The Future of Grand Rapids Neighborhoods- A community wide meeting

Neighborhoods are what make cities vibrant. I live in the East Hills Neighborhood and previously lived in Heartside Neighborhood and currently work in Heartside. I attend the East Hills Council of Neighbors meetings regularly and have really enjoyed getting to know more of their board members and leaders. 

This week Johannah Jelks of Generation X and Y for Michigan organized "The Future of Grand Rapids Neighborhoods" A city wide community meeting. The goal was to provide an opportunity for neighborhood associations and community leadership to come together to discuss various issues such as neighborhood funding, alternative resources,public transportation, and creating a citywide initiative to support the economic growth of neighborhoods. This meeting was remarkable for several reasons 

1. A month ago Johannah and I were on a panel discussion and someone in the audience asked if neighborhood representaitives ever broached issues together. While everyone on the panel was exicted about the idea Johannah fully conceptualized and realized the event within a very short span of time, she deserves some major props for that!
2. The number of attendees and Grand Rapids officials who attended the meeting was remarkable, this lead to a robust and dynamic conversation. 

I was invited to facilitate a discussion about Social Justice & Equality for all Neighborhoods our discussion points focused on identifying what challenges lay around community oganizing in Grand Rapids and on identifying resources to create access to opportunities and equality to all neighborhoods. The entire community conversation is being compiled and I am looking forward to sharing the results! 

Here are photos of the event on Facebook 

Sometimes it all comes together.

Last night we held the Nonprofit Smackdown.

With a crowd of around 160 cheering them on 16 contenders from 8 nonprofit subsectors took the Wealthy Theater by storm.

From the first round till the last the surprises never stopped. The Arts and Cultural sector contenders kept it real with a rousing 2 minute story about the arts saving lives and the local YNPN contender streaked through the audience as national and local members chanted Y-N-P-N in unison. Environment stayed into the last round but Hunger and Homelessness eventually won out.

Granted, there were a few surprises I was in on, including the $500 donated by the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. During the last round we pitted Hunger (Kids Food Basket) and Homelessness (Coalition to End Homelessness) against each other, asking the audience to choose which organization would receive the grant. After cheering their hearts out for an hour for BOTH organizations the audience was torn and stepped up with an amazing solution: instead of choosing they would match the grant from their own pockets.....

The audience proceeded to spontaneously donate over $1,280 (plus the $500 from GRCF), bringing the total to be donated to both organizations to $1780 ($890 for each organization).

The feeling of goodwill was amazing and the feedback from participants and the audience was phenomenal. We could not have planned a more inspiring conclusion.

The organizations on stage reminded us all how vital they are to our communities. Thanks to ALL of the contenders who save the day....... everyday.

To watch a bit of the TV interview with Fox 17 check out this link.

Our fantastic event partner Rapid Growth Media put this little ditty together.

It is always an honor to build a great event especially when there are so many fantastic people involved. Special thanks to Nikos Monoyios, Jeff Hill, Erwin Erkfitz and our contenders:

Education

Luisa Schumacker –West Michigan Center for Art and Technology

Erica Curry VanEe –Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University

Arts and Culture

Jill May- Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts

Matthew Downey- Wellspring/Cori Terry and Dancers/ Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University

Health

Christy T. Buck- Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan

Jeremy Moore – Spectrum Health

Homelessness and Hunger

Janay Brower- Coalition to End Homelessness

Bridget Clark Whitney- Kids Food Basket

Professional, Membership and Trade Organizations

Kevin Ligell- YNPN

Maxine Gray- BLEND

Philanthropy/ Foundations

Mike Goorhouse- Council of Michigan Foundations

Elizabeth Kidd- Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area

Community Development

Claire Fisher –East Hills Council of Neighbors

Johannah Jelks- East Hills Council of Neighbors

Environment

Steve Faber- Friends of Grand Rapids Parks

Rachel Hood- West Michigan Environmental Action Council

the Agenda.....

Ahhh.... if only i could talk all day... Today i DID talk all day, to a group of College students from Kendall College of Art and Design, and i realized that i have a very set, expansive agenda that i would love to push on all college art students..... or any young artist for that matter. So, here are those thoughts and a bit of a philosophical rant about the art/culture sector.

1. Show your work. Show it now. In this day and age no one cares unless you do. So DO what you can to get your work out. From hijacking an abandon newspaper bin, to throwing up a show in a store front, or warehouse, there are tons of options for showing in non-traditional spaces. The luxury of a "non" traditional space is you make the rules, do the work and reap the rewards. Success and failure are determined by YOU.

Grand Rapids is ripe for independent shows but there just aren't enough... so I put together a zine for artists... 7 ways to throw a show. Tons of ideas about where, how and what to do to show your work. Anyone can download a copy at the DAAC website.

2. Get connected & get involved. Ok, so you still want traditional shows. (who doesn't?) The art world is super insular. So, unless you know the guy, who knows the guy, who owns the gallery, sometimes it is hard to get noticed. Get out, go to shows and openings, introduce yourself to people and (in a non obnoxious way) let them know what you are doing.

There are tons of ways to Get Connected and Get Involved here are a few tips.

3. Finding a niche. (when i pronounce niche it rhymes with stitch)

a. Form relationships with artists interested in similar topics, issues or media. They can help you find shows, lend a critical eye and act as a support crew. Just remember the relationship has to be reciprocal.

b. Don't be a copy cat... but figure out where you fit. What galleries show work similar in nature, what popular media is tied into the issues your work is centered on? What local organizations or businesses might have an interest in your work or the themes in your work? These connections will help you to grow your concepts, connect with new audiences and be aware of potential marketing opportunities.

