20-21 Guide Book 20-21 Guide Book You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. - Maya Angelou We couldn’t bring ourselves to publish our usual letter of greetings and salutations. Too much has passed since the start of 2020 and our frame of reference has changed. We now speak of time as pre-COVID and post-COVID. We, like the rest of the world, watched everything and everyone come to a screeching halt once COVID-19 hit in early March. Washtenaw’s arts + creative sector, among the first to respond responsibly and flatten the curve in the greater Ann Arbor area shuttered the doors of performance venues, galleries and museums and put artists and creative workers out of work without warning. There is no safety net for the arts + creative sector: no government, foundation or commission relief. The impact of this pandemic and the lack of sector specific support is devastaing and the damage may be irreparable. The Arts Alliance knew its role: focus on the health and survival of the arts + creative industries in our community. We went into overdrive. Knowing cash was crucial for, we immediately to seek Creative Washtenaw Aid to aid those in need and started Creative Washtenaw Marketplace as an online sales site to sell goods. We responded to panicked calls for help on everything from unemployment to where to go for food. We collected every bit of information to distribute through our e-news, social media and COVID-19 resource web page. Keeping local creatives connected provided a lifeline so Creative Washtenaw Happy Hours morphed into Zoom gatherings. What was hoped to be a few weeks has turned into months. We know as much as we don’t and we won’t for quite some time. Instead of wondering “what week will we reopen?” the questions has changed to “can we survive until we reopen?” and “will we be able reopen in 2020 or 2021 and will audiences feel safe enough to return?” The Arts Alliance remains committed to do its best, as long as it has the resources, to advocate for the sector investment and to keep information and support flowing. Change, we know, is difficult. Artists create to express, evolve, teach, appreciate and, yes, sell. Perhaps most importantly, they must share. It is through the interaction of people that creative work is given breath…and we now realize how quickly our breaths can be taken away and rob our art of life and hinder our existence. Artists and creatives of all disciplines learn early on that their path must be carved out of the norm, and even carved deeper to not only accomplish their vision, but to also inspire others. Due to this innate nature, those of us in the creative sector must unite and utilize all of our gifts to push through this challenging time. We can do this — we have weathered stronger storms within ourselves and from the outside world. The centuries have proven that art and creativity is immune to any attack. It endures. We may not know what the business of the arts + creativity looks like on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic and that does cause uncertainty. Let’s remember, though, to trust our creative selves and the creative process as we have whenever that essential yearning to create has stirred our very souls. If we can put our trust in that, we’ll know deep down that we, like art, will endure. Colby Spencer Cesaro Deb Polich Chair President/CEO The Arts Alliance The Arts Alliance [email protected] [email protected] The Arts Alliance | a3arts.org 3 BOARD + PROFESSIONAL TEAM SPONSORS + PARTNERS FANTASTIQUE CHAIR Jay Mullick Colby Spencer Cesaro Managing Partner, PSMI, Inc. Vice President Works in Saline, lives in Ann Arbor Michigan Independent Colleges and Universities Creative: vocalist, actor and dancer PRESIDENT/CEO Works in Lansing, lives in Dexter Deb Polich President/CEO Damian Farrell, FAIA, LEED & AP The Arts Alliance & Artrain Owner & Principal Creative: arts + creative executive, advocate & radio host Damian Farrell Design Group Works and lives in Ann Arbor Creative: architect Lives and works in Ann Arbor TREASURER Tina Walther Chloé Cook Gray Owner Founder & Artistic Director Rapport Innovative Marketing LLC Fun Girl Dance Company Creative: communication design Creative: Choreographer and dancer Lives and works in Milan, MI Lives and works in Ypsilanti Alexandra West Lauren James Director of Research FANTABULOUS Communication Manager Ann Arbor Spark The Arts Alliance & Artrain Works and lives in Ann Arbor Creative: communications, editor Lives and works in Ann Arbor Barb Whitney Arts + Creative Education Specialist | The Arts Alliance Michael McCarthy Executive Director | Lansing Art Gallery & Education Center Portfolio Manager Lives in Mason and works in Lansing Bank of Ann Arbor Lives and works in Ann Arbor VICE-CHAIR & INTERIM SECRETARY Melissa Milton-Pung Project Manager Michigan Municipal League Creative: historic preservationist Lives and works Ann Arbor FANTASTICAL Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation Martha Darling & Gil