March is International Women’s Month!

Celebrate with the Arts Member-led Forum of Commonwealth Club World Affairs and the Northern California Women’s Caucus for Art (NCWCA) panel of women leaders in the arts.

When women empower women, a cycle of support and inspiration is created that leads to personal growth, societal progress—and a better future for humanity.

Moderated by Debra Reabock, arts leaders Debbie Chinn, Vera Masola, Sawyer Rose and Anne W. Smith share their unique, often bold "just do it” adventures and achievements. By sharing their varied “womanly ways” to lift each other up, break barriers, transform communities and industries, and challenge stereotypes, women empowering women paves the way for future generations to make our fractious world a better place.

About the Speakers

Debbie Chinn is an author and advocate. She is the autobiographer of Dancing in Their Light, chronicling the pioneering impact her family of immigrants; she authored Year of the Dragon: A Colorable Graphic Memoir. She was managing director for Anna Deavere Smith’s “Pipeline Girls” Project, executive director of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Opera Parallèle, California Shakespeare Theatre, Center Stage, and others. Chinn is the past president of the Chinese Culture Center, Association of California Symphony Orchestras, San Francisco Community Music Center.

Vera Maslova is a partnership and fundraising specialist based in San Francisco. She offers partnership and investor relations services to businesses and cultural organizations at various stages of their fundraising journeys. In 2024 alone, she successfully raised more than $9 million. Vera also serves as a board member of the Letterform Archive. She received “Women Changing the World Awards 2024,” achieving recognition in multiple categories: Making a Difference, Leader of the Year, and Diversity and Inclusion Impact. Maslova is developer of widely disseminated online courses, and has organized more than 300 events in past decade.

Sawyer Rose is a sculptor, installation and social practice artist who uses her artwork to shine a spotlight on contemporary social issues. Her work on The Carrying Stones Project has been featured in The New York Times, Ms., and Bust magazines. She has been awarded grants from The Ruth and Harold Chenven Foundation, The Puffin Foundation, and The Creative Capacity Fund. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors, and past president of Northern California Women’s Caucus for Art.

Having started at age 16, Dr. Anne W. Smith  is co-chair of the Commonwealth Club World Affairs Arts Member-led Forum, is an elder in the field of arts management and arts educator. She is currently adjunct professor at Shenandoah University Conservatory, Golden Gate University and a board member of San Francisco Chanticleer, and Medical Clown Project. She is a former professor at Golden Gate University, American University, Showa University of Music, and others. She is past president of the board of directors of Theatre Bay Area, Fountain Project Foundation, Book Club of California, St. Paul’s Residents Association. She has served as executive director of the San Francisco Center for the Book, Book Club of California, ODC Performance Gallery, Touring Program, California Arts Council, San Francisco Arts Commission Arts Festival, Arts Education Program, and many others.

Our moderator, Debra Reabock, is a San Francisco-based abstract photographer, outreach chair for the Northern California Women’s Caucus for Art, and a photo philanthropist. Her distinctive architectural photography is about transformation, presenting an artist’s view of modern architecture.