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Community support gives life to Ashland Art Center By Jeffrey Gillespie for the Tidings Jun 18, 2020 01:26 PM A A After 13 years as a major hub in Ashland’s visual arts community, the Ashland Art Center closed its doors last month, bowing under an ongoing economic factors from a pandemic. But the Center has retained its Board of Directors. I caught up with Ashland Art Center Board Secretary Diane Doyle, and Brandon Goldman, Ashland Art Center Board President. The Ashland Art center has been disbanded, but the Board of Directors remains. What is their strategic objective? The Ashland Art Center is excited to announce that we are progressing toward our goal of reopening our doors at 357 East Main St. The building has been home to the Art Center for over 13 years and has truly been a bustling hub of local arts and arts education within Ashland and Southern Oregon. Like many nonprofit organizations, we have struggled to promote our mission in the face of decreasing revenues and increasing costs. There is no doubt that the coronavirus pandemic has already had severe economic impacts, and it’s still too early to gauge the full magnitude of this crisis. We know that canceled theatrical performances, canceled music events, and restrictions on travel will significantly reduce tourism through the remainder of the year. An offer of generous support from the property owner and donations from local residents that recognize the Ashland Art Center’s value to the community have provided the funding needed to construct a reopening plan. We are very inspired and energized by the possibilities that now lie ahead. Reopening the Ashland Art Center will require reimagining every part of our business. Through establishing revised business practices that better address the economic changes before us, we can ensure we move into the future in a sustainable way. In response to the pandemic, we are working to create an environment where artists, students and customers can be confident that their health and safety will be protected. This revitalization of our organization from the ground up is an opportunity to foster broader engagement and provide offerings that are focused on inclusion, diversity, equity and access. Through artists with diverse backgrounds we can better highlight the distinctiveness of the human experience by sharing their stories with the community we serve. The Board of Directors is working to strengthen the structure of the AAC through organizational reassessment, restructuring and rejuvenation. We won’t be starting from scratch, as we have the benefit of experience in running an organization focused on supporting artists and presenting artwork to the community. We aim to put our creativity to the test to refine the organization to become fiscally sound and operationally streamlined in order to continue providing the community resource that is the Ashland Art Center. How do you feel about the future of the visual arts under the current global health and political conditions? We are living through unprecedented challenges in the world, the full extent of which is yet to be known. A crisis of this magnitude can bring people together or push people apart. It is our sincere hope that the collective spirit of endurance so evident in our community can help us come together and overcome the challenges we face. We cannot know what the future will bring, but we can be confident that artists will help capture those moments and share the story of our experiences and our values with future generations. Political, social, and economic inequities have been exposed and amplified during this pandemic, and it often feels like there are few places where people can connect with one another. Art can connect people on the most basic human level and can do what politics alone cannot, which is evoke empathy and mutual understanding. In this way art is essential and will reflect the current global conditions in a way that helps us all move forward. What can we as a community do to better facilitate the survival and development of the arts here at home? There are countless ways we can all support our local community’s artists and arts organizations. Purchasing a local artist’s work is certainly one way to help support the artists in our community but it’s not the only way. Take an art class. Such classes are personally rewarding through exploration of your own creativity and as they are typically taught by local artists. Support youth art education programs in the community. For art to remain a significant part of our society, we must pass it along to the younger generations. Art centers across the country do this by providing classes where youth go to learn, grow and create. Through encouraging children to embrace their individual creativity, we give them the resources they need to succeed in life. In consideration of public health guidelines, attend gallery showings, art festivals, theater performances and music events. Supporting such events supports an entire industry of individuals, artists, and performers who have helped make Ashland a nationally recognized art community. Visit art galleries, and art museums. Social media is increasingly where many artists reach new audiences, so if you see a local artist’s work that you love don’t hesitate to share it online. Finally, If you are financially able, consider donating the money that you would have spent on tickets to live performances or exhibition tickets to artist organizations, arts nonprofits and artists. Such direct financial support to arts organizations is vital to helping them fulfill their missions of showcasing deserving artists, providing exceptional art education to students, and inspiring a local culture of creativity and innovation. File photoExecutive Director and muralist Denise Baxter walks away from the Ashland Art Center.