This week on the podcast, we’re joined by Kristin Reese, the executive director of the Mono Arts Council. Kristin shares her journey and dedication to promoting creativity in the Eastern Sierra region of California. In our conversation, she outlines the Mono Arts Council’s evolution, emphasizing its shift toward arts education. Kristin believes that every child in Mono County should have access to the arts, and she discusses the numerous initiatives aimed at making that happen. 

Having grown up in the Eastern Sierra, Kristin developed a passion for the performing arts early on, influenced by her family of artists, musicians, and dancers. After earning her Bachelor of Arts in music from Sonoma State University, she felt the pull to return to her roots. Once back, she co-founded the Sierra Classic Theatre in 1999 and later worked at the Edisto Gallery & Tea Room, where she connected with local artists. 

Now at the helm of the Mono Arts Council, Kristin is committed to ensuring arts education is a priority for all K-12 students in the region. She highlights the positive impact of arts education on students, noting how it can improve test scores and attendance while also supporting mental health and social-emotional learning. The Council also runs several adult programs, like Art & Wine and the MAC Gallery & Community Arts Center, creating platforms for local artists to showcase their work. With her background in music and a deep love for the arts, Kristin aims to strengthen connections within the local arts community and inspire the next generation of creators.

Links mentioned in this episode: 

Arterial

ArtsvilleUSA

First Friday Exhibitions

Mono Arts Council

Mono Arts Council on Facebook

Mono Arts Council on Instagram

NOT REAL ART

NOT REAL ART Podcast

Remote Video Series

Scott “Sourdough” Power

For more information, please visit https://notrealart.com/mono-arts-council-kristin-reese/

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The Not Real Art Podcast celebrates creativity and creative culture worldwide.

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Greetings and salutations, my creative brothers and sisters.

Welcome to Not Real Art, the podcast where we talk to the world's most creative people.

I am your host.

Faithful, trusty, loyal, tireless, relentless host.

Sourdough coming at you from Crew West Studio in Los Angeles.

Man, do we have a great show for you today.

We have the one and only Kristen Zane Power Reese, the Executive Director of the Mono Arts Council in Mono County, California.

The Eastern Sierra, AKA Mammoth Lakes, famous for its amazing skiing.

Kristen is an arts leader in that part of California and she's on the show to talk about her great work.

So please stay tuned for that great conversation.

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A lot of great inspiring stuff there.

So without further ado, I want to get into this fantastic conversation.

I had with Kristen Reese.

While she spent her youth mostly learning the performing arts, she was constantly exposed from having painters, photographers, musicians and dancers in her family.

She left that area, which is pretty rural, to obtain her Bachelor's of Arts degree in music from Sonoma State University.

But she of course couldn't stay away too long because the Eastern Sierra is gorgeous.

Absolutely gorgeous.

Think about, if you think about Yosemite national park, that's where Yosemite is, that area for those of us who have been there, we know how gorgeous it is.

So it's hard to leave and certainly easy to come back.

Certainly when you call it home, right?

So when she got back, she quickly reconnected to the Eastern Sierra arts community.

And she will work, as she always does, towards ensuring that every child of Mono county has access to the art.

She hopes to connect more artists and patrons of all arts to this long standing organization.

She is currently the singer and percussionist for the local band Bodhi 601.

She enjoys backpacking, kayaking, jogging and cross country skiing, loves taking pictures and learning new art mediums and resides in the Mono Basin with her husband and fellow musician Russ.

I met Kristen because I spent a lot of time up in this part of the country, this part of the state, and I wanted to connect with the local arts community there.

And I looked up Mono Arts Council.

I learned about Kristen.

I reached out, gave her old cold call, little email and stalked her until she agreed to have coffee with me.

And then much to my surprise, she invited me to join the board of the organization.

So I'm now on the board of the Mono Arts Council, which is fantastic.

Just a few weeks in here, some still wet behind the ears and learning all about it and can't wait to make some hopefully valuable contributions to this organization and to the artists working and living in this very special part of the world.

So I'm thrilled.

And by the way, did know Kristen and I are actually cousins.

Kristen told me that as I might have mentioned, her name is Kristen Zane Power Reese.

And Power is my last name, good old Irish name.

And turns out Chris and I are actually distant cousins.

So that's very cool.

Without further ado, let's get into this fantastic conversation with the One and only Kristen Zane Power Reese.

Kristen Reese.

Welcome to not real Art.

Thank you for having me.

You're classing up the joint.

I am so excited to have you here because a number one, I know how busy you are, and for you to take time to come onto the show means a lot.

I'm really grateful.

But of course, as you may or may not know, I think you know, this is a space where we like to, as I like to say, talk to the world's most creative people.

We're here to help artists tell their stories and promote their work.

And so you align perfectly with our mission.

Of course, the great work you do at the Mono Arts Council is, of course, absolutely aligned with our mission.

And by the way, I was recently honored and accepted as a board member.

And so, like, I don't know what you're thinking or drinking over there having me on the board, but I am so excited and grateful to be on the board and look forward to contributing not just to the organization that I admire and respect, but to this amazing part of the country, the eastern Sierra, and helping and serving the artists that live and work there.

And so thank you for coming on the show and thank you for having me on the board.

Really happy to have you.

We're excited about, you know, just the opportunities that you bring to the table.

And, yeah, it's an exciting time for Mono Arts Council.

Mono Arts Council.

So, so.

And of course, as a board member, I should know this, but I'm a new board member, so, you know, got me some slack.

