Vania Kinard is the curator of the Westward Bound: African American Country Music History & Cowboy Lore exhibit, which includes a comprehensive collection of artifacts, photographs, and items on display at the Berkeley Public Library. Vania Kinard is Dom Flemons's wife, manager, and creative collaborator. She is a consultant, curator, producer, and writer. Her curatorial experience includes working with the Artistic Director at the 2020 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada on an exhibit at the Western Folklife Center called African American Western Pioneers: Past and Present. She has worked on many projects including The Real Wild West Docuseries on CuriosityStream and she is a Producer on the American Songster Radio Show and Podcast, which airs on “America’s Country Station” and “The Radio Home of the Grand Ole Opry” WSM in Nashville, TN. She has co-written liner notes booklets to Dom Flemons Presents Black Cowboys and Traveling Wildfire which both earned a GRAMMY Nomination for Best Folk Album and were released on the Smithsonian Folkways label. Her previous political career included working on the 2012 Barack Obama Presidential Campaign and the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee. Vania was born and raised in California but grew up in Guam, and Chicago’s North Shore before attending college in Washington, D.C. She is passionate about preserving her family legacy which includes, black cowboys, western pioneers, farmers, preachers, teachers, and veterans. Vania's commitment to education and community engagement is reflected in her active involvement in various initiatives and curating the Dom Flemons collection at Vanderbilt University. Vania's passion for sharing knowledge extends beyond the exhibit, as she is on the Advisory Board for the Children’s Literacy Initiative and the Board of Directors for Folk Alliance Region Midwest. Website: www.vaniakinard.com