4. The future of being an artist is not the stereotype of isolated genius. Since the tippy top of the art market pyramid is so tiny and elite, where does that leave the hundreds of thousands of "art" students graduating in the United States each year? There is a blue collar arts sector and to become a part of it, artists must become business managers, promoters, teachers and creative entrepreneurs.

5. BFA = Artist.... or.... maybe not.

For decades artists have been re-visioning themselves as creative entrepreneurs. They are expanding the concept of the art degree means for having an occupation.

First consider the idea that thinking creatively can be valued outside of the creative field. You might not always make fine art work, or work in the arts & cultural field. When this happens (and for many of us it will) you must make room to incorporate your education as well as supporting and nurturing creativity.

Secondly, the arts and cultural sector seems to be split into arts and cultural institutions that employ people passionate about the arts who generally have an arts related degree and... artists.

This seems like a stark bleak elitist landscape, void of possibility. But artists have the opportunity to revision what the sector looks like, and how it functions, with the ability to building more occupations within the creative field.

Point 5 really does become a philosophical rant... asking 19 year old art students to redefine the function of the creative field, but frankly if they don't do it... who will?

The Other Committee

This are pretty interesting around the DAAC lately. Each year in October we review the organization, get a few new board members and work on tightening things up. This year we have been shaking things up with a new committee structure, 6 committees, each in charge of a different portion of the DAAC's function. Each committee has a slightly different focus, Art, Music, Volunteering, Promotions, Sunday Soup and my personal fav, the Other committee.

Traditionally known as a music venue, the DAAC has been battling with how to diversify the calendar. So between the Art and the Other Committee we are trying to make some changes.

The Art committee, well they put together Art events. So everything else.... falls under the Other Committee.

The committee has had a bit of an issue meeting.... but after a first great meeting the first 6 months of "Other" programming has been booked.

The boiled down version of the meeting is that each month will have a theme and... a swap meet. The swap meets will be themed and take place the second Tuesday of each month. The Other committee will also program at least one additional event each month..... panel disucussion, class or some... Other type of event.

The First fully themed month is... Food February. The swap is a potluck and recipe exchange on the 8th and on the 17th we are hosting a panel about local food issues... "talking with your mouth full."

I made the flyer which gave me a chance to flex my creative muscles...

Check it:

The Breakdown: the DAAC is 7, i have been a board member for 6 years, a little late on the draw but there has been plenty of work, sweet events, great peeps and cool connections. I think George is the only board member who has stuck it out longer then I have and he is the totally backbone grand commander... not to mention he maintains the totally rad DAAC website. We have a new board full of vim vigor and great ideas.....

Getting ready to...lay the smack down....

I get really excited about new ideas. The cycle of tossing around an idea that eventually becomes an innovative program or event never gets old. Especially then the program has the potential to create excitement around issues and organizations that I am passionate about.

This month the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Greater Grand Rapids launches the marketing for the national conference, Evolve. The conference has been a blast to plan and i am particularly looking forward to this little ditty....

Each day nonprofit sector organizations go head to head for funding, volunteers, community capital, even employees. Generally, sector leaders too polite to bring this voracious competition to the forefront, choosing instead, to focus on the partnerships and good deeds of the sector as a whole. But the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Greater Grand Rapids is taking a different route. We're having a showdown, a face off.... a Nonprofit Smackdown.

The YNPNGR has divided the sector into six separate categories. Each category will be represented by a contender who will go for six rounds establishing six reasons that that category of nonprofit organizations is the most deserving of support from financial donations to volunteer time.

1. Education

2. Arts and Culture

3. Healthy

4. Social Service

5. Professional, Membership and Trade Organizations

6. Philanthropy

Did we mentioned that the audience decides who wins?

So contenders. Get intellectual, go for the gut reaction, go for goal and argue for the greater good.

The Smackdown will take place at Wealthy Theater in partnership with Rapid Growth Media, as a part of the speakers series. Like any good geek I am totally stoked to help bring about an uncommon forum to an overlooked discussion.

The background: In 2007, Grand Rapids began a chapter of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network. A friend, Barbara Anderson, had been invited to a visioning meeting to form the chapter, I was lucky enough to tag along and have been involved ever since.

Each year the local chapter has expanded, becoming more sophisticated, positioning itself within the community to help support leaders, grow the networks of young professionals and provide educational and professional development activities.

After two years as the Education Co-Chair I moved to the Marketing Committee and am currently in my second year as a Marketing Co-Chair. To find out more about the conference and the Nonprofit Smackdown check out the website.

talkin' housing

A few months ago i led a tour of some of the Dwelling Place LEED Certified buildings. As a result i was invited to speak with local WGVU's morning host Shelley Irwin on the Getting Green Segment. While TV interviews aren't my favorite, i love radio interviews; a little chit, a little chat, always a good time...

So if you would like to learn a bit about Dwelling Place's LEED Certified affordable housing.....

Every year I make some seasonal crafts and artwork and sell them at a few local sales.

This year i am selling at the UICA's Holiday Market and Urban Lights on the Avenue for the Arts. Between moving into a new place and trying to get everything completed, i wasn't able to get as many hats finished as i would have liked but the ornaments are pretty cute.

Both events give me a chance to visit with.... well, pretty much everyone.... and did i mentioned the trading? Trading artwork is one of the best ways of finding rad Holiday presents. I can't wait to see what this year has in store...

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=915161397278&set=at.906296617368.2515281.21707330.537712396&ref=nf