 Hello, everyone. I'm James Malan. Welcome to this edition or episode of Talk of the Town. And we are with our Arlington Center for the Arts Director, Tom Formicola, for a regular ACA update. We do these several times a year. People anticipate them and make good use of them, we have noticed. So first of all, let me welcome Tom. Thanks for being here. As always, it's fun to talk to you. I'm looking forward to it. Hello, James. I'm happy to be back. You and I were talking briefly beforehand about the fact that these updates, you know, because they occur more or less once per season or that's what we're aiming for, there's things that have happened and there's things that are going to happen and we need to talk about both. So I'd like to start with talking about a couple of the more recent events going on, especially high-profile ones like the blue jean ball that everybody associates with the ACA and also with being in Town Hall, which couldn't happen once again. But how did that go? You know, our community continues to be like super supportive and they continue to let us know how much they care about us. And I am happy to report that this year's blue jean ball, believe it or not, was the most successful blue jean ball we've ever had. Like, I mean, it's crazy, right? In the midst of all of this and with all the constraints and all the back flips we have to do. And with all of the choices people have about how to spend their time, people chose to spend their time with us. And they were really generous during that time. It was a fun event. I mean, I've never done a virtual event like this before. We worked with a great local producer. His name is Jonathan George. The staff here, including our communications director, Annalise Ruggles, really just sort of drove this in partnership with a committee of board members who worked really hard because we were all operating in the dark. You know, essentially we were like producing a television show, which you know, all about. And it was fun and it was exciting, but it was it was hard work and we were learning as we were going. But we had a great band, the Nefrock All Stars. We gave our Community Arts Award, the MacLennan Award to Tino D'Agostino. And we had a really beautiful video segment. And so many people as part of that segment came out to talk about how they, you know, had been influenced by Tino. It was really touching. And you know, he was like, you know, especially this year, the perfect recipient of that award because he so well embodies our mission of transforming lives through the arts and building community. The auction was a big success. We sold, you know, people were buying tickets differently this year. You know, typically it's one person per ticket, but this year, you know, you buy a link and some more people are watching. We anticipate, we expect about about maybe 300 people tuned in to that program, which is like 100 people more than we would normally see for an event like that in person. And I'm really, really proud to say that we exceeded our financial goal, which was 30,000, netting $30,000. We netted $40,000. And that largely came to us through donations and a really generous match from the Moody Lynn family of Arlington that really drove, you know, those other donations. It was miraculous. So let me move on to, I understand, I think you've just extended the member show that has been going on at the gallery for a while. We haven't extended it. It's closing on June 4th. There's a couple of weeks left, but it's a great show. It's a member show. It's called You and Me. And we talked about it last time, but it's essentially we ask artists to consider how we experience togetherness. And interestingly, we've had more in-person visitors for this exhibit than we've had for any other during the time of COVID. People are, you know, coming out of their shells and they seem really happy to spend a little bit of time in our gallery by appointment, socially distanced. But it's been nice to talk to people and see them looking at that art in person again. Yeah, I mean, obviously, this is the spring edition of this. We associate, of course, we associate renewal, hope, you know, kind of optimism with this time of year. And we all know that, you know, we're starting to, as unfamiliar as some of those feelings have been for a while, that's where many people are. So giving people the reason to get out and do something that they really enjoy and haven't been able to do in a while seems like a great recipe. And I'm glad to hear that there's been the response to that with this show. That's great. And as you said, we talked about this last time, anticipating what the show might be like. What is your take on the art that is on view here and the response to that prompt? So it really is a great show. There's lots to look at, lots of beautiful art. And I really do feel I have to walk through the gallery to get my coffee in the morning. And I have to say, like, over all the weeks that exhibit has been up, you know, every week something different catches my eye. And my favorite keeps changing. And the other thing that's really interesting is, of course, you know, all the virtual stuff with the exhibit is still happening as well. And we had a virtual opening and our program manager who curated this exhibit is Kat Bodewin. She talked about a lot of the art and she spotlighted the art. And what's interesting is I've been living with it for a couple of weeks at that point already. And she showcased some things that I hadn't noticed before. And it made me go, I mean, the next day I actually went in and I made a point of looking at them. It is interesting. It's just interesting how things catch your eye and what you're seeing and what you're not seeing. Right, especially as you go through the same, you know, as it's a daily opportunity for you, it's funny how those things that we have that kind of exposure to, we get blind to as opposed to opening up to a lot of the time. The nature of a member's show is that it's not, we don't make choices about what goes up on the walls and what doesn't. We say to our membership, we're going to do a member's show and this is how many pieces you can potentially submit. Boy, there's a lot of talented people here. It's a