HEART Annual Report 2023

HEART ANNUALREPORT 2023

WE TRANSCEND OUR ABILITIES THROUGH COLLABORATIVE ART!

EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR'SNOTE

For the first time in my tenure, our HEART felt like it had a steady rhythm again. The studio was full of people, artwork, and laughter. We were venturing back out into the world to see new places and try new things. And the biggest hurdle of them all - we were back on the Charleston Music Hall stage with a new show which we wrote and produced ourselves. We were Stella, and we had our groove back.

It cannot be overstated how much hard work and perseverance it took from the HEARTists, staff, and volunteers to make it all possible. While we were excited and ready to take off running again, the economic environment around us wasn't necessarily ready to return to its previous levels of support. Regardless of its commercial definition, we defined ourselves as a success. We created shows, events, productions - experiencesthat were uniquely HEART. I am so deeply proud of the quality and creativity that everyone infused into everything HEART accomplished in 2022.

It continues to be a struggle to garner financial support and public recognition the likes of which we saw before The Great Pause. That's to be expected. The way we move forward is the same as we have before - by continuing to produce excellent work. Continuing to seek out exciting, accessible experiences. Carving out space for ourselves in the arts world. Doing what we love most.

Creating our own happiness.

We've never stopped believing in ourselves and trusting the work that we do together in the HEART Studio. We keep going. We keep putting ourselves out there, showing the world what we can do with some creativity and a lot of dedication from the whole team.

With HEART, Sisi

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

2023

Our Board of Directors, as always, is integral in connecting us with the broader community and promoting financial sustainability for HEART. This year, we add new faces to our dedicated volunteer directors.

Sam Hines (Chair)

HEART Parent, Law Partner

Rae Weekes (Secretary)

Assistant Director / Volunteer Coordinator

HEART Inclusive Arts Community

Sloan Todd

Executive Director, Event Planner

Pathfinders, LLC & Catch the Leprechaun 5k Run

Beth Wolf, MD

Medical Director, HIM, Physician Consultant

Roper St Francis, 3M

Amy Hatten

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

SC Commission for the Blind

Paula Yorke

Real Estate Broker, Realtor of Distinction

William Means Real Estate, Christie's International

HEART continues seeking to add to its volunteer Board of Directors and is opening its search to interested candidates from the whole of our Lowcountry community. There is no greater asset to the success of an organization than diversity of thought, ideas, experience, and backgrounds within its leadership. Therefore it is critical that HEART Inclusive Arts Community elect Directors from the widest array of interested candidates possible, beginning with an open and public call to any member of the community interested in sharing their time with HEART. “Inclusive” is part of our name for a reason, and we welcome all applicants of any identity - ability, gender, race, age, culture, and more. Nominations and elections will be made in consideration of the applications or survey responses received from the community.

MISSION AND VISION

HEART Inclusive Arts Community provides visual arts, music, dance, and performing arts mentorships and community engagement for adults with disabilities who want to grow and develop as artists. At HEART, we have created a center where artists of all abilities work together to create something that enriches the community.

HEART, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is a creative and adventurous family of artists, performers, and allaround creative misfits! We provide inclusive music, art, dance, and theatre experiences to connect adults with disabilities and their communities.

Since 2014, we have helped member HEARTists experience many of the same things we all want in life -- freedom of expression, lasting relationships, community support, acceptance, higher self-esteem, and a sense of accomplishment, purpose, and meaning.

HIGHLIGHTS 2022

Volunteers:

One of our tenets as advocates for the disability community is creating opportunities for HEARTists to meet new people in safe and meaningful ways Volunteering is a time to relate to each other as fellows, and to mutually learn from others in a personal way, gaining experiences from each other.

We were proud to welcome volunteers from the College of Charleston across several different disciplines With the Department of Theatre and Dance, we rehearsed and refined our performances for Some Kind of Funny. With the students of the Department of Teacher Education Special Education majors, we joined in many varied activities throughout the year. With both groups, those students were able to learn from our crew of artists and gain experience with individuals with disabilities before going on to become teachers in the future.

Basking in that Fall feeling, we had our 2nd annual Great Pumpkin carving contest with the folks at Harbinger Cafe And we had a field day playing kickball with some members of CofC's chapter of Delta Tau Delta

Social Events

Getting out and having fun together as friends can help grease the wheels of collaboration and creativity. We celebrated our friendship with Pal-entine's Day by dining out at Rutledge Cab Co followed by desserts and a movie at the Studio. We took to the ice, taking in a Stingrays Hockey game together. And enjoyed Troy Kotsur's Oscar winning performance in CODA during a night out at the movies.

