CREATIVE EXCHANGE FALL 2023
ART IS ABOUT DESIRE
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The desire to see something better than it is.” — Matthew Mazzotta, CX Conference Keynote Speaker
CONTENTS
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Letter From the Executive Director
Why We Give: The Makers
Small Investment, Big Impact On Music Department
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Our mission to support and strengthen a vibrant and diverse arts and cultural sector for everyone in the region is made possible by you, our supporters, who share in our belief that investing in the arts is an investment in the future of our community.
4th Annual CX Conference
Broadway Dreams for Third Grader
Cape Cod Foundation Strengthens the Arts
Art Heals in Falmouth
Art Impact and Upcoming Events
Cover art by 2015 AFCC Fellow Richard Neal, Pump House Blues, oil on glass and wood CX Conference photos by Peter Julian
CREATIVE EXCHANGE • FALL 2023
“It is so impressive to see the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod work with other creative leaders across the Cape to make sure their voices are heard.” MASSCreative Executive Director Emily Ruddock
MassCreative Executive Director Emily Ruddock (from left) with Abilities Dance Boston Executive Director Ellice Patterson and the AFCC’s Julie Wake at our CX Conference in October.
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR H.3241/S.530 and H.3246/S.2190 — this assortment of letters and numbers probably doesn’t mean much to many of you, but they represent substantive change to the arts in the Commonwealth. In September, I drove up to Boston with Cahoon Museum of American Art Executive Director Sarah Johnson and Cultural Center of Cape Cod Executive Director Molly Demeulenaere to speak in front of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development in support of these two bills which are currently before the state legislature. They are among five arts-related bills being considered as part of the current legislative session. The Creative Space Preservation Act (H.3241/S.530) would create a defined property restriction for creative maker space, performance space, or exhibition space — similar to conservation land and affordable housing preservation restrictions currently in place — which would enable Massachusetts cities and towns to hold assets and property for the creation and preservation of creative spaces as a tool to keep artists in their communities. The PLACE Act (H.3246/S.2190) would establish the PLACE Fund to be used toward the creation and maintenance of public art projects across Massachusetts with priority given to artists living and working in the Commonwealth. Revenues for the Fund would be raised by allocating a percentage of construction costs on any state-owned property and new public construction projects. Our day in Boston advocating for these two bills won’t make the front page of any newspapers, but it is critically important to the work we’re doing at the Arts Foundation.
It gives a voice to our creative community here on Cape Cod which would be positively impacted if these two measures are passed. As the region’s arts agency, it is our job to take a leading role in pushing for bills like this which will strengthen the arts by keeping artists on Cape Cod (Creative Space Preservation Act) and providing a much-needed funding mechanism that makes public art projects (PLACE Act) possible. But we can’t do this work alone. We need your help! It’s simple — all you have to do is use your voice and reach out to your State Representative and State Senator to encourage them to push these bills forward. Our friends at MASSCreative, the state’s leading arts advocacy organization, have an easy-to-follow page on their website (you can find this directly on our website) which details all five priority bills before the legislature; a simple form that allows you to email your legislators asking them to support these initiatives; and additional ways you can take action. Should you want to get more involved as an advocate for the arts, please reach out to me directly at jwake@artsfoundation. org. Together, let’s work to keep Cape Cod creative, and ensure the cultural vibrancy of this place we call home.
Julie Wake Executive Director
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WHY WE GIVE: THE MAKERS “If you were in the Barnstable school system, chances are you took an arts class with Karen Maker,” said her daughter-in-law, Erin Maker. “She inspired a lot of artists.” Karen Maker — a watercolorist, a calligrapher, and a shaper of young minds as an elementary school arts teacher. One of those she inspired was her son Andrew, Erin’s husband. “I would come home from school, and I had an art teacher who did miniatures in the finest detail in watercolor,” said Andrew. “It was so impressive, and I brought home one of the examples he made. My mom said, ‘I can do that’ and she did miniatures for a phase of her art. She definitely continues to evolve.” To this day, Karen continues to create; her last name is fitting for someone who will make paintings and greeting cards as gifts for Andrew and Erin to keep (or to give to others). And Karen continues to teach — private arts lessons for children and workshops at the Cotuit Center for the Arts. Her greatest lesson she has passed onto Andrew? The importance of art — not just in a classroom, but in our lives and our communities. It’s a similar lesson that was bestowed upon Erin by her parents when she was growing up. “We both come from a liberal arts education where creative experiences are valued in life,” she said. “I give credit to both our parents who taught us that you go to school not to learn a trade, but to get an education, learn how to think, learn how to solve problems, and to find stuff that interests you.”
