My tiny little artist buddy, Jess, has a cool tiny little arts blog;Â jamartandsupplies.com
She finally reveals what we have known for a long time;
Prior to moving out to Baltic and taking on The Retreat, Deb was the Executive Director of the Sioux Empire Arts Council. For eight years Deb increased the Arts Council’s funding and created the art galleries at The Falls’s Horse Barn.
When I interviewed Zach DeBoer for my last blog post, I asked him why he thought places like the Horse Barn closed. He thought that because they weren’t around to utilize Facebook to their advantage they weren’t getting the support that social media can muster. Deb agreed that they weren’t around to use Facebook, but bluntly put, “The Pavilion killed it…if they want to know what happened to the Horse Barn ask David Merhib.â€
I honestly want to move past the old drama, and it’s beyond question that Deb does too.
I have often called the Pavilion the ‘Black Hole of Local Art’. They suck it up, then devour it, and lay around in it’s aftermath.
Still waiting for that forensic audit of the Pavilion after hearing this. Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock.
Last sentence made me chuckle.
The best way to hide you’re in trouble is advertising for new positions and not filling them. It’s a garage based business in a pink granite fortress. It can’t fail when taxpayers foot the bill.
Jess is smart. Building an arts business from a small town is hope and possible success when you don’t have to compete with a public subsidized monopoly that competes with creative talent.
Canton was once a center for antique shops. I’d travel to Baltic if there’s one or more galleries there that feature local artists.
Hey! This is great. A conversation! And, Dan said I was smart!
You know Jess, if you ever want to have links to the site or guest posts, I am open.
Oh where to begin. First off the advertising of open positions at the Pavilion. The Director of Development job has been filled. And since when has it ever been a problem to take a little while before filling a position. If you believe that you have the ability to work Development at the Pavilion I would love to see you try. I used to work there and know how complex it is. And by the way, where is your blog post about this position being filled. Hmmm. Second on the Director of Marketing position and a new position called Corporate-Group Sales Executive positions. One position was added and the other saw its long-term person take a postion at another place in town. If you think that working for a non-profit organiztion is easy you are sadly mistaken. So adding postions and employment opportunities to Sioux Falls is bad. Got it!
Next on the front of being a black hole for local art. Do you even get involved with all of the local artist exhibitions, Arts Night, Studio 301 or any of the other countless times the Pavilion asks local artists to be in the spotlight. It can’t be local all the time. If you want to see nationally recognized artists where do you go. Still waiting. Oh yeah, the Pavilion. So I am sure they apologize for local artists having to share gallery time with Andy Warhol. I see that you don not like the Washington Pavilion for all I read in your postes are how bad the facility is and how horrible the people are. I would love for you to go there one day and watch all the school children learning in the galleries and all the volunteers excitedly giving their time so that their community has what so many crave. Culture!