A Change in Rhythm

Three years ago this month, I loaded up my big yellow Penske truck and moved from D.C. to Dallas. I was thrilled not only to be moving back to my hometown, but also to be a part of launching the first Art House outside of Nashville. I remember someone once telling me that start-ups take three years to really get going, and here we are at that mile marker and I can't believe it. It has been an incredibly full three years, and I am so thankful for the people God has provided to come alongside me in this effort and the countless number of you who have given time and resources to Art House.

As we mark this point in our journey, we are intentionally changing up some of our normal rhythms this summer to provide time and space to discern what is in store for the coming years of Art House.  Last July, we practiced the rhythm of rest by taking a break from hosting events and decided to continue that tradition this summer as it was so valuable for our team. In light of this, we hope you'll plan on joining us Thursday, May 30th for the last Art House Exchange before the summer break. On June 25th, you won't want to miss our summer edition of Stories and Songs with Page CXVI who will be sharing the stories behind the classic hymns they have beautifully rearranged. In addition to these events, we are really excited for what is in store this summer as we are going to be meeting together in June with the leaders of Art House North and Art House Nashville to share ideas and learn together how we can best serve creative communities in each of our locations. As we take our break from events in July, Marissa and I are excited to spend time planning new programs and connecting over coffee with you all to hear ideas you have for the future. 

In addition to changes in our programming schedule, we are making a shift to sending you our fancy new e-newsletter only quarterly and transitioning our monthly communications to focus on upcoming events. We're also very excited to launch our newly designed website with a whole new look to take us into this next phase of Art House. Our goal with the new layout is to make it even easier to engage with the Art House community as you visit our site to check out past and upcoming events, browse our featured artist interviews or read articles from contributing writers on the blog. If you haven't already, please take a moment to update your Mailchimp profile to let us know how you would like to specifically get involved or get in touch with us to let us know of ideas you have for the future. 

We look forward to hearing from you or seeing you at one of our upcoming events! Here's to a great summer- Jenny

Art House Dallas + Dallas International Film Festival Panel :: Grassroots Funding for Movies with a Mission

Art House Dallas + Dallas International Film Festival Panel :: Grassroots Funding for Movies with a Mission
Featured Blog | May 2013

Okay. So you’re an aspiring filmmaker or screenwriter and the electric buzz of a once-in-a-lifetime, earth-shatteringly-good idea has just lit up above your head. You know this idea has the potential to help people, to make the world more like it ought to be, and you know you’re the right person for the job.

You may even have the artistic and technical know-how to get started. You may be able to develop the story, write the script, shoot or edit the film, but there’s just one thing standing between you and the realization of your idea, and that’s money.

If you or someone you know is ready to birth the next great creative idea aimed at the common good, and the only thing stopping you from putting it out there is funding, then you absolutely must keep reading.

Last month Dallas Film Society Artistic Director James Faust told AHD why it is important to nurture up and coming filmmakers. Then his film festival went and did it. Lightly sprinkled amidst 11 days, 175 films and a few frenetic locales, the seventh annual Dallas International Film Festival offered up a handful of enlightened panel discussions aimed at equipping aspiring filmmakers, all at no cost.

Art House Dallas joined in the fun co-sponsoring alongside Film Matters a panel discussion on grassroots funding for movies with a mission. If you weren’t fortunate enough to make it out to the Nasher Sculpture Center in person, what follows is just a snippet of the content shared by the distinguished panel and it’s moderator, M3Film’s own Michael Cain. 

T.C. Johnstone, panelist and director of Rising From Ashes deviates from the traditional Hollywood entertainment model to make movies that are tools for transformation. His non-profit Gratis 7 has produced a couple of feature films, for which they raised some $1.5 million, and several smaller projects. Rather than seeking traditional investors for his projects, T.C. relies on donors who are more concerned with external and eternal returns and who want to be a part of the filmmaking family. T.C.’s latest project was 6 years in the making.

Keith Maitland, panelist and director of The Eyes of Me seeks to aid his audiences in their quest for identity. Life is about figuring out who you are so you can find your place. Keith recommends a four-tiered approach to fundraising: distribution, grant support, investors and individual donors at the grassroots level. He secured a $200,000 dollar grant from ITBS, an arm of Corporation for Public Broadcasting, as well as a grant from the Meadows Foundation. 

Keith recommends filmmakers apply for grants such as ITBS’ because it is a comprehensive process that forces the filmmaker to think through every aspect of the film, from it’s meaning and message all the way to it’s distribution. Also, they were willing to fund a film that wasn’t ready to show, whereas HBO and A&E wanted to see at least a rough cut before granting funds. He adds that it is hard to get a granting body to believe a first time filmmaker is going to complete and get a film in front of an audience, so you have to be ready to make a case for your film, that it’ll get finished, be good and get seen.

Jason Cirone, panelist and producer for M3 Films, was pleased to learn there was more to filmmaking than action, drama and comedy. He views movies as an opportunity to tell stories that mean so much more. Jason has headed up two successful online fundraising campaigns for The Stark Project and the Stanley Marcus Documentary. Jason points out that it’s important to consider all communicative avenues when considering online crowd funding. Kickstarter, Facebook and Constant Contact were among the services he used to connect via the web, social media and e-mail. You need to know what you’re asking for, how it relates to the audience, and who the audience is. He spent 3-4 months putting together his company’s Kickstarter campaign, and posted updates including news videos each day for its thirty-day duration. 

Jason did point out a significant discrepancy between the numbers of “Likes” his campaign received and actual donations. He also got buy in from a handful of donors prior to launching his campaign so he knew that they’d start with a few thousand already pledged. He stressed the importance of building connections in the hope that the campaign would get legs of its own and reach an entirely new audience than the one it was initially intended to reach. He guesses that 20-40% of the money raised came from people they knew, but that the rest came from completely new audiences.