It was a critical base that informed Erin and Andrew’s value system and the types of causes they wanted to support. So when Erin first met Julie Wake, not long after she was named Executive Director of the Arts Foundation in August 2015, it was kismet. “I took a meeting with Julie, and it was history ever since,” said Erin, who is an AFCC Patron with Andrew. “We’ve been really impressed with the value the Arts Foundation has for the community and the economy.” It starts with leadership, which is what Erin said makes the Arts Foundation stand out. “What makes Julie so special is she understands her funders and what they are interested in,” she continued. “What’s great is she’s exposed us personally to the work they’re doing. Relationships like this are built over trust. She’s not only shown us where the need is, but how the Arts Foundation has filled the need and met shortfalls in the community. Their work has only grown bigger in scale over time, and I like that we’re a part of it.” For Andrew, giving to the Arts Foundation has opened his eyes “to some of the mechanisms that enable artists to live, work and thrive on the Cape. As a student of the arts — and because my mother was my teacher — I guess I kind of thought they always were here. I didn’t completely understand the mechanics of them and the important role the Arts Foundation plays.” Both Erin and Andrew, who grew up on the Cape and eventually moved back here — the pair have one son, Charlie — emphasized the role that the arts play in the region. “The arts are what embody a community,” said Andrew. “Especially in this year-round community which has definitely grown post-Covid and become younger. I think the arts have been a huge piece of that.”
“I’m a big fan of unrestricted gifts. I think people running the organizations should be able to make the determination of where the need is. I lean on Julie, Amy, and the Arts Foundation team’s expertise to make sure they have the runway to do their important work.” Erin Maker 2
CREATIVE EXCHANGE • FALL 2023
SMALL INVESTMENT, BIG IMPACT ON MUSIC DEPARTMENT The $1,000 grant that Sturgis Charter Public School West received last year was modest, but the excitement it generated among students in the Music Production Club was palpable. “When we got this grant, it was like an explosion of energy,” said Joe Briggs Magnant, the school’s International Baccalaureate (IB) music teacher. “They didn’t realize something like this could happen.” For a small investment by the AFCC, the payback at Sturgis has been significant. The AFCC grant went to support the purchase of professional recording and production equipment, allowing students to go beyond creating music and dive into assisting the production needs of the school’s drama and music department and even community events. “Most exciting is that we are now exploring converting the Music Production Club to an official Sturgis Production Team which will essentially begin training students to become stage runners, live sound engineers, and recording engineers,” Magnant said. “This will expand their connection to not only the larger Sturgis community, but also the town of Hyannis.” For Magnant, who came to the school in 2021, these are meaningful steps. “When I was hired, we only had 2 juniors and 2 seniors in our IB music program,” he said. Today, that number has increased to 17 students in a school of nearly 425; that doesn’t count the students in Jazz Band, multiple singing groups, and the school chorus. In the Music Production Club, which benefited from the AFCC grant, there are about 20 students who regularly
attend weekly meetings and work on individual and group projects throughout the school year. Thanks to the support of the AFCC, students now have the equipment necessary to develop a professional portfolio. A musician who has been playing his entire life, Magnant said the industry “has changed a lot. You have to know how to self-produce and also how to record live sound. …This wasn’t a reality 20, 30, or 40 years ago, but most people these days who want to pursue a life in music, whether professionally, as a hobby, or playing in the community, need to have these production skills.” This is why the AFCC’s support was so valuable to Sturgis. With Sturgis’ 529 Main Street building being used for both school and community events, students in the production club will be able to gain real-world experience in sound engineering and stage production. “Moving forward, it’s how we can get more feet on the ground, supporting projects where our students are going out into the community,” Magnant said. “The first step was getting this equipment. It’s really a dry, stale thing, but it’s necessary. We really, really appreciate it, and the students in the production club are really having fun making music, which is really the backbone of everything.”
