CASE STUDY
PR and Messaging for Yvonne Montoya’s New Work
Image description: Yvonne, a Latina woman with long curly hair, sits on the ground writing on herself with a marker. Her face and skin are covered in multicolored scribbles. Behind her, whiteboards are filled with lists and chaotic scribbles. Photo by Dominic AZ Bonuccelli.CLIENT
Yvonne Montoya
CHALLENGE
Like so many independent artists, AZ-based dancemaker Yvonne Montoya arrived at a pivotal moment in her career without the infrastructure in place to make the most of it. A busy choreographer, thought leader, and mother, Yvonne’s work had been recognized with two prestigious fellowships and an upcoming premiere at the Kennedy Center. With new resources and momentum, she saw a chance to build visibility, and turned to me for help.
WORK
I worked with Yvonne to distill her artistic messaging into compelling copy that could be adapted for press announcements, presenter outreach, and digital communications. In addition to sharing her work with my own press contacts (a list built over 20+ years) I created a custom media list specific to her geographic region and to her role as a Latina artist. We also re-evaluated her biography and prepared her to interview with confidence.
RESULTS
COVID-19 reached the U.S. at the beginning of my relationship with Yvonne. She adapted her work Stories From Home to include a virtual component and launched it in July 2020. Several news outlets agreed that her story needed to be told, and we successfully landed interviews and features with Dance Enthusiast, Dance Magazine, and her local NPR station, among others. Seeds planted with regional media also flourished long after this project was completed, resulting in this beautiful episode of ¡COLORES! in 2024.
Selected Press
“Mariclare took her time to listen and understand my needs and specific goals. She worked hard on my behalf and exceeded far beyond my expectations. I appreciated Mariclare’s incredible professionalism. She is a joy to work with.”