Name's Sarah Jane and I'm the director of this organization. I had a wonderful conversation the other day with a brilliant gal who asked me why I was doing La Reunion. Hmmmm. Thought I'd speak to that publicly. My personal answer's simple: because I'm passionate about cultivating and sustaining artists and culture in my community. La Reunion isn't my first go with such an idea. After producing independent art shows for a few years, there was this gallery I formed in 2004 where emerging artists had space to present their ideas in all media. Then there was the community arts project I steered and managed for a couple of years that connected local artists and businesses through a concept gallery with satellite locations all over Dallas. Most recently, there's the annual underground art event I co-founded that brings all walks of life - expected and unexpected - to reinvest in the local arts economy. La Reunion is the fourth verse of a song I've been singing for years. What started as a kernel of an idea with my pal Catherine has quickly become larger than either one of us had imagined independent of one another.
As a serial social entrepreneur, I can speak about the failures as well as the successes. I know this for certain : An eye toward long-term sustainability is in the fore-front of my mind and it's what keeps me up at night - sustainability with the building, with the programs, with the staff, with the finances. How can La Reunion be an innovative and yet well-oiled machine with a solid business plan and a means to sustain itself long term? It's an invigorating conversation with lots going on in meetings, continuing education, miscellaneous websites and development behind the scenes. Having an idea and doing a little planning is one thing. Execution is another. Stay tuned folks.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment