SPARK THE ARTS Podcast: Inaugural Episode with Jennifer Evins and Steve Garrity!

Hello and welcome to Spark the Arts, our first in a series of podcasts in downtown Orlando at the intersection of City Hall, the Grand Bohemian, and the beautiful Dr. Phillips Center here in downtown Orlando. I'm David Wheeler, CEO of the Global Peace Film Festival, and I'm joined here today by our friends Jennifer Evans, President and CEO of United Arts of Central Florida. Thank you for joining us.

Thank you.

And Steve Garrity, Steve is our Senior Vice President of the Orlando Market for Highwoods Properties. Thank you for joining us, Steve.

Fantastic. The conversation today is really to introduce the concept of what came together here at this major intersection in downtown Orlando. Lots going on. And first, I want to ask, how did the collaboration between the two organizations come together?

Well, first of all, in 2022, United Arts and Orange County commissioned a study by the DeVos Institute of Arts Management from the University of Maryland. It was an arts ecology study. It looked at the entire arts ecosystem in Central Florida to really understand the impact of the pandemic we just came out of, and to really understand what was going on with individual artists. So we were studying arts organizations and nonprofits, but we were also wanting to know what was the state of the ecosystem for individual artists. And we heard loud and clear a desperate need for professional artist studios and a place for them to go every day and create. As we all know and recognize, this community is full of talent, of creative talent. So as a local arts agency, we had an understanding of the need for artist studios. And then I met Steve Garrity and his team at Highwoods Properties, and they said, 'Can you help us? We want to make our buildings more vibrant.' And we walked around, and then some magic happened. Steve, you want to share about the next steps?

That's fantastic. And your company does have an art feel. I noticed just even before we turned the lights on here, there was wonderful art throughout the building and even in the windows.

Thank you. That's perfect for where we're going next on this. So how does the integration overall of this vision carry through downtown? I know there's a lot going on beyond this space and how it connects.

Well, after the pandemic, downtowns across America, really across the world, urban centers were struggling to get people to come back into the work environment, into their offices. The city of Orlando had already started conversations with United Arts about how do we improve the vibrancy of downtown, how do we get more people to come into the city at lunchtime, in the evenings, and see it as a destination. Understanding that the arts across the world add vibrancy to neighborhoods, urban centers, schools, and really anywhere that there's the arts, it's a more vibrant and healthy community. So looking at the opportunity to leverage the creative talent that we have in our community, which is abundant, as well as match the needs of reinventing our downtown. There's a larger initiative by the city to increase the community's cultural vibrancy. So we're working with the city to place musicians in the city every day, but having storefront visual artists that people walk by every day and go, 'Wow, this city's got something going on in the arts.' And look at these professional artists and what they're making. It helps people have the arts in front of their mind every day and that it's a value of our community that we strive to support the arts and individual artists and helping them thrive. So it's really about making Orlando and downtown Orlando a place where people want to be, where they have a sense of belonging, and there's a vibrancy and it's healthy. So that's where this intersection is. It's about an economic development goal along with a quality of life and being a healthy community.

The uniqueness of this project, is this unique to some of your other properties around the country?

And Jennifer, I've worked with United Arts for years, and since you took over, I have to say the outreach beyond just providing more of an organizational administrative hub for the arts organizations, you've really changed that. You're everywhere. I mean, I see you out in the community.

United Arts is the local arts agency for this region. As a local arts agency, we have a responsibility to serve local nonprofit arts organizations, and in our case science and history and heritage, but also individual artists and helping our sense of place, bringing the arts into everyone's lives to increase access to the arts for everyone. So it's our responsibility. Prior to my arrival, we didn't have a CEO for three years, so we had an interim who was working very hard. It was the pandemic, it was a tough time. So I think my coming to United Arts was a perfect time in the sense that it is an opportunity for us as a local arts agency to meet the community's needs. The community has these needs for the arts to be in their commercial spaces, public spaces, schools, healthcare systems, and that's what we're here to do: to connect the arts to the community so we increase the access. I love my work, and I think the arts help us build community, so it's not hard to do. But thank you for recognizing that. I'm surrounded by incredible people. Audra Fern is leading this initiative, the whole creative placemaking initiative for our downtown, and we've got a staff that's working hard every day to serve this community. So it's not just me, I happen to be more in the public.

Well, it's obvious to me that the whole organization really understands execution and understands quality. So we're delighted with what's happened here in our space. The fact that you've been able to bring these artists here to our space and activate the space, the quality is just amazing. And Steve, I caught you out in the gallery and you really are getting to know our artist so far. What's your impression?

That's fantastic.

Can I add something to that real quickly?

Go for it.

