Episode 6: Sustainable Funding & New Business Models

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Petaluma Arts Center Live Show and The Voice in the Hand curated show of Book Arts and Print Making arts

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“Bringing the scale of human life to the community again so that we can kind of start seeing our humanity and our everyday Experiences” - Melissa Abercrombie

This episode is from our November 4th 2023 live event co-production with the Petaluma Arts Center, our broadcast partners KPCA 103.3fm and Petaluma Community Access TV and BAVC Media. This special event was focused on exploring the question, “How Do Community Based Arts Organizations Secure Sustainable Funding?” Our wonderful panel and audience members covered sub topics such as Exploring Different Business Models, Hybrid Productions - Live and Streaming, bringing arts organizations and government committees to support artists along with ideas around creating a fund endowment. 

The event included our panel conversation along with questions and lively conversation with our audience, all with the focus of bringing our community together in support of the arts. Please check out our Panelists of thought leaders and change makers from our local creative organizations below.

Llisa Demtrios - President of Board, Petaluma Art Center

Llisa Demetrios has spent her adult life caring for the Eames Collection and curating the Eames Ranch, initially alongside her mother, Lucia Eames, and now as Chief Curator alongside the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity team. Before the advent of the Institute, Llisa facilitated the loans for "The World of Charles & Ray Eames" exhibition that started at the Barbican Centre in England in 2015 and continued to Sweden, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, Michigan, and the Oakland Museum of California in February 2019.

Llisa also worked in the Mies van der Rohe Archive at MoMA. She is a founding and current member of the Eames Foundation Board of Directors, which oversees the historic Eames House in Los Angeles, and also a shareholder of the Eames Office. A third-generation sculptor, she has been practicing her art for over twenty years. She graduated with a BA in History from Yale University. She is married with two children.

Melissa Abercrombie - Chair, The Petaluma Public Art Committee

Melissa also has served on the planning commission; recreation, parks and music commission; youth commission; pedestrian and bicycle advisory committee. She is interested in public art. Runs Blue Ribbon Salvage, making jewelry out of repurposed antique materials. Teaches enrichment art at Valley Vista School. Works for an estate sale company in Marin County.

With neighbor Paul Francis, Abercrombie founded the Petaluma Neighborhood Association with a focus on community involvement, open government and sustainable development. An offshoot of that group is Keep Petaluma Eggcentric, focused on preserving the charms, quirks and delights this city offers.She’s a major force behind Holiday Crafterino, a craft fair emphasizing creations by local (Sonoma County and Bay Area) artists and craftspeople. In addition, with husband Fred Abercrombie, she has breathed new life and a sense of humor into the annual Whiskerino contest. Plus the couple own an ad agency, Abercrombie+Alchemy, and are the parents of two sons, 11 and 8.

Diane Dragoine - Executive Director, Cinnabar Theatre

Diane has more than 30 years in the music and entertainment industry doing everything from concert production, promotion and marketing; artist management; CD release planning & marketing; development and nonprofit management.

She started and managed a small chain of music (CD) stores in the Bay Area – Star Records (San Jose and San Mateo) and a large store in San Francisco – Star Classics, that specialized in classical, jazz and musical theatre. The stores closed in 2001, due to the changes in the music industry. She took the knowledge and experience and transferred it into Silver Star Productions – a marketing, promotions and PR consultancy practice to assist small arts organizations. Several clients in the Bay Area included: The Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, San Leandro Performing Arts, SF Classical Voice, Stanford Lively Arts, Living Jazz, & KDFC Radio. In October 2015, she accepted the position of Executive Director at Cinnabar and moved to Petaluma from the bay area.

Juliet Pokorny - Co-Founder, West Side Stories Petaluma

With a profound passion for the arts spanning over three decades, Juliet Pokorny has made an indelible mark in both the artistic and community realms. Her journey, marked by a multifaceted career, reflects an unwavering commitment to fostering creativity and enriching the cultural tapestry of her community.

As the Development Director at Cinnabar Theater in Petaluma, she played a pivotal role in nurturing emerging talents and supporting the theater's growth as a cultural cornerstone within the local community. In a testament to her commitment to giving voices to the community, Juliet and her husband, Dave, have been the creative forces behind "West Side Stories Petaluma" for an impressive 15 years. This platform allows anyone to share their stories and stand on stage for five minutes, fostering a sense of unity and inclusion. This transformative initiative culminates in the annual GrandSlam event at The Mystic Theater, a celebration of the power of storytelling and community.

Macy Chadwick - Founder Cahoots Residency & Owner Cahoots Press

Macy Chadwick received an MFA in Book Arts and Printmaking from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia and assisted book artist Julie Chen at Flying Fish Press in Berkeley for three years. After fifteen years of teaching at the Academy of Art University, San Francisco Art Institute, and San Francisco Center for the Book, Macy moved up to Petaluma, California, where she is the founder and director of In Cahoots Residency. The residency provides housing and studio space to both emerging and professional artists with a focus on artists books, letterpress, printmaking, writing, and collaboration. Macy continues to create books and limited edition prints in her letterpress studio and her work is in prominent collections in the U.S. and abroad, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, Yale University Special Collections, and the Jack Ginsberg Collection in South Africa.

Petaluma Arts Center

The Petaluma Arts Council began in June 1998, as a grassroots effort to acknowledge and celebrate local artists and their contributions and to involve the whole community in appreciation, involvement and recognition of art as an enriching component of our daily lives.

Ten years later—in September 2008—with the support of the City of Petaluma and a particularly generous donor, the Petaluma Arts Council opened the Arts Center, a 4,500 square foot facility located in the historic Railroad Depot Freight Building, next door to the Petaluma Visitors Center.