When was the.

What's the origin story?

This is for the benefit of our listeners here.

Take us back to the origin story of Mono Arts.

Sure.

So the arts council started very informally by a group of local artists who were interested in putting on an arts festival in Mammoth Lake.

There was, you know, handful of artists that didn't have any opportunities in the late 60s to showcase their art or sell their art.

So they decided that they wanted to start an art festival on Labor Day weekend.

And for anyone who has been to Mammoth during Labor Day weekend in the recent years, it was nothing like it is now.

It was dead.

You know, in the late 60s, early 70s, mammoth was only a new ski town.

And so the only recreation that happened was during the winter, and during the summer, it just went to bed.

And so they decided, well, let's.

Let's do something.

Let's, you know, create an event to bring people to the area and.

And maybe get some exposure for our own art.

So they started the festival, the Labor Day Festival of the Art, I believe in nine.

And you know, they had it.

I think it's in an area that's now been developed.

But anyway, so that was unofficially how it started.

And that event just kind of continued year after year after year.

And eventually they were kind of growing the event and decided that, well, gosh, we're making some money, we're getting some exposure, so let's organize.

And they turned themselves into the Mammoth Art Guild and they were known as the Mammoth Art Guild for many years.

So they filed their paperwork with the IRS and the, you know, all the stuff you need to do as a nonprofit.

And over the years, obviously we've evolved.

We don't do the Labor Day Festival of the Arts anymore.

That's a heck of a run.

That's a heck of a run, though.

50 years it was.

And we had a big 50 year celebration with some of the original founders of the art guild and, and the posters from all the years.

So it was really special.

But you know, we've had lots of different events over the years.

Mammoth celebrates the art we'd had.

There was an event by one of our founding executive director called Fiesta Caliente.

But over the years that the organization has just evolved in toward being responsive to what the community needs are and kind of led us to where we are today, which is that our primary focus is arts education and making sure that all the students in Mono county have access to all art.

Yeah.

Wow.

And that's, that's obviously, you know, critically important for so many reasons.

And we'll get into, you know, taking a step back for a second because of course, you and I know exactly what we're talking about when we say things like Eastern Sierra and Mono County.

But for those listeners in Germany and abroad, let's be more specific in terms of where exactly we're talking about.

Right.

We're talking about the Eastern Sierra in California.

Eastern California Central.

Well, you know, I guess central eastern part of the state.

Mammoth Lakes being the sort of beloved ski destination that is in Mono County.

But.

But many wonderful things happen or exist in Mono county, not the least of which is Mono Lakes, which is incredibly beautiful.

And so this is just a really special, beautiful part of California of the United States of the world.

And.

And you grew up up there.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Wow.

You hit the.

You hit the jackpot.

Unlike a lot of people who grow up in rural areas, you actually, you actually left and then came back because it's so amazing.

A lot of people leave rural areas that never come back.

And so talk about that.

What was that like for you growing up and then.

And then leaving and then coming back?

Yeah, so it was, it was definitely interesting.

My parents were living in San Diego and they just didn't feel like the part of San Diego we were living in was a good place to raise a kid.

So they moved, you know, and they.

My mom had been coming to Mammoth with her family for a long time, and it was just a really special place for them.

And.

And yeah, you know, it was.

We lived in Mammoth at first and it was again, very different than it used than it is now.

It was very much a small town and we lived in the part of Mounds Lake they call the ghetto, which is not at all a ghetto.

Yeah.

And, you know, we knew our neighbors and it was, it just had that kind of very small town feel feel to it.

And then when I was about six, we moved to Crowley.

And then, you know, we were there until I graduated from high school.

You know, I, it was, you know, growing up there, I had obviously a lot of exposure to the outdoors.

We're, you know, very close to Yosemite national park, so we would go there a lot during the summer when you can access the park.

And so we did a lot of hiking and biking and, you know, going to the different lakes.

My grandfather is an avid.

Was an avid fisherman, so we would fish a lot in Crowley Lake.

And during the, during the winter, I mean, you're by a ski resort, so, of course, you know, I skied on the mountain.

My parents were both ski instructors, so we definitely had a lot of outdoor exposure, but the cultural exposure was limited.

That being said, I feel like there were a lot of different organizations throughout the area that were really, you know, doing a lot.

And, and so I, you know, there was an organization called Heiser Musical Theater that started in 81 or something around there, and they, they do a summer musical every year.

And so, you know, one of my very first live theater experiences was going to see the Sound of Music at what is now Canyon Lodge.

Live on stage and sitting on A hay bale with.

My parents love it, but it was just magical.

And they would do.

There was also the Sierra Summer Festival happening around the same time.

So they bring classical music and folk music and other kinds of things to the same stage.

And, you know, they're in a beautiful outdoor setting.

So it's kind of a unique, you know, where arts met the outdoors kind of experience.

And so I really, you know, I enjoyed that.

And then as far as, like, being a kind of a quirky, artistic person, my parents recognized that, so they tried to get me involved in, you know, whatever they could.

Of course, I did Girl Scouts because, you know, it's outdoors, and you got to do things outdoors here.

But then I did, like, gymnastics, and that turned into dance lessons.

And, you know, and then eventually I started taking piano lessons because there weren't, like, really any in school opportunities for music.

Right.

So, you know, everything we did was.

It was, like, out of pocket for my parents, and it was some kind of lesson with, you know, either a dance teacher or piano teacher or whatever.