Lauren Embrey, panelist and President/CEO of the Embrey Family Foundation talked about her organization’s commitment to cultivating human rights awareness, and how they consider film to be one way to share that message, reach the masses and ultimately change people’s perspectives. Lauren got her start by executive producing a film about sex trafficking, but shortly after turned to Impact Partners, a New York investment group, to sift through and present possible film funding opportunities to the foundation. She stressed that she wants to see what happens after a film. When considering whether or not to fund films that explore social issues, she wants to see that there is a plan in place to do significant outreach after the credits roll.  The film has to be part of a larger effort to carry on a conversation and make a lasting impact in the world. Laura also seeks to aid women filmmakers through two new programs.

More quick hits from the panel: 

1. Movies with a mission are tools, not just entertainment. You have to create a back end to get people excited and involved, create community and continue conversation. It must be a deliberate approach. Don’t just make a movie, start a movement.

2. Some money is more expensive that other money. If a donor or investor expects you to do things that are not in line with your character, you need to know when to walk away and not accept their dollars.

3. You must be business minded. A wealthy philanthropist could pay for a clean water well in a village, or give money to a filmmaker who could tell a story about the need for clean water, raise awareness, and eventually bring in three times the initial seed funding. It’s about maximizing the amount of good you can do with the money you have.

4. Before you do anything else, set up an advisory board with trusted film and business folks, and with people who have a unique or authentic perspective on the subject matter of your film. You can lean on this board throughout the duration of your project for crucial instruction and support.

5. When you take funds from a donor or investor, you shouldn’t think of it as a one-time transaction but as the creation of a lasting relationship. Think of it as client servicing. You need to reach out to them long after their gift. The benefits of creative projects for the common good can take years to realize.

6. Remember that most people who give money want some sort of a return on their investment. The three most common types of returns are: internal, give a dollar and get a dollar back; external, give a dollar and make the world a better place; eternal, give a dollar and make a lasting impact?

7. There is no road map for funding a movie. Every filmmaker and fundraising campaign is different. Answering these questions is a good place to begin: Why does this movie have to be made? Why am I the person to do it?

8. Above all, remember that the film industry is a business. Johnstone recommends that students going to film school add a business degree. At this point commercial property is a better investment than film simply because it’s safer. But, if a filmmaker is prepared, has a 25 page business plan, has the film broken down, knows the target audience, has 5-6 other projects in the same vein, already has a short film to his or her credit that’s done really well, then you’re ready to talk to an investor. Do you have a business plan or a script?

9. Lastly, in all that you do make your work excellent. Movies with a mission that are created with excellence can complete in the main stream market, and the more successful your film is, the more likely it is that you’ll make them as a vocation instead of a hobby.

Take Courage

“Courage is found in unlikely places.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

I love the part in The Wizard of Oz when the cowardly lion receives his medal of courage. Sure it’s touching to see the tin-man receive his heart, and the scarecrow his brain, but something about the lion has always resonated most with me. Maybe it’s because sometimes I’m just like the lion, preferring to stay in my comfort zone rather than venturing into the woods full of lions and tigers and bears (oh my!).  

If we are honest, life takes a whole lot of courage. We need courage to make decisions that could affect the course of our lives, and courage to face circumstances that unexpectedly change our courses.

In the last couple of months, I’ve been witness to great amounts of courage exhibited by folks around me. While they might not have picked these challenges, they are truly earning their medal of courage as they face the loss of a job, an unexpected diagnosis or parenting children alone. Perhaps Tolkien meant that “courage is found in unlikely places” because it’s likely that we would not have chosen the circumstances necessary to develop this trait within.

And yet, courage is developed not only in our great trials, but also in the everyday ways we try to faithfully pursue our callings-especially as artists. As I think about the Art House community, I am so inspired by the ways y’all are courageously pursuing creativity. I think about the bravery it takes to even show up at an Art House Exchange for the first time when you don’t know a soul, or to perform your newest song at Feedback to be critiqued by other songwriters. There is something so vulnerable about putting your creation out there for others to see, and hoping that it means something to someone.

Many of you have spent countless hours working on a new series of paintings or working on a manuscript, and I think about the courage it takes to put it all up in a gallery or publish your writing and then invite friends and critics alike to explore your creation. I’ve witnessed some of you take the financial risk of working only part time to be able to create more during the week; or in some cases, you traded a secure corporate job to use your skills for a non-profit you are passionate about.

It would’ve been so much easier to keep your artwork to yourself, or stay in that comfortable job, all to avoid the lions and tigers and bears that come along with taking risks in life. Your courage has not only inspired me, but it encourages the rest of our community as we take one step at a time to become the people we are created to be.

What small step can you take today to pursue this kind of courageous life?  

The Art of Affirmation

The lights were on in the kitchen as I pulled up to my older sister Erin’s house, through the front windows I could see pink streamers twisted and dangling from the ceiling. We were gathering as a family to celebrate my mom’s birthday, and I was running late after a last minute grocery store treasure hunt for haricot vert green beans. I had this grand plan of leisurely cooking all afternoon with my sister after weeks of not having much time together. Instead, I rushed in thirty minutes before mom and dad were set to arrive and went to work sautéing the green beans that would soon be wrapped in maple coated bacon and served alongside the other dishes my three sisters were bringing.  

We had been planning for weeks to create an evening that would make my incredible mom feel as special as she is –someone who has spent her whole life caring for her family and affirming us when we needed a cheerleader. The scene was set for a perfect evening and one by one sisters, brother-in-laws, and fiancés arrived at the party. Erin and I were tag teaming with cooking and, unfortunately, in all the excitement of having the whole family together I cooked the bacon too long.  I guess it would have to be bacon topped green beans rather than bacon-wrapped haricot verts. We finally sat down for dinner and as we cut into our beautifully grilled teriyaki chicken, we realized it needed to go back on the grill to keep us from family food poisoning. Oops, so much for a perfectly executed gourmet meal. But we didn’t let this curb our enthusiasm. Erin is a master of hospitality and rolling with the punches; she has that ability, like our mom, to make everything magically come together.