Omenn NETSCOUT Ann Arbor State Bank (Level One) Eastern Michigan University Foundation UHY PUBLISHER GUIDE DESIGN Bank of Ann Arbor Martha & Bill Grimes Washtenaw Community College 2020 The Arts Alliance Rapport Innovative Marketing LLC Guide Comcast Golden Limousine WEMU 89.1 FM Book [email protected] Director: Tina Walther a3arts.org Designer: Dana Laureano 734-213-2733 [email protected] | rapport.tw 1100 North Main Street, #A 734-394-8212 Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Milan, MI EDITOR PRINTING & DISTRIBUTION MEMBERSHIP Lauren James Current Magazine The Arts Alliance ecurrent.com The Arts Alliance is a proud 734-668-4040 member of and active in these © 2020 The Arts Alliance Ann Arbor, MI leadership organizations: 4 The Arts Alliance | a3arts.org The Arts Alliance | a3arts.org 5 ARTS + CREATIVE DID YOU KNOW? EDUCATION INTEGRATION = IMPACT FOR STUDENT EXCELLENCE * The Arts Alliance is the arts + creative industry authority in Washtenaw County. A regional agency, its mission is to “Arts + creativity are vitally important advocate for and support Creative Washtenaw and ensure that the greater area remains a great place to create, live, to cultivate community in our schools work, learn, play and visit. nonprofit, educational and government entities and produce creative goods, services and and to offer students the opportunity programs for county residents and visitors. for self-expression.” CREATIVE WASHTENAW The benefits of curricular, sequential arts exposure COMMUNICATE COUNTS NONPROFITS extend far beyond the metrics related to the arts + to promote the creative creativity as a vehicles for student learning in other The Arts Alliance is committed to, WHAT WE DO industries’ programs and There are 200 arts + cultural nonprofits subjects: students engaged in creative education have forever evolving and learning about collaborative initiatives in Washtenaw County measurably improved school, work and life experiences. diversity, equity and inclusion. FACILITATE Data show that the arts improve school communities and enhance parents’ engagement, as well. This includes leaning in to listen to to explore issues, conduct Their average age is 24 years old busting and act on how the communities research, administer MCACA EDUCATE the myth that nonprofits are poorly managed and Every student in Washtenaw County is entitled it serves define the intrinsic and Regranting programs and foster to encourage investment and unstable businesses. creative initiatives participation in life-long creative to equitable access to high-quality, consistent, aesthetic qualities of art and creativity learning programs The oldest is the American Oriental Society. Since sequential, standards-based arts + creative be it by the cultural expert, the education as part of an integral right to a credentialed scholar, the journeyed or , they have applied a humanistic approach 1842 well-rounded and excellent education. self-taught master and/or the astute ADVOCATE to the study of Near Eastern and Asian philosophy, consumer of the form. to voice the creative industries’ CELEBRATE religion, folklore and art . impact and influence policy and to trumpet the triumphs of the encourage investment creative industries FOUR founded in 2018 are the youngest: The Ann Arbor Book Society, Horizon Performing Arts, Michigan Literary and Theatrical Society, and the The Arts Alliance is a leader, communicating the value of the arts + creative industries, Ypsilanti Performance Space, Inc. and working to persuade residents, community leaders and stakeholders to invest in and set public policies that build and sustain the sector in these communities: BUDGET SIZES* 188 are below $1 million 130 < $ 50,000 13 ≥ $250,000 20 ≥ $ 50,001 5 ≥ $500,000 20 ≥ $100,000 Yet according to the Arts + Creative Education Index that measures grade level access to 12 curriculum courses, there is much to do. 13 are above $1 million 5 ≥ $1,000,000 1 ≥ $ 6,000,000 Washtenaw County parents, school boards, 3 ≥ $2,000,000 1 ≥ $ 9,000,000 community leaders and arts + creative industry 1 ≥ $3,000,000 1 ≥ $16,000,000 providers are encouraged to work together to 1 ≥ $4,000,000 elevate the importance of access to arts + creative YPSILANTI WHITMORE LAKE Saline MANCHESTER MILAN chelsea dexter ann arbor education integration for all county youth. +21 townships IN the County *Excerpted from the 2019 Arts + Creative Education 16 1. Elize Jekabson 6. Cozine Welch 12. Juan Freitez for Student Excellence report by the Washtenaw COVER PHOTO CREDITS FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA! 2. Jon Van Eck 7. Sandy Ryder - 13. Afa & Aaron Dworkin Intermediate School District and The Arts Alliance. 3. Solana Howard, Wild Swan Theater 14. David Gier 12 Melody Korkmaz, 8. Lynne Friman & Friend 15. Photo credit: facebook.com/a3artsalliance 8 10 14 5 13 To see the full report or for more infomation 7 9 & Jasmine Patterson 9. Kurt Elling - Blue LLama Leisa Thompson 3 11 and to get involved, contact: 1 2 6 4.