My parents were not wealthy by any means, and so it definitely was always a struggle for them, but they, you know, is important to them.

Yes.

So, yeah, you know, they brought me, you know, our experiences wherever they could, and I'm really grateful for that.

And then in high school, you know, again, there was.

There was a little bit.

I.

You know, because I'd done dance, I auditioned to be a cheerleader, but I.

Because I've been doing ballet and everything, I was a little too grateful for that.

So they.

They made me the mascot.

Graceful.

To be a cheerleader.

I don't know.

That's amazing.

So, yeah, I became the high school mascot, but I had a lot of fun doing that.

So that was.

But then it was not, you know, then my freshman year, I found the theater.

The theater club.

And then it was like, okay, now I found my people.

And so I started working backstage on the, you know, the spring musical, which was Little Shop of Horrors, and.

And just like, yeah, found my tribe.

And that was amazing.

And, like, I did every single show I could for all the rest of high school.

And, you know, you know, met my friends and people I would hang out with for the rest of, you know, the school, the school year and all four years.

And I also did vocal jazz.

I have always loved music.

I actually majored in music in college, and I loved that, too.

But I, believe it or not, was a very shy person in high school.

I really find that hard to believe.

But.

Okay, I'll take your word.

For it.

Very timid, very shy, very unsure of myself.

And so in vocal jazz, I was, you know, it's an ensemble, but I was always very quiet.

And so, you know, I try to audition for solos, but I never just.

Yeah, I could not stand.

You don't have lead singer syndrome, Is that.

Is that what you're saying?

At least I did it.

Yeah.

So, like, my nickname in vocal jazz was Fievel the Mouth.

Yeah.

So.

But I still loved it.

And we would go to the Reno Jazz Festival because Nevada is just right next door to us and there's, you know, three hour trip, so I love that.

But that program actually got cut while I was in school because the funding for arts education was getting just thrashed at the time.

And so I think I was a junior in high school when that program just went away.

And at that point I had already decided that I was going to major in music in college.

And the one class I had in school that could potentially prepare me for going to music school was gone.

That was.

That was pretty rough.

And I remember being just completely devastated by that.

And.

But it also fuels me now.

Right.

Having that experience.

So.

But yeah, you know, it's.

The school has grown, the community has grown.

I'm really grateful.

When I, you know, growing up and going to high school in the early 90s, it wasn't easy, I'll give you that.

I'm only one of a few of my classmates that stayed or that came back and pretty much everybody left and never came back because, you know, for a class size of 30 students, we had cliques and we had bullies and, you know, if you didn't have your people, you were very isolated and, you know.

Yeah.

Like, you have a few friends and that's it.

And.

And so, yeah, it was interesting.

Yeah.

So.

So.

So clearly you found your people and you found your.

Your.

Well, for, I guess a good way of putting it, you found your voice, you found your people.

In the performing arts.

And terms of rural communities, you sort of hit the jackpot because you are in this amazing mountainous area that is, you know, you know, not just skiable, but.

But great skiing.

And then, you know, with its proximity to Yosemite and Nevada, like, really sweet spot, you know, in terms of rural living.

But you, you leave and come back and you left to study performing arts.

Right.

Like you.

You.

And forgive me I should know this, but was it San Jose State?

Where did you, where did you go to college?

I went to Sonoma State.

Sonoma State, Sorry.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And then you Studied theater arts at Sonoma State.

Actually, I studied music.

Music, okay.

Yeah, yeah.

And that's where you developed your Lead Singer syndrome.

Sure.

What'd you major in?

Lead Singer syndrome.

Amazing.

So then you graduate right after graduation.

Did you then come back, or did you, like, go on walkabout?

What was it like after graduation?

Did you head right back?

I did, actually.

I had been coming back for the summers because I had a steady summer job.

One of the summer before I graduated, I came back and I auditioned for the musical Anything Goes and was.

Was cast in that.

And so, you know, while I was there and, you know, getting to know some of the, you know, families of the cast members and so on, and they were learning about what I was going to school for, I, you know, I, you know, found out that there was a big need for people to teach voice and music lessons.

And at that time, I was.

I just finished up three years of doing music education training.

For a little bit, I thought I was going to be a music teacher and come back and maybe try and get a job teaching music at my high school.

Maybe I was going to try and revamp that vocal jazz program.

But again, that was still when the state of arts education was very poor in California and there just wasn't funding for that.

So I kind of lost my, I don't know, inspiration for that.

And so I went into.

I switched over to vocal studies.

And so, yeah, I.

I came back for the summer and found out that there might be, you know, a potential for me to teach at least private lessons if I came back.

So when I graduated the following summer, I didn't really know what I was going to do yet.

So I thought, well, I'll go back home and at least just give things a try.

And what happens?

And immediately got thrown into a musical before I could even think about trying to start any kind of business or anything like that.

So I ended up playing the unthinkable Molly Brown.

I was Molly.

So, yeah, I ended up having 22 students between voice and piano lessons.

And then after a short amount of time, when I tried to reiterate that in order to actually get anywhere with their lessons, they needed to practice, that number whittled down to eight students.

Right?

Right.

Yes.

Oh, I have to work at this.

Yeah, Let me.

Let me tap out.

Right.

So unfortunately, I wasn't able to make that into any kind of living, especially Mammoth at that time.

That was.

Things that really started to change in Mammoth.

We had a lot of development coming in.

The cost of living had gone way up since I had been there before.

So I had to get other jobs.

Yes, indeed.

That's how it works.