Despite the culinary bloopers in preparing dinner, we finished enjoying the main course and moved to dessert. My mom is an exceptionally health conscious person, interested in the organic grocery store section long before it became popular. She is one of the most beautiful, skinny 50-somethings I know, but she can certainly pound a movie theatre box of Hot Tamales before the previews are over. So it seemed appropriate on her birthday that in addition to having her favorite Italian Cream Cake, we would each present her with her favorite candy after sharing a story of how we felt loved by her in the last year of life. One by one, we went around the table and paid tribute to her ‘sweetness’ with stories of care: a listening ear, a home-cooked meal at just the right time, spiritual encouragement, patience and many other acts of kindness that changed the course of a day in our lives. 

There was so much beauty in having all my family at one table, a rare occasion indeed to have all four sisters and all our significant others by our side. There was so much beauty in the meal we prepared, as imperfect as it was, as we all contributed our parts to create a feast. There was so much beauty in having mom’s favorite Italian Cream Cake and  red striped straws for our Prosecco toast and all the other touches of hospitality. But the most beautiful part of the evening was watching someone be richly affirmed by people who mean so much to them.

There are so many artful ways we can show care for our friends and family, but what about the art of affirmation? When was the last time you felt deeply affirmed for who you were created to be and felt known for the way you offer your gifts into the world. Perhaps the better question is when was the last time you deeply affirmed those around you? I would venture to say that writing a note to tell someone how he or she has encouraged or inspired you could be the greatest work of art you create this month. Yes, birthdays are a great time to stop and have an excuse to tell people why we love them so much, but as we continue to pursue artful, faithful lives, let’s be a community of folks that pulls out the pink streamers and celebrates each other no matter what day it is.

Equipping Artists 2013

In a global survey of 1,500 CEOs, IBM found that creativity was considered to be the #1 leadership trait for the future. Creativity is more than a leadership trait. It’s the ability to create solutions for complex problems and to add beauty and hope to a searching world. Art House Dallas takes the power of creativity to change our culture very seriously and has spent the last two years equipping and encouraging artists of all types: photographers, writers, entrepreneurs, architects, painters, musicians, designers, chefs, and more. We believe that everyone has been given the power of creativity and are dedicated to encouraging everyone’s unique offering to the culture. As Dallas has invested so much in the Arts District, we are coming alongside and investing in the artists, in creativity, and in our community. We can’t do this alone, and ask you to consider being a patron to artists in our community.

Music for the Common Good

I once read a quote by Robert Schumann that brought clarity to my purpose as an artist: “To send light into the darkness of men's hearts - such is the duty of the artist.” 

I have been interning for Art House Dallas for about a month now, and have become increasingly intrigued by the concept of creating art for the common good. My learning journey continued when I attended a To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA) event, Heavy and Light, at the House of Blues on February 5th. It was “an evening of songs, conversation, and hope,” featuring spoken word poet Anis Mojgani, acoustic performances by artists such as Noah Gundersen and Jon Foreman, and a message from TWLOHA founder, Jamie Tworkowski.  

As a fan of Switchfoot and Fiction Family, I was most excited to see Jon Foreman perform. Jon has this beautiful way of writing raw, truthful lyrics that are deeply hope-filled in their understanding of human nature and the need for a savior. He admits failure, exposes injustice, confesses weakness, and points us to the hope that exists outside of ourselves. To Write Love On Her Arms is a movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for struggling people. Jon Foreman is such an effective partner in this vision.

One of my favorite moments of the night was when Jon sang “Dare You to Move” completely unplugged—just a man and a guitar and a very popular song. The House of Blues quieted into a close, intimate gathering of music-lovers, and we all sang loudly along. After the second chorus, Jon jokingly asked if we knew the bridge. The crowd enthusiastically raised the volume, and the lyrics stuck out to me in a new way: 

“Maybe redemption has stories to tell.

Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell.

Where can you run to escape from yourself?

Where you gonna go?

Where you gonna go?

Salvation is here.”

There is hope for us when we look to God. To Write Love On Her Arms believes that “rescue is possible, that freedom is possible, and that God is still in the business of redemption.” Jon Foreman is singing these truths city to city on the Heavy and Light tour. He truly writes for the common good, to “send light into the darkness of men’s hearts.” As Schumann would say, he is an artist fulfilling his duty. 

My experience came full circle when I learned that Switchfoot’s early days were spent at the original Art House in Nashville with their producer, Charlie Peacock. Charlie and his wife, Andi, founded Art House America to “cultivate creative community for the common good.” They understood that art is a powerful expression of the human soul and that it can have a profound impact for the good of others. At the concert, I saw people with real problems; holding onto real hope, and being led to that hope through music.

And after the show, I had the pleasure of meeting Jon and snapping a picture with him. He is just as friendly and encouraging off stage as he is on. I look forward to seeing him perform again in the future. In the meantime, my journey in creating and promoting art for the common good continues at Art House Dallas. I am grateful to be part of an organization that has positively shaped Jon Foreman and so many others. 

More of this, Less of that

There are a couple of meaningful phrases friends have passed on to me over the years that I’m probably never going to forget. One such phrase is more of this, less of that.

Andi Ashworth, Art House America co-founder, told me about a time years ago when she and Charlie were at a retreat down at Laity Lodge during a busy season in their lives. Over the weekend, they were encouraged to reassess their lives and examine their hopes and dreams; all that they longed to add to the equation: more of this. 

Likewise, if more was to be added, what areas could use paring down to make room for this new direction: less of that. It was a time of spring-cleaning in their hearts and lives. Cleaning out the cobwebs of the unnecessary, dusting off old and new dreams for their lives and intentionally adding in new priorities to fulfill their vocational callings in all areas of life.

I have been thinking about the less of that category with the season of Lent around the corner. It is challenging me to do my own version of a spring-cleaning as I join the throngs of others thinking about what to give up from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. This is certainly a good discipline, but it's also so easy for me to get stuck in the act of giving up rather than thinking about how this sacrifice plays a role in who I am becoming.

In the same way the season of Lent encourages us to add in spiritual reflection, I also want to encourage us to consider what could be added to help you and I live more imaginative and meaningful lives. Being a lover of words, I was thrilled to discover that the etymological roots of Lent derive from the Anglo Saxon word Lencten, meaning, “spring.” With this in mind, what could be added in these next six weeks to create growth in our souls by the springtime?  

