Montpelier Arts Center celebrates Women's History Month with a free panel discussion, “Building Community” from 2 to 4 pm, moderated by WPFW’s Katea Stitt. Professional musicians, community leaders, teachers, parents, students and jazz fans of any gender will have an opportunity to look behind the scenes to see how festivals and concert series have been mounted by leading female artists. They’ll get a realistic look at some of the challenges those women faced in developing successful community-backed events.

Moderator Katea Stitt is acting program director at the Pacifica-owned Washington, D.C. radio station WPFW. Three acclaimed artists will serve on the panel. Amy K. Bormet, currently living in Los Angeles, is an in-demand pianist, vocalist, and composer. She created the Washington Women in Jazz Festival in 2011 and serves as executive director. DC Trombonist Jennifer Krupa is a member of the U. S. Navy Band Commodores Jazz Ensemble since 2004, Krupa also performs regularly with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, The DIVA Jazz Orchestra, and her own group, the Jen Krupa-Leigh Pilzer Quintet. Vocalist and bandleader Marianne Matheny-Katz is Baltimore City's is the founder of Jazzway 6004, one of the region’s most prominent jazz venues.

The three will discuss the challenges and rewards of building community and generating support for female artists and events. They’ll address topics such as recruiting artists, securing venues, creating concerts, workshops, and jam sessions, and of bridging differences in age and demographics on and off the stage.