HIGHLIGHTS 2022 (CONTINUED)

Some Kind of Funny:

This. Was. BIG! HEART took the chance to get back on the stage and turned it into an entertainment extravaganza. Some Kind of Funny wasn't just a musical. It was a comedy, it had heart, it highlighted the many different talents of our HEARTists, and welcomed an unprecedented number of guest stars We even had tap dancers taking over the stage for the big showstopper numbers.

For the first time, HEART's original musical production was live streamed and could be enjoyed from anywhere. This allowed us to share the show, not only with friends and fans across the country, but made the performance accessible for other members of the disability community and like-missioned organizations around the globe! Our performance was viewed from both coasts of the U.S., and internationally in Canada and Australia.

Some Kind of Funny now lives on as a professionally edited commemorative DVD and is still available to any fans of a good time who might wish to take the Funny home with them

We will always look back fondly on Some Kind of Funny as our triumphant return to the theatre. And, who knows? Maybe it will find a life outside of HEART amongst other disabled thespians in the world!

HEART Family Vacation:

In another instance of stepping outside our box, HEART opted to diverge from its usual mountain air, camping style Family Vacation. This year, HEART went more resort styled. Walt Disney World Resort, to be exact. While we might have a bone to pick with The Mouse's inaccessible process for getting accessibility passes, we can't complain about all of the fun and excitement we had in the park Minus a sudden rainstorm on the drive down, the weather was perfect The parks were populated, but not overcrowded Perfection! We had a blast having the run of the park and riding as many thrill rides as our hearts desired. We closed the place down each night!

Exhausting? Of course. Exhilarating? You betcha!

HIGHLIGHTS 2022 (CONT.)

Arts Festivals

Spring saw HEART getting back out into the festival scene

North Charleston Arts Fest - Arty Block Party

HEART was a vendor at the Arty Block Party in North Chuck's trendy Park Circle area Once again, the day proved very windy We had to get volunteers to run to our rescue, procuring tent weights for us and our new friends - our neighboring artists But we had a fantastic evening meeting new artists, and sharing the work of the HEART Studio There was live music, delicious food, friendly visitors, and four-legged friends to love on. A recipe for a perfect festival outing.

In 2023, HEARTists will be submitting their artwork to the judged competition & exhibition.

ArtFields

Our new favorite tradition - visiting Lake City, SC when art takes over the town. With galleries, live art exhibitions, viewer voting, and street murals, there is a ton to see and do in what's usually a sleepy main street. Plus, there's always trains rolling by on the town's very active rail line, so you know HEART loves that!

In December 2022, two HEARTists - Cassie Williamson and Eliza Kerrison - created their own art submissions in hopes of selection for the 2023 festival. HEART's pieces were not selected for exhibition this time, but we continue to submit and spread the word of the incredible creativity in the HEART Studio.

Third Thursdays in Summerville:

HEART was pleased to be invited to vend at the artsthemed Third Thursday event in Summerville. It was a typically warm June evening. HEART nestled into the parking lot of the Public Works Art Center amongst fellow artists and artisans. Organized by Ms. Wheelchair SC herself, Ashley Lawrence. The event closed down the heart of Summerville's downtown district to welcome thousands of pedestrian visitors. What a great way to meet new friends in Sweet Tea Town.

HIGHLIGHTS 2022 (CONT.)

Disability Pride:

Celebrating pride in the Disabled identity!

The celebration expanded in 2022, taking over the Porter Room at Holy City Brewing Co. in North Charleston. Each year, the Pride grows to bring in new folks and new cities across the Lowcountry. It's pleasing to report that both Charleston and North Charleston have officially proclaimed July as Disability Pride Month. The community has used this month to honor its own for decades. And, it's good to finally see our fellow locals begin to recognize its importance, too. There was an incredible turnout to the Friday evening party. It was a wonderful time celebrating the Disability Community, its unique cultures, and the inherent worth of every person.

The event was kicked off with keynote speeches by Ms. Wheelchair South Carolina USA, Ashley Lawrence, and the artist and advocate Katie Thompson. Entertainment included dance performances from Holy City Hotfoot and Team Swagger, as well as music by HEART Inclusive Arts Community and the Pluff Mud String Band. Inside the event space, over 25 artisans, vendors, and organizations showed off what they do and offered a variety of goods and art to go home with you.

Many people were in public again for the first time since the pandemic began in order to celebrate the occasion. Folks new to the community, and those who have been lifelong members, met and mingled. It was incredible to experience!