I wonder what it would look like in your own life to reflect on who you were created to be, and discover how you might clean off the dust of a long neglected talent, adding this creative pursuit back into your life as a spiritual act of worship. Instead of sacrificing sweets (although it’s not a terrible idea), could we sacrifice our time in one area to make room to pursue creativity in our lives? Could our sacrifice of working alone lead to a collaboration inspiring new ideas? Perhaps for some of you this is (gasp) a season to give up your ‘art’ and pursue relationships instead of being in isolation. I would venture to say that the beauty is not in what we sacrifice, but in what the sacrifice adds back into our lives. 

More of this and less of that, working together in tandem to mysteriously bring us out of the barren winter season and lead us to the beauty of Spring.

A New Epiphany

Epiphany (noun): an illuminating discovery; an appearance or manifestation, especially of a divine being.

Arthur Fry was a pretty normal kid. He grew up in Minnesota  in the 1930's, sang in the church choir and loved spending his extra time reading. He was the kind of person who loved books too much to mark them up with ink. Instead, he scribbled notes on scraps of paper and used them to bookmark pages. The only problem was that all of his notes kept falling out of their place in the book, that is, until the day of his great epiphany. It was the "illuminating discovery" of adding adhesive to one edge of his scrap paper to keep it in his books. What Arthur didn't realize is that his epiphany would lead him to become the inventor of an office supply that most of us have in our drawers: the Post-it Note.   

I'm certainly no Arthur Fry, and I will never be famous for  inventing the Post-it Note. My only claim to fame (or completely nerdy confession) is that in the third grade, I was the regional champion at the Invention Convention. Yes, my friends, you can now say that you know the inventor of the Cough Drop Sucker. I thought it was a pretty brilliant idea that kids would be saved from choking on a cough drop, with the added bonus of feeling like they were eating candy when they had a sore throat. Problem solved. I should have applied for a patent as an 8 year-old. Unfortunately, a couple years later, I was flipping through the Sunday ads next to the comics and saw my invention. It was on the opposite side of the page where they try to sell you those crappy commemorative coins that aren't worth anything. It turns out someone else had the same epiphany.

Perhaps it’s still the kid in me, but there’s something about a new year that makes my adult heart hopeful that an epiphany is right around the corner. I recently learned that it’s not just around the corner, but actually coming a couple days from now, on January 6th to be exact – The Day of Epiphany. For hundreds of years, the liturgical calendar has set aside this day to reflect on the time when the Three Wise Men from the East lay their gifts before the baby Jesus recognizing him as the Divine King. As these three men witnessed first hand “the manifestation of a divine being,” their lives were changed. They had spent their whole lives studying the stars, learning the historical and religious traditions, and their life’s work led them to the most powerful Epiphany in history. 

The beautiful thing about an illuminating discovery is the ripple effect it has in the lives of others. Most of us will never experience an epiphany like the Wise Men, but we can certainly be encouraged by Arthur Fry’s own story. He saw a problem and combined two simple resources to solve it. It wasn’t divine, but it certainly impacted all of our lives for good. Who knows how many life-changing ideas have surfaced because of Post-it Note brainstorming, or how many days have been brightened by finding the words “I Love You” stuck to the bathroom mirror?  

As we enter this New Year, I encourage you to think about the resources and talents you have been given to create a moment of illuminating discovery for someone around you. Perhaps it is as simple as combining the resource of time with a comfortable room in your house to listen to and let a friend solve a problem out loud. The possibilities are endless as we look for ways to use our creativity and resources to discover new ideas that impact those around us. May this be the year of personal epiphany for you, creating a ripple effect of common good for our community. 

Happy New Year!

Jenny

Your Donation Doubled!

We are pleased to announce that one of the generous patrons of Art House Dallas has committed to match up to $10,000 for each donation made to the Equip Artists Campaign by December 31st! Your generous year-end gifts would provide the opportunity for us to raise a total of $20,000! As there are so many areas to give this time of year, please consider that your contribution to Art House Dallas is making an investment not only in our community, but in our culture at large as we equip artists of all types to effectively use their creativity for the common good in 2013. Thank you for considering partnering with us in encouraging individuals personally and professionally. Your tax deductible gift will make it possible for us to continue to provide enriching new programming in 2013, such as our upcoming Artful Living Series event with internationally acclaimed artist, and former member of National Council of the Arts, MakotoFujimura. This equipping conversation is one of the many ways we hope to serve the creative community in the coming year and we welcome your participation.

In a global survey of 1,500 CEOs, IBM found that creativity was considered to be the #1 leadership trait for the future. Creativity is more than a leadership trait. It’s the ability to create solutions for complex problems and to add beauty and hope to a searching world. Art House Dallas takes the power of creativity to change our culture very seriously and has spent the last two years equipping and encouraging artists of all types: photographers, writers, entrepreneurs, architects, painters, musicians, designers, chefs, and more. We believe that everyone has been given the power of creativity and are dedicated to encouraging everyone’s unique offering to the culture. As Dallas has invested so much in the Arts District, we are coming alongside and investing in the artists, in creativity, and in our community. But we can't do it alone.

ARTIST FEEDBACK :: IMPACT OF ART HOUSE DALLAS

Glimpse of Beauty

“The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing...to find the place where all the beauty came from…"

- C.S. Lewis, Till We Have Faces

I took the back way to work this morning. Though a slower route, it was worth it to drive past the beautiful pond and the large trees along the creek. I was captivated by the oranges, reds and yellows of the fall leaves, and the beams of light streaming through the branches. I wish I could've captured it in a photograph, the beautiful flickers of glory, which created in me a longing  “to find the place where all the beauty came from."

Advent is a season of longing and expectation. For a month we reflect on the beauty of the Creator coming in the form of a baby. Our expectation leads to reflection  on the generosity of a God who would pull back the curtain and give us a glimpse of glory in the form of a child. A child and then a man who for centuries has captured our imaginations and given insight into "the place where all the beauty came from." 