great quality show. Like, you know, you say something like that and you think, oh, you know, it's going to be uneven. There's nothing uneven about it. It's a fabulous show. Right. Well, how wonderful when, again, you're starting from a premise of just get the word out and take in whatever it is that is offered. And it turns out that that is of uniform high quality. You can't always guarantee that. So good for you and good for the member artists who have contributed. That, you know, these are, we've been talking about things that either happened as a single event like the Blue Gene Ball or this exhibit that's been going on for a while. But we should turn our focus now to what people can anticipate in the next days, weeks, months before we get to talk to you again. So just at your leisure and at your pace, tell us what some of the highlights are that we can look forward to. Sure. Well, I have an easy transition because when this you plus me exhibit exits our gallery in June, we will be showcasing some new art. And it's going to be art by local teenagers and it's going to be art that is produced by a new program that we're piloting this spring. And it's called Teen Artists on the Issues. And we got a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. I'm really proud to say to pilot this project. And essentially, we are assembling a small group of teenagers, about 20 total, we hope, and two groups. And they will spend time exploring the social issues that they care most about, the things that are on their mind about the world they've inherited and the future that they see and what they're hopeful about and what they'd like to change and the impact they'd like to have on the world. And we're going to ask them after they've had some discussions about that with one another, with their peers and with some facilitators, artists, activists, to create some art that's inspired by those conversations. And the third component of that project is to ask them to think, to be really thoughtful about the ways they'd like to share that art. In the spirit of sparking community conversation, constructive, productive, community conversation about issues that they care about. And again, I'm super excited to be doing this. This is an intensive weekend long project. It's just three days, a Friday night, all day Saturday, all day Sunday. But we are hoping ourselves to learn some things from doing this three day project. And we're actually hoping to build it out as like a three month project, beginning as early as next spring. So we're hoping that this becomes sort of a cornerstone of our youth programs as the years go on. And this becomes something that people look at and look for. And so we're taking the applications through the end of this month, I think through the 21st. So if you're a teenager who's watching and you're interested, please send us an application that's not a hard application. We just want to know what's inside your head and how you'd like to participate. And if you're a parent or an adult who knows a kid that you think would be a perfect match, please let them know to go to our website and complete an application. Yeah, a couple of things that strike me from what you've just described. One is love the fact that there is, that there are, there is, of course, it's centered around the art that they will produce. But it is that art is going to be produced as part of a process that enables them to both collaborate and confer and just process with other people, with other peers. And also includes the opportunity for them to induce, as you were saying, constructive public conversation, which is a hard thing for teenagers to get access to. Absolutely, absolutely. But we've noticed also, and we've noticed at ACMI, because we have a very thriving youth program at ACMI as well, that this is a generation of teenagers who want to have a voice, who have thoughtful things to share with us. And so they have taken full advantage of the opportunities given them through ACMI to do so through programming that they produce. But clearly there is a market there, so to speak, for the offer that you are making. So I'm hoping that, yeah, those subscriptions or those, that those signups go well and quickly and that they have a wonderful experience over those three days. The rest of us will enjoy the fruits of that experience. I didn't mention, and I should, it's a free project. So teens that are interested in participating can participate for free. So tuition shouldn't be a barrier. Nobody should worry about that. And the three artists that are leading the show are amazing. Well, again, it does sound genuinely exciting. So one thing, you and I were talking a little bit before we went on air about what we might discuss and you had mentioned that you've gotten a grant from the ACAC for professional development workshops for artists. Tell us a little bit more about that and I might have a question or two for you. Sure. So the grants committee from the Arlington Commission for Arts and Culture gave us a generous grant and we had this idea of, you know, we learned some things from the open studio that we presented last year because artists were forced to make a lot of leaps to, you know, sort of enter this new online world. And some artists were better prepared to make those leaps than others. And we do fully believe that part of our job is, you know, advocating for artists and making sure that they have the tools and the resources that they need to succeed so that they can enrich this community that we all share. And so out of that, we felt like a new commitment to creating a series of workshops that essentially build up artists and sustain their ability to do what they do. And so we're offering a total of four workshops, two in the spring and two in the fall. They're open to anybody who's interested, artists working at all levels. And, you know, we're trying to help artists sort of think more like business people, like to make choices that really help them ensure some sustainability to their, you know, to their work life. And, you know, how to be competitive when they're submitting work to, you know, participate in an exhibit or, you know, an open studio program. You know, how to think about accounting, how to