bio

janera solomon is a writer, strategist, and catalyst for cultural change.

Described by her colleagues, clients, and friends as a “queen manifester” – janera knows how to make big things happen for the causes, organizations, and people she cares most about.

She is a recognized thought leader and provocateur known for her passionate commitment to creative and cultural expression as powerful tools for dialogue, collaboration and social change.

Whether she’s writing a memoir, curating creative work, or transforming cultural institutions —janera brings her deep creativity, resourcefulness, empathy, and lived experience to every project.

writing

As a Guyanese native, janera draws inspiration from writers and artists of African and Caribbean diaspora. In her essays and poems, she explores the impact of art and public space, personal identity, motherhood, and the richness found in unremarkable, everyday experiences.

janera is a 2022 graduate of Johns Hopkins University, with a MA in Writing (creative nonfiction). Her writing has been regularly featured the Pittsburgh City Paper and she is a former Martha’s Vineyard Creative Writing Institute fellow, in additional to participating in prestigious writer spaces including the Looking Glass Writers Conference and the Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference.

She is currently working on a memoir about marriage and finishing her debut collection of essays and poems, “Here Comes the Sun.”

curation + cultural strategy

For janera, the “how” and “why” matter just as much as the “what.” She knows how to partner with artists, organizations, and cultural institutions to unlock their creative potential and build a path toward meaningful change.

janera has an extensive portfolio of projects with visual artists, independent spaces, museums, and performing arts centers including projects with Andy Warhol Museum and Philadelphia Live Arts Festival. She led strategy work for Lord Cultural Resources for dynamic cultural projects including: the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, Brooklyn Museum of Art, August Wilson Center of Pittsburgh and the Ministry of Tourism Ontario.

Having served as the executive director of the Kelly Strayhorn Theater for more than a decade, janera commissioned contemporary performance work, launched literary, music and dance residencies and programs, and pioneered strategies for community-rooted cultural practice. Learn more about her work here.

accolades + awards

Named by Pittsburgh Magazine as one of the “50 Most Powerful People in Pittsburgh” in 2016, janera currently serves on the board of trustees for the International Women’s Forum Pittsburgh Chapter and The Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh.

Recognized for her transformative leadership, janera has received fellowships from The Aspen Institute and the National Arts Strategies. In 2020, janera served as a cultural strategy fellow with PolicyLink, an equity research institute based in Oakland, CA.

She has also been the recipient of prestigious awards including the Pittsburgh Business Times “Women of Influence,” Girl Scouts of Southwestern PA “Women of Distinction,” the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation “Women of Distinction,” and the YWCA’s Racial Justice Award.