During this time of Advent, we not only look back to the beauty of Jesus’ birth, but also attune our eyes to find the flickers of glory in ordinary moments. The everyday act of preparing food becomes a signpost of beauty when I bake alongside my grandmother each Christmas Eve, mixing up ingredients from a 50 year-old pound cake recipe. In creating together, we create beauty. It is our joy, as individuals and families, to participate in traditions of creating beauty this time of year.  At Art House Dallas, it is our joy to come alongside artists and support them in their various acts of creating.  Would you consider participating with us in supporting these artists (hyperlink to giving page) in the New Year? While there are so many places to give, we would be so grateful for your tax-deductible donations that make it possible for us to equip artists. Artists whose very creations give us a glimpse "of the place where all the beauty came from." 

May your heart be full and eyes attuned to the beauty of this season. 

Jenny White

We Equip Artists Because Creativity Matters

In a global survey of 1,500 CEOs, IBM found that creativity was considered to be the #1 leadership trait for the future. Creativity is more than a leadership trait. It’s the ability to create solutions for complex problems and to add beauty and hope to a searching world. Art House Dallas takes the power of creativity to change our culture very seriously and has spent the last two years equipping and encouraging artists of all types: photographers, writers, entrepreneurs, architects, painters, musicians, designers, chefs, and more. We believe that everyone has been given the power of creativity and are dedicated to encouraging everyone’s unique offering to the culture. 

As Dallas has invested so much in the Arts District, we are coming alongside and investing in the artists, in creativity, and in our community. We can’t do this alone, and ask you to consider being a patron to artists in our community. 

FOUR WAYS YOUR DONATIONS HELP US EQUIP ARTISTS:

1. Vocation Seminar-Help artists be mentored by top industry experts

2. Artist Sponsorship-Provide a scholarship for retreats and conferences that equips an artist both personally and professionally

3. Collaboration Event- Provide a way for artists to get in the same room to connect and collaborate with other artists

4. Artist Network- Help support our infrastructure to help artists looking for mentorship, promote their creative work through Featured Artist profiles online and feature local artist events through the Art House website

ARTIST FEEDBACK :: IMPACT OF ART HOUSE DALLAS

Art House Dallas 2 Year Anniversary!

What would be an Art House Dallas without culinary delights? In addition to a beautiful selection of cheeses and mini cupcakes, we enjoyed homemade cookies with custom Art House teal icing created by our board member, Sarah Seay. Sarah is not only an amazing floral designer and baker, but is venturing into entrepreneurship with her new company, One Pink Cookie.

The photo booth was one of the most fun aspects of the party. From clown and pirate accessories to mustaches and glasses in all shapes and sizes, there was no shortage of creativity in how props were used to make great photos. Here’s just a preview of some of the pictures, to find your own pictures, visit Art House Dallas photo booth album.

Top left: Ryan Edgar, Marrissa Miller, Kimberly and Joshua Jones. Top Right: Shaun Menary and Shannon Hutchinson. Bottom Left: Margaret Barrett and Tamitha Curiel. Bottom Right: Mellisa Ellis, Patrick McDonnell, Nick Wood, Brandon Castillo and Neva Everett

There are few things better than enjoying the company of other wonderful people. Here’s a few snapshots capturing conversations from the night. 

The new Art House Dallas 2012 mugs arrived just in the nick of time for our party thanks to the help of some friends who made a last minute pick up. Each guest was given a raffle ticket to enter into one of 8 giveaways from our incredible sponsors: Sundown at Granada, Meddlesome Moth, Flying Saucer, Vino 100, Aesel Art Supplies, Good Records, Dryve Entertainment and Spune. A special thanks to Johnny Flores who was our Emcee for the giveaways!

To see all the pictures from the event, check out the Anniversary Photo Album in our gallery!

Why We're Giving Thanks: Big News!

“I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.” 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

We received a surprise in the mail recently. The familiar letterhead from the Internal Revenue Service instinctively made me dread its contents. Instead, I was greeted with the unbelievable news that Art House Dallas had received non-profit status as a 501c3 public charity! I may or may not have jumped up and down by myself in my office.. 

I was so overwhelmed with gratitude once I realized what I was holding in my hands–mainly because I wasn’t expecting to hear back from the IRS until later in 2013. 

In many ways, this has been a year of waiting and learning patience in the process; so this fast answer (from the IRS of all places) was such an unexpected blessing for our organization. After more than two years of residing underneath Art House America, our Dallas branch is a grown up non-profit of its own! 

Last Thursday, we celebrated our two-year anniversary, we are indeed growing up! It was one of the first chilly nights of fall, but despite the cold drizzle outside, Vino 100 was full to the brim with wonderful friends of Art House. Intimate and cozy for conversations, the space was dimly lit, only brightened by the intermittent camera flash from our photo booth, which was perhaps the most fun aspect of the evening. We sipped on wine and munched on cheese, cupcakes, and cookies that were made by our very own Sarah Seay, founder of One Pink Cookie. At the end of the night, we pulled out tickets from mason jars announcing the winners of sought after giveaways! Throughout the evening, Emerson’s sentiment from above rang true as I looked around the room at all of the people present and felt “devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new,” who have each played a role in Art House Dallas’ story. Check out more photos from the event in this blog with pictures captured by Will Meier (Art House Intern, Summer 2011).

Blessings to you in this month of Thanksgiving, we have so much to be grateful for!  

Jenny White

Executive Director

A Rookies Guide to Booking Your Own Band

If you are in a band or thinking about putting a band together one of the things necessary for you is to get out on the road and TOUR. Too few bands are willing to do this and if the truth be told, that is how I have always separated the weak from the strong. It is virtually IMPOSSIBLE to succeed as a band if you are not willing to tour. We are not in the 80s anymore. Bands do not simply get discovered by a label and then get several million dollars put behind them to “break out” or make it big anymore. If you want to succeed in today’s music industry, you must work. I always tell bands to“get on the road and tour for a minimum of 2-3 years. If you can go on the road for that amount of time you will either quit music or be able to build a big enough fan base to financially provide for yourself.” But most bands have no idea where to even start when booking themselves. When you first start out, you often don’t have the option of a booking agent or manager to help you, so let’s take a look at some key steps in order to help you get your band booked and on the road to success.