think about like pricing their work and the services that they provide so that they're being compensated fairly, you know, for the time that they're spending, you know, how to market their work, how to think about, you know, social media and developing a brand. And we have a bunch of facilitators that are really expert in this, that are really well regarded, like throughout the greater Boston area and who do this work for themselves, and who also coach other folks on doing this work throughout the year. So we're really excited to be able to offer this opportunity to local artists. And so far, like folks have been coming out of the woodwork to learn and participate. And, you know, a little bit selfishly, we're hoping this also enriches our open studios, you know. Right, absolute. Right, well, that's, you know, as you said, that was the source of, you know, of this renewed kind of this reinvigorated commitment to providing this kind of thing. But I have to say, I was intrigued by what the heck is professional development for artists, but you've just described it really, really well. And what I think is profoundly like what I'm intrigued, just to see how it will work out, is that you're the ACA, right? You're the Arlington Center for the Arts has the cred to be able to go to artists, I would think, and say, let's talk to you about all these business aspects. Let's help you to think more in this way that, you know, it's an age old kind of tension, right, for artists. Go, it's not age, ages old, right, from the dawn of time, I assume, that tension between art and commerce. You know, needing to make, you know, needing to follow your muse, but also make a living is just ever with us. So, and the open studios from our perspective as ACMI, in terms of helping to make them happen, technically, we could see what you're talking about, that there was a real variety of backgrounds and experience and level of comfort levels, etc., with the different things that kind of needed to be done in order for the artists to really be able to have their work shine. So, great service, it sounds like to me, for the local artists who you're going to be drawing in, but also, again, you guys are well positioned to make that argument to people who might be reluctant to hear it from other sources. Again, my colleagues Pam Shanley and Annalise Ruggles have been, you know, really on this, like they had a vision for this, and you know, they knew who to talk to and how to make it happen. It's been amazing. You know, I mean, the thing that's so strange about this past year, right, is everyone's been wearing their needs on their sleeve. So, it's much easier than ever before to identify what people need, which makes it easier to respond. I mean, you know, artists needed, you know, some help, you know, making a leap. And, you know, and we're all, I mean, you know, going back to that team program again, like we, you know, this is a year where we've all taken a deep dive into, like, what's happening in the world politically and socially. And we need opportunities to talk about it. Right. And art has always been a place where that gets distilled, you know, by the participants, but also for the rest of us, who then maybe are just taking in the final results of that, but nonetheless are obviously impacted by it. All right. Well, Tom, what else do we have to look forward to? We're about halfway through spring here, so we could lean into summer as well. I imagine that you will be running summer, if you were able to run summer camps for kids last year, I guess, you know, this year, you've had both the experience from last year and some more flexibility, it seems. We were ready this year. So, we did five weeks of in-person camp last year, and I'm happy to report that we're back to offering 10 weeks of in-person camp this summer. It'll run from the last week of June through the first week of September. So, right up to Labor Day. And, you know, our capacity is still limited, because, you know, we've been planning these programs, and, you know, there's still some question marks about what the world is going to look like in the next months. It feels like the gates have flown wide open, but they haven't quite flown wide open yet. So, you know, we're cautious, we're moving forward, but we're moving forward sort of cautiously and self-consciously, and we're trying to, you know, continue to take a read of what's possible from the governor and from the town and what people want and are comfortable with, you know, that are participating in these programs. But, we'll do 10 weeks of camp this year that look a lot like the camp that we did last year. Classes will continue to be small, students will continue to be socially distanced. They will, we expect that students will continue to need to wear their masks because a lot of the activities will be happening indoors, you know, relatively close proximity, six feet apart. But just being able to double the number of programs we're doing and double the number of students that we served last year is great. It's still about 60, roughly 60% of what we would be able to do in a normal summer, but we're anticipating, you know, in 2022 that we're going to be running at full throttle again. And, you know, we've had good practice in February and April. We did a week of vacation arts camp in both of those months as well. So, we're, you know, primed and ready to jump back in. We'll be, we're splitting programs between St. Paul's Church over on Route 2 and here the ACA facility at 20 Academy Street. Excellent. I am reminded or I'm just kind of thinking that where we are in this year's calendar right now, as we speak, in a normal year, in normal years, we might be looking forward to Porch Fest, which is a, you know, obviously completely inextricably linked with the ACA and also a very popular event in Arlington as it has been in the other surrounding towns and for obvious reasons. Also one that I would think would be logistically, it would just be hard to figure out how to make something like that happen this year with all of the variables. But if you have any news or impression that you can share with us about where Porch Fest sits for you guys, then I'm sure the audience wants to know. And I have a less