Dionne Custer Edwards is the Head of Learning & Public Practice at the Wexner Center for the Arts where she oversees four major program areas, manages a team of 10 people, and has created, co-created, or supported the development of impactful education programs including symposia, talks and lectures, studios, and teaching and learning programs.

Dionne has received awards and fellowships for her work in the arts, including a fellowship with Americans for the Arts, and a Greater Columbus Arts Council Community Arts Partnership award. In addition, Dionne has presented and been a featured speaker at national conferences on her work and research in arts education including TEDx, Museum Educators Roundtable, and National Art Education Association.

While Dionne is an arts educator, arts administrator, and programmer—she is also a practicing artist. She has published critical and literary writing, internationally and nationally in Sanat Dünyamiz (“Our Art World”), Turkey, Journal GEARTE, Brazil, and in the University of Arizona’s Journal of Cultural Research in Art Education. Her literary work, including poetry and nonfiction, have appeared in 3Elements Review, Barren Magazine, Entropy Magazine, Flock, Gordon Square Review, Grist, The Journal, Porter House Review, Storm Cellar, The Seventh Wave, Tahoma Literary Review, and others.

Dionne has a MA in Arts Education and Creative Writing, Antioch University and a BA in English, Ohio State University.

Areas of Practice, Research, and Writing

• Community-Based Arts Education
• Creative Writing
• K-12 School Arts Partnerships
• Interdisciplinary Practices
• Arts Administration
• Museum Studies
• Gallery Practices and Interpretation
• Public Programs
• Public Practice