Here are some of the nuts and bolts of how to book yourself on a tour…

First, you must put together a good story:

Story

• Putting together your story is an extremely important part of the booking equation. You need to do a good job of explaining who you are and why the venue should book you? What wins do you currently have? What sort of press has been done on you or your band. What reasons does this venue have to book you over another band?

Research

You must also do your research. You can’t know where to start without knowing what venues are out there in what locations and that cater to your type of music genre.

• Where can you play?

• Who are you playing too?

• What venues fit that description?

• What makes sense if you going to be in Waco one night…where can you play the next night? College Station? Austin, Dallas?

Contact

• Create a booking email address (ie. booking@thebestbandever.com)

• Send them music and bio

• Give the promoter/venue owner a few dates you are available or interested in playing

How do we contact these venues?

• Write 3 template Emails and a Phone call after the second email is sent

-You can find contact information on web sites, MySpace, and Facebook.

-These three templates should be written one time and reused in every single communication unless you need to customize them based on interaction with the venue

-Make sure to change the name at who it is addressed to and any specifics about the particular venue.

1. First email includes

    a. Introduction

    b. Story

    c. Music

    d. Dates your can play and…

    e. Ask for a gig

2. Second email includes

   a. Reminder that you have already reached out (usually I will just forward the first email I sent with an intro and asking them to see below, but make sure the music/attachments are readily available to find in the email

***Phone Call.

If you can find a phone number and you have already sent the first two emails, you now can follow up with a phone call. This is just another form of communication that shows the venue you are serious about playing and if they haven’t looked at their emails in awhile or if they have not been able to get back you it puts you foremost in their mind again. (or you at least hope it does)

3. Third Email should be after a phone call

   a. This should remind them that you have reached out a few times, that you are following up to the call you made to them and that you would really like to hear back one way or the other

   b. Be polite… They don’t owe you anything

   c. Let them know you will follow up in a certain amount of time if you don’t hear back

Final Step… DELIVER… Play your heart out… Make them remember you… If you are good, they will be more likely to have you back.

Follow Up

• Send follow up emails or actual hand written notes after you play at a venue

• Promote their venue online and get people out to the shows

• Be considerate and treat the ENTIRE staff with respect and genuine kindness.

These are all good and proven actions that can help you or your band get on the road and playing shows. The more often you play the better chance you have to build a fan base. The bigger fan base, the more money you make and the highly possibility that you will be able to do what you love for a career. So please don’t lose heart and don’t loose hope. It takes some time, but if you can build up a base of venues that are willing to book you every few months you are on your way to building a fan base and growing your business.

Originally posted on October 9th at http://treybowles.com/a-rookies-guide-to-booking-your-own-band/

It's Time to Celebrate!

I stumbled across an old journal last night. Flipping open to a random page, I was transported back to the Fall of 2010. Though I only wanted to read a couple pages, before I knew it I was wrapped up in a blanket on my couch reading every entry from August 2010 to January 2011.

I smiled reading through small circumstances that seemed like such a big deal at the time, thankful for the perspective hindsight brings. It wasn’t until looking back that I realized how many significant events happened in only a six-month span. I moved back to Dallas, watched my sister get married, met the man I would later fall in love with, and amidst all this I managed to launch Art House Dallas.

Funny how much I had forgotten about the very beginning of Art House, when I was a staff of one still working from home and trying to figure out how to do a lot of things I’d never done...like graphic design. I laughed at an entry from August 15th, 2010, the day I tried to design our launch party invite on Microsoft Word because I didn’t have Photoshop yet (yes, my graphic designer friends, this was horrifying to me as well).

The best part about looking back through all these journal entries was recognizing how many ways God provided help through new and old friends, or one of my family members, at just the right time.

Six weeks before our kickoff party new friends like Kyle, Brittany and Cameron reached out to me to get involved in Art House, volunteering multiple hours to set up and execute events for our kickoff. Five days before the Art House Launch, the band that was scheduled to play had to cancel, but my friend Chris from Elementary School, rallied his band Sleeperstar to perform a last minute concert. After the official kickoff, my high school friend Julia and her cousin Janie helped me set up our email newsletter and complicated database to keep in touch with all of our event attendees.

In early December of 2010, a senior in college who I had met with a year before, Marissa, offered to volunteer her time in the Spring and became our first official intern. These are just a few of the stories of people who have given of their time and talent in the early days. There are so many people who helped me launch that aren’t alluded to above, not to mention dozens of others who have come alongside us in the last two years.

We have come a long way since 2010. Now my first intern is our amazing Director of Programs, and we have a team of volunteers and interns who make it all happen. I am eternally grateful for all of you who have cheered us on, and hope that you will come and celebrate our 2-year Anniversary on October 25 at Vino 100. We’ll have giveaways and a photo booth and we’ll toast to the many provisions over the last two years. Hope to see you there!

Jenny

PS: Check out more details on the event and RSVP HERE. Here’s to our awesome graphic design intern, Kayla, who created this beautiful 2-year anniversary artwork.

Coming Around at Circles 2012

As a student in graphic design, I'm always looking for the next source of inspiration. When I found out about Circles Conference 2012, I was jumping up and down with excitement--getting to be in the same room with some of the best designers in the industry--I was so there! Having been blessed with an amazing support system, I was fortunate enough to be sponsored to attend. 

Driving up through historic downtown Grapevine to get to the Palace Arts Theater was like entering a time warp. With all of the old buildings and landmarks, I was half expecting Paul Newman or Chuck Norris to walk around the corner and start a shootout in the middle of the street. Luckily, I found parking unscathed and found my way into the theater, got my nametag, settled quietly into a row of seats and anxiously awaited as the presentations began. Let's see--Kyle, Evie, Joshua, Paul, Noah, Promise, Dan, Kevin, Ish, Blaine, Jonathan, Phil and Cameron--how do I choose?