Creative Misfits:

A rockin' rollick through the decades. Creative Misfits LIVE! was iconic. HEARTists dressed up in homage of some of their favorite rock icons to perform a concert set full of the best and most influential rock tunes the latter half of last century had to offer. Once again, we took over the deck at The Charleston Pour House - a pretty iconic rock venue in its own right.

Pairing with the concert was the annual art auction and gallery, Creative Misfits. 40+ pieces of artwork from over 30 uniquely gifted artists were auctioned off to the highest bidder. Proceeds, as always, benefit the ongoing arts programming of HEART Inclusive Arts Community.

HIGHLIGHTS 2022 (CONT.) SCAAIDD:

It had been several years since we performed in the annual SCAAIDD conference in Myrtle Beach. We were honored and excited to be invited back to perform a few songs from our summer production, Some Kind of Funny. It's important to us that we get out in the community and perform for audiences that we wouldn't typically reach and traveling definitely grows our footprint

Summer Fun:

Bathing suits were essential all summer! To kick off the season, HEART took a dip in the pool at Collins Park thanks to the North Charleston Recreation Department It was a unique outdoor pool tucked away in a quiet, hidden park. So, we mostly had the spot to ourselves. And, can you even call yourself Charlestonians if you don't kick up some sand all summer? We hit up Folly Beach to cheer on the surfers participating in Surfers Healing. They are a nonprofit that pairs surfers with kids and young adults with autism, together enjoying the unique experience of surfing It was astounding to see the love and support for the huge number of surfers taking to the waves that day. We will definitely be adding this experience to our annual outings. Capping off the beach days was a relaxing post-vacation vacation day at the Citadel beach house on Isle of Palms. It was a beautiful and perfectly fitting last hurrah to the warm summer sun.

College of Charleston:

CofC has been a great support to HEART in many ways. We received help from dedicated theatre students throughout their semester during rehearsals We even hired one to be a lead in our production! We enjoyed theatre games at the park planned by freshman theatre students. The college provided access to one of the dance studios whenever we needed it for rehearsal. Folks at the Halsey Institute planned a different activity to accompany each exhibition tour we took Needless to say, the HEARTists have developed a strong affinity for anyone that comes from CofC.

Trailblazing:

We explored all over the Lowcountry this year: touring several art galleries, the Natural History Museum, and Beyond Distilling We walked in the St Patrick's Day Parade and had a pizza party at Riverfront Park. Posters for our productions were hung near and far as we created relationships with our local businesses.

Spoleto:

Our continuing relationship with the internationally renowned Spoleto Festival USA proved once again to be a major artistic highlight in our year. Traveling to Charleston all the way from Cuba, the dancers of the Malpaso dance company treated us all to a private dance workshop that had us sweating! Rae and Sisi also got to enjoy their final performance on the stage at the Sottile theater So much fun So much energy burned!

FUTURE PLANS

Original Musical: We're adding to our catalog of original productions while exploring a new-to-us genre this year. We're keeping it light and funny, but this time we're adding a new flavor of intrigue. And, as always, a heavy pour of music. We didn't think the team at the CMH could top themselves in their skill, dedication, and support - but they've gone and done it. We're ecstatic to be partnering with the Charleston Music Hall as one of their quarterly nonprofits benefiting from their venue to promote our mission

Trailblazing: Can't put the genie back in this lamp With the addition of our newest staff member, Ashley Dodds, as Community Engagement Coordinator, we've been unleashed on the world, and we're not turning back now. She is tasked with keeping us busy in the community and exploring new territories. Rock climbing, dance workshops, nature trails, exercise, and more is in store for HEART this year.

A Bigger HEART: We look forward to welcoming a handful of new HEARTists this year, as we're able to return to full capacity. Better still, we continue our search for a new home for our Studio One that would allow us to expand our capacity and reach even further

This year, we'll also bring our mission to more northern cities through partnerships with the Therapeutic Recreation programs at the City of Goose Creek. This way, folks who aren't a part of our permanent membership can have a taste of the arts through HEART.

Disability Pride Takes Over the Lowcountry: It started Downtown in year 1. Then we tackled North Charleston. Now, we think, why stop there? Disability Pride in 2023 can't be contained to one place - or one day of celebrations. Events will encompass more than a week and stretch throughout the Lowcountry. We're proud to help organize the Disability Pride celebration each year with our friends in the community, including Camp Rise Above and Beyond Basic 2023 partners will also include the tremendous efforts of Public Works Art Center, as well as Summerville DREAM Stay loud and PROUD, y'all!

Disability Art Gallery Exhibition: HEART has been invited to exhibit at one of the hippest, most inclusive galleries aroundPublic Works Art Center. Taking over the East Gallery and coinciding with Disability Pride celebrations and Third Thursday, in Summerville this July.