Our Mission - Building Community through the Arts.

Our Vision - Petaluma Arts Center is dedicated to building our community's creative capacity by making art an increasingly vital and meaningful part of our public life. In order to achieve our vision we will -Present the arts through quality exhibitions, concerts, readings and other creative projects.

Think and talk about the arts through Idea Lounge, Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), panel discussions and other conversational formats. Advocate for the arts and artists through government and business partnerships, the development of an Artist Directory and the creation of a River Arts District with neighboring arts allies. You can support Petaluma Arts Center by donating, vounteering, becoming a member, becoiming a sponsor, host your event at Petaluma Arts Center and find out more about upcoming events.

Petaluma Public Art Committee

The Petaluma Public Art Committee (PPAC) reviews and approves public art applications and related materials for any public art project on public property or as part of a public construction project as defined in Chapter 18 of the Implementing Zoning Ordinance, and provides general oversight of the public art program, its projects, and sites.

Mission Statement & Goals - The City of Petaluma’s public art program is committed to enhancing the appearance and cultural richness of the City by incorporating works of art into public places and fostering art within public view or access in private developments. The public art program encourages the use of art to celebrate the City’s rich history, its significant environmental assets and the diversity of its community as well as to salute creativity, innovation and artistic excellence.

The primary goals which assist the Petaluma Public Art Committee and City Staff in implementing the public art program are:

• Promote the display of public artwork through projects;

• Develop a public art program that addresses and reflects the values, cultures and aspirations of the community;

• Create a public art program that supports and advances the urban design and community goals of the City;

• Develop community support for and encourage community participation in the public art program; and

• Integrate the public art program into City ordinances, policies, plans and procedures to ensure the long-term viability of the public art program and the public art purchased under the program. Find out more about the Public Art Master Plan

Cinnabar Theater

Cinnabar Theater is a professional community theater; a cultural treasure located in Petaluma, the heart of Sonoma County. This intimate jewel box theater, celebrating its 50th anniversary, has something for everyone!! 

Cinnabar Theater presents 6 professional shows, and 4 Young Repertory main stage shows each year. The professional shows are an eclectic mix of musicals, drama, comedy, a cabaret show and opera. It also offers 2 community choirs, the CinnaGals and the CinnaSingers, who welcome anyone who wants to sing in harmony. For more information on choruses, go to Get Involved. 

Founded by an opera singer (Marvin Klebe) and his wife (Jan) back in 1972, the goal was to create a performance space where creative people could collaborate and experiment. He launched Cinnabar Opera Theater and invited artists from other disciplines (theater & dance) to perform at the theater. Each group inspired and taught the others. In 1974, Cinnabar Arts Corporation received its nonprofit status. You can purchase tickets to upcoming shows, the Young Rep Theater, support them through a donation, get involved as volunteer, auditions, jobs, and find out more about upcoming shows. And don’t forget to check out Cinnabar’s YouTube Channel

West Side Stories Petaluma

West Side Stories - Everyone has a story and now it’s your chance to tell it. Every month there is a theme, hopefully that sparks a memory for you. You put your name in a hat (an actual hat!) and 10 people’s names are drawn at random. When your name is pulled you get 5 minutes to tell your personal true story. At the end of the evening everyone votes by text for their favorite story of the night. If that’s you, you get $50 and will join the other monthly winners in December for our GrandSlam at the Historic Mystic Theater. Sounds like fun, right? Buy tickets ahead of time cause the shows sell out and check out the upcoming shows.

Story Behind the Story - A closer look into StorySlams of West Side Stories Petaluma. Dave sits down with two storytellers from a past slam to dive deeper into their story.

Solo Shot - Single stories from the long running West Side Stories Petaluma StorySlam. Each Story is just a snap shot from our in-person StorySlams to give you a small taste of what you missed this month.

Cahoots Press and In Cahoots Residency

Come to In Cahoots Residency for our pastoral location, light-filled studios, and collaborative spirit, and find a renewed passion for your work. In Cahoots Residency provides housing and studio space to both emerging and professional artists in a variety of mediums, with a focus on artists books, letterpress, printmaking, writing, and collaboration. The residency hosts from three to five artists at a time for sessions ranging from 6 days to 3 weeks long. Residents are provided private individual guest houses (with kitchens and full bathrooms) and 24-hour access to the spacious shared studios or the individual writing studio. Residents do their own cooking. For those without a car, rides to the grocery store/supply store and weekly group field trips (to places such as Sonoma or the Pacific coast) are provided free of charge. You can apply, for residency, grants, events, merchandise and make a donation.

Cahoots Press – You can find out more about Books, Workshops, and Macy

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Thanks to our Sponsor

Voices of the Community is supported by a grant from the Zellerbach Family Foundation, whose Arts and Culture grants ensure vibrant work is created, new voices are celebrated, and artists and audiences inclusive of the Bay Area’s diverse communities and cultures have opportunities to thrive. Find out more at ZFF dot org

Voices of the Community is supported by a grant from the Peaceful World Foundation dedicated to fostering a culture of global peace through the promotion of hosted conversations and education. You can learn more at peaceful world foundation dot org.

Thanks to our CoProduction Partner

BAVC Media is a community hub and resource for media makers in the Bay Area and across the country, serving several thousand freelancers, filmmakers, job-seekers, activists, and artists every year. BAVC Media provides access to media making technology, storytelling workshops, a diverse and engaged community of makers and producers, services and resources. Get Training, participate in the MediaMaker Fellowship, become a member and produce shows through the SF Commons program.

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