That's how it works.

How, how did you become involved in with Mac and now, I mean, you're Ed now.

I mean, you run, you know, you're our fearless leader.

Talk about that specific journey for you, for, you know, what was that like for you?

Yeah, so I, you know, I, I definitely when I came back, I was very passionate about arts in the community.

So I, I got involved with High Sierra Musical Theater.

Unfortunately they were kind of financially struggling, so they folded shortly after I moved back.

And they're still going.

They just celebrated their 25th anniversary.

That's exciting.

Great.

Well done.

Yeah, so I was definitely, you know, passionate about the community and passionate about bringing the art, but you know, that was a volunteer thing obviously, so, so I, you know, I stayed involved with that as long as I could, you know, but I got to pay the bills.

So I had various jobs in Mammoth and all over the place.

And around the time that I moved to where I live now, which is overlooking Mono Lake, nearly vining, I kind of had this realization of like the trajectory of my life and that I wanted to work in the non profit world.

I don't know, someone needs to.

What's wrong with you, Kristen?

I mean, why are you such a good person?

But so I started looking around and came across this organization called the Eastern Sierra Interpretive association, which is now called Sierra Forever.

And they had a visitor center and bookstore pretty close to where I live near Mono Lake.

And, and they were hiring.

So I thought, well, you know, I love the outdoors, I love the area and I love sharing, you know, sharing about our area with people.

So I'll give this a try.

So I did that for five years and had its ups and downs, but overall I did enjoy it.

And again, I loved working for a nonprofit and get, you know, sort of giving back and, and all that.

But I, the organization was going through some changes and I went to this, it was a certification for becoming an interpreter in Anza Borrego Desert here in California, you know, about six hours south or something.

And here I'm here with like all these biologists and all these naturalists and all these people who are doing presentations on snakes and tarantulas and plants and all this stuff which I know some about, but not enough to like do a whole presentation on.

And they're like, well, just do it on Something, you know, and so I'm like, oh, God.

I'm like, what am I going to do?

What am I going to do?

And there's a piano at our, you know, the site that we're all staying at.

I'm like, well, she said, do it.

I'll let you know.

So.

So I decided I'm gonna do my presentation on the piano.

And so I did.

And I, you know, I feel like I did pretty well because I know a lot about the piano.

But after that, I was.

It was a big, like, light bulb.

Okay.

I think I'm in the wrong field.

I still love nonprofit, but maybe.

I think maybe I need to shift my focus and really put my energy toward trying to find a job in the arts world.

Yes.

So.

So I just, you know, again, like, started looking around, and at the time, the Arts Council was going through a big restructuring.

Founding executive director was.

Had just left, and the person who was their education director was moving into her role, and she was looking for an assistant director.

And I just happened, you know, again, I just put it out in the universe.

And so I go to this gallery reception that they had and I, you know, like, hey, you know, I'm just curious, like, if you guys happen to have any job opening, you know, I'm thinking of making a shift and, you know, I don't know, let me know if you have anything.

And so the executive director at the time was like, you know, actually, we are making a big move.

And so I'll, you know, let you know.

She.

Yeah.

Wow.

Wow.

That.

That's.

I mean, you know, from.

From 0 to 100.

Right.

10 years ago, you know, you've been there.

I can't believe you've been there 10 years.

That's incredible.

I just joined the board.

I hope you're not going anywhere anytime soon.

I mean, you know, 10 years is a good time.

It's a good time to change.

When you joined 10 years ago, how would you say the mission has evolved over 10 years?

Yeah, I think so.

It has evolved quite a bit.

So it's a.

It's like a nationwide program.

You purchase it and then it's Art history and visual arts lessons.

So we were doing that program all throughout Mono County.

We had after school programs, we had summer programs for kids, and that was about it.

And honestly, like, we had a couple extra teaching artists, but I was teaching, she, Kendra was teaching.

And then we had two part time staff that were running the gallery.

And then we had the Liberty Festival of the Arts we were still doing.

We had the 4th of July festival we were doing.

And then we also launched a festival at the time called June, like Jam Festival, which is still happening, but it's not ours anymore.

So we had these three big events and then these few education programs.

And so that the events honestly were taking up probably 70% of our time throughout the year.

And so, you know, it was.

It was different.

They were kind of there to fundraise and, you know, and they were.

They had a purpose.

They were, you know, supporting some of our local artists.

Not a lot because the booth fees were pretty high and they were bringing a lot of artists from out of the area, and we had people from all over the country coming to exhibit.

So it definitely served a purpose.

But that's, you know, again, the events were taking up a big portion of our energy.

And so, you know, so we did that for a few years.

We definitely were kind of trying to make a shift more towards arts education.

At that time, Kendra was especially passionate about arts education.

And so we were getting more involved with Mono county office of Education and trying to develop more programming with them.

We.

We worked with a superintendent at the time to start working on a strategic art plan for Mono county for education.

And so we started that process.

You know, it was.

We were just again trying to slowly make that shift more towards education.

And then I applied for the job.

As the executive director just in time for Covid.

Yes, that was super fun.

So we had.

So we had.

It was really interesting.

But we, you know, one of the things that we wanted to do was to start bringing in more education programs, like a music program for this.

You know, we have two.

Just two school districts, well, technically three, but two main school districts here in Mono county.

And one of them, they have.

They didn't have any music Education at all.

K through 12th grade, nada.

Whereas the district that supports Mammoth Lakes, they have a very robust music program that's actually now TK through 12th grade.

