Joe T. is a Tennessee based Writer and Consultant
Joe T. is a writer and consultant that helps communities and organizations harness the power of art and culture for transformation.
Joe Tolbert Jr. is a cultural strategist, facilitator, minister, writer, and advocate working at the intersection of art, culture, spirituality, and social justice. As the Executive Director of the Waymakers Collective, Joe leads initiatives that expand opportunities for artists and cultural practitioners while advocating for sustainable investment in the arts. A founding member of Waymakers, he initially served as Program Director, laying the groundwork for its transformative approach to participatory grantmaking, one that shifts power into the hands of artists and community members, ensuring those closest to the work make funding decisions that impact their future.
A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Joe represents a broader understanding of Appalachia, identifying as "Affrilachian" a term recognizing the often-overlooked Black presence in the region. As he told Bloomberg in 2022, “You didn’t see Black folks reflected in the larger narrative of who Appalachia was and what the region was said to be.” His personal experiences, including the tragic loss of a loved one to police violence, shaped his understanding of art as a vehicle for healing, justice, and systemic change. Today, his work continues to center on fostering innovation, securing equitable access to resources, and empowering artists to drive cultural growth across Appalachia.
Joe’s leadership has been recognized through fellowships with National Arts Strategies, The Intercultural Leadership Institute, and Mosaic Changemakers. His expertise is sought after nationally. He is also a Mayor-appointed member of the City of Knoxville’s Public Art Committee, where he contributes to shaping the region’s cultural landscape.
Through his consulting company, Art at the Intersections, Joe is a highly sought-after facilitator and cultural strategist, working with communities to harness the power of art and culture in building, implementing, and evaluating cultural strategies that drive lasting change. His writing and cultural criticism have been published in Alternate ROOTS, ArtPlace, Arts.Black, Quiet Lunch, Cross Currents Journal, various exhibition catalogs, and the books Applied Theater with Youth: Engagement, Education, Activism (Routledge Press, 2021), To Belong Here (University Press of Kentucky 2025), and Queer Communion (University Press of Kentucky 2025).
Joe holds a B.S. in Communications from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and earned his M.Div. with a concentration in Social Ethics from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. His strategic leadership continues to position Appalachia and the South as hubs for artistic excellence and creative resilience, ensuring artists and cultural practitioners have the support, visibility, and resources necessary to shape the future of the region.
MY PHILOSOPHYArt and culture are powerful tools for transformation, because art shows us that another world is possible and the strategic use of culture helps chart a path to get there.
MY WORK
Selected Writing Portfolio
In Conversation with Andre' Daughtry
Black Milk: Ai Campbell for Quiet Lunch Magazine
In Conversation with Angie Pittman
Another River? in One More River, ed. Michael Dickins. Clarksville, TN: The New Gallery at Austin Peay State University, 2023.
Heaven Somewhere in Enunciated Life, ed. Taylor Renee Aldridge. Los Angeles: California African American Museum, 2021.
Unleashing the Untold Story: The Carpetbag Theatre Inc. and the Legacy of the T.R.Y. Ensemble in Applied Theatre with Youth: Art, Education, Activism, ed. Lisa S. Brenner, Chris Ceraso, and Evelyn Dias Cruz. New York: Routledge, 2021.
Making a Way Out of No Way: Black Faith in Barry Jenkins’s If Beal Street Could Talk, CrossCurrents, Volume 70, Issue 3, October 2020.
To Repel Ghosts in To Belong Here: A New Generation of Queer, Trans, and Two-Spirit Appalachian Writers, ed. Rae Garringer. University Press of Kentucky, 2025.
A Creative Act of Faith in Queer Communion: Religion in Appalachia, ed. Davis Shoulders. University Press of Kentucky, 2025.
Art at the Intersections Project Incubator
The Art at the Intersections Project Incubator is the home for Joe Tolbert Jr.’s curatorial work. Joe’s curatorial work spans performance and visual arts. His curatorial process centers on how community stories can be uplifted through cultural production. Joe believes that supporting the work of artists that are speaking to the issues of our time can give us a new way of seeing the world that can move us to action.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
“Their approach fostered an environment of open dialogue and collaborative learning, which significantly enhanced our understanding of how to leverage cultural organizing to maximize our impact.Their enthusiasm was contagious and inspired our team to think more critically about our strategies and objectives.”
James McKissic, President ArtsBuild
“The Mosaic Network and Fund hosts learning exchanges each year to foster dialogue, build trust, and deepen relationships among arts leaders of color and funders in New York City. We’re grateful to Joe Tolbert Jr. who co-facilitated our exchanges virtually. Joe brought a great deal of care to the work, from a very thoughtful, participatory planning process to effective facilitation of our virtual gatherings, which had 100 to 120 participants at a time. Joe did an excellent job bringing us together, lifting us up, and reminding us of the value of human connection in equity-oriented work.”
– Salem Tsegaye, Former Program Officer, Arts & Culture, The New York Community Trust.
MY SERVICES
Work With Joe T.
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Joe Tolbert Jr. has over a decade in the arts, culture and social justice fields. His diversity of experiences makes him an asset to arts and culture organizations’ team.
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Joe listens deeply to the needs of facilitation clients, and helps them chart the path to reach their goals of their convening.
Joe also has a suite of workshops that aims to build the skills of arts and culture organizations and those they serve.
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Getting his start in theater and community engagement, Joe has developed skills necessary to bring creative visions to life.