One of the reasons that what United Arts stands for, two of our values are very important: to be caring and fair. The selection process to be an artist in the Spark the Arts Studios was a very intentional process. We did a call for proposals. We had over 40 or 50, I don't remember exactly how many, but I think it was 47 legitimate applications. Part of the United Arts role is to make sure that the process for accessing resources for artists and arts organizations is equitable. So we put systems in place for people to apply and be considered fairly. That's really important for our mission. We don't just handpick who we know. We go out and we really try to make people aware of opportunities, whether it's funding or artist studios or public art projects or anything. It's just so important that the creatives that are here have equitable access to these resources. The artists were chosen through a very important vetted process.

Speaking of that, for artists here in residence, you could have picked out of a whole, you could have just grabbed people. There is plenty of talent in Orlando, but you are putting them to work individually, not just here.

Yes, and there's an expectation in the residency program. As Steve mentioned, his customers, he wants to give them value to being here in the Highwoods Properties. So each artist is responsible for teaching lunch and learns to their customers, bringing to their customer base a lunchtime experience where they can learn either about an artist's journey or an artist's creation, how to make your own. So we're real excited about that. I think it also helps artists have their own community and have a following, and also to inspire people that work downtown and in the Highwoods Properties that they might even have a creative fire inside that they hadn't realized yet. I think everybody is creative, but they haven't been ignited yet. So we're real excited. The artists work in the gallery and are responsible for the gallery. It is a true residency where they give back, but they're also just really making the space special.

Well, let's talk, let's do a little housekeeping. Let's talk about hours and how people can come through. This is your first location, right, Steve?

Very good. We're excited to hear that. We broke some news today for people. But there are fixed hours for anyone in the Highwoods or anyone in general can come through here during the day on a Monday through Friday. What is that window again, Jennifer?

The buildings are open from 7 in the morning till 7 pm, so there's no nighttime. The artists can only work during that time, and the artists are required to work here, to be present at least six hours a day. So they're here working. The galleries are open, people can come and visit the studios from 11:30 to 1:30 during the work day. And then on the first Thursday of every month from 4 to 7, we have an open studio. So you can come down, walk through, meet the artists, learn what they're doing, buy art. That's one of the goals.

Absolutely. And there's some great art. Yeah, there's beautiful. And we'll try on a future episode to actually walk through and get a sense of that. This is our street-side studio. You can't see the street, but you probably heard it. Out there is just an amazing assortment of art. The ceilings are very tall. They've utilized every single space, but also there's individual work areas for the studio spaces. They actually are artists in residence working every day. For me, it's a joy to come in here every day and go to work and do what I do.

And how can the community get involved in this? Is there an opportunity for the community to show up?

In the arts, the most important thing that the community can do is show up, whether it's to a performance or to a gallery opening, to buy local art, to hire local artists. When you come into the gallery, you will see the work of four amazing artists in pastel, stained glass, oil, and design, and an author. The most important thing the community can do is say, 'These are my neighbors. This is what's going to make Orlando unique and vibrant: supporting the local arts organizations and the individual artists.' So showing up is the first step that anyone can do. And it's free to come into these studios. There's no charge.

So it's free, it's accessible, and it's right here in downtown, right at the intersection of Jefferson and Orange?

Jackson.

Jackson, excuse me. I say don't run into City Hall. If you make a left, you're going to go into the mall there at Dr. Phillips. And this is just such a beautiful property. It really is. It's gorgeous. The lobby is fantastic.

Fantastic. So anything else you want to say before we go? And my last question is, what is success to you for this project?

Well, it's already successful because first of all, Highwoods Properties is satisfied and they feel good about partnering. When you do something new in a new partnership and collaboration, you want to have a standard of excellence. So it's great to hear Steve say that. I think that making sure it's an excellent experience for the artists, the people walking by, and the people coming in. But for us, it's really elevating and creating a standard that there are commercial properties in our city that have spaces that are dark and that it's a great place for artists to be. Highwoods has made this available at no cost to the artists or to United Arts. What we know is that if they lease the space, we've got to be out in 60 days. Well, artists are flexible. So if other companies are interested in looking at their commercial properties that are looking for non-traditional spaces for performances, for artists to have studios in, there are so many arts organizations that need facilities and artists that need working spaces. This is the beginning of something really great. We hope that the success is the satisfaction of the owner of the property and the opportunity for our community to have increased access to excellent art, which is what you're going to see when you come to the studio.

Fantastic. Well, I want to thank you both for joining us today. Jennifer, if you could do me a big favor and give everyone the website address for United Arts.

Absolutely. It's UnitedArtsCFL.org, like Central Florida. You can find us, you can just Google United Arts of Central Florida, you'll find us hopefully very quickly.

Yes, yes. And Steve, after this podcast, I know there are going to be tons of people wanting to move into this building and the others downtown. How do they get in touch with you or what's your website?

Thank you again for joining us. I'm David Wheeler. I'll be here regularly with Spark the Arts podcast. Check your local listings, check social media, and we'll make sure you know exactly where to find us and when to find us. We'll see you soon.