I would have to say Evie Shaffer's presentation was the one that resonated with me the most. She had this beautiful outlook on life and work that she titled "Art and Purpose"--you have to find that “sweet spot” of expressing your art while having some type of purpose to work towards. Things that could “suck life” out of your work: prestige, pride, conformity, and comparing yourself to others. To prevent that from happening, there are things that will help "give life" to your work: curiosity, limitations, simplicity, adversity, and passion.

My biggest take away? Towards the end of Evie’s talk, she said something that really caught my attention: "How much are you willing to sacrifice for what you love?" WOW. I don't know about you, but if I could've fallen out of my chair, I would have! It really made me stop and think--if I'm actually doing what I love and want to make a life out of it, who better to have as a role model than Jesus; He loved us and dedicated every second of His life for us. So why shouldn't we do the same thing with the talents He instilled in each and every one of us? As artists we have to reflect on our God-given abilities and use them toward a greater purpose. Without that, what else do we have?

I loved my experience at Circles; it brought me so much closer to finding my purpose. Being in college really makes you question everything about your future, and after hearing all of these amazing artists speak about their successes and failures, I feel like it's completely okay to do so. Being a designer is what I was created to do, and after finding that out, I now get to use my gifts to give back for the common good. Guess I was led to the perfect internship here with Art House Dallas! It's amazing to look back and see how things turn out--it's both encouraging and comforting to see God's handiwork in action.

Kayla Ketelsen serves as the Web and Graphic Design Intern for Art House Dallas. Her interests include music, sports, fashion, traveling, drawing, and reading. She's a senior at Southern Methodist University and is graduating May 2013 with a Bachelor's degree in Advertising from the Temerlin Advertising Institute and double minors in Graphic Design and Arts Management. 

My Top 10 Takeaways from Ten Out of Tenn

Since I began my journey as an indie artist in August 2010, I've been trying to go to Nashville a few times a year to immerse myself in the music Mecca. I love being based in Dallas, but making intentional time to be in Nashville and experience the people and culture has truly been rejuvenating for me and my career. It's usually pretty clear to me when it’s the right time to make this trip, and when I found out about the Ten Out of Tenn Artist Bootcamp, it was simply an opportunity I could not pass up.

From TOT artists like Trent Dabbs and Amy Stroup, to pretty much the entire team of The Civil Wars (including our beloved friend Charlie Peacock), the weekend was full of insight into the industry and stories of how these brave “independents” found their success. To say I was inspired would be an understatement. By Sunday evening, my notes were overflowing with words of wisdom and practical steps to apply to my own career. In the spirit of TOT, I'd love to share with you my top ten takeaways:

10. Within your art, be intuitive with what your strengths are and focus on them. If you hone in on one strength specifically, your personal pathway will become clearer and other things will naturally fall into place.

9. Create the demand and then fulfill the demand. The Civil Wars sold out small venues and created a sense of being bigger than they actually were. If you start small with local contacts you have (venues, newspapers, TV stations, etc.), you can “fulfill” and then build from there rather than aiming too high and never being able to have much success.

8. This seems simple, but often goes overlooked. When you release an album or even a single, be on the road promoting it and get the press talking about it. New music is always marketable. And of course, refer to #9 for where to start.

7. If there is hardly anyone at your show, make it the best show you've ever played and interact with the people that are there. Your goal is to have them talking about you to their friends and for them to bring their friends to your next show.

6. This came from producer Jason Lehning: What is happening today in mainstream is about a year old. You have to constantly be exploring underground, new, fresh sounds to be ahead of the game.

5. Take every little opportunity. You never know what it will lead to. Sometimes the smaller stuff leads to meeting and connecting with great people and opportunities.

4. Make music that has people asking questions like “What does that mean?” or “How did they do that?” Curiosity will have them intrigued and coming back for more.

3. A theme for the weekend was that artists

need to  be artists and focus on creating the best art possible. Great art attracts others, both fans and a team. The TOT office had a wall full of inspirational quotes and one read: “Beautiful things don't just happen. If you want something marvelous, you've got to make something marvelous.”

2. Define what success is to you. Travis Yetton (Sensibility Music & brother of Nate Yetton) said, “Success is building a career.” It's an ongoing process that takes years of commitment. If you're an overnight success story, then you'll have an overnight failure story. 

1. Finally, Paul Brown (Katie Herzig's manager) left us with this quote: “There are no destinations, only doorways.” As artists we often think that if we just get a record deal, get to open for so-and-so or have a song placed on a hit TV show, we will have made it. Rather, we must think of everything as a part of the journey, celebrating the small victories along the way and enjoying the ride.

Cameron Ernst, an emerging artist in our own backyard, writes music filled with passion and sincerity that obviously stems from the depths of his soul (check out his music here: www.cameronernst.com. Though originally from Kansas, he began his career in college at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and then soon found himself placed in the great city of Dallas, Texas. Currently, his efforts have been focused around his latest release, “Love is Louder,” a project focused on spreading the message of love in connection with the anti-bullying movement initiated by actress Brittany Snow, MTV, and the JED foundation. We had the opportunity to ask him some questions in order for all of us in the community to get to know him better – I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as we did!

Dinner With Friends and the Digital Frontier

The last time I reviewed a Dinner with Friends I was happy to gush over the quality of the program’s content, and the concept of pairing industry experts with the local creative community, all over a great plate of food. Show up, feed your mind, body and soul. What’s not to love?

I’m pleased to say that, a year and a half later, this serial offering from Art House Dallas is only getting better with age.

September’s Dinner with Friends catered specifically to the writer. It’s no secret that the roots of Art House have mixed and mingled more so with those of the music industry, but this latest Dinner, like Feedback last fall, shows an intentional effort to branch out towards creatives outside of song, growth for which we writers are grateful.

While organizers could have pried area writers from their rickety garrets to offer the same old how-to guide to publishing, Art House’s program went leaps and bounds beyond, bringing a legitimate heavyweight from the world of digital publishing to share with attendees a glimpse into the future.