THE MUSIC AND THEATRE DEPARTMENT

2022 was another busy and exciting year for the Performing Arts Department We got to work right away in the new year preparing for our first big show at Charleston Music Hall since 2019 We explored new entertainment styles, such as standup comedy, and worked together to create a new original musical. We are extremely grateful to have been able to work with College of Charleston Theater students and members of Charleston’s acting community as we rehearsed and worked out the kinks of our new show The talented actors and musicians who worked with us behind the scenes and onstage helped us execute our summer show and allowed us to reach even more members of the community! So much of the year was dedicated to rehearsal time and fine-tuning small details for our stage performance. It was hard work but it’s always rewarding to see how it pays off. Of course we sprinkled in Open Mic Nights and Tik Tok video creations, keeping our online and community presence lively We ended the year with an iconic rock show to close out our Creative Misfits art auction - It was a big success and so much fun. We’re looking forward to more growth and continuing to express creativity through performing arts in 2023!

-Mel Walker, Performing Arts Director

THE ART DEPARTMENT

Visual arts is an ever-growing and evolving pillar of HEART

Although we were sad to lose our Visual Arts mentor, Lauren Ridenour, we were even more excited to see her thrive in pursuing becoming a full-time artist. She left us in a great position to continue exploring and further developing each HEARTist’s individual style and creating intentional work that we are proud to showcase

We had three full gallery exhibitions coinciding with each major event: “Exquisite Creatures” at Some Kind of Funny, a second version of “Exquisite Creatures” at Disability Pride and “Creative Misfits” at Creative Misfits Live! For the first time, we were invited to be a major part of a collaborative art show, “Animal Shred,” alongside three other well-known Charleston artists Not only were these artists generous enough to let us keep 100% of our personal sales, we even received a portion of the total art sales. We are so grateful and proud to be part of the Charleston arts community and be seen and recognized for our talents.

We have been able to create new and continue to foster existing relationships with creatives all over the Lowcountry We had the largest artist participation in the Creative Misfits Art Auction to date, some even returning for their third year. We garnered the attention of a local artist’s husband and received an extremely generous donation of art supplies allowing us to further our creativity Another exciting relationship that began this year is with Public Works Art Center in Summerville, who we are looking forward to collaborating with in big ways in 2023. We are feeling strong, positive and excited to see what this next year has in store for HEART.

-Rae Weekes, Assistant Director and Volunteer Coordinator

A WORD FROM THE HEART FAMILY

"Spending time with HEART is one of the few times I slow down and feel alive. Although initially it seems like you're the one who is giving, after a while, you realize you're receiving far more than you invest."

-

Evan Carl, Volunteer

"Working with the HEART community over the past year has been an amazing and enriching experience. I'm so thankful that we have such a wonderful group of people that strive to bring inclusion to not only the arts community, but to all of our community spaces."

-

Ashley Lawrence Ms Wheelchair USA Ambassador

Ms Wheelchair South Carolina USA 2021/2022

"2022 was a really great year at HEART, quite possibly my favorite! Coming back in person and spending time with my people filled a hole that Covid left gaping open FINALLY I'm back to help with performances, celebrate birthdays, dance with friends and see all those beautiful smiling faces that I had missed so much. HEART grows for the better each year and I am ready and beyond excited to see what they bring to 2023!"

-

Ryner Burg, Volunteer and Substitute

"One of my favorite parts of 2022 was being on stage. I be in character a lot. Valerie Bertinelli. I felt like a diva. I like make people laugh. Like to be comedian."

- Bridget Nagel, HEARTist

"I love getting to play with different local musicians and collaborating with The HEARTists. The experience of bringing a production to the stage for the family and supporters of HEART to enjoy is incredibly uplifting. Every community should have a HEART.

- Jeff Nark, Volunteer HEART Band Bassist

"HEART, thank you all for being great friends! Firstly, you all have provided a wealth of knowledge to my students in Teacher Education at the College of Charleston This relationship has transformed our education program to develop a love and practice of arts integration "

- Heather Hall, Volunteer Instructor, College of Charleston Department of Teacher Education

"I've had the privilege of volunteering with HEART for three different live performances; all of which have since become some of the most rewarding experiences in my life. The diligent work of the HEART staff and volunteers creates an atmosphere of fun, love, and support. The joy experienced by everyone involved including friends, family, audience, and HEART members alike serves as a testament to their impact in the Charleston community."

- Andrew Krepelka, Volunteer HEART Band Guitarist

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW OF 2022

Last year was a financially difficult year, no matter how you slice it We viewed it as a year of rebuilding for our programming. However, regrowth in the areas of corporate sponsorship and donations fell well below our hopes.