So we were working on trying to develop a program for that, but again, still doing all these festivals.

And so right after that, at that time, which it actually still is, the venue where that festival happen was for sale, and it's still for sale.

And at that 50th festival, it was.

It was actually for sale, but it was in escrow, and it was like, well, I don't, you know, there's no other place that this event can move to that will match the charm of this venue in our area.

So I, you know, brought it to the board, and I said, hey, what do you think?

50 is a nice golden number to end on.

We can maybe shift focus on doing some other things.

So.

And it was a difficult decision.

I mean, I grew up going to this event, and I loved it, but we had to think about what our priorities were.

And at the end of the day, the amount of revenue that it raised for fundraising was not a lot.

It now has several competing events that weekend.

So, yeah, we ended that, and then Covid happened.

So it was actually kind of good.

We kind of had this excuse.

Yeah, terrible.

But we had this, you know, like, oh, well, you know, we can't have events pandemic going on.

It's, you know, it was a very difficult time.

And, you know, being a brand new executive director and having this pandemic and trying to keep an arts organization afloat was definitely challenging, but made it work.

And I think we came out of it better and stronger and with a clearer focus on what our priorities were and the direction that we want to head in.

Right, right, right.

Well, yeah, that is so challenging.

Right?

Because as.

As arts lovers, as arts professionals, as artists, we're just naturally, I think, generous people who want to do it all.

Like, we always want to say, yes, yes, let's do that.

Yes, let's do this.

And it's very difficult sometimes to say no.

And having that discipline and that rigor to say, okay, yes, this is an.

This would be nice to do, but is it core to our mission?

Is it really point us, you know, does it.

Does it lead us in the direction we want to go, or is it a distraction or.

Yes, it's a legacy thing built.

You know, we.

We built an organization around this, but does it align for the future of the organization?

And these are very difficult choices.

They are.

They are.

And we definitely feed back over the years.

Festivals.

I mean, right now, we don't have.

We don't do festivals anymore.

Right.

You know, the.

The Fourth of July festival that we had for about 20 years, we recently gave over to a different organization in Mammoth, and they're running it, you know, great.

So it all worked out.

But, you know, we wanted to prioritize our local artists and give them opportunities.

And so we're looking at ways to have, you know, smaller events through and throughout Mono county that can really support them where they don't have to pay these high booth fees or, you know, different things, but just really, you know, emphasizing the local artists.

Yes, it's important to have exposure to artists out of the area for inspiration, but not spending half the year organizing an event that really showcases them.

So, yeah, it's been.

It was not an easy decision to make, you know, for three different events, but at the end of the day, I think it was the right decision.

Right.

Well, you know, if.

If an organization's mission is rooted in education, I mean, you could certainly define that in any number of ways, depending on who you're talking about.

I mean, arguably an event, you know, one could spin that it's like, oh, well, this is, you know, democratizing the arts and educating the general population about art and art making an artist.

Okay, so let's do the event.

Great.

Because it's educational, too, and artists make money.

Great.

There's that.

Right?

But then there's also, like, no, no, actually, kids K through 12, you know, we don't have arts programs.

You know, like, we need to empower and democratize the arts by educating young people and bringing programming into the schools.

That's obviously core, fundamental kinds of arts education, more conventional, maybe arts education, which is essential and critical to a healthy society.

So that feels really important, right?

On a.

On a.

On a certain level.

But then there's also, like, okay, how do you educate and empower the artists living in Mono County?

Right.

Because at the end of the day, organizations like Mac exist to support and elevate and empower the artists living, you know, in the.

In the region, in the area.

So how does.

How does Mac think about that aspect?

You know, educating and supporting and empowering Working artists in Mono County.

I know, I know, I know.

We've talked a little bit already about a lot, maybe about, you know, what Mac's doing for kids K through 12.

I mean, you've alluded to it.

Anyway, what does Mac do, if anything, to empower and educate.

And when I say educate, I mean sort of like, you know, continuing education, career development, that kind of thing for working artists in Mono County?

Sure.

Yeah.

So we have a gallery and community arts center, and in that space, we're the only gallery in Mono county that showcases, you know, all of our local and regional artists.

You know, we.

If.

If an artist is an emerging artist and they might need a little bit of help to get their artwork ready for a gallery, then we provide mentorship to, you know, show them how, you know, to wire and frame their art or how to price their art that, you know, we have a lot of new artists that come in and they're.

Like, oh, Neil, a question.

How to.

Exactly.

I.

Pride's my work.

It took me so long.

So I'm gonna, you know, price it at $5,000 or something like that.

Yeah.

So we, you know, we spend.

We do a lot of that.

And you know, there are a few other galleries in Mono county, but they don't have either the space or, or just, you know, their business model doesn't support having art from as many places as we do.

So.

So that's kind of our main way of doing that.

We have our feature artists and then we also have quarterly art shows where anybody can submit.

So if they're, again, someone who just started out and they're kind of testing the waters and they want to, you know, maybe submit a few pieces.

It's a great opportunity for them to get their feet wet and see how it goes.

And then we have an artist reception and then we also have a featured artist, so they get a full wall all to themselves.

They have, you know, publicity as the featured artists on our website and social media and everything.

So we give these artists also a chance to really shine in the community and beyond.

So that's kind of what we're doing currently.

In addition to, you know, if they have a knack for teaching, we offer jobs because we have, you know, between our, you know, again, our programs for students, we also have classes for, you know, adults and families.

