Collier, Nina Perera

Administrator for the Section of Professional and non-Manual Projects of Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), Washington, D.C.

Became publicist for the Information Service of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). FERA was the forerunner of the WPA.

Art administrator; Alcade, New Mexico.

Born 1907. Worked on various federally supported art programs during the Depression.

Art administrator; Alcade, N.M.; b. 1907

Worked on various federally supported art programs during the Depression.

Nina Perera Collier (Box 1 Folder 5)

Nina Perera Collier was an avid proponent of the arts and education programs in the United States and in New Mexico. During her career she founded and contributed to the development of numerous performing arts programs and actively encouraged the incorporation of arts programs into elementary and secondary schools.

Nina Collier was born in New York in 1907. Raised in an environment that nurtured artistic and musical development, Collier's career in the arts began with her work for the WPA during the depression era. While employed at the WPA, Collier was responsible, in part, for the development of the Federal Arts Program; a government sponsored organization that employed artists and musicians during this period of economic hardship. Following her employment with the WPA, her career took a turn as she recognized the importance of encouraging arts and music education for American youth. Her passion for the arts and superior organization skills prompted her development of numerous arts-in-education organizations that sought to bring accomplished musicians into a classroom setting. Throughout the 1950s, Collier was a founding member of organizations such as Young Audiences Inc., Baltimore's Young Musicians, and Arts and Audiences, Inc.

In 1960, Collier moved to Alcalde, New Mexico where she soon established Youth Concerts of New Mexico, a non-profit organization that encouraged performing arts programs in New Mexico schools. Although the organization was initially intended to be an offshoot of Young Audiences, Inc., Collier soon realized that her vision for the New Mexico program differed from the vision of Young Audiences. Recognizing the need to make concert series more affordable to rural populations in New Mexico, Collier wanted to decrease the fees schools would have to pay for students attending the concerts. In addition, Collier wanted to encourage solo performers and other types of artists (non-musicians) to appear in New Mexico school programs. Because these developments were considered at variance with the rules and regulations of the Young Audiences program, Youth Concerts of New Mexico remained a distinct organization.

During its establishment, Youth Concerts of New Mexico organized numerous performances and workshops throughout school districts in northern and central New Mexico. A range of national, international and local New Mexican performers toured throughout New Mexican schools encouraging youth development in music and the arts. Types of performances and workshops produced by Youth Concerts included classical music, folk music, jazz, ballet, Spanish dance, poetry reading, pantomime performances and puppetry.

Collier also devised numerous publications and reports concerning the benefits of arts programs in education. In conjunction with UNM Department of Music and puppeteer, Elsie Tedford, Collier conducted a study on the effects of art on teaching language skills. Additionally, in her later years, she devised an important educational guide discussing how to establish and organize youth-based performing arts programs.

After several years of illness, Collier died in the mid-1970s, leaving behind a legacy of important contributions to the art world and to youth education.