The Los Angeles Post

U.S. State Department Welcomes Inaugural 2024 Fulbright/Kennedy Center Fellows in Music, Arts, and Environmental Diplomacy

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Washington, D.C., October 28, 2024 – The U.S. Department of State, in partnership with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, is proud to announce the arrival of the first Fulbright/Kennedy Center Fellows, Adriana Jaramillo from Colombia and Eder Zanetti from Brazil. This new fellowship program, part of the broader Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program, strengthens ties between the arts, environmental sustainability, and public health.

The Fulbright/Kennedy Center Fellowship in Performing Arts and Science aims to foster collaboration between international scholars and Kennedy Center artists, staff, and educators on multidisciplinary projects that connect the performing arts with health, wellbeing, and environmental stewardship. Hosted by the Kennedy Center Programming Department, these fellowships support groundbreaking research into the role of the arts in promoting global health and sustainability.

About the Inaugural Fellows

  • Adriana Jaramillo is a clinical psychologist and education specialist from Colombia with a history of promoting the arts as a bridge across divided communities. Through her Fulbright/Kennedy Center research, she will develop resources for the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra, focusing on arts programming for school-age children.
  • Eder Zanetti of Brazil, a forest scientist, environmental journalist, and media host, will explore ways to incorporate music, theater, dance, and other art forms to engage communities in environmental awareness. His work seeks to broaden public interest in sustainability through the performing arts.

The fellowship aligns with the U.S. Department of State’s Global Music Diplomacy Initiative, which underscores the arts as a vital platform for international collaboration. This program also supports the Kennedy Center’s expanding focus on Arts and Wellbeing and Arts and the Environment, complementing the upcoming “Earth to Space” festival and strengthening Fulbright’s mission to enhance cultural understanding worldwide.