Photo Credit: Jonathan Vanderweit
My Origin Story
My name is Nina Yarbrough (she/her) and thank you for taking the time to get to know me a little better. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio I am the youngest of a large Midwestern family (I have seven older siblings). My childhood memories are filled with summers spent playing with my cousins in Alabama, laughing with my family, and feeling like an outcast in equal measure because I knew I was, in several ways, different from my siblings and many of the other kids in my neighborhood.
My mom and grandmother raised us and did a hell of a job. I spent my formative years wondering the isles of the Downtown Public Library, falling in love with the written word. Believe it or not, back in the day bus fare was only $0.50 during the summer and after begging my mom for a couple bucks, I would enjoy the crisp, air conditioning of the most wonderful place on earth: the fiction section. Before regular internet was a thing in my house and long before the advent of streaming services, books were – as cliché as it sounds – my gateway to the world. I think storytelling, playing make-believe, and imagining new worlds was I felt most comfortable communicating my feelings. I was also fortunate enough to be surrounded by incredible teachers and mentors that nurtured my intellect, encouraged my academic pursuit, and who gave me space to grow as a creative person.
Going away to college was the greatest adventure of my life. Berea College is a unique, beautiful, and joyfully strange place to spend four years. I met some of my dearest friends, learned what the power of theatre could actually do, and it’s also where I developed my voice as a writer. Graduating with a BA in Theatre I would go on to work for a few theatre companies, temp at multiple businesses that were, in my opinion, weirder than any theatre production could ever hope to be, and eventually I found my way to Seattle, Washington in the fall of 2014.
I ventured to the Pacific Northwest in search of opportunities and experiences. After obtaining my MFA in Arts Leadership from Seattle University in 2016 I was fortunate to begin a career in fundraising at Seattle Opera. I was during my tenure there that I served first as the Capital Campaign Associate and later, was promoted to the position of Campaign Manager. I learned a great deal about nonprofit structures, fundraising, and philanthropy and will forever be grateful for the experience. After moving on from the Opera in 2018 I transitioned into a new position of leadership as the Business Development Manager for the Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas. Today I am part of a dynamic and mighty team of arts administrators that is paving the way for Black art in our region. Not only am I responsible for contributed revenue but I also get to build platforms for the incredible change makers that will make our world a better place.
My job is awesome and I get to work with dope humans. It doesn’t get much better than that.