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When we think about the future of cultural institutions, is bigger always better? With more museums, universities, and large arts nonprofits increasingly constrained by the rigid institutional hierarchies that come hand-in-hand with big budgets, where do we look for alternative operating models?
Amplify’s next Alternate Currents panel discussion 'DIY or Don’t, Artist-Run Spaces and Cultural Institutions' brings together theater maker and founder of the Leavenworth Space, Sarah Lynn Brown; Baader Meinhof’s Kyle Laidig; and artist and co-founder of The Mez, Joelle Sandfort for a candid conversation about how independent, alternative, DIY, and self-run spaces question and queer institutional hierarchies through collective ownership, community-informed decision making, and horizontal leadership. Together with moderator Lillan Snortalnd, panelists will discuss how some of these models might be scaled to decentralize wealth and power in the cultural sector as a whole.
Join the conversation Wednesday, November 17th at 7pm by registering HERE. You will receive a confirmation email with a link to join the discussion on Zoom after registering. And don’t forget to visit the Alternate Currents blog before the discussion for more on the topic.
Alternate Currents opens space for conversation, ideation, and action around national and international discussions in the arts that have a profound impact at the local level. Alternate Currents exists both on- and off-line in the form of a dedicated online resource, conversation series, and working group.
Free and open to all. Virtual programming is presented with the support of the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.
About the Panelists:
Sarah Lynn Brown (she/hers) has worked in Omaha as a director, actor, adaptor, and educator for the past 20 years, where she has facilitated countless productions and theatre education programs.
In 2016, Sarah founded “Juno’s Swans,” a program that explores identity and the gender continuum through theatrical storytelling, discussion, and performance workshops. She is currently on the Nebraska Arts Council Artist Roster as a Theatre and Gender Performance educator and a contract facilitator for Inclusive Communities.
Additionally, Sarah has worked for Utah Shakespeare, Nebraska Shakespeare, NTC productions, Folger Library Theatre, BlueBarn Theatre, Omaha Performing Arts, Omaha Symphony, Opera Omaha, Denizen Theatre (NY), University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Creighton University. Currently, Sarah created and teaches from a shared studio: Leavenworth Space in Omaha Nebraska. She has a Masters of Arts in Theatre Education from the University of Northern Colorado and a BA from University of Nebraska at Omaha in Theatre Performance.
Kyle Laidig founded Baader-Meinhof, a center for contemporary art located in Omaha, NE. Baader-Meinhof is committed to connecting Middle America to an international art economy and giving a voice to an international conversation on art and culture. As a part of this mission, Baader-Meinhof operates a residency program which provides living accommodations and access to fabrication resources for artists living outside the Midwest.
Joelle Sandfort is an interdisciplinary artist living in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2017, she co-founded The Mez, a community space, music venue, and art gallery. She has taught at the high school level and led workshops with the Naturalist School and the South Omaha Mural Project. Joelle has exhibited her work at Tugboat Gallery in Lincoln and Sanctuarium in Omaha. She holds a BA in Art and her K-12 Education certification from Nebraska Wesleyan University.
About the Moderator:
Lillian Snortland, originally from Eugene, Oregon, is a self-taught writer of fiction, poetry, and essays. She has explored themes of fantasy, surrealism, and the imaginative feminine from a young age. At Carleton College, she studied storytelling and material culture of the past—Classical Studies, French literature and media, and art history, and continues to play with a multidisciplinary perspective in her analysis today. She currently works in the nonprofit arts sector to provide opportunities of capacity-building and cultural capital to those in need. Lillian was recently accepted into the Virtual Collaborative Program for Emerging Artists, hosted by Exit 11 Performing Arts Company and Postscript Magazine. Further writing can be found at https://chaimihai.wordpress.com/.