Reflections on our 20th Year
Due to a somewhat fortuitous structural issue in our office basement, the Living Arts team got to spend a few afternoons this spring going through decades-old organizational boxes in preparation for construction to begin. Together, we sifted through photos of youth from 1999, hand-written lesson plans integrating visual art and science, and teaching artist rosters of familiar names and folks gone by. We found “3rd Annual Showcase” posters, fundraising events that we’ve outgrown, old board meeting minutes, grant receipts from some of our longtime partners, and copies of very meager annual budgets. We laughed about some of the dated work and were left with great admiration of the people who have built this organization to where it is today. Living Arts is still a very clear and steadfast reflection of all the things we found — just a little bit bigger.
Milestones certainly help us mark what has come before, and celebrating Living Arts’ 20th year this year has been an exercise in reflection, joy, and growth. As I’ve been fortunate to navigate and watch the organization blossom the past three years, I can say confidently there is something extraordinarily remarkable about the work that has been built, championed, and accomplished by every single person who has been part of the mission over the past two decades. Living Arts is the true embodiment of what it means to fight—no matter what—for art and youth in our city.
This past year has been no different. We have seen great success innovating in programs, operations, and development -- and it has undoubtedly been our most impactful year yet. And while I am so proud of the depth and intentionality we’ve shown in all aspects of our mission, I want to emphasize that no matter the data points, our work will always be centered first around relationships and responsivity.
Some of the things I’m particularly proud of include:
Deepening our early childhood work into independently owned and informal childhood spaces in partnership with the Brightmoor Quality Initiative in Detroit’s Brightmoor neighborhood and with Congress of Communities and Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation in Southwest Detroit.
Expanding our cultural production through a dance intensive with Penny Godboldo, Miryam Johnson, Chi Amen-Ra, and Ozzie Rivera, which culminated in a performance at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.
Revamping our after-school program model and streamlining our registration processes.
Launching a 20th Anniversary Fund for program expansion with a generous gift from visual artist, Jason “Revok” Williams.
Onboarding 6 new board members and 4 new staff, while creating a first-ever Communications role.
Launching a 3-year evaluation in partnership with Research for Action to assess the impact our Detroit Wolf Trap program has on classroom teachers.
Responding to an evolving school district and city and deepening our teaching artists’ understanding of new curriculum.
Transitioning many disjointed data systems to a unified CRM database.
Receiving a Spirit of Detroit Award for 20 years of service.
Culmination is a key moment in artistic practice. It is the moment where an artist says, "this might not be perfect, but I have practiced long enough to be proud of everything I've learned along the way." This year, we culminated 20 years of Living Arts in so many important ways.
That said, we’ve only just begun! Soon, we’ll launch a comprehensive 2020-2025 strategic plan focused on expansion, so that even more children in Detroit will be able to have access to high-quality arts education. What I also know is that we won’t be able to do it without you. I am so grateful for the board, staff, committee members, families, youth, funders, volunteers, arts partners, educators, and community members who continue to make it all happen.
Here’s to the next 20 years of Living Arts!
