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What is it like to jump feet first into a successful community arts organization, honoring tried-and-true programming while trying to bring in something new and challenge expectations in a way that isn’t alienating?

Sandee McGee is an artist and Gallery Director at the Umpqua Valley Arts Association in Roseburg in southern Oregon. She talked to us about creating a space where community arts and more traditional art practices can cohabit with challenging contemporary work, and how they might benefit from each other. Sandee tells us about the backlash involved in going in a new direction, away from more traditional material-based practices to contemporary art, and the role of the mission statement of the organization in navigating that terrain.

Arguably, the value of culture is what comes after and surrounds the event or exhibition in addition to the particular work itself. Where traditional art shows generate very short and polite conversations, more conceptual work prompts deeper, and sometimes more polarized conversations with a longer reach. But we can’t expect everyone to have an expert knowledge of art, so how do we open ourselves up and invite people in, without taking away the moment of discovery?

It’s about building an audience by meeting people where they are and creating a comfortable zone where new ideas aren't threatening. Signage is a way in for many people, so being generous with information around the work and the premise of the show is an important aspect of accessibility. How a show is curated and the nuances of the language that is used can have a huge impact. In a small town you can really do damage with the way you talk about the work, and how you present it. There is fear of misunderstanding on both sides: the artist and the audience are both vulnerable to ridicule and “not knowing”.

Links:

Sandee McGee: http://sandeemcgee.virb.com/portfolio

Umpqua Valley Arts Association: https://uvarts.com/

Richard Billingham: https://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/richard_billingham.htm

Marie Watt: http://www.mariewattstudio.com/

Cynthia Lahti: http://cynthialahti.blogspot.com/

The Ford Family Foundation: https://www.tfff.org/

Mika Aono Boyd: https://mikaboyd.com/home.html

John Whitten: http://www.johnwhitten.com/