Let there be cake!

Okay, so I told everyone that I would let them know what has been going on in a blog, so here it is. . .

When I first started thinking about how nice it would be to have a community Arts Centre in Antigonish that could expand on what The Arts House currently offers, I thought it was simple. All that we needed was more physical space. Well, a year and a half later and I now know it is a lot more complicated than that.

Yes, a building would be great, but who pays for it? Who maintains it? Who staffs it? Who decides what will happen in it? What will it look like? Where will it be located? See, not that simple.

I have met with other artists and community members on several occasions to brainstorm. Everyone bringing different points of view and experiences. One thing that has become obvious to me, is that things can happen when people get together for a mutual benefit. That seems to be the key, all the various art entities and individuals that would benefit from a shared physical space working together as one to make that happen. Now keep that sentiment in mind as I bring you up to where I am now with my research and dreaming.

To keep myself motivated, and get others excited about an Arts Centre, I needed something more tangible than a dream. I jumped at the chance to travel to Windsor with Fran to see the Windsor Makers Studio. Fran stumbled upon the place and told me I had to see it to get some ideas and she had spoken to the owner who was more than happy to sit down with us and share her path to get her dream up and running. It is a beautiful place that has a warm welcoming feeling when you enter. The walls are covered with original art from local artists, shelves are full of beautiful pottery, some made right there. A group of seamstresses were laughing and chatting over sewing machines and bolts of cloth, around the corner was someone sharing their knowledge about woodworking with a friend in the workshop. It was nice to experiencing the feeling of community. Seeing what can be created when residents in a town have access to a place that will help them learn, share what they know and create, I found some new inspiration. I have experienced the same community feeling during the Open Studio I facilitate at The Arts House and think about how that could grow if it wasn't limited by the physical size, accessibility and availability.

If we copied the exact business model that is so successful for the Windsor's Maker Studio, would it be successful in Antigonish? No, for many reasons. Firstly it is a sole proprietorship being managed by a skilful businessperson who is passionate about the arts. Those two things are key to its success. Those are two things we are missing. I don't want to own a business, and I am definitely not business-minded. Also, none of the people I have been networking with want to own and run a business so we can have an Arts Centre. Secondly, it was missing a visual arts studio space. I may be showing my bias as a visual artist, but art studio space is important!! I think we all want to use the services and structure that an Arts Centre would provide but, if you are running it, when do you find the time to create in it?

Now back to that first sentiment about community and working together. I researched various Arts Centres in Canada, (click on the link to see my list of favourites). Some of these centres are led by a board, and some are managed by the municipality they serve. The takeaway is, is it the community that is responsible for making sure these enterprises thrive? Antigonish has a vibrant community of artists, art patrons, and art supporters. Several art organizations support artists and the Arts. Antigonish Culture Alive (ACA), Antigonish Art Fair Association, (AAF), All-of-us Society for Art Presentation (ASAP) . . . there is still more, you get the idea. Here is a chart I put together showing all the ARTS in Antigonish (click link to see it). From discussions with the various people who have been helping me brainstorm this, I have concluded that a joint voice, or effort, with all the interested entities working together, is key to spearheading a quest for an Arts Centre.

And that brings me to where we are today. What does that joint voice look like? That isn't a rhetorical question, it is a legitimate question that needs to be answered. To help answer that question, I have been researching boards, and what makes a good board. Anne Camozzi was kind enough to sit with me and a few others from Antigonish Vision for the Arts and share her vast knowledge about boards, and her experiences as an artist in Antigonish. Do we need a new board to be created to be that joint voice? Does an existing board have the capacity to take on that role? If an existing board takes on that role will the other boards feel their views are being represented without prejudice? Will community members who aren't members of the existing boards feel like their voice is not important just because they don't belong to a board or attend meetings anywhere? If it's run by a board, where do The Town and County fit in? What area should it serve? So many questions.

Where can we begin to look for answers? I think the answers can be found in the community. How do we gather the community and all the arts organizations to have this discussion? We hold a Creative Community Symposium at The Arts House and invite everyone.

Becs and I have been busily applying for a grant with the help of several others so Antigonish Vision for the Arts can do just that. We plan to showcase many of the wonderful creative opportunities that can be found in Antigonish alongside wonderful works from some local artists. We will invite the community to come out and learn about how they can get involved. When we have everyone gathered we will look for some of the answers, and start to compile needed data for further research to guide us in the right direction. And we will serve cake...people will come if there is cake! We should hear back in the next few months if our application to NS Arts - Artist in Communities grant was successful. If we are successful, plan to attend our free one-day Creative Community Symposium. If you are interested in being involved in planning the event, (if we find the means to fund it) send me an email at AntigonishVisionfortheArts@gmail.com

Just one last note before I sign off. I may be the one writing this blog, but I am not the only person that is doing stuff behind the scenes. We are all volunteers with other responsibilities. I feel I need to shoutout to my fellow conspirators for all the time and effort they have put towards this in various capacities. Thank you, Fran Guinnane, Becs Semple, Fenn Martin, Amberlee Bolton, Nancy Turniawan, Aida Arnold, Lee Daponte, and Anne Camozzi. I wouldn't be sitting at my computer writing this if it wasn't for all of you.

Did someone say cake?

Happy Creating everyone,

Andy

Andrea (Andy) Pumphrey

(@ArtistAndyPump)

(image credit: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/to-do-tasks-busy-reminders-7355221/)