You know, they have the ability to share their practice and they can make money as a teaching artist and, you know, teaching art in wine class or an after school program or for birthday party or whatever.

So those are just some of the ways we're supporting them now, we plan to again, like, have.

Start having different events throughout Mono county where they can also get their art into, you know, more hands into a farther reach by doing that.

And we're hoping to start doing some trainings for artists in the business of art for those who are interested.

You know, again, it's a rural community and you know, you have some people who have come here from large cities and other places and have, you know, access to different skills and knowledge.

And then you have some people who have been here for a really long time and just sort of been doing business the way they've been doing it, you know, with no computers or whatever, you know, some people and that, you know, we have people that are just going to stay that way and that's fine for them.

But if, if there are artists that are interested in learning more, we definitely want to be able to help them with that part of their business.

So we're definitely evolving that side of our organization to really be bigger support for our local artist community, to give them as many opportunities as we can.

Yeah.

Well, the beautiful thing about the gallery and so many of the kinds of events and programs that you're talking about, we were sort of talking about through the lens of the, of the artists in ways that they can give back or make money as a teacher or as a host or exhibiting their work, what have you.

The reality is that also is a space in a strategy for educating, so called educating the general public.

Right.

Because they come in, they do a paint and sip, they go to a show, they meet an artist, they maybe come to a printmaking class or whatever it might be and they're learning.

It's maybe a revenue generating thing for their Mac, which is awesome, but not a lot of money.

But it's good, you know, it's, it's something and that's important.

And, but, but you're giving back.

We're giving back to the community.

And the community is, is, is being edified and empowered as well.

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

Yeah.

So it's, you know, it's just, it's something that we've sort of identified in the last few years.

We actually went through the strategic planning process and developed our, I am almost embarrassed to admit, our very first ever strategic plan.

Embarrassed.

That's.

That is, that is so typical of arts organization of any nonprofit.

So many nonprofits are just, they're.

They're so busy saving the world.

Right.

That they forget to save themselves.

And strategic plans help organizations save themselves.

Yeah, yeah.

So that's been something again.

We, through that strategic plan, it would, you know, we realize, like, yeah, we really need to, you know, put our money where our mouths are, so to speak, when it comes to our local artist community and really double down on support for them and how we're going to support them.

So, yeah, so it's been exciting to figure that out.

And we're still figuring things out.

And that's the way it is, right?

When you're trying to do so much with.

You're doing a lot with a little.

Right.

And it's, you know, what's so, you know, amazing about your story is that while you might feel, and our team might feel like, like it's singular, like, like, like, oh, my God, you know, because we're in it deep, right?

And it's like we've got these problems to solve and, you know, they're existential, right?

It's like, you know, we have to.

But it's.

We're not at all unique in the world like this.

Arts nonprofits all over the country are dealing with these very same issues just through their kind of local, you know, dynamics, you know, and organizations like ours, of course, just one very specific example, rely on state funding, rely on grants from the state, and that' difficult, you know, to manage.

And this isn't a political show.

We're not going to get into politics.

You know, clearly, you know, there's, there's concern, right?

Like, okay, well, what, what is this administration going to mean for, for, you know, grant making and for the supporting of the arts and so on and so forth.

And, and so, you know, we're, we're not alone in this struggle.

And so how are you feeling right now about where we future looks like for Mac over the next four years vis a vis California funding?

Is there.

Is it so unpredictable and so uncertain right now that you can't even comment?

Or are you getting a feel right now?

It's like, okay, well, see that we can't count on this, so we're going to need to double down on kind of more kind of individual or sort of private kind of donations.

I mean, what, what.

How are you thinking and feeling about where we're at right now in terms of state funding?

The climate has definitely changed.

You know, even, you know, even a year ago, it had already started to change with the state budget.

So I, that was sort of why you're here.

I, you know, I had this kind of big, you know, Smack on the face of, like, we cannot continue in the way that we have been existing if we're going to survive.

I can't.

I can't.

First, I can't do it all by myself.

I need a board that's ready to really dig in with me and continue, you know, make Mono Arts Council sustainable.

Because the.

The grants that are out there are limited, and they're becoming more and more competitive as funding sources dwindle.

So we had, you know, kind of coming out of COVID we had five grants from the California Arts Council.

And last year I was only able to apply for two.

One of, you know, because other.

One of them had been eliminated completely.

Another one was no longer relevant, and I only ended up with one because I didn't get the other one.

So it just was kind of this, okay, we're gonna, you know, so many people are going to be applying for these grants, and then recently they consolidated the grants even more, so they're going to be even that much more competitive.

And so, you know, it was like, okay, I just.

We need to revamp our board.

I need to, you know, have people who are really committed to.

To coming up with new sources of revenue for us and figuring this out together.

And so.

So we'll still have a little bit of funding that we can apply for, but in the grand scheme of things, in our budget, it's not going to be a lot.

And so for us, you know, I am a stubborn person.

And yes, I've been with the organization for 10 years, but I'm still really passionate about it.

And, you know, I have program.

You know, we did end up getting a music program for, you know, Eastern Sierra Unified School District.

And it's going so well and it's so rewarding to see, you know, the kids and how much joy they get from it.

So, you know, so I.

I really want to, you know, figure out how we can continue to fund these things.

So, you know, it's.

But it's going to take a lot of creativity and it's going to be finding, you know, other ways we can generate revenue and really relying heavily on private donors and foundations for funding.

Yeah.

Because, yes, the grant money is just not really there.

