arts alliance

art alliance in the makings

By Ron Evans

Over the past few years I have heard chatter in the local creative community about forming an alliance of artists and supporters of the arts here in the Wenatchee region. The chatter turned into a plot and the plot is being organized and furthered along. So we wanted to chat with one of those organizers, Kmbris Bond, about her role in this alliance - and about what the hay an arts alliance even is.

Bond is a teaching artist and was in the 2019-2020 cohort of the Teaching Artist Training Lab funded by the WA Endowment For the Arts. TAT Lab is a focused nine month training that connects artists from various disciplines - validates them as professionals and empowers them to advocate together for the arts, such as education for all ages, collaboration support, funding and community engagement.

Tell us about yourself and how you found your way to being a part of the efforts to form an arts alliance.

As a professional artist with a background in working on many nonprofit boards I’ve been interested in the art scene of the valley and wondered why we didn’t have a stronger arts advocacy group. After several conversations about this with various folks in the valley who lead or have led in arts disciplines I knew the interest was there, the need was there but the time, KMBRIS BOND

team, and resources had yet to align. This spring Scott Bailey reached out with a grant opportunity and after several conversations a group came together to start the process to form an art alliance while also submitting a letter of intent to the Community Foundation for much needed funding and guidance.

What exactly is an arts alliance when put into practice?

There are many alliance models out there and we are currently researching these models to see what would fit our region the best. Our survey is asking locals to give input into what is needed and wanted for the arts. There is clearly a desire for a collaborative hub for artists where they can promote their work and connect with potential commissioners, an education entity, an arts information source for promotion to tourism and economic development, and for me, I’d love to see a dynamic entity that promotes a diverse spectrum of arts disciplines and raises the awareness to the indigenous cultural history here. So my answer is basically, an art alliance is what a community needs it to be to promote and educate about the arts in their region or community. I’m hoping we learn from the survey what people really want, need and desire while developing the building blocks to a strong arts future for our region. where outside funds can be received into the community through grant writing and lobbying locally, statewide and nationally, and I hope that deeper art appreciation through education and exposure will lead to a more robust art economy.

Talk about how it works concerning funding?

The steering committee is eager to get the alliance off the ground by working with Andy Fife, a consultant from Seattle. He is working with several regional nonprofits through the Community Foundation’s grant. We hope to be able to start applying for grant monies in a few months to secure funds to get things off the ground. We are early in the stages of what this will look like but various income streams will be investigated.

Are there examples of similar programs that are working successfully you can point people toward?

Methow Arts is one that is thriving! They support their local artists, provide funding for teaching and educational opportunities, are vibrant in how they represent the region and it attracts artists and art appreciators to the upper valley. Our own history has Allied Arts here in Wenatchee and I’d love for someone, like you, to research that and write about its successes. The committee is making a list now of the 20-25 that we will get a feel for and then dive into a handful that have aspects that we particularly are hoping to implement here. Andy has worked with many nonprofits and has suggestions. There are also several entities listed in our survey that we will explore. I’m specifically looking for how they engage with their communities, the businesses and champion the arts, what their funding structures are, their governance structures, and why they formed, what worked and didn’t work for them as they formed. If readers have seen alliances in other places that are doing it well, we would love to hear from them. Austin’s art scene is vibrant and supports up and coming arts in various disciplines; I want to learn more about how that happens there. Other more local established organizations that may inform our efforts are Ellensburg, and their Gallery One, Tieton’s Mighty Tieton and Yakima Allied Arts.

What steps are being taken to get this alliance off the ground?

A steering committee has organically formed made up of amazing and passionate art supporters, karen dawn dean, Scott Bailey, Lindsay Breidenthal, Natalie Dotzauer, Jamie Howell, Megan Kappler, and myself. We’ve put out the survey to glean as much input as we can from the community. As mentioned, we have obtained the services of Andy Fife to guide our efforts and to efficiently work through the process of becoming a non-profit with clear mission, values and purpose. We will be needing help and I hope that our community supports these efforts to dream with us. We plan to host on-line/hybrid ‘townhall’ type gatherings in the upcoming weeks to get input from those who support or identify in the areas of visual arts, performance arts, production/film arts and other forms. We will use contact information from the survey to communicate with the community about upcoming conversations and opportunities, so please complete the survey to get on our list. -Info on how to do that below-

How can people get involved if they want to help?

The committee would love for people to complete the survey. It is the container we have to glean contact information, feedback, input, concerns, ideas, hopes and dreams while we are still in a pandemic world. Our committee members will be looking for help to host the various ‘town hall’ events addressed above so if readers would like to help, let us know in the survey and please plan to attend.

See this story at thecometmagazine.com for the survey link to have your voice heard regarding the future of the arts in the Wenatchee area. c

withinder:dating bios for the self-aware

Real locals sharing their real dating bio. We think it will be...illuminating.

Willow – 38

Are you looking for a soulmate? Move right along. What about something that starts with a bang and ends with a fizzle? Then you’ve come to the right place.

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If you give me too many compliments or reassurances I will begin to believe that you are placating me instead of being genuine, and I will start to resent you. I am fiercely independent, and stubborn, so I will be resistant to wanting to show true interest in the relationship, until I finally allow myself to go all in, at which point I become a smothering mess.

In turn you will probably want to jump on that “Midnight Train to Georgia” with an incompatibility or “It’s not you, it’s me” narrative, while thinking inside, “It is you.” And honestly it doesn’t matter what you tell me, I will always blame myself.

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Created and compiled by Sarah Sims. Send your self-aware dating bio to sarahradarstation@gmail.com C

August 6 (FRI) 5-7pm Images & Grids - an art show by Dan McConnell. Giclee prints, graphic novel pages and original watercolors. Opening is 5-7pm at Pybus Market.

August 12 (THU) 7:00pm Tony Furtado Duo - Doors open at 5pm, music at 7pm. Wine and beer sales available in tasting room (no outside beverages). Tickets $20, ONLINE only at Brown Paper Tickets, in advance.

August 12, 13, & 14 (THU, FRI, SAT) “The Foreigner” LIVE, OUTDOOR, AND HILARIOUS THEATER IS BACK IN THE WENATCHEE VALLEY WITH SOME SERIOUS TEETH!! On the Meadow Stage at Icicle Creek Center for the Arts in Leavenworth. Tickets at icicle.org

August 13 (FRI) 6:00pm Datura LIVE at Hard Hat Winery in Wenatchee. Two sets of original material from the local gothy, shoegazey trio.

August 20 (FRI) 7:30pm “Comedy Night & Dinner At The Chair 5 Pub” Laughter will be echoing from the Bomber Cliffs to Bowl Four! Enjoy an evening of live stand-up comedy featuring comedians Bo Johnson and Jesse Warren. Tickets and info at missionridge.com

August 28th (SAT) 11:00am Voices of The Valley: Public Reading. A stage will be outside the north end of Pybus market, local writers will share their poetry and short stories for the public. To sign up to read, reach out to: whispersofwenatchee@gmail.com by Aug. 21st.