2020/21 Annual Report

ART IS FOR EVERYONE

2020 • 2021

BOARD OF DIRECTORS FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Friends, This year was like flying through a dark and stormy night in a plane we were still building. As an organization, we summoned every ounce of creativity, grit, and resilience to make it through the storm. Now, as we look ahead, it seems as though the skies are clearing and we can finally land the plane.

As we step out, we face the world as a changed place. Accepting that COVID-19 was not simply a visitor, but a regular part of the neighborhood, we asked ourselves, “How do we succeed in these conditions?” Our answer was to focus on recovery. Recovery in a way that embraces change as an opportunity, rather than a misfortune. The nature of practicing an art form is to navigate change and the unexpected. So, as artists, we drew upon the root of our artistic practice to make change an everyday habit. We took stock of our strengths and our best qualities, recognized what does not work anymore, and focused on creating ways of being that make us, our field and our world better.

We did this within a changed community and economy. The realities of the pandemic significantly altered the business part of our work as we knew it. Federal relief programs including the Paycheck Protection Program, Shuttered Venue Operators Grants, and Douglas County CARES ACT grants allowed us to flip our inventor switch to “ON” and create new ways of making, experiencing, and enjoying art. The lingering presence of COVID-19 and its variants created a relentless challenge. As restrictions on public spaces and gatherings released, we created new experiences and spaces, ever mindful about how we interact and connect with each other.

The greatest challenge continues to be finding ways to sustain ourselves financially with these adapted programs.

People seek out the Lawrence Arts Center to create, be inspired, and learn.

The core of our work is to connect people with the essence of who they are as individuals and as a community. The result builds a sense of belonging and growth. While change is our new reality, the heart of the Lawrence Arts Center and the purpose of our work remains steadfast. As artists, we remain the creators, connectors, conveners, and community builders. As we step out of this pandemic into a new era, by making the arts active in our lives and community, we will have all the tools we need to build the bridge between our past and our present.

Ad Astra Per Aspera,

Margaret Weisbrod Morris Chief Executive Officer

Chris English, Chair Margie Wakefield, Vice Chair Clare Doveton, Past Chair David Hollond, Treasurer Ron Gaches, Secretary Ashley All Pat Brown Don Buchner

Joshua Falleaf Ryann Galloway Tacha Stephen Gish Thomas Huang Isabel Johnson Whitney Lang Cindy Maude Dalton Paley Hong Zhang

NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD Matt Gilhousen Mike Michaelis Deanell Reece Tacha

Roger Shimomura Susan Tate

The Lawrence Arts Center is a 501(c)(3) not-forprofit educational organization. Our members and donors are critical to the success of the Lawrence Arts Center, and we thank you for your financial support.

The Lawrence Arts Center is a creative community that activates the artist in everyone through performance, exhibition and education because we believe ART is for EVERYONE. Special thanks to the City of Lawrence for their 40-year commitment to our publicprivate partnership ensuring art is available to everyone!

THE LAWRENCE ARTS CENTER CONDUCTS AN INDEPENDENT FULL FINANCIAL AUDIT ANNUALLY WHICH IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. EMAIL: BUSINESS@LAWRENCEARTSCENTER.ORG

Photos by Amy Albright, Marlo Angell, Ann Dean Aaron Paden, Mariah Seifert, Elizabeth Sullivan, and Kyla Strid.

FRONT COVER IMAGE, Jason Needham, detail from The Doctor’s House, screen print on paper, 18 x 23 x .75”, 2004. BACK COVER IMAGE, Joelle Ford, detail from Whimsy, collage, 32 x 40”, 2018-2020.

OUR CREATIVE REACH

FACEBOOK 12,000 FOLLOWERS

INSTAGRAM 4,500 FOLLOWERS

TWITTER 7,000 FOLLOWERS

YOUTUBE 360 SUBSCRIBERS EMAILING LIST 15,000 SUBSCRIBERS CATALOG CIRCULATION 45,000+

INCOME * STAFF & FACULTY

TOTAL $2,395,487

24%

federal pandemic relief funds

303

artists were employed as faculty, staff, and visiting artists

37%

39%

donations, foundations, grants, and memberships

tickets, tuition, art sales

$1,459,974 was

EXPENSES *

138,296 visitors came through our doors

THE

M I S S I O N of the Lawrence Arts Center

is to create meaningful arts experiences with and for the community through education, exhibitions, and performances.

