Meet Donnamarie Baptiste | Cultural Producer. Curator. Creative Director,

We had the good fortune of connecting with Donnamarie Baptiste and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Donnamarie, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Work life balance is crucial, but it really difficult when you work for yourself. The saying “wherever you go, there you are” aptly applies to having a small business! Wherever I go, I am always thinking about how to improve and grow my business. I am the ambassador of the work I do, so I can’t ever really turn it off, but I do take time to enjoy the people and things I love. I make this a priority as much as I can.

I think about the balance like this: “In order for me to perform at my very best, I must…” and created a list of musts for myself, things like: work out, get enough sleep, eat healthy, spend time with friends and loved ones, and work on my hobbies-or relaxing. Relaxing means different things to different people, but for me having hobbies that I’m passionate about force me to step outside of work at times when I need to.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I love the creative and collaborative nature of my work. I work with non-profit organizations, city governments, brands, and companies to provide consultation on programming and marketing strategies that help them achieve their goals. Additionally, I engage in curatorial work, producing exhibitions, large-scale events, and immersive experiences, which I really love. The nature of my work varies, sometimes involving research and administrative tasks, while other times focusing more on creative aspects. Typically, it is a combination of both.

My career began at a small arts non-profit, which significantly influenced my professional path. In that role, I had to be versatile and handle various responsibilities to keep the organization running smoothly. The ever-changing nature of the work ensured that there was never a dull moment. I gained valuable experience in administrative tasks, operations, logistics, research, live production, marketing, and fundraising, among others. This hands-on approach helped me identify my strengths and focus on pursuing opportunities that aligned with them.

I’ve learned the importance of having multiple sources of income as a self-employed individual. This ensures financial stability, especially when one area of work slows down or comes to a halt. By offering different services, I can work with a diverse range of clients, providing me with more opportunities to stay busy.

Has the journey been easy? Definitely not. In both work and life, there are always obstacles to overcome. Overcoming challenges is an integral part of the journey, especially when one is passionate about their work. Being a woman and a woman of color working in the arts and production field has taught me the importance of resilience and resourcefulness in the face of challenges. I strongly believe that delivering arts and culture in unique ways has the power to bring people together and achieve various goals. It effectively conveys brand, business, or non-profit messaging, provides entertainment, inspiration, and education.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Day 1:
 Spend the morning at the beach, then have lunch and a lazy afternoon at the Standard. Check out Chef Tristen Epps at Ocean Social/Eden Roc for happy hour or dinner.

Day 2:
 Head to Allapattah to see what’s on at the Rubell Museum, and a few other nearby galleries.
 Go to Wynwood and grab something quick at 1-800-Lucky or a slice at Joe’s Pizza. Late afternoon head to Pérez Art Museum Miami and catch happy hour at Verde before heading home.

Day 3: Work and chill at Soho Pool House for a few hours. Pop into a few thrift stores to see if we can find some cool stuff-Goodwill, Red, White, and Blue, or Flamingo Plaza to name a few. On the way home, stop at B&M Market-one of my longtime favorites-to pick up some roti (I am Trinidadian, after all) and then hit one of my newer favorites Cindy Lou’s Cookies before they close-they’re in close proximity so it’s perfect! Later on, head to Dante’s Hifi .

Day 4:
- Take a drive to Coconut Grove / Coral Gables. Grab lunch at one of the many great places to eat there-Bombay Darbar, Chug’s Diner, or Atchana’s Homegrown Thai to name a few. Afterwards, we would check out Vizcaya or the Kampong, and walk off our lunch. On the way home, we would go to Red Rooster Overtown for happy hour/dinner.

Day 5:
- A free day-lounge by the pool, cook or order in for lunch. Maybe sneak in some record shopping at Technique or Sweat Records. Go to Rosie’s for dinner.

Day 6:
- If it’s the weekend, hit a farmer’s market in am, (maybe some outdoor yoga at Legion Park?) Go to Wynwood to have lunch at Doya. That night on head to Jrk! and Mangrove downtown-great food, drinks, music, and vibe.

Day 7:
- Spend the day in the Design District-shopping, gallery hopping, cocktails, and dinner. While there we would go to one or two of the following: Mia Market, Michael’s Genuine, Itamae, and/or Mandolin Aegean. See who’s spinning at Dante’s, maybe go there later.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Organizations like Art Basel, who hired me over a decade ago to work on their Miami team and I had the opportunity to work with some of the most influential artists, galleries, institutions, and musicians of our time. All of my friends, artists, and arts professionals who have inspired and encouraged me, as well as the non-profits, agencies, and brands I’ve had the pleasure of working with on their programming, marketing strategies, and events.

Website: donnamariebaptiste.com

Instagram: dm_baptiste

Other: https://aeaconsulting.com/about/people/donnamarie_baptiste

Image Credits
Oriol Tarridas Zachary Balber Donnamarie Baptiste Taylor Brown Clifton Henry Zak Bennett Heather Houston