News from FAC President & CEO, David Dahlin
Happy New Year! (I know it’s a bit late for that greeting, but I believe we should celebrate the New Year throughout January.)
New Year’s holds the promise of an entire year waiting to unfold. It lets us capture 365 days of life yet to be lived, an entire twelve months, and all that will transpire in one simple concept. It gives us the opportunity to start fresh, to conjure new dreams, to set new intentions, and maybe, if we dare, to make some resolutions.
I’ve never been a huge fan of resolutions — they are so easily made and so easily broken. However, I am a strong proponent of using the passing of one year to the next to reflect, to evaluate, to dream, and to set some intentions. It’s so common to make New Year’s resolutions about health and fitness. What about arts and culture?
What if, for 2017, we set the intention to engage in at least one arts activity every month? Or, what if we step it up just a bit and set the intention to engage in at least one new arts activity every month. How fun to anticipate a year when we are trying something new every month! Or, what if we challenged ourselves even a bit more to engage in at least one arts activity that, in the past, we have not really liked, didn’t understand, or found too “challenging?”
In the coming months, you will have many opportunities to fulfill these intentions right here at your Fine Arts Center. There are some really interesting and unique classes being offered at Bemis — some media or techniques that have not been offered in a while. Want to try glass work? Woodturning? Anime? Give it a go! There will be a thought-provoking exhibition coming to the museum in late February illuminating issues of social justice and racially motivated violence. You might find it difficult. You might feel angry, sad or inspired! But why not challenge yourself to explore it? Next to Normal was a one night show this past week that dealt with the difficult, but important topic of mental illness. Of course, there will also be the fun of Bye Bye Birdie to look forward to, and redesign of the Lane Gallery which holds our wonderful Chihuly collection.
For the last few years I have identified a word that seemed like it would be a useful guide for me for the coming year. The word that came to me this year is “discovery.” I am excited for what I can discover this year — about myself, about art, about our community, and about the world. I invite you to join me in making this a year of discovery!
Happy New Year!
David Dahlin