We were ready and willing to return to a full schedule of events and performances, demanding our time and money. But, financial support to go along with those live events still has not caught up to our expectations. In some cases, weather and unforeseen circumstances reduced attendance. For example, summer storms and flooding kept audiences away from Downtown Charleston the night of Some Kind of Funny's premiere. Or, that moving Creative Misfits LIVE! to a Saturday night seemed to detract from people's availability to attend - contrary to our predictions for making such a change.

In some cases, the only remedy is luck. In other cases, its learning from those pitfalls and adjusting for the future. In any case, increased visibility and awareness encourages support.

With a return to a full year of regular programming, we're now better able to track, predict, and refine our plans, because our information is now more robust We continue pushing to do better creatively and encourage support commensurate to our HEARTist's excellent work.

REVENUE: MEMBERSHIPS, FUNDRAISING, AND GRANTS

Our total revenue for 2022 was just over $155,000, a significant downturn from 2021, and even more so compared to 2019 (our last “normal” year). Some key areas to highlight include:

Total Contributions (sponsors and donations) came in at approximately $41,000 for 2022 Again, this falls short of the previous year's actual contributions and well below our needs or expectations We continue to depend on contributions from individuals and for-profit companies to support programming at a reasonable cost to our members.

Program Services (Membership Fees) revenue was just under $70,000, 6% below projections for the year

Grants were sparse for the year, with only one award of $1,000 from the Henry and Sylvia Yaschik Foundation in support of Disability Pride.

A full year of Fundraising Events occurred for the first time since the shutdown While HEART's original musical productions were once HEART's largest fundraising efforts, 2022 fell dismally short of expectations and needs, just breaking even for the cost and labor needed to pull it off All told, about 25% of the expense budget drew from existing funds rather than new revenue

On a positive note, total expenditures came in below budget, using just under 95% of the expected expenses budget

44.7% Program Services, for the first time, was the largest portion of all revenue

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW OF 2022

SCHOLARSHIPS

HEART Program Services revenue consists primarily of membership fees from HEARTists, their families, and caregivers. But we only report “net revenue” in Program Services, which means that financial aid is not included in either our revenue or expense disclosure Yet we believe that financial aid is an important metric and is deserving of some additional color HEART has continued its goal of providing scholarship support to those HEARTists who have a desire to participate but not the financial resources. In 2022, we were able to support 9 HEARTists with scholarships of varying sizes totaling almost $28,000 awarded for membership fee assistance HEART is proud to have a core group of about 10 patrons whose monthly contributions support nearly 13% of our financial aid offerings.

OPERATING EXPENSES

A full year of events for HEART now consists of three major events: a full scale original musical production, Disability Pride, and Creative Misfits. On top of these public events, HEART takes an out-of-state vacation with members, providing an opportunity for us all to enjoy time together away from family and caregivers amongst friends and peers. These events are labor and cost intensive, to say the least, but offer multitudes of benefits to every member who participates with us throughout the year. Despite the scale of these events, we were able to contain expenditures and stay within the year's expected expense budget.

Our largest unexpected costs in 2022 were associated with the maintenance of our transit vans On two unrelated occasions, a side mirror on each of our vans was stolen or damaged Also, repairs were needed to a rear panel and window of one van, the entire air conditioning needed replacing on the other van, and both were due for manufacturer recommended maintenance this year Lastly, we saw an increase in our vehicle insurance this year. Altogether, these costs blew our transportation budget out of the water We depend on our trusty vans to keep us active and involved in the community all year They are an expense we simply cannot do without, so their care and repairs are essential We are grateful to those donors who contributed to help cover those unexpected costs and keep our vans rolling

Program expenses like supplies, equipment, and activities came in approximately 42% below our budget This is thanks, in large part, to massive in-kind donations of art supplies and materials from donors like Rough House Pictures, the late artist Linda Churchill and her husband, Ted Churchill, as well as interior design supply scavenger Lucy Chastain.

In terms of expense efficiency, we continue to believe we are at the top of performance for nonprofit organizations Crucially, donors and funding bodies are beginning to recognize the importance of supporting operational expenses as a foundation to program support In short, an organization cannot function without labor, and quality consistent labor requires operational expenses

Still, we work hard to keep our G&A expense low, and at 5 4% of total spending, we believe we met that objective Our continued objective is to focus our spending where we can have the biggest impact –growing our HEART community and the programming to support HEARTists in realizing their own growth potential.

We work hard to keep our G&A expense low, and at 4 7% of total spending, we believe we met that objective