Author: mcc

Episode 25: A Capital Campaign with Lasting Impact (and a Cash Reserve!)

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Beryl Jolly, Executive Director of the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, discusses their capital campaign to restore their historic theater, retire old debt, and establish operating reserves. She says their cash reserve will allow the Mahaiwe to invest more directly in the artist, in the theater, and in the community.

Beryl Jolly. Photo by Paul Shoul.Beryl Jolly has been the director of the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center since the rebirth of the century-old theater as a dynamic Great Barrington cultural destination in the spring of 2005.

The Mahaiwe’s extensive historical restoration was completed in 2006 and the theater is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Mahaiwe has become a flagship venue in Berkshire County, presenting world-class music, dance, theater, and family events, as well as “Live in HD” broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera and London’s National Theatre and classic movies on a year-round basis.
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Episode 24: Music Therapy & Neuroplasticity

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Dr. Peggy Codding, Professor of Music in Music Therapy at the Berklee College of Music, says our brains allow us to compensate for the needs our brains have. She describes the ability of the brain to retrain neurons through music therapy, helping people with profound functional disabilities to express themselves.

Peggy CoddingPeggy Codding, Ph.D, MT-BC is Professor of Music in Music Therapy at the Berklee College of Music in Boston where she has served for 17 years. She is also the former Chair of Music Therapy at Ohio University. While in Ohio, she co-founded a successful integrative arts therapy program in the treatment of severely mentally ill male inmates needing residential treatment in state funded, long-term medium-to-maximum security settings. The program, a first of its’ kind, was implemented in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and the Chillicothe Correctional Institution. The program was acknowledged with the Governor’s Premier New Program Award in its’ second year.
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Episode 23: Vivid, Beautiful Language Spoken Between Art & Science

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Catalyst Conversations presents intimate and provocative conversations between artists, scientists, and the public. Deborah Davidson, Founder and Director, describes how the organization came to be and how magic ensues when artists and scientists interplay.

Deborah Davidson, Founder & Director of Catalyst ConversationsDeborah Davidson is a curator, artist and educator. Deborah received her M.F.A. from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts/Tufts University and B.A. from Binghamton University. Deborah is founder and director of Catalyst Conversations, devoted to the dialogue between art and science. She also teaches, maintains a studio practice and directs the Suffolk University Gallery.
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Episode 22: Leadership Change Needn’t Be A Crisis

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There’s an enormous amount of generational leadership change that’s happening in our arts and cultural organizations. And while people may liken succession planning to a form of disaster preparedness, Old Sturbridge Village – the largest outdoor history museum in the Northeast – sees it differently.

Jim Donahue, President and CEO of Old Sturbridge Village, discusses their intentional processes around leadership change – how it’s not just about the end of a person’s tenure, but about sustaining a strong organization (even if nobody leaves).

Jim Donahue, President and CEO of Old Sturbridge VillageJim Donahue is highly regarded in the non-profit sector as a collaborative visionary. He is recognized as one of the top non-profit executives in New England with an impressive background in leadership, education, and fund-raising.
Prior to taking the position as President and CEO for Old Sturbridge Village, Donahue was the CEO of the Bradford Dunn Institute for Learning Differences in Providence, RI.  The Institute operates a network of high-quality programs that include The Hasbro Center for Teaching Excellence, the RI Tutorial and Educational Services, and the CVS Highlander Charter School, which Donahue founded in 2000. Donahue negotiated the merger between the Bradford Dunn Institute and CVS Highlander Charter School in 2004. During his seven year tenure as the director of the charter school, he led the renovation of two campuses for the school and the establishment of several key capacity-building partnerships.
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Episode 21: When Arts & Culture Have a Seat in City Hall

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Erin Williams, Cultural Development Officer for the City of Worcester and Executive Director of the Worcester Cultural Coalition, discusses what’s possible when arts & culture has a seat in City Hall, and what can be gained by integrating the arts into city strategies.

Erin WilliamsErin I. Williams is the Cultural Development Officer for the City of Worcester, MA and the Executive Director of the Worcester Cultural Coalition, the unified voice of the Greater Worcester, MA creative community. The Coalition is a unique public private partnership which shines a spotlight on the creative activity produced in the region and supports creative placemaking through such initiatives as the WOOPass, Worcester Wayfinding signage program and #MakeArtEverywhere campaign and public events such as Out to Lunch Concert Series. With Erin’s leadership, the Worcester Cultural Coalition was presented the Commonwealth Award for Creative Economy Catalyst. In July, 2012 Richard Florida named Worcester as one of the top 20 creative cities in the U.S in The Rise of the Creative Class. Continue reading “Episode 21: When Arts & Culture Have a Seat in City Hall”