#SupportArtists

"I’m lucky enough to come from a family that believes in Art as a profession. To us, being a visual artist, writer, dancer or musician are REAL jobs. I’ve run into far too many people who scoff at the Arts as a profession due to how little it pays and how competitive it is. I started #SupportArtists as a way to start in my own back yard, by bringing attention to the artists (including myself) in my family."

Paula Chase is a longtime Inclusion Jedi and advocate for diversity and inclusion in the Arts, specifically publishing and the world of Ballet. Chase is the author of So Done (Greenwillow/HarperCollins), a novel for middle school readers and a 2018 Kirkus Reviews Best Book. So Done and its companion, Dough Boys, is blazing the trail for books that tackle tough and sometimes taboo topics for younger readers. Chase is also the author of five Del Rio Bay Clique novels, a young adult series that helped Kensington Books launch its YA imprint in 2007.

In 2008, Chase co-founded The Brown Bookshelf, with authors, Varian Johnson, Kelly Starling Lyons and Author/Illustrator, Don Tate. A blog designed to highlight the myriad of Black kidlit voices, The Brown Bookshelf’s annual 28 Days Later campaign draws thousands of views to under-the-radar authors and illustrators.

For more information about Chase’s #SupportArtists movement, visit the About Me section at www.paulachasehyman.com. And visit www.thebrownbookshelf.com for an archive of the 28 Days Later campaign. Paula can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

She’s the wife of one and mother of two in Maryland until an empty nest allows her to relocate elsewhere.