Yeah.

Not.

Not at all reliable.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It's an extent it ever was reliable.

It's certainly not reliable now in this current environment.

Right, right, right, right.

Yeah.

Well, that's, you know, that's.

And again, virtually every arts organization in this country is feeling that.

Right.

I mean, just look at the Kennedy Center.

Right, right.

And so, yes, it's time to get time to get clever, time to get creative.

You know, when you think about artists in Mono county, working full time or part time artists, you know, knowing what you know about them and you know them so well, you know, what, what would you, what would you say?

You know, that they, I mean, if, if we asked them, if they were with us right now and I asked them, what do you guys want?

Need to feel supported?

What do you, what do you expect?

And what need from Mono Arts Council to feel supported, to feel seen, to feel heard?

What do you think they would say?

That's a good question.

It's a hard one, I admit, it's a hard one because every artist, I mean, it's not a monolithic community.

I mean, every artist, but it's, you know, but it is obviously Mono county is a very unique place.

And yeah, I'm just curious if there's like a common.

I think it depends on who you talk to.

You know, you have like your established artists who have been here a really long time and they figured it out.

They were able to, you know, afford to, you know, rent a, you know, some space for a studio a long time ago and it's been affordable and whatever.

And either they're, you know, they're full time artists or they're doing another job and then doing their art.

I would say for the newer artists, I think it's a combination of space.

We've had a lot of requests for studio space.

Interesting.

And then probably beyond that, just opportunities for their art to sell their art and then.

And that, you know, that is something, you know, again that we're, we're really working on.

We're trying to partner with, you know, some of the bigger companies in our area, with the ski area, with the hospital, with the county, with the town to try and find opportunities for artists, art to not just be shown, but purchased.

Right.

And so that the artists really get a benefit of that.

So.

So I think that's probably one of the bigger things, you know, so that they can have a way of making a sustainable living.

You know, beyond that, I'm sure, you know, certain sort of subsidies for housing and, you know, that is one of our biggest challenges in a resort area, that no one can afford a place to live or even find a place to live.

So, yeah, but I think those things probably.

What would you say on a scale of 1 to 10, I guess, you know, in terms of, you know, Mono county and the residents of Mono county, on a scale of 1 to 10, where do you think they put the arts in terms of its importance and in value to the commonwealth of the county and the importance to the society.

That I would say, if you count all of the residents in all of Mono County, I would say it's probably down pretty low.

Yeah.

Like, number maybe three.

Right, right.

Sadly.

Because a lot of people can barely afford to just live, so they have to work all the time, and maybe they get a chance to recreate.

But in terms of having the opportunity to enjoy the art or, you know, even the time, it's not high on their priority list.

Right.

Yeah.

Which is sad.

Well, but it's also.

But it's also very typical.

You know, I would say that.

You know that.

That very well is the case here in Los Angeles County.

It's fascinating to me.

I think a lot about this, you know, in terms of.

Because we are.

We believe and we think we know that art is fundamental.

And I think that there's a.

And it, you know, fundamental to the common.

While fundamental to a healthy, functioning society.

I think there's legitimate, empirical, objective argument to.

To make.

But to your point, when people are just struggling to make ends meet, it feels like a luxury.

It feels like it's.

It's a.

It's a.

It's a nice to have, but not a need to have, you know, kind of thing.

And when a.

When a thing, it was very fascinating when the pandemic hit, it sort of like, what role did art play?

You know, when people are dying and bleeding.

People are bleeding, you know, and dying.

What role does art play?

And it's the whole, you know, hierarchy of needs.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

And yet, at the same time, I think whether.

If people think about, they'll realize that it's the arts that actually got them through the pandemic in a lot of ways.

Because.

Of course.

Well, because of things like Netflix and movies and tv.

I mean, that's art, you know, commercial art in a specific way.

So it is a fascinating thing that.

And I think part of it is if.

If we're.

If we're taught from kindergarten up, right, the value and the role of the arts.

I mean, suddenly you.

You.

You start to appreciate it.

I think some people are wired, you know, everyone's wired differently.

But why do we value sports seemingly more than we value art?

Right.

Is it Darwinian?

Is it does.

Is it that sports get.

Gets us to the predator fight, fly, predator, prey, killer be killed aspects of our.

Of our, you know, primal instincts?

I don't know, but it's a.

It's a.

It's a fascinating conversation, you know.

Yeah, well.

And I mean, you know, again, in an area where, you know, recreation rules, you know, it's.

It's just interesting.

It's something that here, this is, you know, it's what you think of when you think of Eastern Sierra.

You think of the skiing, the climbing, the biking, the hiking, the back.

You know, all these things.

You don't.

You know, unfortunately, you don't really think about the arts here.

And so people who live here, they definitely gravitate towards, you know, those priorities.

But we're trying to just, you know, open people's eyes to.

There are lots of ways to experience the art, and you don't necessarily have to think of it as drawing or painting or, you know, whatever.

You know, seeing a beautiful landscape and taking a picture of it.

That's art.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, you know, it's interesting.

I mean, you know, I've often sort of, you know, joked, half joked that, you know, art is soul food.

You know, like you.

It feeds the soul.

It feeds the spirit.

And, you know, skiing on a mountain feeds the soul, too, you know, and if you feel nourished, maybe you don't know.

You know, it's like, well, I don't.

I don't need.

I don't need that painting or I don't need that thing because I'm.

I'm hiking every day.

I'm skiing every day.

