 4 Morning News in San Francisco. But I began my career in 1994 as a foreign journalist in Shanghai, China, where, after decades of isolation and Cultural Revolution, art struggled even to exist. I launched the city's first English-language magazine and covered culture for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Asiaweek, WGBH Boston, and NBC News. My mission was to give artists a platform for discussion as they struggled to re-identify themselves. By the time I left China just six years later, I had become part of a cultural evolution that gave artists hope in their own future.

I would like us not to forget that, as a group, our passion lies in the arts. We are not only its critics, but also its proponents. And as we push forward arts journalism, we help push forward art itself.

Fellowships are the strength of the NAJP; they are ultimately what brought us together and inspired us to re-assess what was possible in the world. I would like to explore a viable way for NAJP to continue that legacy. At a time when jobs in the field are dwindling, I would also like the NAJP to develop arts journalists, remind the nation that the arts are necessary, and help determine the path of arts journalism on an international scale. We must, of course, find funding and partners to support these goals; with a clear and powerful intention, we can secure resources in small, deliberate steps so that the NAJP continually grows.

From my China experience, I know what it takes to restart art and its coverage. I am committed to helping NAJP celebrate its diversity and reinvent itself, and thus the field that it advocates.