What follows is but a portion of the wealth of content Jason Illian, published author and Founder/CEO of the company that created Bookshout!, shared with the crowd. Like Art House’s own event model, if in your writing you focus on great content and a great platform, you’ll find success.

The publishing industry is now the Wild West. E-book sales are eclipsing print sales. E-readers are becoming ubiquitous. Bricks and mortar booksellers are struggling to compete. The Department of Justice is battling the big five publishers, Amazon and Apple over price-fixing. Everything that happens between the writer writing and the reader reading is in a state of flux, and this chaos could equal a very real opportunity for people willing to work hard, write great content and embrace technology.

Given the industry’s inconstancy, it has never been more important to develop your platform. The ideal book proposal now includes a plan for you, the writer, to promote and sell your own work. Only the best selling authors are going to get publicity from their publishing houses. So if you’re going to end up doing the work, you might as well reap the rewards of the more friendly e-publishing pricing structures.

Think creatively about how you can create a following and monetize your intellectual property. Give away some content in exchange for e-mail addresses. Keep your day job so you can keep your prices low. Sell your e-book for $.99 but charge a premium for a print edition or autographed copy, or a companion video. Release your work through blog posts one chapter at a time. Make yourself available for readings and speaking engagements. Authors make more money speaking than they do selling books. Remember that the US makes up but a small portion of the English-speaking world. Find a niche. Take a trip.

Your platform should include a network of fans who really like your content. The best publicity is word of mouth. We don’t always trust advertising, but we do trust our friends. If one thousand people pay $9.99 for your e-book, imagine the possibilities if they recommend your book to their network of family and friends. Content is king, but virtual content is King Kong. You don’t have to make it big just to make a living. 

Depend on your creative community for feedback. A lot of writers are afraid to share their work. Find a group you trust and listen to their criticism. Your writing will improve. Choose an author you like and whose style is similar to your own and emulate their writing. Don’t spend your money on self-publishing, spend it on editing. Pay an editor whatever they’re asking because a good editor is invaluable. You should be able to create an e-book for the price of a restaurant dinner.

Be careful. Always read the fine print of any agreement, be it a print or digital contract. Don’t give away all the rights to your content if you’re not ready. You never know when the next thing you write turns into the next blockbuster movie. When it does, you’ll want to be sure and get your fair share.

Don’t sacrifice quality. If what you’re writing isn’t great, it’s not going to sell. You have to give people a reason to buy. If you don’t have a passion for writing, that fire in your eyes, then publishing may not be right for you. At the same time, if you’ve got something great to say, and a unique way of saying it, you have a responsibility to share.

Remember, we are responsible to use our gifts to the glory of God and the good of man.

Joshua Seth Minatrea is a Dallas-area thinker and creative. His aim is to gain and give space, time and direction for creation. He has never been bored. Real books, espresso-based beverages and pocket-sized reporter Moleskines® are a few of his favorite things.

Joy in the Making

There was a bounty of fresh vegetables laid out on the counter before us. Yellow squash, zucchini and heirloom tomatoes sat alongside four large butternut squash proudly making their first appearance of the season at the farm stand down the road. Andi Ashworth and I stood in the Art House kitchen donning aprons and discussing our game plan for creating dinner: a simple supper of herb roasted chicken, sautéed veggies and baked butternut squash.

I had arrived in Nashville only an hour earlier and couldn’t think if anywhere else I would rather be after a stressful week. I could feel myself relaxing as I stood over the farm sink washing the grit off our soon-to-be-chopped veggies and staring out the window at the beautiful garden in front of me. On the other side of the sink, Andi sliced up heirloom tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, and artfully arranged a savory bite to welcome our friends driving all the way from Durham, North Carolina.

There was joy in the making.

We were not only making a meal, but a welcome for our weary travelers. With antique tablecloths and a mix of brightly colored dishes, we were making a table setting, beckoning them to sit down and relax just as I had hours earlier.

The simple act of making a meal together, of creating for our own joy and for the good of those around us, is the heart of why Art House exists. We believe using our creativity for the common good points to the core of who we were created to be in this world. 

Our hope for Art House Dallas is that we can be a community where you can explore how you have been uniquely fashioned to live an artful and faithful life, and be alongside others who encourage you in the process. Whether you are making music, a welcoming home, a new business or a meal for a small group of friends, we want Art House to be a place that helps you experience joy in the making.

Raising the Roof ... Literally

I always loved going and buying school supplies as a kid.

The truth is, my heart still beats a little faster when I'm in Target in August and I walk past bin after featured bin of gel pens, highlighters and notebook paper. It brings back memories of my mom taking us to buy our supplies a couple of days before the start of school.

School supply shopping always brought about those mixed feelings of sadness regarding summer being over and excitement about being one grade older. I remember making our way back into the school section with lists of what we needed in hand. (It shouldn't surprise anyone that even back in elementary school, I already loved lists and the ability to check off boxes.) It was always thrilling to buy a new set of markers and mechanical pencils, and likely a fluorescent-colored Trapper Keeper. (Remember those?)

I would pack up my backpack full of my shiny new supplies the night before school started (okay, three days before school started), and the excitement about all that was ahead for the new year would make it near impossible for me to go to sleep. It was the start of another chapter, a blank canvas, or in our case… a blank sheet of wide ruled notebook paper. Armed with my new backpack and the intense hopefulness of youth, I was certain that anything was possible for the year ahead.

For the first time today, I walked through our space where the future Art House will be built and experienced something close to this first-day-of-school feeling. After more than two years of walking through this old space with low-hanging ceilings and closed-off hallways, trying to imagine what it would look like when we cleared everything out, I finally laid eyes on our blank canvas.

The demolition process is complete, and with all the interior walls and ceilings removed, the bright sunshine streams through the windows, bounces off red-orange rafters and touches the top of the 30 foot roof above that hasn't seen sunshine since it was built decades ago. Later this month construction workers will come with all their supplies, like the first day of school, and start to create with their new materials: new walls, new lights, new doors, new paint. The new Art House will be built. And with the same intense hopefulness I experienced before the first day of school, I am certain that anything is possible for this year ahead.

Jenny White

Executive Director