To support AFCC’s grant giving, which funds programs like this, scan the QR Code.
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4TH ANNUAL CX CONFERENCE “Art is about desire — the desire to see something better than it is,” artist Matthew Mazzotta said during his keynote speech in October at our 4th Annual CX (Creative Exchange) Conference at the Cotuit Center for the Arts. Nearly 125 people attended the conference, which the Arts Foundation last held in 2018, armed with the desire to make the Cape a better place for all. Over the course of one day, they gained the knowledge, skills, and connections to do just that through a series of panel discussions focused on everything from strategic planning to how artists build empathetic and equitable communities to how artists can use rejection to inform and improve their work.
The day started off with a Fireside Chat between AFCC Executive Director Julie Wake and Mass Cultural Council Executive Director Michael Bobbitt, who spoke about ways his state agency is working to elevate arts and culture by establishing cross-sector relationships to expand its reach. “I need you to figure out how to do that in your own communities,” he said. “What is going to happen is you’re going to get more revenue streams. …It is the hope in five years, you all are receiving more money because we are deeply embedded in all the other sectors of the state.” The CX Conference concluded with Boston-based artist Ben Cunningham leading an interactive session on storytelling. He quoted poet Frank X. Walker saying, “If you don’t tell your story, someone else will.’ So my question is, what is your story?”
Keynote Speaker Matthew Mazzotta (left). Julie Wake talks with Michael Bobbitt to kick off the CX Conference (below).
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“Always ask the, ‘who we are’ question of your mission, your vision, and your values. Do not take for granted that that is explicit or understood by everyone.” Brittney Nichols, Strategy Matters
Storyteller Ben Cunningham
Thank You to Our CX Conference Sponsors for Keeping Cape Cod Creative!
The Woods Hole Foundation
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BROADWAY DREAMS FOR THIRD GRADER Emily* works as a librarian. Her husband Brian* does data architecture and design for the federal government. While both have decent jobs, they are raising four children on the Outer Cape. It has made it difficult to afford extracurricular activities when you factor in the necessities like housing, food, and transportation. “It adds up when you have four children and starts to be very cost restrictive,” Emily admitted. “I know it is a challenge for everyone on the Cape. I am a youth service librarian, which is the most wonderful job in the world, but I’d be losing lots of money if I had to cover everything my kids wanted to do.” Add in Emily’s mother, who lives with the family, and the couple are selective in what opportunities they can give their children. “We have to pick and choose,” Emily said. When Emily’s youngest, their 8-year-old daughter Amy , wanted to go to theatre camp at Cape Cod Theatre Company this summer, she was unsure if they could afford it. “My coworker told me I should contact the Arts Foundation,” Emily said. “My other kids aren’t into theater, but my daughter really loves it. I saw this [class] and thought, ‘Oh, my gosh. Amy would die to do that.’ I was trying to figure out how to pay for it.” *
Emily applied for funding through AFCC Access, “expecting a little help,” she said. “I got a lot of help and I’m very thankful.” Through AFCC Access, the Arts Foundation was able to fund the full two weeks. “When the Arts Foundation came
through with the whole funding, my daughter cried when I told her,” Emily said. “She was so excited she got to do it.” While Amy was able to tap into her creativity — the class concluded with a production of “The Jungle Book” — Emily said the best part was the connections her daughter made with her peers. “Honestly, with my little one, it improved her confidence,” her mother said of the class. “There’s so many good things about having an arts education.” And while Amy is still young, she is now dreaming of one day performing on Broadway. “Who knows, but she definitely wants to do more of it and try out for plays. I think she’s really hooked,” Emily said. “I know I couldn’t have made this happen without the Arts Foundation. It made a big difference to me just knowing she was somewhere having a wonderful time.”
