The Project Pilot with National Arts Strategies
One of our organizational goals is to establish and maintain consistent, dedicated avenues for New City Arts to acknowledge and foster accountability for the unique role the arts play in advancing or impeding equity and justice in Charlottesville. One way we are doing this is by participating in a 1.5 year National Arts Strategies cohort that intentionally centers diverse identities, perspectives, and lived experiences committed to the deep work of equity and systems change. We meet regularly in peer learning groups with 16 other arts and culture non-profits and are participating in 7 summits dedicated to moving away from problematic paradigms of unsustainable practices, organizations that aren’t truly accountable to the people they serve, cultures of burnout, and perpetuating paradigms inherently linked to whiteness and patriarchy. Some of the things this cohort is moving towards include co-leadership and other distributed leadership models, new succession models, models of mutual aid and coalition building, willingness and ability to pivot, and sustainable timelines and operations for both people and planet.
In September, Tori (Welcome Gallery Manager), Maureen (Executive Director), and Kori (Board Vice Chair) traveled to New York for an in-person convening. After returning to Charlottesville, they debriefed by asking each other questions about their experience and what they learned. Read their questions and answers below.
Tori: Kori, has your experience at the in-person convening helped you imagine any new goals for the organization? Alternatively, is there a goal we are working towards already that you now feel more sure about after the convening?
Kori: One of my favorite takeaways from the in-person convening is the concept of falling in love with the problem. This is especially intriguing to me as someone with an engineering background. I’ve been trained to efficiently and effectively solve problems. Falling in love with the problem requires time to tease out and understand the different elements of complex issues or questions and then acknowledge why those elements exist in the first place. The organizational goal I have in mind is our commitment to supporting diverse artists in and around Charlottesville so that they continue to have the opportunity to transform and shape our community through their work. After the in-person convening, I feel more inspired to linger in understanding the issues diverse artists face before trying to approach a solution.
To answer the first question Tori asked, I didn’t leave with a new goal for the organization, but did leave with a new goal for myself: start a candle making business! We were given a choice of taking a painting, tye-dye, or candle making class. Tori and I chose candle making. I LOVED it. It was so much fun to blend scents and to learn about the science behind candle making that I bought a beginner’s set that night and made a business plan on my way home.
Tori: Can you share about your experience taking photos the first night and all that you learned about coyotes? I’d also love for you to share some of the very useful girl scout knowledge you shared with us at the convening!
Kori: There was a walking trail nearby that had this beautiful view of the mountains and a meadow. I've been working on a series of work where I wear a white dress and take long exposure photos to appear as an ancestor crossing into and out of our reality. I checked when moonrise would be and it was timed perfectly right at the end of golden hour on the first night of the conference. As soon as I took my last photo and started leisurely packing my photo gear up I heard what I thought was a wolf howl...then I heard one respond...then heard another. You better believe I booked it out of there! Wolves are pack hunters and I am too young to be a meal!
After dinner that night, while around a fire pit, I shared my close encounter with wolves (they weren't close at all, just felt close) and learned that they were actually coyotes and that wolves don't live in the Catskills. Who knew a wolf and a coyote could sound the same? Not me. We had a lovely evening of learning more animal facts, sharing stories, and I even put my 13 years of Girl Scouts to use and taught everyone how to roast the perfect marshmallow. The secret? Don't just put it straight in the flame and let it catch fire. Find yourself a nice little oven of coals among the firewood and rotate your marshmallow like a rotisserie chicken. And et voila! Roasted gooey goodness.
Maureen: Tori, what’s something you experienced or learned during the in-person convening that you’d like to pass onto others?
Tori: I’d love to pass on the Ideas, Effects, and Arrangements tool on to others. I really enjoyed it as a framework through which to critically examine what systems are composed of, what beliefs they’re upholding, and what effects they create as a result. Doing this exercise got us to think really creatively about where there are points of potential change and was helpful specifically for looking at systems that feel fixed or immovable. I think this is something we’ll continue using to help us enact systems change within our own organization.
I’d also love to share a mantra from Tanya Birl-Torres, one of the facilitators of The Project, that says: “I’m here, I’m terrified, I’m doing this, and I’m leading the way.” I love it as a mantra to recite especially when you’re in situations that feel unsure as a way to both recognize the nerves you might be feeling and also tap into the bravery that’s needed to move forward.
Maureen: Excited for change. What did you name your candle?
Tori: I named my candle ~Discernment~! Mostly because when I asked Kori to smell the candle (which had like 4 more oils than everyone else...too many!), she said she couldn’t discern what was in it. I think it is actually fitting though, since it smells very clean and pure in a way that feels like it supports clarity.
Kori: Maureen, how was it to be in conversation with other executive directors, staff, and board members from other arts nonprofits across the country? Did you glean anything impactful or interesting?
Maureen: I loved it. I love an in-person convening.
We started one morning by pausing in place during a walk around the room and hummed a tune together. Someone who I later learned is a professional vocalist started harmonizing with my mediocre pitch. This reminded me how much I love community choirs.
Day-to-day in Charlottesville, our team spends a lot of time discussing the “how” of our work, though it’s not always the first thing we talk about outside the office or board meeting. I felt like the conversations I had in New York brought “the how” to the forefront. This made me feel like we were among peers, like our small team grew exponentially for a few days.
I found the programmed time–facilitated sessions, team discussions–to be just as meaningful as the unprogrammed time–meals, coffee breaks, walks. Regardless of whether an organization had a staff team of 150 or 3, I experienced a collective posture of care and curiosity about how we could do things better, more thoughtfully, in a way that leads to less burnout.
Kori: How was your first flight in 5 years, especially while traveling with a 6 month old?
The best I could have hoped for! Breastfeeding during takeoff was chaotic. Avery was an allstar. The flights were short and on time. I flew with gratitude that I was able to participate in the convening with an infant. NAS made this accommodation for a few participants, one of many ways they demonstrated a commitment to accessibility. I took a lot of airplane videos for my 4 year old who loves all things with wheels. On our way back from New York, we flew through a rainbow–both a symbolic and literal soft landing.
