Tonya Lockyer
Contributor
Arts leader, dancer, writer, and choreographer
Biography
Named “one of the key cultural change-makers in the Northwest” by The Seattle Times, Tonya Lockyer develops and facilitates transformative dialogue and cultural processes as a curator, cultural producer and social choreographer. Lockyer’s community-driven initiatives have mobilized 1000s of artists as advocates and curators, and activated an expansive range of civic and aesthetic dialogues. Lockyer strategically grows the impact and capacity of Dance through powerful public programs, partnerships, experiences, and narratives; by actuating new cultural spaces, catalyzing an artist incubator, and curating for major art fairs, venues, festivals, and public spaces.
Her collaborators include internationally recognized artists such as Tere O’Connor, Ralph Lemon, Miguel Gutierrez, Pauline Oliveros, Danielle Agami. As director of Velocity (2011-2018), Lockyer oversaw the transformation of this community dance center into a national nexus for new dance and performance. Prior, she had an international performance career. Lockyer serves on funding review boards including National Dance Project (2013-16) and Creative Capital. She frequently publishes and is a guest speaker and lecturer on collaboration, choreographic culture, and socially engaged art.
“(Lockyer’s) by-the-numbers accomplishments are impressive ($2 million in direct and in-kind support to artists; growing Velocity’s audiences by 398 percent), but Lockyer will also be remembered for transforming Velocity into both a dance venue of national import and as an incubator for Seattle talent.”
