A year in Paradise:
Polishing the gem
T
he past year has brought many changes to the Paradise Center for the Arts and we are proud of the progress we have made! In October of 2019, the former executive director left, and for the next six weeks the staff pulled together managing the daily operations. In November, I stepped in as interim director to be the face of the Paradise for the community and the liaison between the board and the staff. Within just a few weeks, I discovered how much I loved this challenging role and the women I have the pleasure to work with. I accepted the position of executive Guest Columnist director March 19, just in time to Heidi Nelson ride the storm of the pandemic. Before the COVID-19 lockdown, we were progressing toward creating a strong 2020-21 season of entertainment, classes, and gallery exhibitions. I am proud to say that during the three months that our doors were closed, we continued as a staff to work finding ways to stay connected to the community, as well as finding ways to fundraise and economize. We spent the time we were closed organizing, painting, and updat-
ing the Paradise all on a shoestring budget thanks to generous donations of talent and treasure. It was a joy to open again for our first post-pandemic gallery exhibition on June 12, 2020 utilizing Facebook Live and Zoom to engage with our patrons and artists who didn’t feel comfortable coming to see us in person. Since June we have been open Thursday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. and we welcome the visitors who want to enjoy our four on-site galleries. We have also continued with in person, physically distanced art classes here at the Paradise, as well as virtual classes that make some of our teachers and students feel more comfortable. As executive director, I am proud of the staff and board of directors for maintaining a positive outlook during this difficult time. I’m also proud of our ability to adapt our events by offering a livestream option for our audience. We held a fundraiser in May that allowed us to purchase the equipment we needed and we were lucky enough to have an unpaid intern for the summer who helped us learn how to use it. Now you can enjoy a show from the comfort of your living room. This service is something that we will continue even after we are allowed full auditorium capacity because it is a way for us to reach more of our community members who might otherwise not be able to join us in person. The past year has been a challenge for our industry and we are very grateful to our members and the Faribault community for donations of time, talent and treasure. I am especially grateful for the amazing staff that continues to work toward making the Paradise Center for the Arts a polished gem for the city of Faribault. Heidi Nelson is Paradise Center for the Arts’ executive director.
PROGRESS Fall 2020
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