I had the pleasure of visiting Chris at his OverUnder studio the Friday before the Labor Day weekend. While the rest of the staff headed off to enjoy the long weekend, Chris was busy working on various projects. Luckily, he carved out a little time for me. As stated on their website, The OverUnder studios, “design experiences and create environments.” Chris shared with me the realities of running a small studio and the patience required with some projects. An example of this is the proposed ArtFarm, a “self-sustaining art and urban agriculture laboratory designed to foster community engagement and creativity” in Somerville. This project has been developing over the course of six years and it’s looking like 2020 might just be the year that it comes to fruition! His family lives in Boston and his wife also designs experiences and creates environments for kids. She started a creative kids space in the South End called Minni.

Natalie and I met in her beautifully appointed co-working space, The Wing, with its incredible views of Boston and charming cafe. When I arrived at the reception desk, I was delighted (and surprised) to see one of my former students working there. As a result, the space felt immediately warm and welcoming - just like Natalie! Natalie heads up art_works, a consultancy that connects artists with businesses. She has worked with some of my favorite organizations including ArtLifting, Now + There, and Artists for Humanity. I left my meeting with Natalie feeling inspired and hopeful. Check out some of her cool featured projects.

Art historian, Executive Director of Arts Initiatives at MIT and the Center for Arts, Science, and Technology (CAST), Leila Kinney works at the intersection of arts, technology and innovation. We met at Athan’s Bakery in Brookline during the last week of August, both hoping to sneak in one last mini summer vacation before the start of the school year. Leila heads up a robust and inspiring program which includes classes, residencies, symposia, research and performances. Who would have guessed that the nation’s leading technology school would also be such an important leader in the arts?!

A big shout out to the “Fellowship of the Porch”: Wendy Swart Grossman, Heath, Beau, Peter, Sam and Rebekah. Last spring, Wendy and I hosted a small gathering of thoughtful, socially minded and entrepreneurial colleagues to discuss the intersection of arts, entrepreneurship and social impact. We sat on porch of the late Sidewalk Sam, an artist (and my late father-in-law) who dedicated his life to working at the intersection of arts, entrepreneurship and social impact. “The Fellowship” (as we’ve dubbed ourselves) has a shared interest in the role of the arts to improve and enhance civic life. We also believe in the importance of new funding models that will allow the arts to thrive. One of our first shared projects is to create a database of innovative individuals and organizations that successfully bridge the arts and social impact.

Gathering in June 2019 on Sidewalk Sam’s infamous porch where people go to dream!

A second gathering at the Wash Vault.

Peter Cobb, a consultant at the New York Foundation for the Arts, is now the co-founder of Wash Vault , “a laundry experience rooted in arts and community.”

Longtime arts entrepreneur Health Marlow also serves as the Director of Development for Emmanuel Music.

“Once upon a time, there was time.” When I walked into Temple’s office, I got a kick out of seeing this quote. I also appreciated the purple walls with a red feather boa hung neatly next to her bulletin board. Temple is the Director of Public Affairs and Strategic Partnerships for the Huntington Theatre Company and her dedication to her work is palpable. We discussed the production center in Everett and the development plans that would give the theatre and community 14000 of new public space. Having lived in NYC and worked with several theatre companies, Temple has spent that last 13+ years at the Huntington. As former English majors, current working moms and theatre lovers, I felt immediately connected with Temple. Thanks for making the time!

From teaching orphans in Mozambique to launching the El Sistema program at the New England Conservatory of Music, Stephanie has dedicated her career to working at the intersection of arts, entrepreneurship and social impact. This fall, she became the new Executive Director of The Center for Arts at the Amory. What fun to meet Stephanie at Pavement in the Fenway to discuss our shared interests in arts and social change!

Over cups of tea at 1369 Cafe in Central Square, Anne-Marie and I enjoyed a conversation about the role of art, architecture, design and urban planning to add to the cultural and social vitality of cities, An architect by training, Anne-Marie serves as the director of the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence. I enjoyed hearing examples of people and projects that infuse arts into urban centers to transform how we live, work and play together. Thank you, Anne-Marie!

Wow! North Bennet Street School is an amazing place! Bathed in sunlight, I had a wonderful tour and visit with two members of the fabulous development staff, Melissa and Colleen. I then met the incredible new president, Sarah Turner, who just celebrated her one year anniversary at NBSS. What a thoughtful, innovative addition to the Boston arts community! It turns out Sarah also went to graduate school at Cranbrook with my brother-in-law, Photographer John Guillemin. I love the NBSS tag line: A good life. Built by hand.