I mean, they're not thinking about it in those conscious terms maybe, but it's like, if you feel nourished, you feel nourished.

Right?

But.

But it is funny to me how people can live in a house with blank walls.

You know, it's like that, you know, I mean, unless you're just a complete minimalist, modernist brutalist of just like, you know, like.

Okay, you know, and that's an intentional choice.

Okay, fine.

But, but, but.

But the fact that, you know, people will live in a house with blank walls, to me, when they could buy $100 print.

That's beautiful.

Or a, you know, $500 photograph, whatever.

It's.

It's really interesting to me.

It's like, wow, you know, like, how.

How, you know, that would just drive me bananas that, you know, like, there's no color in my house.

There's no color on my walls.

Yeah.

You know, my kids watch.

Every once in a while, my daughter will watch these, you know, YouTube videos or whatever of these kids making these other videos, and they're.

They're, you know, making these videos in their House, you know, presumably their parents house or something.

And it's just like, there's nothing on the walls.

I mean, they're just living, you know, it's like, okay, okay.

To each their own.

I don't want to sound like a snob, but you know what, it.

But I mean, part of it also, I think, gets to just this sense that I think the conventional wisdom is that art is expensive and I can't afford it.

Right.

And that's so not true.

It's just so not true.

Yeah, well, you know, I think it's just sort of a stigma around, you know, art that has been perpetuated over the years, that it's part of the elite class.

And, you know, that you have these museums and you have these galleries and it's, you know, something that the upper class get to enjoy.

And, you know, I think that it, you know, it's on us to demystify that and let everybody know that no, all art is accessible to everyone.

Yes, you can make it, you can participate in it, you can buy it.

You know, it's not just for the upper class anymore.

Well, and it's also about being able to see the world in a certain kind of way as well.

And that comes from, like, just, I don't know, learning, reading, watching, observing, being open.

I mean, you know, I'll tell you a personal story.

So I have a piece of art that, that I get so much positive feedback from.

And, and you know, nine out of 10 people would have walked by this thing and never saw the art in it.

Right?

But I guess because of my unique experience and my background, you know, as a graphic designer, as an artist, what have you, I saw the art in it, right?

So.

So I was walking.

So down here in la, maybe you heard, heard about it down at the Rose Bowl.

Pasadena.

You know, in Pasadena, at the Rose bowl, they have the flea market.

It's.

It's a huge thing.

Like once a month, like you go there and just like all kinds of cool stuff, you know, and I was going through this, this crate of stuff, you know, whatever, just random photos or whatever it was.

And, and I found this badly framed collection of match books.

Okay.

And they wanted 10 bucks for it.

Okay, Yeah, I bought it.

I saw it.

I saw the genius of it, and I bought it instantly.

Okay?

I reframed it.

I spent, I don't know, 50 bucks, whatever, reframing it.

I hung it on my wall.

And for the last 15 years, I have gotten so much positive feedback.

Now the question is, well, what the heck Were the matchbooks right?

Like, what was it?

So, about this.

Well, somebody.

I don't know who, but somebody at some point in the.

Not, you know, in the last 30, 40 years, took it upon themselves to visit every brothel in Nevada and take a matchbook.

Well, I have to assume it's every brothel in Nevada because there's, like, a lot of matchbooks.

Maybe it's not every brothel in Nevada, but it's like, at least 25 brothels in Nevada that he collected, or she collected matchbooks from every brothel.

And then took the intentional.

Intentionally laid these things out on this.

On this board and then framed it.

And it was for sale for 10 bucks.

And I was like, you know what?

I gotta have this.

I have to have this.

This is a work of art, in my view.

In my sick, twisted mind, this is a.

This is a.

And, you know, and it's hanging on my wall today.

So I just share that story because I want people to know.

Yes, of course you should be buying art from artists.

Of course.

Number one.

But sometimes you stumble upon something that is just so weird and unique and crazy.

And you know what?

It's five bucks, it's ten bucks, maybe take it home, hang it on the wall.

It's art, and it makes people happy, it makes people think, it makes people feel, you know?

Exactly.

Yeah.

Well, Chris and Reese, I'm sorry to end this interview with a story about me, because this was all about you.

And I'm so grateful that you came on to talk about your journey and the important work that you do at Mac.

And I'm just so grateful to be affiliated and associated with Mac and be the newbie on the board.

And I just look forward to the next couple of years working together and looking for those creative, clever ways that we can keep the organization growing and being vibrant and serving the artists and the people of Mono County.

And I'm thrilled that next month we get to spend time together in Sacramento at the California Arts meeting.

What the heck is it called, by the way?

I did sign up.

I did manage to confirm.

Their website is horrible, people.

I hope somebody's hearing this.

You really need to redesign that website.

But I'm excited to spend some quality time with you and some of the other board members there in Sacramento next month.

That'll be great.

That's gonna be great.

Well, in the meantime, I'll be seeing you in the next week or so in our fair.

I was thinking we could meet in Lee Viney.

That's closer to home, right?

Last time you drove all the way down to Mammoth Lakes or Mammoth.

So I owe you at least to go a little bit further your way.

You know, that's only fair, weather permitting, right?

Weather permitting.

This is the caveat, right?

Everything between November and April has to.

Have the we permitting, weather permitting caveat.

That's right.

That's right.

Well, Kristen, you have a beautiful evening.

Thank you so much for coming on.

And you know, you're welcome back anytime.

Please, please come back anytime.

Thank you so much.

You're welcome.

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