*Names have been changed to protect their identity
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CAPE COD FOUNDATION STRENGTHENS THE ARTS This year and next year are seminal ones for Kristin O’Malley. In 2023, she is celebrating her 10-year anniversary as executive director of The Cape Cod Foundation. And 2024 will mark her 20-year anniversary when she was first hired as its program assistant. O’Malley is using this time to look back on where The Cape Cod Foundation has been and where it is going. “It’s a good opportunity to reflect on where we were as an organization when I came on board in 2004,” she said. “At the time, we had $30 million in total assets and were giving $2 to $3 million in grants and scholarships back to the community. Fast forward to 2023. and we have about $100 million in assets, and we’ve tripled our distribution to about $6 million in grants and scholarships.” In days and weeks, progress occurs slowly. But when you measure it in decades, it is impressive. The foundation’s evolution under O’Malley’s tenure has allowed it to be less of a “transactional and reactive organization,” to one that is much more thoughtful, strategic, and transformational. A major shift occurred at the foundation during the pandemic. “It was the first time we did emergency funding,” she said. “It was a really great opportunity to transition to a different grant-making process where we wanted to get the resources out as quickly as we could.” The pandemic served as a gateway for The Cape Cod Foundation to interact more closely with organizations like the AFCC. “We knew that arts and culture organizations were not open and would face huge obstacles when they could reopen,” she explained.
Around this time the foundation received a significant bequest focused on strengthening the arts. “It’s been really nice to see how we can support the sector with its reopening while also focusing on the capacity-building piece — what do you need not only to reopen, but to staff up?” she said. “It’s been great for us to make this larger investment in the arts.” At the AFCC, that investment included a $50,000 grant at the beginning of 2022 for the Creative Exchange, allowing the AFCC to reimagine the program which provides personal and professional development for local artists, arts leaders, and staff at cultural organizations. It added another $25,000 which went to the AFCC’s most recent round of grant funding, which saw it distribute a record $120,000 to 58 recipients. “This has been a really great partnership for us,” O’Malley said. “The AFCC staff are experts in this field. We look at this as how can we use our resources to leverage and support their work.” Through that support, the Cape Cod Foundation has made the region more vibrant and connected. It’s a place that holds special meaning to O’Malley, who grew up on the Cape and is now raising a family here. “The best part of my job is meeting all these people who care about Cape Cod and want to create a special place for everyone — in essence creating a community,” she said. That sense of community and belonging doesn’t happen without a strong, vibrant arts sector. “Part of the Cape’s history and economy is tied to the arts,” she said. “There are so many reasons why the arts are important to the Cape and to our lives here.”
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Instructor Kimberly Sheerin leads the pottery classes at the Falmouth Art Center.
ART HEALS IN FALMOUTH Creativity had long been a part of Anne’s* life. She sewed, painted, and was an accomplished opera singer. Three years ago that changed when the 59-year-old started to develop memory issues. These days, she relies on her husband of 35 years for the big and little things in life. “Even though I’m broken, he loves me anyway,” Anne says of George*. What does love look like? Something like this — driving over an hour to take part in a pottery class at the Falmouth Art Center on a sunny morning last June. Over the course of nearly two hours, the couple painted a simple plate they had crafted together. “Programs like this are important to give people a sense of purpose,” George says. Funded through a grant from the Arts Foundation, this class gives couples like George and Anne a shared purpose. The plate itself isn’t important. The act of creating it together is. A cruel disease may be robbing Anne of her memories. But the love remains. *Names have been changed to protect their identity
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Stand With the Arts and Double Your Impact! Your support makes the work of the Arts Foundation possible. Please send your gift today to help us ensure that arts and culture are accessible to all on Cape Cod. Right now, all year-end gifts will be matched dollar for dollar — up to $15,000 — thanks to a group of generous Arts Foundation supporters. Please send your gift today and double your impact! Thank you!
SAVE THE DATE! Deck the Walls
Online Holiday Small Works Art Show We wrap and ship! November 27 – December 11, 2023
Prelude to Summer Gala and Auction Hyannisport Club June 6, 2024
Creative Exchange Conference
Day for Creatives and Community Cotuit Center for the Arts October 23, 2024 For more information visit our events page at ArtsFoundation.org
GIFTS AT WORK: ART OFFERS SENSE OF NORMALCY TO CHILDREN IN SHELTER This summer, the Arts Foundation funded a grant that allowed nine children living at the Angel House shelter in Hyannis to experience the joy and beauty of the arts through classes provided by The Cordial Eye. Scan the QR code to read the story.
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