I peddled my way to Forest Hills and met Jeb at the Brassica Cafe. He showed up in a hoodie and flip flops and seemed more California than buttoned up Boston (turns out he is from North Carolina originally). He was suggested to me by way of his work with the Shout Syndicate, a grant-giving collective that supports youth arts projects. Jeb is also the Executive Director of The Ally Coalition, committed to fighting for equaity for LGBTQ youth. Passionate and thoughtful, Jeb’s work resides at the intersection of music and social justice. We talked about raising kids, public school education and even “middle age.” The day after we met, he shared this wonderful article by Brene Brown, The Midlife Unraveling. Thanks, Jeb!

Jessica and I met at the Explorateur Cafe, right near Emerson College. I had met her once before, and she left an impression as someone I wanted to spend more time getting to know. An alumna of Emerson College, Jessica serves as Associate Director at Emerson College’s Career Development Center. In this role, she helps to guide young artists as they plan for their post-college lives. Jessica also pursues her own artistic ventures as an actress and screenwriter, having performed with Boston theatre companies like Company One. We discussed the importance of creating space and time to dream and activate one’s imagination to live a balanced and fulfilling life.

It was a pleasure meeting up with Ann Wicks, Kim Szeto and Adrienne Petrillo from the New England Foundation for the Arts. NEFA’s mission is to “invest in artists and communities and fosters equitable access to the arts, enriching the cultural landscape in New England and the nation.” It was fun learning more about NEST (New England States Touring programs) along with the Creative City Boston - Community Partner program. What a fabulous team of people doing good work in Boston!

Kim Szeto, Program Director, Public Art

Adrienne Petrillo, Program Director, New England Presenting & Touring, Center Stage

Ann Wicks, Communications Director

Always a source of positivity and wisdom, Julie Hennikus and I met at Eastern Standard to have a conversation over an early dinner. Julie is an arts administrator, theatre expert, entrepreneur and mystery writer. Over the course of Julie’s career, she managed small commercial theaters and University-affiliated theaters at Harvard and Emerson. She was the Executive Director of Stage Source for many years and a part-time teacher at Emerson College and her alma mater, Boston University. I enjoyed hearing about her exciting entrepreneurial venture called Your Ladders, that provides business skills and tools for artists. Julie’s warmth, knowledge, dedication and intuition make her such a tremendous resource to creative practitioners wanting to take their artistic practice to the next level. Also a mystery writer, I left with a copy of her recent book, Pruning the Dead. Thank you, Julie!

Over steaming hot cups of tea at the Trident Bookstore, Melissa Levine and I discovered our shared commitment to and passion for career development for artists. Having led career development teams at Berklee and at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts, we discussed the unique career paths of art students. Over the years, Melissa collected experiences as a teacher, leader, program designer and career coach, and will soon be unveiling her own entrepreneurial adventure in the coming weeks (shh, you heard it first here but I will leave it to Melissa to share the details!).

What fun to connect with Mass Culture Council Program Officer Charles Baldwin. Charles heads up the Universal Participation Initiative (UP) that “aims to break down barriers and bring full civic participation in Massachusetts’ cultural sector.”

An educator, puppeteer and stage designer, Charles has a long history of working as a theatre professional both in San Francisco and in Boston (Wheelock Family Theatre for 15 years). Over iced tea and zucchini flatbread at Tatte, we discussed the value of quiet action, celebrating arts advocates who work tirelessly behind-the-scenes, often without formal recognition. These heroes exist throughout the Boston arts scene. We also discussed the rich intersections between arts and health and the new CultureRX Initiative. Cool stuff!

Check out the 2020 UP Award - A Virtual Celebration

Mass Cultural Council’s Universal Participation (UP) Award celebrates excellence in access and inclusion throughout the Commonwealth’s cultural sector. This year they are hosting a five-part, livestreamed event with HowlRound from June 1-5, 2020. 11-11:30am (ET) daily.

As Executive Director of Boston Dance Alliance, Debra is a leader who has her eyes wide open to the challenges facing small arts organizations. We met at the Boston Ballet Company headquarters where her organization has a small office on the lower level. We sat on some benches in a quiet hallway and discussed the role of the arts in our city. We pondered the question, “How does real, lasting change happen?” Debra believes in the importance of policy to move the dial and to successfully enact real change. It was refreshing to hear Debra’s insights on what it means to be a Culture Worker and artist. She did not sugar coat the obstacles but also continues to model the persistence and resilience required to be a successful arts leader. Thank you, Debra, for keeping it real!