than excellent answer for you. You know, people love Porch Fest. We love Porch Fest. We'd really like to be able to do a Porch Fest event. It's certainly not going to happen on the normal timeline. Normally we would do it in early June and I don't think we're not ready for that and I don't think the world is quite ready for that either. Regrettably not, yep. But things are opening up and they are opening up quickly. And I can say that we are exploring the possibility of a fall Porch Fest event. But that's not written. No guarantees folks, no guarantees. But we know how much people care about it. We know how much people want it. And if we can make it happen, we will. But that depends on like again what the state and what the town is allowing and what the logistics look like and what our capacity is to do it as well. Small staff here, there's four of us full-time. There's a significant part-time person. So there's five of us on a good day. And we'll have just come out of 10 weeks of camp. We'll be looking forward to an open studios event in November. We'll be starting a new term in September. So everything sort of has to align just right. Because we want to answer need, but we want to do it smartly. Right. Well, I mean, you said it was going to be a much less than good answer. And I think that's the best answer realistically that we can hope for in a lot of ways. Which is just what I hear you saying is that there's a confirmation that you understand the importance and the value of Porch Fest to the community. How much the community would embrace the opportunity to have one whenever it was able to occur as long as it wasn't the darkest, deepest days of winter. And that you're going to explore whether you can do it. And again, hopefully I speak for others in the audience when I say, all right, I can live with that because that's better than nothing. Yeah. And it's also again shows you, shows that you guys have an awareness and a commitment to trying to make it happen. Fair enough. And certainly we're hoping in June 2022, we're back on our normal schedule again. Right. We're going to hold you to that, I can tell you. That's going to be a problem. If you're, if you're trying to give a less than good answer, then you're in trouble. Anything else you would mention the open studios. I'm not sure if you want, you know, that's going to be, we've got another chance to talk to you in the summer and maybe even in the fall before those arrive. So I can tell you, we've begun to plan. And, you know, it is likely to be a hybrid event this year. Again, you're going to see, I'm expecting that you will see in the fall that we're doing more in-person programming and less virtual programming, but there's still going to be some virtual programming and there's still going to be some people who I think are more comfortable in a virtual world than an in-person world. And so, you know, we're trying to balance the need and we're trying to figure out what that balance should be. That's the hard question is how much virtual, how much in-person. And so we're still coming to terms with that, but it will likely be a hybrid event. Our fall term will also be a hybrid, but you're going to see the, you're going to see it skewing far more to in-person programming than it has in the last terms. Yeah. And I think what you just described there for your fall term and the open studios, et cetera, is you're also describing our lives in a sense because it's hard to imagine that we are just going to, okay, that's all done. Now we're right back to it. No, obviously not. There's going to, it's going to be a hybrid life, it feels like to me. So why shouldn't the ACA reflect that as well? All right. Well, if, let me just invite you, as I always do, to bring up anything we may have missed, though we did cover quite a bit of ground. Yeah. You know, I just want to say this because I think it's important to say, you know, the community, I believe in a lot of ways, has really come closer together in the last year. And, you know, we're one of like a whole bunch of community arts organizations that's doing great work in town. And we're all rolling up our sleeves. And we're all talking, you know, together often. And I just, you know, I want to mention like Arlington Commission for Arts and Cultures is doing some great programming in the weeks that are coming. They're doing this neighborhood Haiku project that's fabulous. And they're also doing this Echo Arts project that people should really take note of. In fact, next Wednesday, they're hosting a panel discussion, a virtual panel discussion that people should really look at. But Arlington Continuing Ed and Parks and Rec, I'm talking to those folks often because, you know, they do programming that looks a lot like our programming that, and we compliment each other in a lot of ways. And we fill, you know, gaps for one another. And they've been working hard as well. And Arlington Children's Theater is doing fabulous stuff. And thank God, the Regent seems to be opening back up again. And the old Schwamp Mill has some great plans for summer. And the Arlington Film Festival has really been smart about like how they've navigated their way through this year so far and how they'll continue to. And I just, you know, I didn't want to end without just saying like, I'm really proud to be like part of that community. We're not operating in isolation. And I don't really believe that we're competitors. I really believe that we all lift each other up. Well, I can't believe you left out the Arlington Tiddlywinks consortium, but that's okay. I'm sure I forgot some folks. I'm sorry. I'm sure you might have, but not too many. But those are all the folks that I've been talking to, like just in the last days. Always fun to talk to you, Tom, really. Best of luck. You're clearly a very, very busy man in organization, but you make this time and you make it seem like it's easy for you. So good. Good for you. We know it's not. There's a lot. Fair enough. All right, we will talk to Tom Formicola again in a few months time for the summer ACA update. This has been the springtime edition of that with our thanks to Tom. I'm James Milan. This is Talk of the Town. We appreciate you being here and we'll see you next time.