* UNAUDITED FINANCIALS

77%

of the artists employed by the Arts Center reside in Douglas County

Audited financials available upon request. † Based on the Arts & Economic Prosperity V calculator.

paid to these artists

3%

visiting and resident artist program

1% scholarships

& financial aid

TOTAL $2,668,706

16% exhibitions

55% arts

education (includes preschool and dance)

25%

performing arts

ECONOMIC IMPACT † $9.3 MILLION 10,000,000 9,000,000 8,000,000 7,000,000 6,000,000 5,000,000 4,000,000 3,000,000 2,000,000 1,000,000 o

3

Million

LAWRENCE ARTS CENTER DIRECT SPEND

+

6.3

Million

LAWRENCE ARTS CENTER PATRON SPEND

=

9.3

Million

LAWRENCE ARTS CENTER DIRECT + PATRON SPEND

$404,926 generated in tax revenue for the city of Lawrence.

FUNDRAISING $16,768 Souper Bowl

$2,503 Early Childhood Poinsettia Sale $118,603 Benefit Art Auction $37,100 Raise the Paddle DCCF Giving for Good Campaign

Kits for Kids Thanks to generous community supporters Douglas County Community Foundation, Edward Jones Associates, and CEK Insurance, the Arts Center distributed more than 140 art kits to organizations including the Willow Domestic Violence Center, O’Connell Youth Ranch, Centro Hispano, CASA, and the Children’s Shelter.

H. Neil Mecaskey Jr. Foundation Inc.

Stage Lighting The foundation provided funding for an essential update of the lighting system for the mainstage auditorium. With this generous gift, the Arts Center is better equipped to keep up with ever-changing technology and make it possible for performers of all ages to shine in the spotlight for years to come!

CARES Act

Health & Safety Enhancements With federal and local relief funding, the Arts Center equipped the building with necessary equipment and improvements to keep the community healthy and safe. Those improvements include touchless water fountains and bathroom fixtures, a Tersano technology for toxn-free sanitization, and a livestreaming video system.

Tequa Creek

Auction Technology Invaluable support from Tequa Creek enabled the Arts Center to move to an online bidding platform for the Annual Benefit Art Auction. This technology helped us raise much-needed funding at a time when health and safety concerns required that the event be held virtually.

EDUCATION 4,761 total students VISUAL ARTS EDUCATION

PreK-K 208

1-12 1,042

Adults 676 318 of these students participated virtually SCHOOL OF DANCE

PreK-K 176 1-12 1,616 Adults 219 217 of these students participated virtually YEAR-ROUND EARLY CHILDHOOD

PreK 39

K 26 14 of these students participated virtually

PERFORMING ARTS

PreK-K 29

1-12 138

Adults 39 73 students participated virtually

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

PreK-K 150

Elementary 2,500

Adult 50 Even more people attended free, walk-in events throughout the year.

13 free events

ART HEALS Working with community partners and Douglas County Unified Command, the Lawrence Arts Center CEO and Marketing Director led the development of materials and implementation of the community-wide campaign to promote mental health resources in Douglas County.

13 community partners Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health Bert Nash Community Mental Health Lawrence Memorial Hospital Kansas Suicide Prevention HQ Lawrence Chamber of Commerce Douglas County Senior Resource Center City of Lawrence Lawrence Parks & Recreation The University of Kansas Willow Domestic Violence Center City of Eudora Baldwin City Parks & Recreation Lumberyard Arts Center

EXHIBITIONS 15 exhibitions works by 16 artists over 175 artists in the benefit art auction 50 Pre-K/K artists 40+ kittens adopted 1 big whale 7 INSIGHT Art Talks

15 Artists & the Art They Live With videos $16,400 paid to artists for artwork art talks & exhibitons are always free!

PERFORMING ARTS 83 live performances 44 virtual performances 51 performances were free!

696 student participants 170 community participants 294 professionals 46 guest artists

FREE STATE FESTIVAL

5,736 live audience 2,013 of these attendees joined us in South Park!

2,892 virtual audience

33 Free State Festival total events of these, 26 were free 39 artists/panelists 1,880 in person attendees 786 virtual attendees 18 festival partners & sponsors

Haskell Indian Nations University’s Hiawatha Center for Justice Lawrence Public Library Game Nut Breakout Lawrence Lawrence College & Career Center The Cider Gallery KU Department of Film & Media Studies Theatre Lawrence The Lied Center of Kansas The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics Douglas County Fairgrounds KU Audio-Reader Kansas Public Radio KU Department of French, Francophone & Italian Spencer Museum of Art City of Lawrence Mainline Printing KJHK